We are fish-sitting this week for our neighbors who are vacationing in Mexico. Maddi and Jordan are taking the responsibility quite seriously. They talk to the little guy and Jordan has even tried to pet it!
When my kids woke up to the goldfish in our house they were delighted. Jordan asked, “What’s its name?”
I shrugged. I guess I never thought of asking what the fish’s name was—it never occurred to me that this would be a requirement of taking care of it. But, I guess when one babysits or dog-sits the name is quite important.
Maddi’s shoulders broadened and she said with a knowing smile, “I know the fish’s name! They told me.”
“So what is it?” Jordan asked.
Now she was the one puzzled. Seemingly she had forgotten the mysterious name but worked quickly for a cover up by telling us, “Oh, it’s tricky.”
She wouldn’t give up and I could tell it was bothering her until she announced, “NEMO! I remember…yes, it’s NEMO!”
“Can I play with him?” Jordan wanted to know.
Maddi was too enthralled with the fish food to answer her brother.
Becoming annoyed, Jordan told her, “Say ‘what’, Maddi.”
Lips tightened. Now she was ignoring him. Time for mom to intervene.
“Madelynn, treat your brother with respect and answer him,” I said.
“I said it in my brain,” she replied.
“What did you say in your brain?” I asked.
“I said 'what' in my brain,” she told me, a creative way to excuse the behavior.
Not pleased with his sister, Jordan asked, “Well, Maddi I want to feed the fish, too. Did your brain say ‘yes’?”
She handed over the fish food, once again communicating with child-like
chatter including both the fish and her brother in the conversation.
Oh, she’s tricky.
