Bobcat!

I never thought I'd say that there is a Bobcat in our house. Nor would I thought I'd ever say that my son has a Crayfish in his room.

My son is the proud owner of the solo-male Crayfish that survived the month of study in his fourth grade class. He named him Bobcat, after the classroom's mascot.

My son came home a week ago saying that the science unit was complete, and that there were four crayfish remaining of the original eighteen that made it's trek cross country from Louisiana. His teacher, obvious to the fact that my son was the leader in the raising and caring of these critters during the unit, asked if he wanted to take the remaining four home. She planned the asking just before Memorial Day - so if they all died over the weekend while my son was at home begging asking his parents - that it was really a "chance" on both sides.

My husband immediately agreed, I hemmed and hawed until I finally made a deal that he could bring one home if he agreed that it would be his one hundred percent responsibility. And if he found he needed parental assistance, that he'd have to ask his father. (I knew better from prior experience with two Beta fish who the person was that cared for the two Beta fish, even though the Beta fish did not belong to me the person who cared for them).

Deal agreed upon.

My son walked out of class on Tuesday with Bobcat the Crayfish in a shallow plastic box with a lid made from a barely covered ziploc bag. I squirmed alllll the way home thinking that Bobcat would escape. I do not do critters well, can you tell?

Once in the tank, I actually took the time to study this creepy crawler and he is actually pretty cool. He has shades of oranges, blacks, and reds, and minus the beady, solid, black eyes and long, wispy antenna's ... he's not all that bad.

So far so good. He's going on day five at our house and my son has stepped up to the plate every single day in caring for his Bobcat. Very happy with his commitment - and who knows - maybe this Bobcat will live a long while away from his Louisiana roots.