Fish Saga # 2

Did you know that a fish can lose its tail?  Turns out the Hayden Aquarium has been a pond of liquid death!


After the passing of Flo, we restocked, as I mentioned before.  Well, within 24 hours we had a floater.  Chuck, he just up and died.  I don't even think he gave the tank a fair shake before he caught his ride on the porcelain express.  The kids were okay with it...maybe a bit disappointed, but not shaken to tears.
Then, just a few days later the hand of aquatic doom snatched another fish.  Abraham.  This was SHOCKING!  Again? another one? Really?!
 Are the fish like my children and they fight after the light is out at night?? 
 WHAT- in -the- ever living world of cheap fish and aquariums is going on??!!

Now, we have two fish left.  Turbo, new guy, is doing just fine. Rita, on the other hand, not so much.  Did you know that if you have a certain imbalance in your fish tank water...say, waaaay too much copper, it can make some bacteria grow, and then your fish gets "tail rot".  gross.  Sooo, Rita, the (former) Fantail goldfish just hangs out at the bottom or the tank and breathes.   Weird, I know.  We've gone through the steps of treating the water, and aerating it and blah, blah, blah.  So, she lives, but she doesn't really swim, much.  duh.  She wiggles her way around the tank, and eats, and then just kind of hangs out. all day.  The kids don't want to flush her because she's still "alive". But, I dunno, am I in favor of putting her out of her misery?   Seems so cruel.  I haven't read anything that says her tail will ever  grow back...maybe, but, probably not.  What a life.   First, we give her a girl name, Rita. Turns out, "she's" a "he", but I never remember and always say "her", then her pal Flo up and dies, she gets new friends, and barely stay long enough to eat (here's your hat, what's your hurry), and then her fins start rotting off!!  
Needless to say, Turbo, the scavenger fish is doing really well and seems to be enjoying the bounty of Rita's malady.  ew. super yuck.


So, if you're having a bad day, just remember...it could be worse, even for a fish.

Hayden Aquarium 2012

Last Friday, while sitting at breakfast, I noticed that Flo looked a little too float-y.  She was still alive, you could see her breathing through her gills and every once in a while she would try to wiggle her way around the tank.  Our other fish, Rita...which is actually a boy, but we didn't find out until months after we had already named him/her.  So, just like the mother bird, named Kevin in the movie Up, we just stuck with the name!   ...anyway....Rita was swimming along just fine, so we took Flo out of the aquarium and put her into the bowl we use during tank cleaning time. 

The next day Flo was still hanging in there, albeit upside down, but still alive-ish.  Sophie and I were having a hard time being serious about Flo's condition, but tried to keep it together in front of the other kids. "Maybe we should've named it Bob after all"  ....bahaha!   ...okay, sorry, back to serious.  

 Flo lingered until Sunday evening before she flo-ted her last.  Since we had a bit of chaos with Ethan's sneezing escapade that night also we didn't actually deal with her dead-ness until Monday.  Monday, however, she went on a long ride down the porcelain express.  No fanfare or ceremony, just flushing.


After we flushed Flo, Rita seemed lonely.  She wasn't sulking or anything, but she looked pretty lonely in that tank all by herself.  So, Tuesday evening, Sophie, Emily and I went on an errand to our neighborhood Meijer store to find some new friends for Rita.  After looking at all of the fine fish specimens that they had to offer, we found ourselves picking three new friends from the 19 cent tank.  After all, 3 years ago we picked out Rita from the same tank.   Technically, the 19 cent-ers are supposed to be feeder fish, I think or just your basic cheap goldfish.  Just our fortune that there are some sloppy Meijer employees that put some of the wrong types of fish into that tank.  Fast forward to Tuesday when lo and behold, as we examined the 19 cent tank fish...there was a little fella just darting in and out among the cheap-o's.  So, when they asked which one I wanted...and I pointed to "Turbo".  It was pretty funny to watch  poor Mr. Meijer employee who was stuck with tank duty try to chase him around and catch him, but after several minutes, his net prevailed. 

