Love Every Living Thing

Sunday night I dreamt I had triplets. Monday I got 3 new babies. My pops called and wanted me to come home because he had a surprise and he guaranteed I'd love it. I'm a sucker for gifts so of course I went. He made me close my eyes and when I opened them I saw 2 AFRICAN SULCATA BABIES!!!!!! I was hysterical! A little boy who is all grown up now and in the Army met my pops and our 12 year old Sulcatas many years ago. He always wanted tortoises and finally bought some for himself but couldn't take care of them. He wanted to give them to my pops but didn't know how to find him. Luckily, his neighbor knew my dad (almost everyone in Keller knows each other) so she called my pops to see if he wanted them. Of course he wanted them- taking in turtles or tortoises is NEVER a question for us! My pops also had a Red Eared Slider for me since Cupcake vanished into thin air 2 months ago. Judging by his shell size, I'd say Carter is about 1 year old and he's a precious fella.

I've kind of decided that since our Sulcatas, Bert and Ernie, live with my parents the new babies should live at Chez Rey with me and Crys :) Well, until they're too big for me to properly take care of (about 5 more years) so they've been living in between my bathroom and the backyard. My bathroom is now the most active room in the house. Gable insists on being fed every time I walk into the room (apparently fish can be demanding), the babies take at least 3 baths a day and I have to bleach everything down several times too not to mention all the plants in my bathroom- a cactus, bromeliad and orchid. As time consuming as it is having 2 fish, 2 turtles, 2 tortoises and LOTS of plants, I wouldn't have it any other way! It's so much more fun coming home to pets and plants than coming home to nothing, something I absolutely despised!

It took us 3 days to decide on names for the babies because all 6 of us had to agree but I'm happy to announce Elmer and Sylvester...

Elmer! He's a fighter, not a lover. Well, he loves to cuddle with me but he is aggressive with Sylvester, even though Sylv is about twice as big. I am REALLY hoping Elmer is a girl (or Sylv) so we can eventually breed them! We won't know for a few years but Bert and Ernie are both boys and I'd love it if we had at least one girl!

Sylvester! What a stud :)

I really don't believe there is anything better than a tortoise. They are BY FAR the coolest creatures. I'm fascinated by them daily and wish I could spend all day every day with them!

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! They like to sleep on me and there haven't been any accidents yet! Not that I'd really care- Bert and Ernie ruined LOTS of my clothes when they were babies and I realized it just doesn't matter. Soon enough they'll be too big to pick up so I have to cherish every minute that they're little, even if they poo on me :)

Cutest legs EVER!!!!! I constantly grab them. Elmer doesn't mind- he's too little but Sylv hates it.

Carter!

He's still pretty shy. I haven't put Carter and Carusoe together yet.

Carusoe and Sylvester

Of course Carsoe would pose for me! He's used to Mama Shan's incessant picture taking!!!

Movie Night! We watched Shutter Island. Carusoe was so excited to have new friends that he was a crazy man, crawling all over me and Sylv! He finally passed out on the couch with us.

Camera shy Sylv and my Car Car.

My family is so blessed with the second chance the babies have brought us. I couldn't wait for Bert and Ernie to grow up so we could keep them outside instead of my room and I wouldn't have to spend several hours every week cutting up their food into tiny bites for them. Well, they've been outside for about 9 years now and we give them at least 3 heads of lettuce at a time- EACH! I love them more than words but I'm sad they're so big that I can't really enjoy them anymore. They used to love sleeping on my shoulders and roaming around my room- oh the places they would get stuck in! They will probably never see my room again because they are too heavy to carry upstairs. They had so much personality and were constantly making me laugh, just like the babies! Well, they still have personality but it's harder for me to appreciate it because they live outside. Time flies and before Elmer and Sylvester are too big, I am going to consider every moment we're together a beautiful blessing!