This past weekend we spent the day with A.J. and her family down at their ranch. Late Saturday afternoon, A.J.’s daddy found a tortoise and brought it back to the house to show Caroline.
And, like she does with all God’s creatures, she almost loved that poor tortoise to death.
I think the dog was waiting for a golden opportunity in the form of a dropped tortoise.
Shortly after I took this picture, she asked me if I’d like to hold her tortoise, whom she named Becky.
Yes. Yes I would love to hold that tortoise as soon as I find a butter knife so that I can saw my hands off after I finish touching it.
We spent the better part of thirty minutes watching Becky try to plot an escape route off the porch, but tortoise security was tight.
Then Becky came up with a brilliant plan. She pooped.
Not just any poop, but some kind of disgusting alien tortoise poop.
From that moment on, Becky was dead to Caroline.
And good riddance, I say, because I was a little afraid that we had found ourselves a new pet.
I prefer my pets without any type of shell. Or amphibious tendencies.
Fortunately, Caroline and P found a good way to pass the rest of the afternoon.
It’s a scene I imagined so many times as I folded all those precious pink dresses and dreamed of all the baby girl sweetness that life with a daughter would bring.
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I’m with you girl!
This past weekend as I watched my little princess careening around our friends yard on a dirtbike, I saw a whole new future unfolding before my eyes:-)
We just happened to evacuate to Lake Tyler near the deer lease this past weekend. Nothing like fishing, tubing & guns to pass the time while wondering about a storm. (oh, and don’t forget eating!)
As far as Caroline & the Vp, I am sure she would rock the house.
LOVE IT!!
Love this, can’t stop laughing!
Hilarious!!!!
Yes – I sit and dream about my little girl in bows and smocked dresses and I have a feeling I will end up with a tomboy or (gasp) a female athlete. (I’m scared of any girl who can play sports).
I would vote for Caroline in a heartbeat! I’d love to hear her convention speech! ha!
Ha-ha, she’s a roit !
My daughter insisted we needed to keep the crawdads (crayfish, or atleast that is what we called the things that looked like not-so-appetizing tiny lobsters) we caught in a mountain stream a couple of weeks ago. However, she was soon distracted by a white, fuzzy, possibly poisonous caterpillar (okay, maybe it was harmless).
Unfortunately, is was accidentally smooshed by all the love she gave it. Fortunately, that happened before “Mr. Fuzzy” entered my van for the trip home.
Little girls…
My 5yo daughter found a grasshopper which she named Bella and put in her dollar-store bug habitat cage. Two days later, after I insisted that she let Bella go back home to her family since we weren’t equipped to keep a grasshopper as a pet, she held a tearful farewell ceremony.
Four hours later, at bedtime, she was still mourning. Our prayers together revolved around Bella’s safety for at least a couple days.
I have a daughter who, due to her penchant for all creatures caged and uncaged, set up a field trip for her preschool class to COME TO OUR HOUSE. We had enough wildlife to entertain her class of twelve for the morning!
Today, at 22, she is still like that about animals, working at a vet and for a horse trainer while she goes to school. Plus, she loves nothing more than to while away an afternoon at the shooting range with dear-old-dad. You’ll be encouraged to know, however, that she still loves a beautiful ball gown. Too bad there’s not much call for that down at the barn!
Please tell me this is not what I have to look forward to…LOL.
Alas, I’m afraid my princess will have the same fate as yours.
Guns, dirt, and tortoises, and probably some animal raisin’ in there too. Her daddy comes from a family of FFA-ers. Hey, at least I’ll have good blog material!
We, too, love amphibians and reptiles. I bought the book “Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?” for my daughter. It’s a good one, and your precious Caroline would relate.
I think Caroline needs to come visit us. My husband needs a knew buddy… He’s about worn out my little cousin, Travis, who has spent the summer with us. He needs someone knew to play with.
Yeah, they don’t always turn out how we thought they would. Sometimes they turn out better.
Confidence! Equipping girls to be strong….is a good thing!
I see girls that give in to things…all because they weren’t given the tools to believe in themselves.
Never let her think she’s out of her element with anything.
Our world needs more women who can do it all!
And still be beautiful!
My daughter is not a girly-girl either. She can climb a tree with the best of ‘em! I’m sure the fact that some of our closest friends have four boys doesn’t help in the bows and ruffles department!
Caroline is a beauty!!
Next thing you know she will be asking to get her license for dove hunting. She might be the youngest female in Texas ever to get one!!!
I’m jealous!! My son wouldn’t get near a big bug, let alone a big turtle! I love brave little girls. At least she didn’t get excited about the poop as a boy probably would have. And what little girl doesn’t know how to shoot a gun? ha. Isn’t it funny how our kids are usually nothing like pictured? I wrote about how I pictured life as a parent… I’m sure you all can relate.
http://livinglocurto.wordpress.com/2008/08/27/the-real-picture/
Some man is going to love the fire out of that girl…she won’t be whiny and needy when it comes to “man stuff.” See…its a good thing.
It’s like you get the boy and the girl all in one sweet package. We don’t get to experience the pink dresses part here… and that’s definitely the best ‘for us.’
I mean I do enjoy getting to experience them through Caroline. She looked divine in her international dress.
I was that little girl. Going to deer camp and shooting my own rifle by the time I was 7.
There’s nothing wrong with being well rounded. Because we all know she’s particular about what she wears as well.
I agree with Fran. I think you’re raising a very confident and secure little girl there.
Yeah, the cammo gear might’ve sent shivers up Becky’s spine, too. Because nothing says safety to a wild animal like a gun wielding, cammo wearing, tortoise stalking kid. And nice touch with the flower-patched jeans. Bravo.
