A while back, I promised Sophie that I'd buy her a goldfish. (This promise was made at the hospital when she was having her elbow x-rayed, and frankly, I think I got off pretty easy with just a goldfish. She was so upset, I almost promised her a kitten. Yikes!) So, I totally forgot about the fish promise, and then yesterday, she reminded me. After doing a bit of goldfish research on line (Apparently, the bowl is NOT an acceptable home for goldfish. But--tough shit, I can't afford a tank for a 2 year old) we headed off to the pet store.
25 bucks later, (2 fish, one bag of purple sand/rocks, one canister fish food, one bottle "Goldfish Life" water purification drops, one bowl) we came home and assembled the fish bowl. As you can imagine, Sophie was quite excited, and was talking a blue streak to her new fish, (Do you want me fo jump for you fishies? Can you swim around? Do you like your rocks?) and was not dissuaded at all by the fact that they had nothing to say to her. At first she named the fish "Goldie." Goldie being a collective noun that referred to both fish. Then she decided to call them Goldie and Gold. Finally, she settled on Goldie and Peanut butter.
This morning, luckily before she checked on our new pets, I had a look in the bowl. Poor Peanut butter was oddly still, and lying in his/her side. Peanut butter was deceased. I informed Erik of Peanut butter's sorry end, and he gave me one of those, "What do you want me to do about it?" looks. I said--"You're the man! Get it out of there and flush it!" He asked if I had purchased a net--which obviously I had not, but I advised him to use one of the slotted spoons. (Which I just found still sitting in the bathroom counter. Ew) He did, but wasn't thrilled with the job, or my telling him that it was his job, as the man, to dispose of any and all dead animals found in or around the premises. Oh well.
So when Soph noticed that Peanut butter was gone, I told her that s/he was sick, and had gone back to the pet store. Yes, a lie, but I didn't want to tell her that her fish had died. I'm not ready for life and death discussions with her just yet. Getting basic anatomy and bodily function stuff explained is hard enough right now. Hopefully Goldie is a little more resilient than her pal, and will be around for a while.
Today's best thing about being a mom:
We went and got a library card today. She wanted to check out her books alone, so I gave her the card and she very seriously presented it to the librarian along with her Little Mermaid book. It was the sweetest thing.
Today's worst thing about being a mom:
Dead fish
3 comments:
I think you did the right thing. good luck with the fish. we had one once called nick the fish. later, we got a hamster which trent named nick the fish the hamster. both of those pets met untimely ends.
that's cute about sophie and the library...I love those moments.
Yeah good luck with that. It really does affect kids when pets die. I remember the death of every pet I had as a child, parakeets, hamsters, mice, turtles, fish, salamanders, etc. I think you are right that it is a bit early to start having life and death discussions with her. There is plenty of time for that.
You might want to get a replacement Peanut Butter. Mostly because if you don't you might give Sophie the message that when someone is sick and goes away that they are never coming back. It sets up separation anxiety with people. And about sickness.
Is two to young to make those kinds of leaps?
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