Hermie and Crawlie

Natalie used to have imaginary friends, Nomie and Sogee. They had their own voices, their own house in town that we passed regularly and Natalie would point out, and they would come to play, stay for dinner, and cause all sorts of trouble - mostly Sogee, he was a real troublemaker. On many occasions I told Natalie that I didn't think that Sogee would be allowed to come over and play anymore.

Sometimes I miss Nomie and Sogee or at least the way Natalie would pretend to be them and change her voice without missing a beat.

I went to pick her up from school one day, and she ran to me with wide eyes, "Mommy, can we take Hermie and Crawlie for the summer!?!" I couldn't find it in my heart to crush her genuine excitement, even though I had no idea what she was talking about.

I came to learn that Hermie and Crawlie are hermit crabs. I never had hermit crabs as a kid, nor do I remember ever wanting for one. But we are now the proud babysitters of two hermit crabs. Hermie is a big guy who is pretty active. The bro and I sat watching him drink? bathe? for a full fifteen minutes. I was both enraptured and disgusted by it. The bro loved every minute. Hermie then proceeded to start digging. When we returned later in the day he wasn't on his side of the tank, and I went into a mild panic wondering how this creature would be able to get out. I dared to stick my hand in there and found that he had burrowed himself into the sand under his water dish. Crawlie on the other hand is truly a hermit. He hangs out in his "Crawlie Cave" all day, and I have to check every so often to make sure he is still alive. Just what I need, a dead hermit crab. AND, they don't like each other, so there is a makeshift cardboard divider. I may have to beautify that.

This is what you need to know about hermit crabs:

1. They are kind of gross. Little rat, spider animals that live in a shell, and their little legs and antennae come out and I get the hebgebees. Yuck.

2. They are apparently a tad nocturnal and will tap on the glass at night, so keep them somewhere where no one sleeps.

3. Tap water will kill them. That's right, we have private school hermit crabs who can only drink bottled water.

4. I think these will be the first and last class pets we take for the summer.