Something Fishy

Reese has been begging us for a pet. Kevin's allergic to dogs and I'm allergic to cats (or so she thinks) so both are out of the question. We bought her a Zhu Zhu pet (basically a fake hamster) and that held her over for a while but not for long. We finally caved. On her birthday we settled on a fish. This was our first weekend back in town after Spring Break so we took her to pick one out on Friday night. Meet Reese's Betta fish, "Kelly":

Kevin and I have had Betta fish in the past. Half of them died within the first week. Therefore, to be safe, we had to let her know that Kelly might not live long. We can't be sure how old she is so we just have to be prepared in case she isn't healthy. With the explanation came a ton of questions and concerns. I guess it was time to have a talk about life and death but it sure was hard. For three days now she's asked me how old she's going to be when she dies. Each time I say "very old" and she still gets choked up at the thought. I really hate those hard conversations and I am not very good at them! I get sweaty and uncomfortable and never seem to have the right words. Case in point? I still haven't properly explained her anatomy to her. Everything below the belt and above the thigh is called a "hiney" in our house. I know, I know.....I'm a poor excuse. I need to get over it for her sake. Any "how to" tips on explaining the tough stuff to kids would be greatly appreciated. Obviously I am in dire need of some help! *Insert waving white flag here*