The Reality Of The Food Chain: A Toddler's Perspective

This morning, I was jolted with a huge reality check from the actions of my toddlers.

Now, in the past, I have worried for the safety and well-being of my eldest child's pets.

He keeps three hermit crabs in an aquarium in the cabinet next to the fireplace.

Now this cabinet is at about waste level for an averaged sized adult, so it's not like this is readily accessible to my toddlers.

Today, I was innocently trying to work, when I heard the tell-tale sound of furniture being moved.

I didn't think anything of it, because as of late, the babies have taken to using the dining room table as a run-way of sorts for their baby fashion shows, or even using it as a speed-way for racing cars.

What I didn't realize, was that my hungry toddlers were scavenging for a tasty treat and a nice snack seemed to be hiding somewhere up on those shelves above that cabinet!

Yep, when I went in to see what the matter was, I found Kai kneeling on top of the cabinet, playing with Bregon's origami animals that he loves to make.

There was water dripping off of the cabinet onto the floor, so I knew this was not an innocent attempt to play with off-limits origami animals.

Nope, Vivienne was sitting innocently in the chair that had been the source of the furniture moving noises, and was holding a bag full of contraband cookies that my trio had managed to squirrel away somewhere to avoid inspection.

The tell-tale signs of trouble were all over both Vivie's and Kai's faces. Kian had run to the couch to sit and act "Natural" at this point, too.

But, the truth was there, there was what looked like dirt on all of their faces.

The source of everything wasn't readily apparent, either, as the hermit crab aquarium lid seemed to be still in place, with everything apparently undisturbed.

The new hermit crab food was my next thought, but it was all still sitting up on the third shelf out of harm's way, seemingly undisturbed.

That was when I noticed a forgotten pet, sitting in the back corner, out of its usual place.

You see, to combat the flies that the hermit crabs attract, we had purchased several Venus Flytraps to eat them for us and keep them under control.

You only have to spritz them with water every so often, and they require little or no maintenance.

Unfortunately, the babies had noticed their existence somehow, and decided that they might make for a tasty treat.

Yep, the Venus Flytraps ate our flies for us, and my toddlers had tried to eat the Venus Flytraps in turn.

I found two in various spots on the floor, roots still attached, so I tried to re-plant them. I wont know for a while if my efforts were successful or not!

I found one in the bag with the cookies Vivie was trying to hide in her lap, and retried him as well.

There are still two missing. I don't know if they actually ate them or not, I cannot tell.

I looked up everything about Venus Flytraps and found what to watch for if the kids did manage to swallow them.

I am watching my kids like a hawk at the moment, but if they did eat them, they sure hadn't any trouble having a rather large lunch on top of it.

I just do not know how I am going to explain what happened to my eldest, though. He LOVES his Venus Flytraps.

I am hoping he also loves his triplet siblings enough to forgive them for having his pets for a tasty treat, too.

All I can think of right now is that song, "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly..."

But today, I did learn that no matter where you think you are on the food chain, Toddlers can and will change that view!