The Sky is Falling....oh wait, no, it isn't

"The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" -Chicken Little (or Henny Penny)

The chicks and I left the park earlier today because we heard the roar of thunder...they had spent the previous hour picking up rollie pollies and various grasses and plants to add to the bucket that contained their baby pet snail ("Snaily Nail" as they so lovingly refered to him).

And since we were meeting up with friends at Sugar Pies Bakery and Coffee House, Snaily Nail tagged along. Madeline insisted we take him and his dozen pill-bug friends inside so they wouldn't die in the car. (I think the car would probably be safer than the hands of a child but who can deny the possibility of death in a hot car in CA, especially when your life depends on moisture...) As we were sitting there, munching on baked goodies and feeding Liam bites of croissant (part of the reason he has gained 11 ounces these last two weeks! YAY!), another mom and her 1 year old daughter approached us. You could tell she was a first-timer by the way she practically haloed her daughter with every step, making sure she never touched the ground with anything but her precious little shoes. The little girl watched curiously as I fed Liam.

"How old is he?" the mom asked.

"8 Months," I replied.

"Wow! And he already eats solid food?" she questioned.

"Well....he is my 4th so we feed him whatever we are eating," I justified, not knowing why I should need to do so. I mean, he is 8 months and is quite capable of putting down a steak or hot dog if cut into small enough pieces....no teeth required! "How old is your daughter?" I asked.

"She just turned one, but she spits out anything we put in her mouth," the mother said. At that moment, Madeline chimed in:

"Wanna see our pet snail?" she asked excitedly, as always.

"A REAL snail?" the mother questioned me with what seemed like a combination of fear and disgust.

"Yes," I said plainly.

"Huh," she said as she swooped her little girl up in two arms and quickly went back to her seat across the room.

My friend and I had a hard time containing our laughter....IT'S A SNAIL! It's not like she had a rattlesnake in there (although I wouldn't put it past her).

But then, maybe now I am beginning to understand the reason for The Weather Channel's extreme weather warning that it may rain. It's code language for: THE SNAILS ARE COMING! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!

Unfortunately, by the time the sky started to fall, and we experienced the "Significant Weather Changing Storm" (that lasted all of 10 minutes, and included, get this, a rain shower!) Snaily Nail had already gone home to be with the good Lord....Apparently, the bucket lacked the moisture necessary to sustain snail life. But beware: The rollie pollies are still flourishing.