Oh to be able to express in words what just took place in my kitchen. I can't stop laughing, but I must. The children are a little suspicious that I am laughing at them, which, of course, is true...

I have been volunteer teaching Science in B's class to earn a few re-licensing points. Tomorrow we are building little ponds. We all have been out cruising pet shops buying fish, Anacharis (a water plant), rocks etc. So, we got home and I wanted to put the fish in a big container, I just have a large vase. During my efforts a poor little fish slipped right out of the bag and onto the counter. The kids were horrified to see it flopping, flopping. R was scared out of her wits as it flopped towards her. She screamed as she struggled to get off of the bar stool, the fish flailing ever closer.

I was trying to hand the bag with the other fourteen fish to B. "Hold the bag," I told him. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that he wasn't listening! The bag lay on the counter, water and fish pouring out of it. I started yelling, "B, hold the bag, Hold the BAG!" By now we had at least five tiny fish traveling amazingly well on their sides. Flop, flop, floppity, flop. B finally grabbed the bag as I started scooping the fish into my hands and into the water.

The last little guy had B very upset and he actually started crying. "Please don't die. Please don't die. Don't die!" I tried to assure him all was well as soon as the fish hit the water. He calmed down quickly but the girls kept asking if the fish had died. Then they all kept asking me why I was laughing. What a mess! There was water all over the counter and on the floor, on both sides of the bar. I still think we might find a dry little carcass one of these days. All is well now, the children are calm, the mess cleaned up. But the hysteria is what cracked me up, and still has me chuckling.