Hailey finally got a pet

Poor little Hailey wanted a pet so bad when Lauren got her fish. Hailey decided she needed a frog in a frog cage. Unfortunately we have a no pet till your 8 rule around here (and frankly would prefer to not have any pets). Hailey was CRUSHED. First she made herself a Paper Pet complete with a leash and drug it around for a couple days. Then Grandma sent her a STUFFED Pet Frog - that she adores and sleeps with each night but did not consider a pet no matter how hard I tried.

Well, today she got her pet, on her own terms, on her own accord with no prompting or even approval from anyone.

We were at Lauren's School waiting for her after school French class to end and it was gorgeous out so we were sitting on the picnic table chatting with the teachers. Hailey used my phone to take this picture

Then she started playing with some of things on the ground, then she asked me if she could keep one and in a distracted moment I said "SURE". Then she showed me 10 and asked if she could have them all - I quickly gathered the better part of me and said "Oh, No honey, just one". She pondered, She chose, she put back and chose again...then coerced me into letting her pick one for Lauren too.

I had NO idea at the time what she was up to. It never dawned on me. Until we got in the car. That is when she said "Now I have a pet" to which I replied "you do?" and she said "Yes, My pet Rock, it's name is poodle" "Poodle needs some water, can I give it some water?"

I told her it could have water at home hoping beyond hope that she would forget.

Forget she did not. She watered her rock,

she bathed her rock,

she ate dinner with her rock

and she put her rock to bed in her cradle tonight (in the words of "he" 'so she can rock it to sleep' ha ha ha)

SO...Hailey has a pet. Though it looks like a potato and is named after a dog breed she has a pet. Poor Hailey.

(PS - Lauren dropped hers on the ground as soon as we left the school, on purpose and never looked back!)