We Have a Snake Named Dog, Really

After work one day, I arrived home to a sweet sight - all of my babies outside, happy and having fun together. Then I realized the reason.
A Snake. They named him Dog.

Maddy sees snakes all the time walking home from school and today she was lucky enough to catch one. I really don't mind snakes, but COME ON!! Another animal?? Reptile??

Whatever.

They made a nice home for him in the turtle's cage inside the garage...

But that sneaky little snake escaped, I was POSITIVE that it was still in our garage, but no one believed me so off we go to find another snake.

I'm thinkin' I am a pretty good mom, right about now.

Off to the canal we go and the girls are upset because they do not see a single snake. Geez, I hate to see them suffer, so I am lifting rocks and peeking in the brush in hopes of discovering some critter to satisfy my children.

(I believe that having children is the beginning of a long process of losing one's identity)

While Pat is looking, he keeps assuring me the snake is NOT in our garage.
We'll see, I tell him.

Katie wanted us to move all the large rocks that actually hold the sides of the canal in place to find a snake and was a bit upset that we wouldn't.

It is getting cold and we've given up, thank heavens.

So long snake hunting, it was fun while it lasted.

Plus we got to spend some great family time together.

(Pat, Selina. Maddy, Katie, Bella)

We are a great team. I love my family.

(BTW, the snake IS still in our garage. My poor mother, who is deathly afraid of snakes, found him slithering across the garage floor on Halloween. Pat caught him, put him back in the cage and Dog the Snake was gone again in the morning. I hear him all the time when I open the door to the garage - his tail hits the water heater as he slips back into his hiding place)

I told Pat that thing was still in our garage!