Killer opossums and baby-eating fish

So in the past week, my children have been exposed to killer opossums and baby-eating fish.

Yes, you read that correctly.

My fabulous sister-in-law and her husband surprised us last weekend with a spontaneous take-the-kids-out adventure.  My brother-in-law's uncle has a farm, recently acquired some animals...ponies!...you see where this is going. 

It was so great.  The kids went to a farm, met a farmer and touched farm animals.  They also learned about the circle of life on a farm.  Apparently there is a opossum in the barn and it killed some kittens and the only reason the farmer hasn't shot it is because he hasn't loaded his gun yet.  This, according to my children.

Tulip knows that I love opossums (more of a private joke between my husband and me but it has turned into a current family lore).  Tulip warned me, "Mama, you can't smooch that opossum because it will kill you."  She whispered that last part.

Tonight at dinner Wolfie asked me how you kill a fish before you can eat it, and I told him that a fish can only live in the water so once you catch it and take it out of the water it will die.  He corrected me.  Apparently this week in the library at school, he and his reading partner found a book with a story about a fish that can crawl out of the water and, in one example, this land-bound fish ate a baby.

Ate a baby.

I scoffed at this story and Wolfie emphasized, "Mama, this book was non-fiction!"  Well, then, that settles that.

You learn something new every day.