Winning a bag-o-fish from a festival (or “festibal” like Nate will continue to pronounce it until someone other than me corrects him because I think it’s pure sweetness) is not really a rite of passage or milestone but it’s certainly a memory that sticks with a kid for many reasons.
There’s:
- The fun of the game: Getting that ping-pong ball in a bowl filled with bright (toxic, toilet cleaner) blue water? Yeah, that’s awesome!
- The reward: Having the game person (a really cool character with skull and cross-bones rings and tattoos who tells you every day above ground is a good day) scoop out some tiny fish from a dirty cooler and plop them into a clear bag just for you? Double awesome!
- The new stuff: Getting to go out and buy a new fish bowl/tank or at least special fish food? Triple awesome!
Three Fish and a Football
- The thinking time: Naming each one after much thought and then trying to remember which one you named Goldie again. The one with the damaged fin? Still pretty awesome!
- The discovery: Finding them floating lifeless in their new home days after they moved in and holding a flush funeral for them? Minus awesome times three.
Nia still remembers when she experienced that. Andrew told her he was going to swim with his other fish friends. Flush. Nate doesn’t have that same censoring though. He already knows what’s going to happen. Partly because Nia told him (because that’s what older siblings do) and partly because he discovered a dead fish on the ground near the festibal game. He now thinks his fish are going to get out of their tank. I had to assure him (better not happen) that they love their new tank home so they won’t want to leave.
That is, until we are forced to remove them. And I think Nate will be ok with that. He’s already asked if he can get new ones after his game fish die. Although, no fish will be able to replace the memory of the festibal fish.
Are You Zhazha? 
So sweet! Glad they’ve made it this long!