Carlos

Meet our new addition.

Carlos.

James picked the name about 4 weeks ago in anticipation. He has researched and found out all about the Bearded Dragon, as I have delayed purchasing the pet that he so dearly wanted (and truth be told, that I wanted too!). I wanted to be sure that he was up to having a box of live crickets stored in his bedroom along the with 3 ft tank and that for all of his bravado, that he wasn't going to be afraid to handle the lizard.

My doubts have been assuaged in the past fortnight and so arrangements were made, and this evening, the lovely people from Leeroys Lizard Lounge (I kid you not) came and delivered Carlos, along with his food supply, vitamins and the whole terrarium already set up, with UVA/UVB lamp, heating mat (underfloor of the tank), shady hide, cactus, water bowl and pooper scooper. It just had to be plugged in.

Carlos took about 20 minutes to find his feet, and since then he has eaten 5 crickets (coated in Colonel Dunwoods secret recipe coating - Calcium and D3 powder to help Carlos' bones develop well!). He also has a few rocket leaves, but to be fair, the crickets have tucked into them, before Carlos tucked into the crickets.

He is a poser of the highest order - already has figured to stand still whilst I take my shots. When this shot was taken, the cricket had just crawled out of a hidey hole and inadvertently tickled Carlos with his antennae - Carlos stood very still, slowly closed his eyes and lifted his chin and looked like he was enjoying a private moment of pleasure, before he opened wide and ate the cricket in one go.

James has sat and watched him, talked to him, and sat still whilst Carlos made himself comfortable on his warm hand.

Since then James has relapsed into his relapse, but he perked up briefly.

Was called back out from work today - James managed a day in school yesterday and was fine (apart from cough and cold) when he got up this morning - by 8.35, his childminder/second mum was on the phone to say he wasn't good at all. I was stuck in traffic at this point! So, after teaching the first two lessons in order to minimise the burden of cover lessons on my colleagues, I came back home, getting stuck in traffic again (90 minutes to get to work, 65 minutes to get back, 2 hours last night). He has slept/dozed a lot, coughed a lot, then rallies and makes me think he is getting better, then crashes and burns (literally) with rosey cheeks and a temp. Lots of rest, fluids and tlc for my boy this weekend.