Friday, June 5

Mice Diaries



Alex wants a pet mouse. Grrrrr. Its not the mouse part that bothers me. I have had pet mice in the past. They are fun animals that I think lead happier lives when kept in a fun and safe enviroment verse your attack. Its just the pet part. Pet as in " a domesticated animal kept for pleasure rather than utility" (Webster). We already have Gryffindor (a lazy couch potato of a dog) whose yearly vet vist this month cost me almost $100. Do we really need to add mice into the mix?

I told Alex that if she wants mice she has to (1) become a certified pet mouse expert (by reading up on the subject and demonstrating general knowledge of mouse care) and (2)buy everything her pet mice would need. With her money, not mine.

When we went to the pet store and made a price list of all her her supplies, she discovered she would need almost $70. She gets $5 a week as her allowance and that is only when she has done her chores on a reasonably timely manner. Surely, I thought, it will take several months before Alex would be able to afford her new pet. And honestly, I hoped that by then she would have forgotten all about the idea.

But no. She has come up with new ways of making money. Last week she mowed my parent's lawn and helped my dad clean their house for a cool $20. She has already collected more than $50 and this weekend she plans to earn even more by helping out my sister.

By now I have resigned myself to the fact that mice will be moving into our apartment. I'm mentally preparing for all the new chores I will inevitably have to do.

Meanwhile Alex is engrossed in her books. She is becoming more and more excited about what the future holds and thinking up ways to make it come sooner. She is even getting ride of stuff to make room for her new friends.

- Mom did you tell Heather that she can have my princess lamp?
-Yes. She's very excited about it. She said Zoee needs a lamp and yours will fit her room perfectly.
- Did you tell her that it needs a new light bulb?
-No.
- Well, you should.
- Its not a big deal.
- I just don't want her to think she is getting something wonderful.

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