I hate Tuesday folders. Yep, hate. It’s too much information in such a small package and on a terrible and usually much too busy to deal with that much stuff kind of day! But on a rare occasion I run across one of these gems. It’s Caleigh’s first writing. Well, first big “I’m a Fourth Grader in Texas and Have to be able to Write by April When They Test Me! Writing.” The subtitle should be “We’re leaving at three.” (In teeny tiny print that is) The big kids seem to think Caleigh is spoiled and gets her way on everything. Like, I think maybe they are not just talking smack about our parenting skills in these latter days but inferring it too! There was this one time, and it is a bit confusing but we were intending to go on a quick trip to San Antonio. We decided at the last minute before the kids went to bed that it wasn’t going to work out. Then, while-they-were-sleeping…we changed our minds. So, the next morning the big kids were telling Caleigh that we were not going, and she was looking so sad then at the same time Keith and I overheard the talk and were like…oh no…and both said, “We’re leaving at three.” And that was our last thought the night before but the kids had already gone to bed before they knew what our last thought was so to this day they think we changed our minds on the fly so the precious little sister would be happy! Really, come on! We will never live that one down. Never.

Due to birth order, she missed our decade on being pet owners! So, maybe it was my despair and depression that said yes to Caleigh when she asked if she could use her birthday money to buy a fish since we were really missing those two college kids who are nine hours away…maybe the fish could fill the void in her heart! I have a big enough void I can’t be walking around looking at her lonely face and take that too. So, I gave her the ground rules. She has to feed, clean, and buy all things fishy for her fish. Even provide a caretaker for them when she is ever gone. I may win the meanest mommy but I looked her in the eye and said I will not feed the fish and am totally fine watching them starve. Because, once I ever feed the fish…the fish are mine!

Keith was so mad at me for caving! I got that “high blood pressure, pursed lip look” for a week after! And the very first day of her pet ownership was horrible. One of the fish was dead when she got up the next morning for school! It was a very bad day. The school counselor was even called in. I got an email from her teacher that she could not stop crying and was very upset about her fish! Great day! And I accidentally made things worse: I have this new habit this year to free up my mornings and it’s called: pack the lunches the night before. Well, Caleigh told me the weekend after she lost the first fish: “Hey Mom, want to know the worst part about the day my fish died?” I replied, “Yes?” And she said, “LUNCH!!! You packed me goldfish to eat!” I kid you not! Who knew! It didn’t even dawn on me! Yikes! (About a week later a friend who knew of our fish drama stopped me and told me that Caleigh sure was upset about that fish dying that day and that she saw her at lunch and said she was crying still. I was like…yeah, I know, I packed her goldfish!)

I am so thankful that the dead fish did not make it into the writing and that she has the happiest memories of getting them…Keith says we are not replacing them when they are gone; so, Brave Blossom, Sunshine, and Princess stay strong! At least until semester break…

trying to insert her scanned story here: you might have to click on it…never inserted a scanned doucment before…big test here:)

Caleigh’s Fish Tale0001