Put Your Own Title Here, I'm Going to Bed

So sorry to leave you all hanging there on poor Winnie's demise and how we broke it to the kids. We ended up telling them right after finishing dinner last Monday - we told them that Winnie got sick and died, and that we were very sad about it (to put "death" in a bit of context for them). Finn insisted on seeing Winnie - and we obliged, as we hadn't disposed of the body yet. He was curious and sad and seemed to think that Winnie died because he/she ate the blue gravel at the bottom of the tank. We tried explaining that it was just bad germs, but... who knows, kids get strange ideas in their heads. I think he still believes it was the blue stuff.

I opted against holding a "funeral" in the bathroom - I thought having the kids watch us flush the body might be too macabre or traumatizing or just destined to be the topic of many, many future conversations. But we did go around the table and each say something nice about Winnie. Things like "I really liked how we could see through Winnie." Scintillating stuff, as I'm sure you can imagine.

By the next morning, Winnie was mostly a distant memory. I caught Finn trying to reach the tank a couple of days later, when he noticed it sitting in its usual spot. Which, ahem, we still had not actually cleaned out yet. Including the body. Gross, I know. I cleaned it out that night.

This past weekend we were at the pet store to buy cat-related items, and the kids were (per usual) absolutely fascinated with all the fish. I think they could have watched them for hours. I sense there is a fish or two in our future, once we feel ready to risk a wet pet once again.

I'd blog more, but I'm exhausted. Lucy has been waking up at night recently, and only MOMMY will do to settle her down. About 20% of me really enjoys that, and the other 80% just wants to sleep 7 hours without interruption. So rather than scouring my brain for more a) entertaining stories, or b) complaints about my children, I shall pour myself into bed and get ready for wake up call #1. Should be coming in about 3 hours.