christmas secrets and poison toads

Christmas is a big deal in our house - a BIG deal. There are secrets, surprises, candles lit, music on, 24 Christmas books to open, treats to be made, red pajamas, elf ears to be worn (yeah you heard me - Punk is sporting a pair in this picture). Like I said, it's a BIG deal.

So when Punk's fairy godmother called and asked if she could give him
something special for Christmas - I said yes.

Soooooo - three days before Christmas she shows up with not one, but two firebelly toads. She also delivers a ten gallon terrarium with light, a water dish, bedding and a bag of food - which in case you are unfamiliar with the diet of firebelly toads, happens to be crickets - live crickets. Punk is ecstatic. Delirious with joy. First he tells us that I can take back all of the presents under the tree - because nothing could be better than this. Then he comes up to both of us and says, "I'm just so happy I could swear!"

I ask her if they are male or female - she isn't sure. I ask her how big they get - she isn't sure about that either. I ask how long they live - again, not sure. Still I am not terribly concerned - her baby boy is due any day and whatever she dishes out to me, she will get back tenfold and she knows it.

So the two of us go into Punk's room to watch him deliver the warty little dudes into their new home. The whole while we are laughing about how little we know about these animals - joking that they are probably toxic - like dart frogs from the rainforest.

Ha ha ha.

I look them up on the web later, to see how to care for them - and . . . wait for it . . . YES - indeed they are toxic - can make your tongue swell up - give you a rash - blur your vision. So Punk who has never been a hand washing freak, has now been cursed to a life of near constant scrubbing. Ha ha ha - maybe the joke is on HIM.

This one is Tyrone. Theodore and Tyrone are their names (Theodore named after Rooseveldt - and Tyrone . . . I have no idea)