Close Call

Few weeks back, Samwise gave his brother a Sea-Monkey Ocean Zoo for his birthday. Frodo's done much better with his Sea-Monkeys than I ever hoped to 20+ years ago. We've got quite the little colony of 'em going now--prolific little critters.

Couple days back, Frodo, TLomL and I are peeking in, and see a couple of them...um...being prolific. Reflexively, I start to worry. THAT question is just seconds away. What am I gonna say? Why haven't I gone to bed yet? It's after dinner, need to be sleeping...work's only a few hours away...

Thankfully, there's no need to fear. Frodo's uptightness saves me. The Sea-Monkeys came with a healthy dose of documentation--lots of tiny print, in red ink I believe. And Frodo loves instructions, warnings, whatever sort of documentation that comes with this toys, games, etc. Whether it be a FurReal pet, a MiltonBradley game, or the stupid little wind-up thing from a Burger King Kids Meal--he'll know it the way that I knew the liner notes to "Even Worse" in 1988. I swear, there are times he enjoys carrying around and reading the instructions to something more than the thing itself.

How's that help me? Well, somewhere in that tiny red print, it addresses the subject of reproduction and says "try to give them some privacy." So what's Frodo do? He quotes that to us (not really ordering us, merely letting the authority of the instructions weigh upon us) and turns and walks away, giving his little shrimp all the privacy they need.

Phew.