A couple days following Christmas my kids and I found ourselves in the typical position of most – returning unnecessary items to the store, post-Christmas. My daughter had generously received an abundance of tea set and play food items with duplicates, and my son had returns as well. I explained to my six-year-old daughter that she had a credit of approximately $15 and she headed immediately to the toy section. However, upon arriving there, she selected yet another plastic toy with only half the enthusiasm. I could see her heart really wasn’t in it, so I suggested we travel across the store for Kleenex, swinging by electronics for her brother, and then we could make a final decision on the way back.
As we were almost across the store, we passed…. the pet department. And as anyone has passed a zillion times without a thought, my six year old lit up like a Christmas tree at the beta fish.
“Mommy, how much are those tanks?” she asked.
“Ten dollars…” I replied. I knew where this was going.
“And, how much is the one fish?” she asked.
“Five dollars.” Well, thanks so much to my daughter’s teachers for her quick-witted math skills at this moment.
“So, that’s fifteen dollars and I have fifteen dollars, right mommy?”
Let’s be real – I bought this little girl an 8-week-old border collie puppy that is now a 6-month-old beast for her birthday only months ago. This little beta fish was literally child’s play in comparison.
“Ok, yes, you can get it.” Besides, my house was FILLED with toys. I could use a change. And beta’s are fed like, once a week right? (Note: Wrong – read the directions BEFORE you leave the store.)
My daughter never looked prouder carrying her bundle of joy to the car, wrapped protectively in her arms from the cold, and safely seat belted in with her in the car. She was so excited she chatted the whole way home. Her smile was so big, I couldn’t help but laugh.
That afternoon my daughter lovingly placed the fish tank in the built-in bookcase on her bed. She told it stories, read it books, sang to it, fed it and talked it’s ear off. She named him Blue Tail. My daughter reminds me of the abominable snowman from that old Bugs Bunny cartoon, where the monster squeezes Daffy and says, “And I will hold you, and rock you, and love you, and squeeze you, and I will name him George.” She adores all kinds of animals and has the patience of a saint with them.
Of course, the next day was off to Dad’s house, which left me in charge. I discovered beta fish need to be fed twice a day so I begrudgingly headed into her room for the nightly feed, thinking how amazing it was this quarter sized blue beast was taking up my time.
But as I placed its food in the tank, I saw this note next to the tank. And I couldn’t help but smile. A hand drawn picture of her, next to the fish tank with the beta and the words, “I Love You.”
myjobasamom 