We had quite the bit of excitement around here yesterday. Number one son decided a couple of weeks ago that with his new job savings that he wanted to get a snake. He went out and bought a ball-python, which he named 'Monty' of course, and a rather elaborate terrarium. To setup the scenario, we had one of number two son's friends over for a sleepover the night before, and daughter's friend was to show up after church for a sleepover last night. Birgit went out shopping and number one son went to the pet store to buy a mouse to feed to his python. When he got home with it he discovered Monty was missing and pandemonium ensued. He first chased us out of his room because it was too crowded, and after a half hour of searching everything in his room, the den and the hall closet he asked for my help.

I grabbed a flashlight and started to search the smaller spaces in his room. I told him that when my brother David's python escaped a few years ago it went no further than into one of his shoes in the closet. This made him decided to change his search tactics, and sure enough the errant snake was located in a box of Legos in his closet. He said the snake's new name was "Lego" and I told him that was funny because when my brother found his snake he renamed it "Cinderfella" since it fit in the slipper!

Kira's friend didn't turn up until after the snake was found and was in the middle of feeding or it would have been an interesting conversation with her mother. "Well, she can stay for the sleepover but you need to be aware that there is a hungry Monty Python on the loose somewhere in the house!" Fortunately Birgit did not return from shopping until after the snake was located, fed and returned to its cage or it would have been an entirely different level of pandemonium. She said if it gets out one more time it will need to find a new home because the last thing she wants to find is a python latched to her ankle if she has to get up in the middle of the night, or to wake up and find it doing an Alien impression wrapped around her neck!