As promised, I said I’d share Emma’s new pet. She declared that her “dream came true!” I think that is what Jeremy intended when he brought home this little guy.

Yes, I know many of you are squirming in your chair but my little 7 year old is soooo happy. She reports what he is up to every morning to me… under a rock, in his castle, in the water bowl. She said she couldn’t stop thinking about the way he moves. Then she obliged me by showing me how it looks by wiggling her tiny hips and belly side to side. So funny.

The little guy, Coolie she calls him, came from the pasture at my parents house. I felt bad taking him from the wild but my dad has a plethora at his house and mows up one or two snakes each week (he lives in farming country) so I figure we might be saving his life. Jeremy’s plan is that we can always release him when we’re tired of him. We’re just borrowing him for a bit.

So far he has been easy to take care of. We were happy when he ate his first goldfish and shed his skin. Yes, he eats goldfish, one or two a week we are told. Crazy, huh? I figure that since my pet poll was in favor of a pet fish we are really getting both… only the little goldfish gets gobbled in the end. But really it is much nicer that a mouse, yes?

Here is my birthday girl happy as can be. She’s coming to attack me with her “scary face” pose.

We had a little pool party for Emma. We did it last year and loved it. Loved it again, in fact. I love the minimal amount of preparation and no need to entertain or plan games for the little people. The summer thunderstorms even held off long enough to make things perfect.

Happy birthday, Emma!