Rats!

Henry and I got to go out last Friday night and hang out with (drum roll please) ADULTS!!

The girl's sitter asked if she could bring along her pet (drum roll, again, please) RATS to entertain the girls that night, and I said YES. I know. I can't believe it either.

When we got home, the girls were each holding a rat. They held them all night apparently, except for when they ate dinner. I knew by the looks on their faces that they were completely smitten. If that's even possible. We are talking about RATS here. (No offense, Bethany!)

We finally got the girls to bed after hearing their 20 minute case on why we should let them get pet rats. Their strongest argument? Rats only cost $1.75 so they could buy them with their own money.

The next morning, RATS were on the brain. Megan and Amanda WOULD. NOT. STOP. TALKING. about them. They begged and begged to just go to the pet store and "look". By this time I was ready to do anything (except purchase rats) to get them to zip it already, so off we went.

MISTAKE.

First of all, EW!! Have you ever seen newborn rats? They look like little embryos. Here, LOOK:

Second of all, they're RATS, and rats have long TAILS. I tried to point this flaw out to my girls, but they just argued that God gave them long tails for balance. STILL.

Okay, so we're in the pet store and they will not let down on their mission to go home with rodents. I kept telling them that I would never bring home a pet without talking to their father first. Of course, that just made them beg me to call Henry, which I refused to do.

All the way home, they begged. For several hours after returning home, they begged. I finally told them that if I heard one more plea for rats, THERE WOULD BE NO RATS.

I was amazed at how quickly they got the message this time. It was so nice to finally converse about something else!

Then Megan handed me this:

And several minutes later, she handed me this:

She's a smart, cookie, I'll give her that. I told them I didn't want to hear any more pleas. I didn't say anything about reading any more pleas.

As I tucked the girls in bed, they both reminded me to ask Dad as soon as he got home if they could get rats.

I did this.

He said 'No'.

When the girls found out Sunday morning that there would be no pet rats in their future, they had total and complete meltdowns. Megan later announced that she would be buying one anyway.

Good to know she respects our decisions.