Tag - you're it

Oh bloody nora. I have been putting off writing this post since being (so kindly) tagged by More than just a Mother on the photo challenge. It goes like this: 1. Go to the 4th folder in your photo file. 2. Pick the 4th photo. 3. Write a post about randomly selected photo. 4. Pass it on and tag someone else.

So here we are. Cute pic, eh? Except I have a huge admission to make. Despite being a huge conformist and rule follower, I admit that this is not the 4th photo from the 4th folder. Oh God. Am I now going to be banned from my lovely blogging community for a blatant disregard for the rules? I do appreciate that there is little point in having the challenge if the rules are so flagrantly breached...so I apologise. But hear me out. The actual photo would have been a dark close up of a damp and ruined cardboard box damaged in a basement flood eons ago. And try as I might over the past few days, I simply couldn't think of one damn entertaining or interesting anecdote to write about the damp box debacle. I didn't take the photo (taken by my ex for insurance purposes I presume) and, not being particularly inspired by the episode then, I am spectacularly uninspired by it now.

So instead I counted to the 4th folder backwards and voila! Here is a cute pic of Son 1 (henceforth referred to as Captain Underpants) about to poke quite gingerly a baby American Hedgehog.

You might not have been aware of this, but baby American hedgehogs are one of the cutest little animals to inhabit this planet. We have more photos of this hedgehog than I care to admit, all taken at a children's party that Captain Underpants was invited to last summer. This was the best children's party I have ever attended. The mum of the birthday child is a dolphin trainer at the city's acquarium (what a cool job - tho the idea of spending my days in a full length skin tight wet suit and having my hands permanantly reek of fish is a little off-putting). That fact is totally irrelevant but it just pleases me to know that I have a mum acquaintance with such an interesting job - as if that makes me all the more interesting by default. I digress.

The party took place at their house and featured the travelling Chicago Zoo. Now I am not a big fan of zoos but luuuurrrvve animals and was far more excited than Captain Underpants at receiving an invitation. (He would much rather have been leaping around on a giant inflatable for 2 hours play fighting with all his boy chums - which does have its advantages in the after party wear out factor.) This party was a little different. All the kids sat in a circle on the floor and then a variety of different animals were brought in for the kids to see and touch. I tried to wrangle a space in the circle by apologetically explaining that Captain Underpants was too nervous to participate without me by his side. And very nearly succeeded - except I was instructed by the bold and courageous Captain Underpants to retreat to the sofa with all the other mums because, honestly, he was fine. Grrrr. Selfish plan foiled. I'm pretty sure Son 2 (Johnny Drama) being only 3 would have let me. I was sorry that I hadn't brought him along.

I did manage to energetically lunge from the sofa on occasion and, without taking out anyone's eye with my elbow, touch some of the cuddlier animals being passed around. There were chinchillas, sloths (!), turtles and tortoises, baby chipmunks (not the singing cartoon variety - huge sigh of relief), ferrets, bearded dragons (big lizard thingy), an owl, a huge snake, a massive parrot (I kept well away from that one and retreated to the kitchen to steal a birthday cupcake...the memory of having my finger almost amputated by an aggressive one eyed parrot at Parrot Kingdom when I was 11 is still too fresh and painful). And of course, my favourite the little hedgihogs.

Rather selfishly I would love to host this type of birthday party for either Captain Underpants or Johnny Drama - but neither of them are remotely interested, which strikes me as just a little selfish on their part really. After all I do for them...

In the meantime, I live in hope that one day my very own family of hedgehogs will find its way up onto my 20ft high deck and take up residence. Slightly unrealistic maybe but never let it be said that I am not a woman with big dreams.

So now I pass on the moniker to 2 more new bloggers -your turn to take up the photo challenge laydeez: Soapbox Mummy and Life In the One Percent ... Tag! You're it.