When Vernon, Boon Ping, Jonathan and baby Benjamin moved to the States last month, they left us two tanks of freshwater fish and a bag of maternity clothes. Faith was already pregnant then, but we didn’t know.
It began a routine of Saturday fish-tank cleaning and many trips to the pet shop to buy aquatic plants and knick-knacks to decorate the tank. It was a lesson in commitment; the very first step.
It was Teachers’ Day two days ago and Faith was the recipient of a very generous student who gave her a small hamster. It came in a small disposable cup layered with sawdust.
We spent $120 yesterday buying the most spiffy cage, food, toys, bath powder and sawdust. We swelled (ok I swelled) with pride that we were giving Squeaky (we named her after she squeaked) the best.
I stayed up till 2am trying to show Squeaky the ins-and-outs of her new apartment. It features a Penthouse powder bathroom and neon green wheel that actually rotated round on the horizontal plane as well as the vertical. I just had to give Squeaky directions to the amenities.
I learnt a few things about parenting last night.
- don’t keep changing the environment; it makes it hard for the critter to get used to her space
- if you’re going to stick your hand in and help her, just do it once, because she’s going to expect it to work that way if you keep on giving help
- you need to learn when to let go and go to bed; she’ll take care of herself
Although I initially felt burdened with the menagerie our house had become, I’m thankful for the training.
You wouldn’t like to hear this from me, but your spending $120 on a hamster’s apartment needs is sheer folly - it could well die on you, or worse, multiply a millionfold before your own baby makes its appearance. Anyway Uncle Barry says hi, and his observation is that “Being a grandparent is nicer than being a parent, because you can hand the child back to the parents when it is tired or crying or hungry or needs its nappy changing.” Needless to say, I agree entirely with him. Love you three (not both now).
heh. i feel this way about Rosie pup as a mini intro to parenting. she is a lesson in responsibility!
hi lucian’s mummy! my mum loves her grandpuppy and she does the same things that you mention - when Rosie gets to be too much, grandma brings grandpuppy home!
i didn’t know you guys were expecting… congratulations!!
You want a lesson in parenthood, my friend, get a dog. They’re like 2-year-olds that never grow up. :p
And by the way, congratulations on the pending arrival of Lucian/Faith Jr. (or both?). :)
Hola Lucian, I could lend you my little brother if you need training. He needs to be spanked now and then, and told to eat his vegetables and when to change out of his dirty clothes. And you’ll also have to clean up after him and make him say his prayers at night. It’ll be real good training to learn to deal with a little nuisance like him… oh and you’ll have to send him to medical school every other day else he won’t get to graduate next year(hawhawhaw).
Hi auntie lucian’s mummy!!!
very difficult to post comments. not sure how to correct my “questionable content”. anyway, just like to share with you to get a dog, a better teacher for parenthood.