Monday, February 18, 2013

Gator Boys

Have you ever seen the tv show 'Gator Boys' on Animal Planet? A while back Eric and I were obsessed. We'd wait til the kids went to bed and check to see if it was on and plan our nights around watching it. If you haven't seen it, it's basically a camera crew following around alligator trappers in the Everglades of Florida. But what makes it truly interesting is that they catch the alligators with their bare hands! They jump in murky swamps where you can't see a thing, back yards of people's homes, anywhere someone happens to spot a gator where it shouldn't be. Occasionally they have to use traps, but even these are homemade contraptions they've put together using pipes and things they find that won't harm them. After safely rescuing the gators they bring them back to their habitats or take care of them at their parks where people can even visit.

Why do you need to know all this information about gators? Well, because that's what I did this weekend. I wrestled a gator...Sort of. 

Gavin has been sick off and on pretty much all winter. Actually, all my kids have as they pass it around from one to the other and back and forth again. We just can't kick it. This weekend it was Gavin's turn. He's had a fever, a croupy cough, a booger face, a nasty little attitude and a handful of sleepless nights. Sounds exciting, huh? After a lovely night of ups and downs, we woke up Sunday morning to a crabby little one year old along with crabby tired parents too. Eric decided to take the big boys out for a bit to break up the day and left me to handle the little monster on my own. I attempted to give him some snuggle time and let him hang out in Mama's bed, but it lasted all of two minutes. I figured he was probably overtired from being up all night and needed to go down for an early nap to spare us both another meltdown. While I went to find a warmer shirt to put on him before I tucked him in his crib, I could see he knew what was coming when he ran and climbed in my bed to hide. Here's where I turned all 'Gator Boys' on the kid...

There I stood with that sweatshirt in hand while I eyed him from the bedroom door. Frozen, he laid there hoping I might not notice him, but little did he know I was already planning my attack. As I moved closer, he started to cringe and made an attempt to scurry away - but I was too fast for him this time. I pounced on all fours with the beast below me while I pinned him down to dress him. He shrieked and whipped himself from side to side while flailing his tail, I mean arms and legs, in every direction. I managed to hold on and clothe him using all the strength I had left. Once I tamed the wild animal I carried him off to his cage, I mean crib, where he could rest in a safe environment with no escape!

Alright, so maybe this reenactment was a little extreme, but it kinda felt like that at the time. Okay, not really at all, but the gator part did come to mind and I thought the comparison was pretty funny. And I actually did start laughing while kneeling above him trying to get that shirt on because I had flashbacks of Gator Boys at that very moment. Anyways, Gavin eventually fell asleep and I used my alone time to take a warm bubble bath and nap for a while before everyone was back in action. Haha! Just kidding - I went through the piles of laundry that have been staring me down for quite some time. But, I did watch the Kardashians while folding clothes (a guilty pleasure) so not all time was lost! 

Have you ever wrestled an alligator? ...A crabby one year old? Basically the same thing, right?? 

^^There's me about the pounce on Gav!!^^
Here's where I carried him off to his cage, ahem crib.
Sweet dreams little Gavin!!
My little gator :)

2 comments:

  1. Don't be jealous or anything, but we met Tre. Jason and I went to FL for our anniversary last year and he gave us the little swamp boat tour!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hahah really? Some day ill go and maybe wrestle a real gator. Afterall, I'm experienced now and everything! ;)

    ReplyDelete

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