Tiny Tim

From Spring 2011

This little fellow is cute. (Alec is too, but he hates it when we say that.)

The turtle is a Midland Painted Turtle. Very common in Ohio. Probably not more than two weeks from hatching. About the size of a quarter.

Our children have wanted a pet so badly. In the midst of this time of upheaval and change I think it is a marvelous gift from the Lord that he would provide this tiny creature for the kids to dig worms for and laugh and coo at. I read once in a good book that children need three things every day: Something to DO. Something to THINK ABOUT. Something to LOVE.

They really do love that little thing. Anne has allergies to dogs and cats (and probably to other hairy creatures, but no one has ever offered to test her for allergies to horse or cat or gerbil :)). Although the kids know that it will be difficult for us to ever have the kind of pet they long for, they still hope for it and talk about it and ask about it. Often.

So I feel especially blessed by God that He has provided this very real pet for us to enjoy for a few days/weeks.

We have been worried since we had read that it is very difficult to get hatchlings to eat. The plan was to keep the turtle a day or two and then let him go quickly if we couldn't get him to eat anything. This morning, Tiny Tim sat in the old fish tank (with a little bit of water and some rocks in it) in the middle of breakfast table so the kids could watch him while we ate. He started to pull on the worm that the kids had picked up off the pavement. They were delighted to see him pull off a big piece and chomp away on it. "He's eating! He is happy with us!" I don't know about that, but it is good that he is eating and it will make me comfortable letting them keep him for a couple more days.