Lab Rats

Sam somehow talked us into letting him take the 5th grade lab rats home for the weekend.  My first response was, "I don't think so...we pay good money to keep mice and rats as far away as possible."  He assured me that these were different.  "They're lab rats mom, not field mice!"  A rat is a rat!  But you know everyone else got to take them home.  Oh and did you know they are also up for adoption?  Okay, stop right there, we will not be adopting these rats.  Finally we agreed they could come home for the weekend. The girls of course thought it was great and were all over holding (gives me the shivers) Roxy and Nibbles.  Will preferred to keep his distance.  We told Sam he had to keep them in his closet.  Before you get all worked up, it is a walk in closet with a window.  The rats were just fine, not locked in a dark closet all weekend.  At least this way I didn't have to see them ALL the time.  You see, my brother Noah and I, decided it would be fun to have pet mice when we were about Sam's age.  We begged and begged and my mom caved.  These little mice however, were escape artists and we never knew where we were going to find them.  They also started to fight and made the most horrible noises.  It got to the point where we were terrified of them.  We couldn't sleep.  One day we decided enough was enough and we let them go in the field across the street.  Heebie Jeebies I tell you, I haven't been the same since.  So, you can understand my lack of excitement in bringing home the rats.  I was just waiting for one certain child to mention hearing the rats move around at night and wondering if they would be able to escape.  Sam assured us they COULD NOT get out of their cage.  Nonetheless, I walk into the room to find a barrier set up between the closet and the room, just in case.  Will survived.  Sam reminded him he would have to research and take care of the rats next year, so he might as well get used to it.  I am so with Will 100% on this one.  I'm happy to say the rats are back at school.  They are however still up for adoption if anyone is interested and sympathetic to the plight of the rats.  Otherwise, I do think they may meet the same fate as Noah and I's mice many moons ago.  I've heard mention of a field with a nice big eagle's nest.

That's as close as Will wanted to get.

 Not sure what is more disturbing, the long fingers and nails, the red eyes or the really long tail.  It's all terrifying if you ask me.  

 "Uh Sam, I fink Nibbles is trying to go down my shiwt."  And yet she's okay with that.

"Hey mom, do you want to hold one? Come on..."  "Not even a chance, absolutely not, get that thing away from me!"