MoMo

Hannah's Auntie Di and cousin Jen gave her a special gift this Christmas - a fish she has named Nemo. Ava affectionately calls him "Momo" and loves knocking on his bowl to say hi. I'll have to admit I was a little leery about Hannah having a fish. The seemingly tragic memories from my childhood of frequently dying fish came flooding back. Happy, Speedy and Lucky weren't happy, speedy or lucky for long. They were just several in a string of fish that came into my life and then quickly departed. I had such a tender heart as a kid that I shed very real tears for these fish (this was long before losing loved ones). I chuckle now when I think back to the burials of my fish. I made little coffins using paper jewelry boxes and sprinkled fish food in them in case they came back to life (seriously!), and then buried them in the backyard. Yes, I was pathetic and realize that I was a tad dramatic (hehe)...after all, they were just slimy fish. Nonetheless, I know my daughter has a tender heart like me and I was worried that her fish would die right away like mine did and she would be crushed.

Amazingly, Nemo has thrived despite a neglected and too small fish bowl (he is HUGE!), loud knocks from an eager little visitor, and inconsistent feedings from little helpers and their parents. In the past three months he has won me over! I love seeing how happy Hannah is to finally have a pet. She proudly shows it to anyone who comes over - friends, family, Ava's speech teacher, and even the TV crew who came to shoot footage for Maranda. Nemo has worked his way into our hearts. Even so, he will probably not experience a lavish burial like his ancestors...unless Hannah has other ideas. :-)