The boy child decides he will die without a fish.

Which is Mike.  Mitchell decided to be terrified of fish the moment we walked into the fish store.

The conversation goes like this:

Mike: "Let's GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!"

(Side note: I don't particularly like getting 'OUT OF THE HOUSE'  So saturdays end up with me in my pajamas.  sitting.  being lazy.  doing nothing but tackling my children around and pretending to watch football.  I like and enjoy it.  Mike, on the other hand, has to do something every day.  Usually that something is go to work.  And on Sunday's it's go to church.  Which leaves saturday the only day to do nothing, but alas, he can't handle it.  Sometimes I tell him to take Mitchell to the park, store, etc so I can continue to be lazy, but then, sometimes I give in and we do random things like: Walk down to the pool at our complex only to find that it is closed for the season then wrangle screaming children in the car trying to convince them that we're still going swimming! and end up paying like 20 freaking bucks just so we don't lie to our children.  Or drive around and look at houses.  Or go to sonic. (that's always my choice, and my idealistic getting out of the house 'adventure'))

Meagan: "well, my dad is in town, and we're going to lunch."

Mike: "In like 5 hours! LETS DOOOOOO SOMETHING!"

Meagan: "like go to sonic?"

Mike: "Lets go get a fish for mitchell.  He's always wanted one, plus it teaches him responsibility"

Meagan: "You mean our 3 year old came to you and told you he wanted a fish and he's going to take care of it? This was communicated to you? I'm suspicious..."

Mike: "Mitchell do you want a fish?"

Mitchell: "Yes." (Note: He's dropped the "yeah" and always emphasizes the 's' in "yes")

Mike: "Will you love it?"

Mitchell: "Yes."

Mike: "Will you look at it?"

Mitchell: "Yes."

Mike: "Will you feed it?"

Mitchell: "Yes."

Meagan: "Oh my gosh fine! FINE! We can go get a fish.  Like a beta or something?"

Mike: "No.  I hate beta fish.  I killed mine."

Meagan: ".......sooooo..... a goldfish?"

Mike: "Yes.  Then we can get 2."

Meagan: "Okay 2!! Then we can name them Bonnie and Clyde"

Mike: "Or Tyrell and Prior"

Meagan: "Or Shake and Spear"

Mike: "Or we let Mitch decide"

Mitchell: "House."

So because Mike and I have an unhealthy fear of spending money, we go to Hobby Lobby to get a fish bowl and some rocks.

He *did* end up liking the fish.

I'm 99% sure the fish bowl we decided on is a vase.  But you can't beat $4.  And the rocks, we desperately tried to convince Mitchell to get the natural sea stone black variety.  But he wasn't giving up on the blue glass stones so FINE. We bought the blue stones.

And then we headed over to petco.  Where Mitchell exclaimed that fish were "so scary" and would not pick a goldfish out.

Being determined that today was the day we were going to get a fish, Mike found an employee to get some goldfish.  She was really unhelpful and basically told us we had to have a filter/pump for any fish except beta (Mike: "We're not getting a beta!") and referred us to the aquarium store. Which was kind of strange, I thought.

So we went to the aquarium store.   Mitchell did not like any of the fish.  That did not stop mike us.  Apparently, fish need air, which is what a pump would give them.  Pumps are only 5 dollars, but attaching it to the 4 dollar vase we already bought wasn't going to happen.  Mike started suggesting duct tape, but I shot that down real quick.

According to the fish expert, who was much more helpful and nice than the local Petco manager, we had three options: A beta, tropical betas, or change the water out every other day so the fish get air.

Hm.  And what do you think we chose?

Yeah, the much more labor extensive option.  It's fine.  Cleaner water is better anyway.  Oh, except you can't change the water out completely,  only 1/2 of it.  GAHHHH. WHY ARE WE BUYING A FISH?!

So, because we're both unsure of how this fish thing is going to work out, we decide on "feeder fish" aka: the 10 cent goldfish normally bought to feed other fish.  The guy at the aquarium (after spending 30 mins answering all our ridiculous questions) said "you're doing these fish a huge favor." and I thought, "maybe.  We'll see"

We bought 5.  I'm still not convinced our "fish bowl" is big enough.

We settled on names:

Law and Order SVU style.

Meet:

Taking pictures of fish is harder than I thought.

Detective Stabler (moonlights as "house" and/or "pluto")
Detective Benson
Munch
Casey Novak
Cragen.


So, Sunday morning, Mike has found one of the fish has died (Detective Benson). He's pretty upset and comes running in and waking me up.  To which I say "Can you not make this a big deal? You're going to upset Mitchell"

And he, in a melodramatic mood apparently, says: "Fine.  Since I'm the only one in the house that cares about THIS FISH.  I will take care of it!"

Oh. my.  well.  This is just lovely.

I'm pretty sure he had a small funeral, by himself, in the bathroom, but I'm not sure.  I feel bad, I do.  I mean, the fish should not give up after less than 24 hours of being in our care.  We're not that bad...

Until this morning.  When I was, again, changing out the water, I forgot Casey Novak and she fell in the sink.  There was a lot of screaming and shaking from me and a lot of "get it! Get it! AHHHHHHH" from Mitchell, who, well, I'm trying to teach him responsibility right?! and a lot of blubbering mocking from Ali.

We saved her.  Barely.  I'm not really sure I can handle this.

Which brings me to my next thought "How are our children still alive? They are much more difficult than fish."

But cuter.  And more fun. Even if they do start refusing any and all hair clips.  Time for bangs? (noooo)