Reminds me of the time Mary Emma wore her bright orange hunting shirt, bright orange hunting hat, white ruffled skirt, and cinderella glass slippers to go 4-wheeler riding with my dad. The orange was for safety because it was hunting season. But it didn’t deter the fashionista from looking mighty fine in her favorite skirt and shoes because she wanted to show the deer her awesome fashion skillz.
Ha! At the same time we had a “pet” turtle (named Darth Maul b/c his head was bizarrely red and black!), we had a “pet” writing spider outside my daughter’s window (named Charlotte for obvious reasons). Well, the turtle “escaped” and after a storm Charlotte (praise God) “disappeared”. My daughter was devastated.
We got a dog the next week…much to be said about actual family pets as opposed to what wanders into one’s yard…!
OMG – I am laughing out loud! I’ve been reading here from quite some time, but I had to comment today. In fact, I sent a link to my hubby to enjoy the photo of P & C. He’s called to say he’s glad to see he’s not alone in training our daughter up right. That’s a priceless pic.
I can really identify with your last statement. My only daughter (the one I dressed in matching gymboree for the first 3 years of her life) now plays inline hockey in the summer and wears a mouth guard. She is very petite and cute and just loves it LOL
Vice-president?
Girl, that’s Presidential material right there.
The tortoise pooping would have sealed the deal for Princess. We went to an aquarium this weekend where they had snakes and the first one she saw was busy pooping. She loved it! Princess wanted to spend the rest of our day waiting to see all the other snakes poop.
Kelly @ Love Well took the words right out of my mouth. : )
Be patient…the pink will come back. I promise! My daughter was the ultimate in tomboyism. She refused to do anything remotely girly. Time passed and just two months ago she got first runner-up in our Fair Queen pagent, which involved an updo for her hair, make-up, and she even wore a long pink formal ball gown. My girl was back.
Wow she is all girl isn’t she – hehe
I love that she can hold a reptile and shoot a gun all in one post – she is my kind of girl
Have a blast in Las Vegas
Blessings
Kim
Sounds like Caroline is a true renaissance woman. She can hang with the fashionistas and the good ole boys with a gun. Sounds like she appeals to a wide audience. LOL
And, be glad it was a turtle and not a snake. I am scared to death with having 2 boys that one day they are going to take an interest in snakes.
Perhaps this is how Sarah Palin got her start – so I think it’s a good thing
LOL! I love it!
Palin Power!!
Last night during Sarah Palin’s speech, I kept trying to figure out who her husband looked like. Now I know – it’s your Capital P!
looks like you have an awesome tomboy on your hands! that gun pic is priceless.
(Psssssssssst – - – tortoises are reptiles, frogs are amphibians.)
“…Yes. Yes I would love to hold that tortoise as soon as I find a butter knife so that I can saw my hands off after I finish touching it…”
That line almost made me spew my tea everywhere. You are funny.
And I LOVE the title. Very creative.
Go Caroline, and go Sarah!!
The third date for hubby and myself was to the firing range. I think it sealed the deal in his mind.
Nate’s Mom
Oh my goodness…M. will see this picture and be green with envy! It is his dream that Anna be his shooting buddy…but alas…she will have NONE of it! Hahaha! I’m sure he’ll be asking P for advise.
At least he still has a chance with the B-man!
And I agree…it will be fascinating to see where Caroline goes as she grows up! She sure is well rounded…really, she’s extraordinary! And what do they say? “Well behaved women rarely make history!”
Right there with ya Big Mama with the turtle holding. Hand sanitizer! Hand sanitizer!
That gun looks bigger than Caroline!
I don’t know if Emma would hold a turtle, but she keeps up with the neighborhood boys when they whip out their lightsabers.
I was a tomboy, myself, since all the kids in the neighborhood were boys. I played Transformers and G.I. Joe. I hated pink and still do.
“but tortoise security was tight.” You are seriously funny! She is precious, and would totally get my vote!
She speaks her Daddy’s love language, obviously. She will have lots of great memories with him as she grows.
And yeah, I captured many a turtle when I was growing up. And yeah, they poop. It’s a defense mechanism.
If only the rest of life were that easy. Don’t like something? Poop.
Very funny. I forget sometimes how here in Texas it’s hot dogs, apple pie and guns!
Take care,
Julie
this post totally cracked me up!
She remains a strong, fierce woman-to-be. : ) Fish, turtles, paint guns. What’s next? Oh yeah, future president. : )
I have to tell you how much it warms my heart to see how close Caroline and her daddy are.It is so important that a girl has a strong relationship with her dad.It affects so many areas of her life.I am so close to my dad.I still feel like a little girl whenever I’m around him.We always did “boy” things together when I was little.I think I am a better person for it.
I vote for Caroline to be in charge of Homeland Security.
She does look a little like a young Sarah Palin.
I can’t stop laughing!!!!!
LOL!
)
Love seeing her with the machine gun
Totally loved this post! Poop, weapons, what more can you ask for? Maybe your girl can get one in pink camo?
I’m beginning to realize how my mother felt as she watched me climb trees and shoot guns. I had two boys–so I had no concept. I try to encourage my granddaughters to bust out of the pink ruffles whenever possible!
Laughing so hard, this is how I grew up! My dad and step dad both taught me how to shoot, mostly in case I ever had to defend myself. The turtle thing reminds me of my son, who also has a great love of nature and all things creepy!
This is too funny. I have a boy so the gun photo is just normal to me. But loving the turtle to death until it pooped just made the laugh.
Excuse me, but why are we teaching our children – boys or girls – to shoot automatic rifles? I also grew up with a hunting dad and I did target practice, but those guns have no place in either sport.
My husband says there’s nothing sexier than a woman shooting a gun. Unless she’s shooting at you, but you get the point.
Have you and P seen this?
http://www.break.com/index/quality-time-with-the-kids.html?ref=track35
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