I take pains to be unfailingly, unflinchingly honest with my daughter (within the bounds of age-appropriateness, of course). She believes what I tell her; then again, being 5 years old, she believes almost anything anyone tells her.

For instance, one of Willow’s friends recently told her that she once caught a mermaid. Willow not only believed it, she wanted a mermaid for her very own.

And so, when she found a chestnut at preschool she brought it home, put it in the biggest bowl we have in the house, and filled it with water. She told her dad and me that it was a mermaid egg, and that it may take some time to hatch. Like, two or three years.

“I don’t think so, honey” I said. I tried to explain that mermaids aren’t real. They are make-believe. Willow wouldn’t hear of it; she continued to insist that her “egg” would one day “hatch.”

That’s when my husband, chuckling, remarked that it would be fun to sneak a goldfish into the bowl when she wasn’t looking.

Thus began the biggest whopper of a story we’ve ever concocted for our daughter.

Yes, I did sneak off to the pet store while Willow was at preschool; found a beautiful blue betta (they are supposed to be hardy); came home and cleaned out the water and put in the fish. Then I left the house, so that when she came home with her dad later on, she could discover that her mermaid egg had hatched.

And I’m happy to report that she went wild when she saw the “mermaid fish.” It really blew her mind that the story she created came true. We rushed out after dinner that night to get a glass tank and betta fish food, and Willow had a lot of fun setting up the fish’s new home. This fish is also her first real pet, her sole responsibility, and she is taking very good care of it. She delights in telling everyone about how her mermaid fish hatched, and we back her up when incredulous adults express skepticism.

I realize that some folks might frown on our encouragement of childhood fantasy and our total disregard for the ethical problems of feeding an impressional young child a total whopper of a lie.  These people probably don’t get visits from the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus.

She named it “Flower.” Welcome home, flower the fish.

- MM

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If your kid is anything like my daughter, she has both a magnetic interest in – and paralyzing apprehension around – horses.

I recently received this lengthy information piece from Kate Hansen, founder and director of the “Children Bound for the Stars” interactive animal park/living carousel at the L H Ranch out in Gold Creek. Scanning through it, I gather that the “Horse Share for Kids’ Sake” program offers to teach children like mine who have an interest in horses, but maybe not the wherewithal to actually own a horse, how to be comfortable around and care for equines.

- MM

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“The mama dog is pregnant!”  My daughter sang out with glee.  Our daily phone conversation that links her evening commute along the streets of Scottsdale, Arizona and my dinner preparation in the Huson, Montana kitchen was exceptionally celebratory.  At last, the anticipated puppy purchase was nigh.

“It’s my pretend baby girl, you know,” she pointed out—a psychological transference I’d already intuited since she has been married for nearly two years and visibly drools every time she so much as sees an empty stroller, let alone an infant in it.

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I couldn’t wait to tell my oldest daughter, Clary, that we’d officially adopted a stray dog that had actually adopted us.

Kenzie—so named after my husband’s ancestral Scottish name MacKenzie—arrived on our back doorstep. She wore no collar, no tags, and was limping from her version of “The Incredible Journey” through the Ninemile woods.

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“Whatever you do, don’t get a dog yet!” This I admonished for the third or fourth time in a month.

My 25-year old daughter, Katharine, and I were talking on the phone while I cleaned up after, ahem…let’s call it the “intestinal disturbance” of one of three grown, trained canines that inhabit our house. Even highly educated German Shepherds can have accidents, especially while on pain medication with side effects. And with no warning.

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A lot of parents love to dress up their pets on Halloween. Oh sure, they put costumes on their kids, too, but at a certain age the kid gets to decide what to wear and the parent is stuck trying to figure out how to make a fairy mermaid princess costume.

The pets, though, don’t get a say. Plus, you don’t have to find them a costume that will stretch over a snowsuit.

And then, of course, there’s the cuteness factor. Little kid dressed up as a robot? Cute. Little kid dressed up as a robot plus weiner dog wearing a giant bun? Cute squared.

Prepare to be walloped by cuteness at Quality Supply’s next Pet-O-Ween Pet Costume Contest. The annual event eagerly anticipated by pet-lovers throughout western Montana is being followed this year, for the first time ever, by a kid’s costume contest.

But note that Halloween will come early to Quality Supply, as the contest takes place on Saturday, Oct. 24. That’s right, there’s less then two weeks remaining to find antennae for your black lab’s ladybug outfit.

Registration starts at 10 a.m. that morning and ends at 10:30, with the costume contest set to begin at 11 a.m. The entry fee of $4 will go to help support the Humane Society of Western Montana.

The grand prize is a year’s supply of dog or cat food – yes, Fluffy is welcome to compete, and so is Tweety and Ratty and, assuming the Quality Supply folks will stand by their statement that “any type of animal (is) welcome,” Snakey and Spiderella – but each participant will get a little goody bag to take home.

The kid’s costume contest is for kiddos age 12 and younger, and the grand prize is a $50 gift card to Quality Supply.

In addition to the two contests, the day’s events include “treats, face-painting, photos, grooming demonstrations, and much more!”

I’m wondering if I can score two prizes with one costume; my daughter wants to go as a poodle.

- MM

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We are one of those families that visits pet stores just to look at the puppies and kittens, guppies and spiders, lizards and other exotic animals we don’t usually see in real life – with absolutely no intention of buying them. Hey, Missoula doesn’t have a zoo.

With two biggish dogs and a crazy cat, our little house is currently as covered in pet hair as I can stand. We’re not bringing home any more animals until our daughter is old enough to help care them. Right now, it’s her job to feed them every morning and night, but she hasn’t exactly been consistent with this chore yet.

Fortunately, we know people who foster pets for the Humane Society, and so last year we had a box of kittens to squeal over, and more recently, we got to play with a half-dozen or so baby guinea pigs. And our neighbors recently got chickens, so we got to play with baby chicks.

I highly recommend playing with other people’s baby pets as an easier alternative to taking care of your own. In fact, I eagerly await the launch of some sort of Missoula pet co-op.

In the meantime, I’m wondering where all these pets come from. And how involved in their care are the kids? Care to share your ideas? You can do so by clicking on the box below.

- Tyler Christensen

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