Friday 23 June 2006

internet, what do I doooo?

I talked to our lovely neighbor yesterday. Turns out she was in her garden, (and this woman can garden - her yard is gorgeous) saw the turtle get hit, and put it down over the bank so C wouldn't have to look at it.

She remembers where it ended up.

BUT...... it isn't there anymore.

We don't have a lot (struggling to think of any) big animals around here that would drag something like that away. There was a lot of blood, but as my neighbor said "I can never tell if they're dead or not because they just lay there when they're stunned" so she tipped it up on a shovel (which is the only way you're supposed to handle snapping turtles, apparently) and put it down in some long grass. She's a very kind woman.

My dilemma -

C thinks the turtle is dead. Do I tell him that Neighbor said it was gone? Let him think that it might be back? He has a shaky idea of death - if the turtle shows up and he recognizes it, (remember it has red paint on its shell) is this going to push him into more "When God is done with Kansas, can we have him back?" type questions?

And if I don't tell him and it shows up, how on earth do I explain that God lets turtles come back to life, but nixes favorite cats?

And if I do tell him and it doesn't show up, how long is he going to hope it will?

You see my dilemma.


Y'know, they don't tell you about these things when you decide to have children.

Next up: How many kites can we get in the air at once? Any? None? Stay tuned!

5 comments:

Major Bedhead said...

Honestly, I'd just leave the thing as dead. If it shows up, you can give the stunned it talk (and try, just TRY not to do the Dead Parrot routine, ok? Kids don't get it and you'll wind up laughing and it'll all go pear-shaped in no time).

It may have crawled off to die. Animals do that.

Lily said...

I'd agree with Julia -- might have crawled off to die -- so I'd leave things as they stand. If it comes back and C notices, well, what a blog post that discussion will make.

Anonymous said...

My first dog ever crawled off to die. She wasn't injured, just beyond ancient. She was also deaf and couldn't hear me calling her. I spent a frozen night outside with a flashlight trying to find her. She was a black dog in a black winter night... it was almost useless looking for her even with a flashlight, but I found her under the neighbor's bushes and carried her home.

We put her down a week later because she'd spend the night crying from arthritis pain. You did right by Kansas.

I'm with the other votes. Go with Julia's suggestion.

Joke said...

Listen to Julia.

-J.

Major Bedhead said...

Jeez, I'm gonna have to start paying you guys. :D

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