More than I wanted to know about common garden vermin.

Having been brought up to believe snails to be vermin I was a bit surprised to receive a note from Josh's science teacher asking for materials for a snail house.  

I was even more surprised to read that the sort of things a snail might consider homely consisted of shoeboxes, egg cartons, margarine tubs and loo paper rolls.  

Who knew? 

So this is Jonn (yes Jonn), the snail.  We had to find Jonn ourselves after school, but Josh spent his entire science session creating this snail mansion.  Well, if I were a snail, I'd want to move in immediately yes?

Jonn, as you can see, prefers the margarine container to the toilet roll.  

Now last time I read anything about snails it was because a kid somewhere had become terribly sick from touching a snail because they can ingest phenomenal amounts of snail poison and still live.  And if your kid touches a snail and then puts their hand near their mouth they can ingest the poison too.  

Nasty stuff.  Plus, snails are revolting.  

 And here is the local primary school encouraging interaction with these heinous creatures.  

Jonn with the lid shut.  I prefer him this way.  Even better if he was not there at all.  

We found Jonn while walking to our friends house around the corner to pick up their car.   They have kindly let us borrow their second car to drive to Mollymook for the weekend.  

Because tomorrow, Mike's parents arrive in their way cool motorhome and taking over the reins while we piss off to the south for 48 hours.  

I can't wait.  At least if I wasn't so tired I wouldn't be able to wait.  As it is, I would happily spend 48 hours in a quiet, dark room and be happy.  

I think my travelling companion is fairly weary himself.  It might be a quiet weekend.  Hopefully we can stay awake long enough to um...connect and engage meaningfully with each other.   

Or maybe I can just go to sleep.  

Anyway, I am extremely grateful for the loan of the car, and after handing over our children's complex social lives to Nana and Poppy, I am gettin' in the red rocket and heading south, to collect my husband and spend hours in the carpark otherwise known as the road through Engadine.  

The kids are (rightly) beside themselves with excitement to see their grandparents.  I am pretty excited myself.  

I just hope Jonn survives the weekend.