Meet Barky!

My children have always wanted a pet and I will be the first one to tell you I am not a pet person. I do believe pets teach responsibilities to children so I am torn on the whole issue. Anyway, my Barrys are both allergic to cats and Barry Bretton is extremely allergic to almost any animal with hair so I thought we were "safe" from ever having a pet. However, that didn't stop the kids from continually begging me to get a pet. Finally, I promised them "when we get into a new house we will get a pet" thinking that day would never come and also to keep them from asking me continually. Well that day is here and I couldn't put the kids off anymore. So we took the kids to Petsmart. I thought we would get a simple fish in a bowl and that would suffice. But the kids were not having it. That is waaaay to ordinary. Now remember we are very limited to what animals we can have because of the no hair thing and I am sorry but I will not have reptiles or rodents (they just sick me out). My kids ALL just fell in love with the hermit crabs! So that is what followed us home.

This is Barky! I have to say he is pretty intriguing to watch. They named him Barky because hermit crabs live in and love to eat coconut bark.
They don't seem a bit excited, do they.

Here are some of the extra shells we picked out for Barky to change into. Now a pet that changes it's accessories depending on its mood you have got to love. It is kind of like shoes for girls:)

Here they are getting the "Crabitat" ready (ha, ha). I just hope we can keep the thing alive considering I read all about hermit crabs AFTER we got home from the pet store. They can be a little temperamental with temperature and humidity levels. And I don't know if anyone else thinks this is funny but HERMIT crabs are SOCIAL animals. I pretty much thought hermit and social were the opposite of each other but they live in groups and get lonely without "others". So now we might have to get Barky a friend cause we would hate for him to die of loneliness. See what pets do to you. It is just one thing after another and I know I am going to be the one cleaning out the tank and giving it baths (yeah, that is right you are suppose to bathe these little crabs, sheeesh). What you wouldn't do for your children. Barry Bretton even said with pure joy when I was putting him to bed tonight, "I can't believe you let us get a pet." It makes it all worth it. I just pray I don't kill Barky.