[M.D. Holloway]

Yet another paragraph in a chapter of life with kids. Saturday night we had an impromptu party at our home. Some friends with their kids found their way over to our house – 9 kids total, 6 adults. The kids ranged in an interesting age bracket. Two sets of girl twins 7 and 4, our two (gonna be 8 and 4) and a 7 yr old boy and 5 year old girl. The youngest is a 2+ boy (little brother to the two sets of twin girls).

The kids were kept under control eventually watching a movie in the media room while mommies and daddies gabbed and drank. Well, the littlest one proved too much of a disruption to the other kids was soon banished (by the older kids) to play by himself in the game room.

Allegedly (because it has yet to be proven), he made his way into Our Son’s room where he found the fish tank. The little guy thinking that the fish wanted to play with Our Son’s Gameboy decided to but it into the fish tank along with the AC charger. He also thought that the fish would like to play with Our Son’s small die-cast farm tractors and the Pine Wood Derby car (which he took 3rd in the pack!). Thinking that the fish may become hungry from all that Gameboy and tractor play, decided to feed them all of the fish food.

Perhaps it was intuition or a sub-audible cry from the Betas and Tetra but I just had one of those feelings. I went into the game room and found the little guy busy at play, by himself with a content look on his face. I checked Our Son’s room to find the fish tank filled with toys. The bottom of the tank, which is normally covered with green stones, was now red with fish food. The shark fish and Tetra were hiding in a corner, the female Beta buried herself into a corner as well and the male Beta (with gills and fins ablaze) was doing the best he could to intimidate a 1/125 scale John Deere front loader.

I sprung into action pulling toy after toy out of the tank. I went downstairs and quietly told my wife the sitch. She, under the cover of pure cool provided me with an 8-quart saucepan to keep the fish in while I cleaned the tank and stones and replaced the water.

I am happy to report that all the fish are doing well – I think. The tractors and Pine Wood Derby car are none the worse for wear but the Gameboy has gone the way of all flesh. It shall be disposed of unceremoniously on garbage day. Our Son took it as well as could be expected but vowed never to allow the little guy into his room and as of today not even this side of the neighborhood. We are sure that will change. The parents of the 2+ yr old felt awful and have offered to replace the Gameboy and anything else that suffered the hand of their progeny. My Wife and I feel as though it is yet another paragraph in the chapter in life and will not get busted up over and have had a good laugh over it.

(We will take a new Gameboy though. Those things are $70!)