Okay. I know that Sea Monkeys are really just brine shrimp. And they don't look like those little pink crowned people with tails they showed on the ads in the back of comic books. But I kinda like Sea Monkeys anyway. They swim in teeny circles, wiggling like they are doing an invisible hula hoop. They remind me of my dad, a scientist who studied in a marine environment. And if I'm trying to figure out the best way to start a new paragraph on a book project, watching flea-like Sea Monkeys sometimes beats staring out the window. In fact, back when I worked for a public archives, I used to keep Sea Monkeys at my desk. You'd be surprised how many folks would stop by my office to see how the critters were doing -- even if what they were doing was always the same.
The other day while trolling for Easter basket stuffers, I discovered Walmart is selling Sea Monkey kits for only $5. Who can resist a bargain?!
Step One: Water and purifying packet
...and stir
Step Two: After 24 hours, add the Sea Monkey eggs.
Step Three: Watch for Progress
Can you spot any Sea Monkeys?
Here they are!
Our Sea Monkeys hatched three days after we added the eggs. Now almost a week later they are thankfully big enough that Eli can easily see them too, especially when they swim past the bubble magnifiers on the tank. (I think for a while there he wondered if I was pulling his leg about the "really tiny wiggling dots.")
Admittedly goofy fun. But fun nonetheless.
P.S. If you're curious about the way the ads portrayed Sea Monkeys in the comic book ads or if you want to see a Sea Monkey close up, do a Google image search.
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