Meet Apples

 This is Apples.  He's my birthday present from the family. Matthew thinks that because he's my present, I should keep him in my room, but I'm so rarely in my room... I decided to share him with the whole family in the kitchen. Right now he's in central station on the island counter-top. Jamie said this evening as Micah was shrieking and Matthew and Mark were running around the island trying to "find Apples" that he felt a little sorry for him. "Poor Apples," Jamie said. "Poor Apples?" I asked him. He said "yes... he doesn't know what kind of family he's been brought home to!" Ha ha. We are loud, that's for sure. But Apples seems happy. He ate his dinner which fascinated the boys. I had even picked up Micah to see our new fish and he found him and pointed and smiled and tried to say "ish" and then when I put him down he promptly signed "more more more" so I picked him back up. Minus the amount of noise (and in truth I hope we don't stress poor Apples totally out) the kitchen will be a fun place to have him. I've walked past a few times and smiled when I see him fanning his fins and fluttering about in there. Fish are so fun. I know some people consider them boring pets, but they are so fun and so pretty. I have enjoyed three other Betta fish in years past, but it's been 6 or 7 years since we've had one. Apples is a nice addition, I've missed a little calm happy spot in our hectic mix. Hopefully he'll get used to the loud factor. Mark woke up from his nap running into the kitchen "HI-YA APPLES!" It's so worth it! I gaze over at him currently and he seems happy swimming in a circle around his little plant. What do you think?

 The kids had name choices picked out (weeks) before we ever went to the pet store today... and they were Bubbles or Mickey. I had already decided that Bubbles wasn't going to work for me... but one day this week Matthew was eating his apples and talking a lot and I said "eat your apples" and he said something else and I said "Apples" and he said "you know, that would be a good fish name" I looked at him confused and said "what? what's a good fish name? Apples?" he said "yes. I like Apples for a fish."  So in the end... Apples won out over Mark's choice for Mickey.  Mark gets to name the next fish though. We're hoping to do a big tank sooner or later (we moved the dumb thing from Kansas City over 7 almost 8 years ago!). But for now, this is fun. They get to learn about feeding it and all that. And I like him. He's pretty. He's my little Apples.

(what his home actually looks like)

Oh and I will say... going to the pet store is such a trip. It was "adopt a kitty day" and there were kittens everywhere while we were there. I mean everywhere. Big tables were set up and the kittens were stacked cage on top of cage. They were all so cute. Mark was pretty sad we weren't taking one of them home. He liked a couple of them enough to want to keep them.  Micah was pretty fascinated with the kittens too. He would stick his one little pointing finger in their cages and they'd bat at his finger. It was cute. Kittens are so playful. Mark also was pretty taken with a lizard he found. (Why am I a boy mom!?) I was sooo not interested in the lizard and had to call out both his names when I looked over and he was KISSING THE LIZARD'S TANK. He said he named him "Tootie" and was taking him home with Apples. Aren't you glad Mark didn't get to name Apples "Tootie" geeeeez.  I will happily admit that we didn't come home with a Lizard named Tootie today... Just Apples the Fish.