A Snail's pace

I'm really into teaching my children new things. I like the way their eyes light up when they discover an object or a new way of doing something. I think some of the most fascinating stuff is just in your backyard. Luckily, here in Glendale, we have quite a huge backyard.

Yesterday was our first Thanksgiving dinner here. As I was going to get the hose spout to wash down the outdoor furniture, I noticed a little snail crawling across the brick walkway in the backyard. S was out with me and she was playing with her tricycle in the driveway. I called her over to show her the snail and told her that it doesn't have a shell like the pictures she has seen in the books.

She was very interested in the little thing and asked me a bunch of questions. Then she said "...and we can't touch it because it's yucky." or something like that. I told her that she could touch it if she wanted to but then she'd have to go wash her hands. As she sat there on the walk, she extended her finger and touched the snail very gently. "Slimy eh". I agreed and told her to go wash up.

I then continued on toward the hose. The stupid nozzle was on too tight. So I went back into the garage and got a wrench. I went back to the hose, undid the nozzle, and walked back to the garage and put the wrench back.

As I was coming out of the garage, I realized that the snail was still on the path and I wasn't careful about NOT stepping on it when I was going back and forth. ... Just then, S came back from inside, having washed her hands. "Oor eh khekhounjuh". Flat as a pancake under my sneakers?

I told her that it had crawled into the lawn and had gone home. Upon investigating whereabouts of the snail, she came across the tail-end of its remnants. Oh, a little snail. Yup, but it's sleeping now, so don't wake it up.

I love my kids. They are both smart and personable. Above all, they love learning new things from their old man. Even if I tell them a white lie every now and then.