Nature Study Gone Awry

I love Nature Study, I just don't always have the forethought to go about it sensibly.

Like the time I gave the OK for some ants to live in a jar in our house and thought to myself "they might need air holes..."

Last week Bowery Bird and her friend came upstairs to get a box for a "cute little garter snake". I think this is the 3rd year in a row kids have come to me looking for a box for snakes--Do I have a sign on my door or something? Do I Look like a Snake Lady? So, I gave them a box.

They brought it up to show me and, good homeschooling mom I am, with a wave of my hand I shouted out, "Bring it in--Let's draw it!" So we drew it, and made it a habitat, and learned they bear their young live, and named it, and left its box open while we ate dinner.

Mr. Owl came home during dinner, only to be told about said snake moments before observing, "it's gone". Welcome home, Dear! Put up your feet. Relax! There's a snake loose in the house...

Granted, they aren't going to kill you, but might bite, and I did have a baby sleeping in a crib--as we had all hoped to be soon (asleep--not in the crib). My husband called animal control; closed. So for the next 2 hours we tore apart our living room and kitchen; hoping beyond hope that was as far as it had gone. Now the floor under my stove, refrigerator, two couches (with the bottoms ripped off), three bookshelves, and coffee table are clean--and that's saying something. As a family we were getting ready to pray for the third time when Bowery bird shouted "I see him!". And this time it wasn't a toy frog, TV cable, or someone being smart--it was him. ("Tangled," if you must know.)

Because I was the one who gave permission for him to come it, it was decided I would be the one to catch him. I didn't decide it, but I didn't question it either. First attempt, he was curled up under a bookshelf and as I gently prodded the docile thing it turned all Hyde on me and JUMPED over the wall I'd made. (I obviously haven't watched enough Nature Channel because I had NO idea it could do that...) Verry ready to have this over with I caught him in a box at the next bookshelf. Slapping a wooden puzzle on it like a lid I started shouting "OPEN the DOOR--OPEN the DOOR!" while my children sat on overturned furniture telling each other knock knock jokes. I whirled around only to  realized I couldn't even GET to the front door for all the books and furniture and stuff en mass.

But with certain motivation, one can fly.

I took it outside and dropped it, and kicked it, and left it, heaving.

Then I looked at myself. Rainbow striped wellies? An apron over my skirt and orange rubber gloves with floral cuffs? A headlamp (still on)? and let's not forget the dazed/shocked expression.
Was this my idea of "snake-proof"?

It was over, who cares.
I am now more willing to support the "No Nature in the House" rule, that comes up more often than you might think.

 

And the next morning my husband still said he loved me (sigh)...