FIRE!!!

If, as a parent, you are ever bored and need something else to do, agree to own a pet. Then, when you are slightly insane, agree to own three. That way, when the children stop providing messes to clean up, you have something to do.

Wait. The children NEVER stop making messes.

In my own personal moment of insanity I agreed to owning two cats and a turtle.

But today, Joe the turtle nearly died from smoke inhalation. Some may remember The Burned Carpet Story in which Michael nearly burned down his room. Today's event I blame solely on the cats.

Thanks to my Aunt who distracted my mother, I got off my tushie and went upstairs to collect laundry and make an attempt at being productive. When I got up there, I smelled smoke and began to run from room to room to find what was burning. I went into the boys room and instantly knew what the problem was. The heat lamp in the turtle's cage had somehow (read stupid cat) been knocked into his cage and the substrate was smoldering. I think it was mere minutes from becoming a full blown fire.

So I got to run around like a crazy lady, dousing the fire and saving Joe. Not that I didn't have anything else to do this morning. Joe is one lucky turtle!