First Pet

Emma has been begging for a pet for a few years now. She really wanted a dog for a long time, and when we considered buying a house, being able to get a dog was the most exciting part. Later, she decided she wanted a cat, most likely because her cousins got a cat. But, in the end, Dan and I were able to talk her into a fish. We discussed this about two months ago, and told her that after we move we would go get one. The day after we got to our new home, she asked to go get her "pet."

When we drove by a Petsmart yesterday, I took her in. She browsed through all the fish very seriously, telling me what she liked about each one. At last, she chose a Beta. But she wanted to come back later with daddy. "Daddy and me will choose it, and you will pay for it" she told me. We went back that night to "the store with the red dog and the blue cat on it" and choose the perfect Beta - a Delta Beta (whom she insists on naming Delta but can't remember the name most of the time, so has asked "what's my pet's name? about a million times). We got "her" home, and transfered her to a new bowl, and she is now the glowing centerpiece of our dining table.

On the way home, I listened to her talking to the fish, saying "it's okay fishy, you don't have to be with the workers anymore. You have a family now." How sweet. Too bad we had to leave all 25 of the other beta's there with the mean "workers." And this morning, she woke up, ran into my room and yelled, "let's go feed my pet." Yes, Delta is a lucky fish. Unfortunately, in the day since we got "her," she hasn't eaten anything.

Anyways, here goes the first try with a pet. She keeps telling me that if she takes really good care of her fish, then she can get a dog. We'll see. For now, this little pup she calls Molly and drags around on a necklace leash will have to do.