Easter Snake

As the kids were hunting eggs, James found a tiny snake in the window well. I am NOT a snake lover, but neither am I scared to death of them. My snake-loving sister, however, immediately identified it as a "safe and friendly" and retrieved it for the snake-brave children to hold.

James has no fear! He has also been passed the torch of dead-animal retriever since Gabriel isn't home much of the time. If the cat brings a mouse, mole or dead bird, we get James. If a chicken dies, we call James. He's a tough little cookie, just handles it like a man.

So, James was first snake charmer -

Ben wants to be brave, especially if someone comments on how brave James is. Ben has come a long ways from running across the yard screaming, but it still was a challenge to touch it at first.

After a while, Ben worked himself up to wanting to hold the snake. He chickened out several times, but finally took the snake.

Look how proud of himself he is!

My only snake-admiring daughter is Alei; I don't know where she got it. (I guess from her Aunt?)

Alei's friend, Jordan, didn't have any qualms about him either.

Lastly, Deb's friend, Channy, held the snake - you'd have to spend a little time around her, but she is hilarious! Deb was counseling her to hold it over the mulch so it wouldn't get hurt if she freaked out and dropped it. Channy replied that she didn't want it hurt, she wanted it dead!

It was all fun and games until Ben did drop the snake, then snake-charming Aunt Deb headed into the woods to release it.

There will be other snakes. I just don't want them when Deb isn't here to identify them and catch them!