Sunday, April 17, 2011

Snakes and Boys

I was reading a new post by Wendy at Are You Breathing (http://www.areyoubreathing.com/2011/04/carmel-valley-california.html) about a visit to a friend of theirs who is a vet with quite a collection of reptiles.  The pictures of her boys' fascination with the snakes reminded me of a story of my own.

Yes, I am occasionally inspired by other blogs that I read.  After all, aren't we all here to connect with and inspire each other?

When Scout Boy was five he went to the birthday party of one of his kindergarten classmates.  This was one of his first parties so he was still at the stage where he wanted me to stay.  There were several other parents that stayed too so that was fine.

(Now, at twelve, he would die a million deaths if I ever stayed at a party.....sigh)

This party took place at their house with video games, a movie, plenty of goodies......you know, the usual.  The unusual part is that they had this huge snake that might as well have been twenty feet long for the chills that it sent up my spine but, in reality, was probably only about two or three feet long.  (Un)Fortunately, the birthday party happened to fall on the day that the snake was due for a feeding so this became a party activity.

The mom took a frozen mouse out and warmed it in the microwave.  Thank goodness it wasn't alive or I might have puked on my shoes!  Once it was ready, she put the snake in an aquarium on the coffee table and called the boys up from the basement.  She told them what she was doing, arranged them on the floor in a circle around the table and put the mouse in the tank.

You have never seen a dozen five/six year old boys THAT quiet for THAT long....... EVER!  They kneeled in around that tank with open-mouthed, wide-eyed fascination for the entire time that it took for the snake to take in that mouse.  Most of us parents sat far back, watching from a distance.  Our stomachs are obviously far more delicate than our offsprings'.

When it was done, my beautiful boy, grinning from ear to ear, eyes shining, came running over to me and said "Mommy, Mommy, it ate the BUM last"  followed by a fit of giggles

((SHUDDER))

Kat

15 comments:

  1. I love how little boys love all things stinky, gross, smelly, and disgusting. And I think it's universal that little boys all seem to enjoy butt humor. Great story!

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  2. I'm with you on this one Kat! ONce we were on a playdate with Briar Kitty and he ate a squirrel, it was alive, and it was a baby. I was so traumatized, but the boys thought they were watching the discovery channel live. Ugh.

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  3. Sorry, it's late and my eyes are bleeding. Let's try again:

    Sadly, it's not just little boys. I had a boyfriend (a thousand years ago) who was the proud owner of a Monitor Dragon - really, it's just a big, extra-scary-looking lizard. Anyway, Saturday nights were always a big event at his house when he fed said lizard A LIVE MOUSE! I witnessed this one time complete with little mouse-y screams and everything (yes, giant lizard ate the bum FIRST!)

    I came to the conclusion that I wasn't twelve, and neither was he, and it just wasn't gonna work out...

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  4. @Amanda
    It's not just little boys that like butt humour; it seems to stay with them forever LOL

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  5. @wendy@areyoubreathing.com
    OMG, I couldn't have handled that! I would have had nightmares; I'm such a wuss for that kind of thing!

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  6. @Misfit Mommy
    That is NOT what I would call a date-night activity. Dinner, yes. Movie, yes. Horrible, screaming death of a small animal? NO I'm with you on that one!

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  7. Okay, wait...first, I got stuck at the part about your 12-year old not wanting you to stay at a b-day party with him! You mean, there will come a time when I don't have to stay at b-day parties with my kids??!! Oh, there is a God!!

    Now the mouse...who on earth would think that would make for fun party entertaining?? My kids would probably love it, too, though.

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  8. @Helene
    Yes, there will come a day when you can "drop and run", free to do what you want with a couple of hours! LOL

    Considering how much those boys loved that "entertainment" I think that mom was actually pretty darned smart :)

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  9. I was cracking up reading this. Little boys are so funny with what they notice.

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  10. @Diana @Hormonal Imbalances
    They really were pretty cute even if it was over something so gross!

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  11. LOL Sorry but this post gave me giggles. The things we are willing to do for our kids! Ha!

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  12. At least he was paying attention to the important part. ;)

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  13. I HATE snakes. they give me the creeps. My son's lizard also gives me the creepies

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  14. HAH! I had to come by and check out your blog YES I made time for this in my Rushing River!!! Hurrah!!! and I'm so glad I did for what a great story; I feel like I was there watching.

    What a lucky snake got his dinner warmed up in the microwave and as your son noticed, it saved the best for last heh heh.

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  15. Oh my boyfriend wants 4 boys of his own someday, and wow I can't imagine what a handful they would be! Although I know I wasn't the easiest little girl to take care of myself!

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