I'm just a mean Mom...

Ya know, the kind who doesn't let her kids have pets. I've tried, but really, I just think I am a kid person, not an animal person.


On the Actress's second birthday I bought her a hamster. Appropriately, she named her beloved Two. Two lived a short life, but the grief of the Actress has had a far greater life span.


We bought a cat shortly before Dave started law school. I was suffering intense Mommy guilt for moving my two little children across the country to a foreign environment, far from family. So, I got the girls a kitten. Truth be told, though I do like dogs I don't really like cats all that much, but since everyone says they are easier than dogs I went with the feline variety.

Unfortuneately, I was lucky enough to choose the neediest cat on the planet. After two years, I could not keep her anymore, and found her a far better home, I'm sure. I will be forever grateful to my friend Becky for saving me by adopting Sadie.


In order to console the girls after the loss of their beloved Sadie, I purchased a set of sea monkeys. It was so fun to watch them grow. SO fun in fact, that despite frequent reminders not to ever try such a trick, the Artist picked up the small tank one day to take an even closer look. Those tiny sea monkeys met their fate splashing in the carpet at the loft in downtown Chicago we had subleased for the summer.

For her sixth birthday, the Artist's most burning desire was to have her own pet. So, with Grammy and Grandpa as the financers, we purchased a beta fish. Those live forever, right? Dave and I had one when we were first married and it far outlived our interest in owning it. I was more relieved than grieved when Spice Boy finally went belly up.


Anyway, Rainbow had the most incredible digs a beta ever had. I'm talkin' the life of luxury. Large tank with LCD lights, fun stuff to swim around in, attentive care. And wouldn't you know? The day we went to photograph Rainbow for his debut on the Artist's student of the week poster for school, we discovered his limp body at the bottom of the tank. Oh, it caused horrible trauma to the poor girl.


All this leads up to last Saturday when I shrieked loudly at the discovery of a toad I had almost minced with our lawn mower. My kids were thrilled with the find, caught it, and soon began pleading to keep it.


I did a google search for "care of toads" and discovered they only eat live food. Like moving things. Bugs, worms, and other ewy gross stuff that I cannot fathom being responsible for. The smell of the excrement from said toad in the capturing container was more than I could handle on a one-time basis.


I took lots of pictures while they played with their catch.


And talked about how much they wished they could keep their friend forever.


I was quite impressed with their creativity in turning that toad into a fashion accessory.


The Artist told me she wished I were more like Mia's mom, who let she and her brother keep the frog they found.


I told her I was sorry, but I am just mean like that.


In a few years we may entertain thoughts of another pet. We still have Rainbow's tank all ready for another fish, but the Artist can't stand the thought of another round of mourning. Honestly, it was the Actress's continued grief about Two that prevented us from getting another hamster rather than a fish.


The kids really want a dog, but I cannot comprehend the thought of cleaning up the digestive waste of one more creature right now. I told them to talk to me about it when I don't have any children in diapers, and I might consider it.


Until then, I will just be the mean Mom.