I must have had a momentary lapse of reason. When my eight-year-old son, Ian, asked me for the millionth time if he could have a lizard for his birthday, I finally said yes.
Normally, I would have done some research before committing myself, and the rest of the family, to becoming reptile owners. Normally, I would have discussed this decision with my pragmatic husband. But I simply looked into my youngest child's pleading green eyes and told him that yes, he could have a lizard. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. (Truth be told, I had run out of excuses about why he couldn't have one.)
"I wonder what kind of lizard I should get," Ian said as soon as I had given in.
What breed should we get?
Good! I thought, seizing the opportunity to delay the purchase. "Use the Internet to find out about different breeds," I told him. "Look at what they eat, the care they need and their sizes. Write down all the information and then we'll decide."
I breathed a sigh of relief. I was being a responsible future reptile owner, making sure we did our homework. But most of all, I knew there was no way Ian would gather this information quickly. Especially with two older sisters who had dibs on the computer for homework.
"Ian, here's a great site about lizards," offered Bethany, my suddenly, surprisingly helpful 12-year-old, who overheard me talking to Ian. My glowering gaze was lost on the ambitious duo, who were scrolling down a page of lizard photos.
"A lizard?" asked 14-year-old Amanda, when she got home from school. "That's disgusting. I'm moving out."
Amanda stomped up to her room and slammed her door shut. Maybe Steve, my husband, has a secret soft spot for lizards, I hoped. Maybe he's harbouring a desire for a reptile.
"Mom said I could get a lizard!" Ian announced to his dad as soon as he walked in the door. The incredulous look on Steve's face assured me that he had never thought about owning a reptile.
"And they all eat live crickets!" Ian exclaimed, his eyes shining.
Page 1 of 3 - read page two to find out why Ian's new lizard refused to eat
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