fitting for easter

Sunday, Drake's nursery teachers gave the kids gold fish. The kids were so excited!!!

They loved the fish so much, and Gwen named the fish Ruby after her favorite doll. We put it in one of my bowl shaped water pitchers, and both Gwen and Drake loved to just look at her and talk to her. Now don't get the wrong idea that the kids were total angels about this fish. Monday I came downstairs to find Drake on a chair, the bowl half empty the other half of the water was all over the table and floor. And he thought the fish was hungry, so naturally he had the bottom of the pitcher covered in conversation hearts! We cleaned up the mess and explained the importance of clean water and "fish food" for Ruby. The kids were so happy when they got to feed Ruby her food, and every morning as we would leave the house, Gwen and Drake would say "bye" to her. Well, yesterday morning, when I came downstairs, the water was murky, so I dumped it out and put in clean water. And the whole time I was doing the transfer, she didn't move at all. She just stayed at the bottom of the bowl. I thought either she's dead, or she's gonna be soon. So I thought I should prep the kids and tell them that Ruby was sick so remember to say bye to her. Gwen was so dramatic in her "oh no!!! Bye Ruby, I LOVE you!!" Then when we got home last night, I told Gwen it looked like Ruby had died and we were going to need to flush her body. Gwen insisted she wasn't dead and we couldn't do that because she loved her. So I figured I'd wait for Ryan to do it.

Well this evening, when we came in, Ruby was floating at the top of the bowl, and her eyes were clouded. We showed Gwen and told her the fish really was dead and that we needed to flush her body. We went to the toilet and dumped her. Gwen immediately started to get teary and said "but I'll never see her again!". We then talked about Grandpa Bostwick who just had died, Grandpa McPhie, and Jesus. We talked about why we celebrate Easter and that we will see them all again. I love Easter, and I love that Gwen has such a tender heart.