Mommy Memos: R.I.P. Lizardy

A few years ago, for Gracie's birthday, we decided to get her a lizard.  She had seen a chameleon on one of her shows, and that's what she wanted.  I called PetSmart and asked if they had any.  The nice lady on the phone said no, but she had a waiting list for the next one that came in, and would I like to be on it?  Of course, I did.  A few weeks later I got a call that some had come in, so I sent Mike to go pick ours up.  Mike called me from PetSmart and asked if I knew that a chameleon cost over $100?  I didn't.  We bought the chameleon anyway.  THEN we found out that chameleons are sensitive little creatures who need a special habitat.  Fast forward another few hundred dollars, and we have a pimped out chameleon cage.  By the way, did you know that chameleons eat crickets?  Did you know that crickets smell like a dead animal?

We actually have had a lot of fun with Lizardy.  Gracie named him.  We would take him outside and put him in my hanging baskets during the summer.  People who came over to visit would always visit Lizardy and watch him eat.  It was pretty interesting.

Lizardy started getting skinny and not acting like himself a few weeks ago.  I find it sad that I knew the chameleon wasn't acting like himself.  Mike thought he had nursed him back to health, until we heard the scream on Sunday morning.  Gracie was checking on Lizardy, and he was on the bottom of the cage, obviously dead.  Everyone thinks Gracie is my tough kid, and in some ways she is, but she's also the most sensitive.  Her heart was broken.  She burst into tears and wrapped her arms around me and wouldn't let go.   We had two of our dogs die a few years ago, and she took that really hard, too.  More so than anyone else in the house.

I decided there was only one way to fix this.  Buy a new lizard.  I had a genius idea.  Let's get "disposable" lizards.  Ones that don't cost $100, and ones that when they die, I can replace with a quick trip to PetSmart.  I would like to have gotten rid of the lizard cage altogether, but it's now an investment.  It has all the bells and whistles.  I would like to live there if I was a lizard.

Mike took all the kids to PetSmart.  I would officially like to welcome the 6 new lizards and tree frog.  These critters eat meal worms.  I have to store them in my refridgerator.  Gross, I know, but better than crickets!