Do I Look Like a Lizard?

Nicky made an obsessive commitment to herself to catch a lizard. We're in our fourth week now. Look out the the back window at any time and you'll see her with or without shoes crouching, creeping, or crawling with dusty legs and scraped knees towards the object of her patient fixation. In the evening she returns empty handed with mementos such as sunburn, a branch scratch to her eye, vegetation in the hair and stories of the one that got away. These stories come with deeps sobs and tears as she explains that she felt her fingers touch the lizard but suddenly the neighbor's dogs came toward the fence and scared her.

She has all sorts of clever ideas for catching a lizard. I'll quote here:

"Mom, I have a good idea to catch lizards. I get a rope and then throw the rope at the lizard's tail. Then when it's trying to get away, I could tie the rope around something and catch the lizard."

"I'll grab a branch then when I see the lizards, I'll scare them so they will run to the branch. Then when they try to get in the branch, I'll catch them.

"I have another good idea to catch lizards. I'll make a sand castle. Then I have to scare the lizard into the castle. Then I'll put my hand in and feel something warm inside. That'll be the lizard.

"I'll stick my hand out with a cricket. The lizard will say, 'that's my food." He'll jump to my hand and I'll close it."

Obviously all methods have failed thus far. She even made an attempt to become a lizard. She stripped down naked and caked herself in mud. She showed up at the sliding glass door saying,
"Mom, do I look like a lizard?"

To her horror she did catch one lizard; it was headless. She didn't realize he was missing an important appendage until after she'd held him for a few seconds. Afterwards, when she washed her hands she asked to lather up twice.

She prays nightly that she'll catch a lizard. Jeff and I have even tried to help to perserve her faith. We've failed. They're too fast for me. I hope for her sake the obsession comes to an end soon. Today I caught her climbing in the bushes laughing manically while spraying lizards with her water blaster. I hope it's a sign her lizard chasing will go on hold. Maybe when she's older she'll be a little faster and the lizards a bit slower. I do admire her determination and patience.