RIP...again

I may have mentioned in previous posts that Alexa has a fish. She had gotten it for pooping on the potty a long time ago. Yes, we had to go to the extreme point of agreeing to get her a pet if she pooped on the potty.

It was a male Betta and it lasted quite a while. Alexa named "her" Dorothy after Elmo's fish. I hate fish. I loved that it was quiet and didn't require a lot of attention, but I began to resent the fact that I had to change it's water. I think the directions said weekly, and I started out doing that. Then it happened bi weekly, then monthly. He seemed to do fine with that, so I stuck with the regime. I began to wonder if a fish poops? It must right? That's why you have to change the water?

At any rate, while I was away at a conference this summer, Dorothy died. Everyone who was helping watch the kids handled it great and they buried her at my nephew's house next to his fish. When I heard of the passing, I was actually releived. No more tank changes. One less thing to do. Then, my sister in law entered with a replacement. I guess Alexa was pretty upset at the death and so my sister in law very kindly went and bought her a new one.

Ok, I said, I'll do better with this one. Again named Dorothy "the second", I began to care for it. This one was much more lively than the other one and seemed to track me as I walked around the room. It would float to the top of the tank when I came close because it knew I was going to feed it. Kinda cute, but at any rate, I grew lax in caring for it. We got him in August, and I am sad to say, he passed overnight. I had changed it's tank twice.

I felt a twinge of guilt. I could have done a better job. But maybe it was becuase the colder temperatures are setting in and we don't turn the heat up upstairs at night. I actually think it froze to death. Bettas ARE tropical fish by the way. Why do we even have them in NH? That's cruel to begin with. Keep them in the tropics. And for all you fish lovers out there, I'm sorry. I just have other fish to fry. I mean, fish are just not on the top of my priority list right now.

Alexa was tearful, but we explained that we are going to take a "break" from fish for a while. At least through the winter. She was ok with that, and watched me as I bagged him up in a ziploc. She want to bury him next to the other Dorothy. Daddy can do that this weekend.