Kids reach a certain age and they want a bit more independence. They want to be able to stay up later or go someplace with a buddy or a small group as a team. You give them a little bit of freedom and hope they act responsibly.

This summer has been about someone walking with friends to a local Starbucks a number of blocks away. So far so good. Give him a little money and he and his friends return home again with some change for Mom.

Until this week when he came home from the Starbucks run with no change and this guy.

Not far from Starbucks is a 99-cent store. I guess I never thought to say, “By the way, don’t continue walking to another store and get a fish.”

Now we have a new member of the family happily swimming in what was formerly a Pyrex bowl used for cooking in the kitchen. It is now this guy’s water world with two cobalt-blue feathery trees to swim around.

Here’s hoping the fish from the discount store is a hearty specimen!