The Loss Of The Tortoise

My gramma sent the kids a package for Easter full of candy and trinkets.  It was a hit.  After digging through the loot, Caleb found his favorite item.

A tortoise that grows in water.

My boy faithfully watered his tortoise every day and checked on him pretty much on the hour.  I had to clean up many spills in his bedroom because he kept sneaking the water-covered tortoise into his room.

Finally, Mr. Tortoise grew to the size of Caleb's liking and he kept him as a dry pet.  He took him to school, kept him in his bed and played with him all of the time.

Sadly, we have this child in our family named Noah who likes to destroy things that are precious to us. 

I heard the scream from the top of the stairs.  Caleb was standing at the top, looking down at Noah, who was sitting at the bottom, holding the tortoise in his hands.

Actually, he was holding the body of the tortoise in one hand and the head of the tortoise in the other hand.

Caleb sobbed in my arms as he mourned his loss.  It was not just a cry over a broken toy, but he cried like he had lost his best friend.

Noah, meanwhile, just looked at us like, "What happened?"

Good question.  How does a 19 month-old behead a rubber tortoise so easily?

Between the tortoise's torture and the dying of his tiger fish, Caleb needs a stream of good luck these days.