No, not since I last updated this blog with any meaningful content.
That's the time that elapsed between when I realized Molly's hermit crab LuLu was dead and when she finally noticed.
In my defense, I discovered the dead crab the night before the first day of school. Not the best timing for weeping and gnashing of teeth. Remember the new school? The huge class size? The weeping blogger Mom in the cafeteria? The switch from plaid uniforms to go-go boots? The riding the bus for the first time? Yeah.
And it wasn't just Molly's reaction I was worried about. Jake hasn't turned on his ceiling fan in over a year, even though his room is down the hall from the crabs, because he read once that hermit crabs need a warm environment to survive. We've assured him that under no circumstances will his fan kill the crabs, but he's not buying it.
So, yeah, I tucked LuLu's leggy little self back into the shell, clamped my mouth shut really fast, and prayed the kids wouldn't notice her demise for a day or two. I had the utter pigsty of Molly's room going for me on this one.
The good news? The dead crab wasn't Smiley (the beloved crab we almost buried alive over a year ago ) and who appears to thrive on benign neglect. LuLu, the newer (and now departed) crab, apparently needed things like food, water, and attention. Diva.
Best line when Molly finally discovered LuLu's shriveled up body: "Mom, I think LuLu's dead. But it's okay, I didn't have that much time to get to know her anyway."
Yeah, like 30 days and 30 nights?
I probably shouldn't own animals. Or maybe children. I kill things.
ReplyDeleteI love your "Diva" remark - too funny!
ReplyDeleteHaha - you may have discovered something here Anna - a brand new breed of hermit crabs that don't smell when they're dead! Try to market that one. But seriously, glad she wasn't too upset when she finally discovered it!
ReplyDeleteDIVA crab!
ReplyDeleteperhaps my new license plate. love it.
That's tragic.
ReplyDeleteI've never know anyone before who kept hermit crabs as pets. I think it is cool that they have lived as long as they have.
ReplyDeleteIn 5th grade the class pet hermit crab clamped on to my hand for 10 mins. I'll never forget it! I had to go to the nurse! Love your postings and stories! I would be so happy if you could win my give-a-way! Check it out!
ReplyDeletehttp://swissavenue.blogspot.com/2009/10/thanks-yall.html
Poor Lulu. Did she start to smell?
ReplyDeleteAw, RIP LuLu.
ReplyDeleteWe had 3 crabs that bit the dust one at a time. Hermie, Climby, and Speedy. I think those names are UBER original (not).
Once I picked up Climby and he actually FELL out of his shell. I was like, "OH MY GOD! HE's NAKED! HE LEFT HIS SHELL!!!" I knew it was the beginning of the end for him then.
Crabs are good pets - they are cheap and not too dangerous. Unless of course you let them near body parts that shouldn't be pinched. I'm just sayin.
We did the hermit crab thing. And I'll admit it. I made many trips to Petco with a dead crab in a ziplock bag, finding another one that looked enough like the dead one to fool a five year old. We had recently lost grandma, and not to put the death of grandma on par with the death of a crab, but to say that Carlie was OBSESSED LIKE A FREAK with anything death related would be an understatement.
ReplyDeleteBest hermit crab moment was when I had to replace Hermie, and the only live crab that was in a Hermie type shell was twice Hermie's size. I went for it. Carlie came home and was ecstatic at how much Hermie had grown!
Also... her three crabs were Hermie, Mr. Crabs and Marie. Why Marie, I asked. "Just look at her. Have you ever seen a more beautiful crab."
RIP Lulu.
Several months ago my daughter picked up her hermit crab and it fell out of the shell back into the cage. It wasn't moving and we decided it had passed. The next day I noticed a claw had fallen off and I assumed the body was decomposing but I had too many other things to take care of to clean out the cage and dispose of the body. A week later, I finally got around to it and I looked into the cage, but the body was missing! I thought maybe my husband or the kids had gotten tired of having a dead crab in the laundry room and someone had actually tried to help me out. But no, I picked up the shell and the crab was back in - alive and kicking. No food or water for a week, it was ravenous and very active for several days. I'm not sure what happened but this week, I waited 6 days when our frog died just to be sure. It's still at the bottom of the tank and has turned black so I think it's safe to give him a burial at sea...
ReplyDeleteHow sad, may LuLu rest in peace. There are criteria hermit crabs need, please visit Crab Street Journal for proper care and the proper needs of a hermit crab.
ReplyDeleteTragic and hilarious.
ReplyDeleteRIP, Lulu.
What Stimey said!
ReplyDeleteThat's pretty funny. Never understood the appeal of hermit crabs as pets. Apparently they don't require much care, guess that's a good thing. Or not, for them.
ReplyDeleteSeriously gross. I cannot believe you just tucked her legs in and left her there for a month! Hilarious, yet sad.
ReplyDeleteHow sad. I was always devastated when things happened to my pets.
ReplyDeleteJack wouldn't turn on his fan. How tender. xo
ReplyDelete