O Death Where is Thy Sting?

So every time we go to the pet store Heath says we should get the girls some goldfish!! For several years now I have held the same position..."NO WAY!" Even last week as we left a children's event @ Taylor, I managed to drag a kicking and screaming Ella away from the very thoughtful El Ed major who was offering up free goldfish (complete w/ a teeny tiny bowl to live in).

Anyhow, so jump ahead 10 days to a fishing theme birthday party the girls were invited to. First of all, I don't fish. I don't like worms and I don't like to touch fish. I felt like I was already labeled "the mom who had never taken her girls fishing"..."the mom who had to ask someone else to bait (and cast) the fishing poles" ...."the mom who whips out the sanitizing wipes before her girls could eat cake"....so by darned I wasn't going to be "the mom who said 'I know you won the 3 goldfish in a game, but we can't take them home.'" The girls were so proud. When we got home they ran to show Heath the baggie of fish while I went inside to search for something to put them in (perfect!! a potato chip bowl).

Well the 1st one died the next day. I hoped the girls wouldn't notice we were one short, but no such luck. Today (4 days later) I am standing at my bathroom mirror and Ella comes up behind me and in a sad voice says "Mama, the nother fishy died", I turned around to console her and noticed she was holding the thing by the tail, pinched between her thumb and first finger. I squealed. This startled her, so she screamed and started to cry. I then squealed again because I was afraid she would drop it and I would be forced to pick it up. I managed to pull myself together to have her drop it in the toilet. She was really sad ~ it was so sweet. We talked briefly about how "to everything there is a season...." and I'm happy to inform that she completed the grieving process.

So now I want to play "angel of mercy" with the lone survivor while the girls are asleep tonight just so this whole thing can be over. In short, I won't say it out loud to Heath, but "I told you so."