Obviously, we named him "Turbo" because of how fast he darts around. Emily chose the name "Abraham" for the orange one for whatever reason, and Sophie came up with the name "Chuck" for the white and orange fish. 
Now Rita has some new friends to get to know.  I don't know how things work for fish, but it seems like they like each other enough...or rather the new fish are large enough that Rita can't eat them.  Whatever the reason, all of us are happy about the new fish recruits. 


This may have been a little more than you really ever wanted to know about our fish tank capers, but that's just what floats our boat!

We just couldn't help it...

The sky was blue, the air was warm and everyone's work was done.  I had even fit in a short trip to Target to get a few essentials.  What else could we do, but go on a walk!   We decided to skip the neighborhood park with the pond, especially since duck and goose season is in full swing.  It's pretty much a given that the duck and goose poop out number the blades of grass at that park!  Totally not worth the trouble.  Instead, we ventured down to West Carrollton for a little noisy park near the Great Miami River trail.  The trail runs waaay longer than I'll ever take it in one day, but there are several places along that way that we've visited before.

As if Caleb needed to stand up on anything to be tall!  Emily was NOT loving being up that high and was quickly begging Caleb, to put her down.

Initially, Sophie thought it would be fun to get on the tire swing with the other kids.  The look on her face shows that she changed her mind.

My Super Troop! Now, that's one bunch of awesome kids!

As we walked down the trail we saw a lot more interesting things that I thought we would.  Why was I such a skeptic?  Well, earlier I mentioned that we went to a "noisy little park" and that was due to the fact that this precious little piece of ground is sandwiched smack dab between Interstate 75 and the Great Miami River!  Not exactly a setting for serenity and enrapturing discoveries.   However, in the space of about a half a mile we saw several large patches of these darling little violets.  All I expected to see was litter, a few dead critters and some scrubby looking noxious weeds!  Color me surprised! (which, in this case, is purple)

A little farther up the trail, we discovered these trees.  Apparently, we weren't the first ones to spot the trees, but we, however, did not stop to gnaw on them as it appears was the case before. 

Across the river from the park, happens to be a small Airport.  While we were out we were able to watch one place take off and another plane land.  Next time, I'm told, the kids want to go hang out for a while on the part of the trail that the airplanes would fly directly over when taking off or landing.  I'm sure it couldn't be any more noisy than it already is, so we probably will give it a try.
All in all, and much to everyone's disappointment we were only out and about for a little over an hour.  However, it was just enough to break up the day and to get everyone a good bit of sunshine.  

Saturday's Skirt

It seems that Spring is upon us, and maybe a bit of Summer too!  At first, I hesitated to pull out all of the winter clothes from the drawers and closets, but now I've got the Spring Cleaning Bug and am in a "give away, throw away or sell" mode.  As I did this, for Emily in particular, I noticed something.  She has practically nothing to wear for Summer!  Yikes!  To most people this would mean it was time for a shopping trip, but to me it meant it was time to put some of those Pinterest ideas into action.  After all, I have to justify the time I spend on there by accomplishing something, right?  

I am not a skilled seamstress who creates fancy things, but I can do pretty alright for what I need.  

Emily is tall for her age and after looking at some of the skirts and dresses I saved from last year I realized there is NO WAY they were going to work!

I had picked up a couple of jumpers at the thrift store and decided that I was going to hack off the top (bodice) because they would never fit her right anyway.  Once I cut the top off, it left a piece of fabric that was already hemmed at the bottom,  and had the side seam pattern matched!  All it needed was a waste band!  Easy Peasy!  I made a casing, slipped in elastic through and then fit it to Emily's waist!  This particular jumper had a few flowers embroidered on the bodice, so I cut them off and attached them to the bottom of the skirt to give it a little more pizaaz!

I think it turned out pretty cute!  I should've taken a picture before I hacked it so you could see, but you know the saying, "Hind sight..."

I'll try to do better next time.

**note:  I didn't actually end up following a tutorial from Pinterest for this, so don't be sad if you can't find what I did there.  I guess I'll have to do another one and make one of my own!

