We are officially pet owners. After years of begging for a pet — and me telling them that the lizard living in the front bush was the only pet they were every going to have — the kids prevailed, with the help of a high-pressure salesman, and we are the proud owners of two hermit crabs.

This was taken before Raine learned what it feels like to get pinched! Somehow she managed to hold onto the little critter and not fling it across the room, but she sure wasn’t as eager to pick it up after that.

We built a fantastic little crabitat last night and provided them with two new shell options to explore. When we woke up this morning, Carter’s crab had shed the superman shell and taken up residence in the more natural-looking spotted shell. It spent most of the day buried in the corner — probably recovering from the shock of changing environments.