♥ Mystery of the Missing Turtle Head
The boys found a baby turtle one day. Wild Animal Rule #1 in our house: If you catch it today, you have to release it tomorrow. Wild Animal Rule #2: Rule # 1 doesn’t include snakes.
They made a nest in a critter box, looked up what to feed the 1-2 inch little fella, and watched him. The next day, they bravely took the turtle outside for release. You’d thought they’d given birth to the little guy, but, as they say, “they sucked it up and were tough.”
Until they came screaming and crying through the house 5 minutes later, two boys 4 and 7, inconsolable, crying, “He killed it. He killed it. He bit his head off.”
You can’t imagine the relief I felt when I sorted out the situation and discovered the most important factor: Neither boy bit the head off the turtle. The dog did.
You know when someone says you were the calm in the storm? Well, that was me. I looked over the turtle. Yes, I had to touch it, pick it up, study it. I looked in the hole where the head should have been, and dog gone, I didn’t see anything. I couldn’t tell if something had be nipped off. . . or if it had just pulled it head back in real tight when the dog picked it up to . . . eat it? Play with it? Like a game of ball except with a turtle?
They were still sobbing, sniffling, moaning. I stood their, thinking about how to bring order out of the chaos of turtle murder. The mommy in me so wanted to fix this. I really didn’t want to explain death then.
I sent the boys upstairs to play. I kept the poor turtle, put him in his box, hoping that the dog didn’t really bite its head off, hoping beyond hope that the turtle only had the heebeegeebees scared out of it, and once quiet reigned, calm restored, it would pop its head out.
After 30 minutes of kitchen work, I checked the turtle. Relief oozed. An imaginary neon sign blinked over my head, “Totally Brilliant Mom: Smarter than a Second Grader.”
The boys cheered. They had literally pulled the tiny turtle from the jaws of death—Copper’s drooling jaws. Death had been cheated; I didn’t’ have to explain that today. The turtle now had a head.
A new tactic for release was tried. The seven year old distracted Copper in the front yard, while the 4 year old successfully released our little turtle with a full head in the woods out back.
I don’t think I’ve felt so brilliant since!
YAY for happy endings!!!!
Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I’m so glad everything worked out in the end. I’m sure the turtle is especially happy to still have his head. Your boys are adorable! And so is Cotton, despite the biting-turtle-heads tendencies! 🙂
Thank you for such a sweet comment you left me! Believe it or not I have 4 boys too and one girl…so I understand! I have found though that my boys enjoy seeing and helping me with all my projects and are proud of their mom and all her Whimsy.lol. Please stop by again anytime!
Hugs to you,
~Victoria~
Good thing you thought about turtles pulling their heads in. I wasn’t thinking about that until you said it.
Cute boys, great memories, pretty dog too.
More later,
Nannette
What a relief! I was hoping the turtle just pulled it’s head into it’s shell.
Great story – thanks for visiting my blog.
What a “heartwarming” story — first I am glad it wasn’t the dog after all. Then I’m glad the turtle is back where it belongs.
You really are one brilliant mom!
I loved this post, thanks for sharing.
What a relief! I still get upset remembering a tiny baby bird we rescued from the ground many years ago (I was a bit older than your boys). It died while we were at church. 🙁
There’s an award for you on my blog: http://notreallyhomeschooling.blogspot.com/2009/07/award.html
That was a really cute story 🙂
Oh I’m so glad everything worked out and you were able to cheer the kids up! Being a mom of boys I know the whole wild animal thing. My boys think anything that is found around or near our house is automatically their new pet! We once had a mole in a fish tank full of mud! I could go on and on…ha ha! Thanks for stopping by my site! http://raisingmy4sons.com
I have an animal lover and I cannot even begin to tell you how many animal funerals we have had over the past five years. We even have our own animal graveyard on our property.
So glad that it ended well. It’s hard to see them have their excitement for the freedom and life of a small creature dashed. And poor Cooper! Looks like he got it good for something he didn’t do.
Stopping by from SITS to say hi! What drama. I’m so happy the little turtle is ok and didn’t die a terrible death by doggie!
Bless their hearts! I can imagine how thrilled they were to find the turtle’s head was still intact.
When I was a about 8 years old, I saw a baby bird hop past the neighbors German Shepherd. I looked away for a split second and heard the distint CHOMP! of a that dog’s mouth snapping shut. I turned around and to my horror, the little bird was gone. Remembering seeing Granny rescue Tweety a zillion times in cartoons, I ran over to the dog and gave him a sharp WHACK with the side of my hand, just where his neck met his shoulders. Lo and behold, he gave a hacking cough and the little bird fell to the ground, still alive! That was one of the happiest days of my life I tell you! I took him home and played mama bird for a few days and then let him go.
It’s like a fairy tale, happy ending and all, tee hee! I’ll bet you are one busy Mama with 5 boys, whew wee…sooo fun I’ll bet though! I have 3 girls and they keep me on my toes. Love the turtle story, so glad they saved him from the ‘scary monster’ 😉
Jamie 🙂
5 Boys!!!! I think you might be my hero! Cute story and I love your post about making the boys do squats!
Yea for the turtle!
Love its tenacity to survive the jaws of death.
I also loved your post about your grandmother. I have a granddaughter, and I want to help instill character in her.
Not just spoil her rotten.
Have a great weekend!
Sweet dreams.
p.s. Have you moved yet?
Holy Cow, you scared me! So glad turtle is ok! Seriously, 5 boys…..what a fun household you have!
Lisa 🙂
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