Language School

A friend of mine is in language school in the country of Costa Rica. Little did I know, 14 years ago, when I became a parent, I entered language school too.  The language of Kid Speak...Toddler Talk... and baby blabber.  However, the language school that my friend attends and the one that I am a part of have one HUGE difference.  The difference is that she has textbooks and dictionaries to help her learn the vocabulary that is thrown her way.  I, on the other hand, am a pioneer.  There is only 1 person who knows the actual words that are being said (baby, toddler, kid) and then there's me...the guesser.  I'm supposed to be the knowledgeable adult, not the one left saying...."what did you just say?" or (in a whisper)"tell me that again when we get home" (aka...saying something that sounds like profanity that needs to be deciphered somewhere other than the grocery store).


Most of my kids are pretty much done with this phase, but it would seem that Emily still has a way to go.  This got me thinking about how hilarious my kids are and all the funny stories that have resulted from our "language barriers".


Maybe I shouldn't highlight some of these stories, and maybe someday my children will be embarrassed that I did.  I guess we'll wait and see how they feel later.  Just so you know, I have their full permission to tell stories on each and every one of them...as long as I leave out their names.  ha ha.  


One day at the dinner table...


Frankie: "Caleb, I need some butt."


FYI..."butt" is not a generally used word in our home and sooo...Obviously, this child meant, "butter", but (ha), was a little mixed up about the real word.  
It was still funny and the other kids could not contain their mirth, and all attempts to then teach the proper word were lost until another time.  I tried, really, I did.


One day while walking outside...


Toddler: "Mama, do you think there is a behind in that tree?"


Me: " A what?"


Toddler:  "Look waa-ay up there in the top...you see that thing?  I think its a behind! We better get out of here!!"


Me: "Um, all I see is a squirrel's nest."


Toddler: "Well, I see bees flying around up there and I think they're going back to their behind to feed their babies".  


Me: "I think you mean Bee HIVE, not BE - HIND...Bees live in bee hives, and you sit on your behind...got it?  


Toddler:  "oh, ya, I got it."


Needless to say, she doesn't "got it" and still continues to slip up on that one whenever a bee hive arises.  
Just yesterday, she colored a picture for someone that featured a bee hive with bees flying all around it.  When they asked her about the picture, she told them..."its a picture of a be-hind...see?  See the bees?"  





The color Y-E-L-L-O-W...


 ...while showing cards with colors and shapes.


Me:  "And how about this one?"


Toddler: "Oooo, that's Lellow! I like lellow"


Me: "Yes, I like YEH-low too.  Can you say YEH-low with me"


Toddler & Me:  "YEH-low!"


Me: "Listen to me say it...."YEH-low!" now it's your turn!


Toddler: "LEH-low!"


Me: "Let's try this. Say..."Yeh, yeh, yeh...yeh-low!"


Toddler:  "Okay...Yeh, yeh, yeh...LEH-LOW!"


Me: "Wow, Good job, we'll try that again another day!" 


Obviously, there is a disconnect somewhere.  Guess we'll work on that one a little more!


The "Dee"...


For what seemed like months, he would point and say over and over 
 "Deee, dee, dee".  


Then he would say it and stand by the closet that we kept the vacuum in. 
 "Dee, dee, dee"


When we would get the vacuum out and use it, he was enthralled with it, he wanted to push it and turn it off and on and play with the cord.  It was weird.  really, really weird.  I could, literally, turn on the vacuum and just let it run and he would play  with the cord and shift it around (or try to) for quite a while.
Finally, one day it became
"Vee, vee, vee"


I'm still not sure what the fascination was about.  Was it the sound it made? The vibration effect? The lovely lines it left on the carpet?  A premature love for engines? I don't know, but he's a pretty normal kid now, so we'll just let it go at that.  


And, just so you know...he eventually started saying the real word, "vacuum" when he was about 2 years old and to this day he can still say it!  Now, as a bonus, I even let him use the vacuum to clean rooms! Nice, aren't I?