After two long years of working to earn the right to get a new pet, Anya finally triumphed today. This cute little beastie is Sage, the bearded dragon. Dad and Anya just returned from North Bend where Sage lived with a very nice young couple. They recently had a baby and needed a good home for Sage. Anya was more than happy to become an adoptive mom.
This was a big day, not only because we gained a new family member, but because of all of the hoops Anya succeeded in jumping through to get here.
Trial the first: Before we would even discuss a new pet, Anya needed to prove she was responsible. To do this, she had to remember to feed all EXISTING animals in the house without having to be reminded for one month. As you might imagine, this step alone took a distractible 10-year old a long time, nearly two years in fact. Every time she forgot a feeding, we reset the clock on the lizard discussion. Many times she got within days of success, only to fail and have to start all over again entirely.
Trial the second: Anya had to prove she was knowledgeable. Having selected the critter of her choice, she had to read at least two books on the animal and write a report on their care. This step took Anya all of a few days, and was done in the form of a slide deck and presented to us. It was awfully cute. In addition, many Youtube videos were watched, pamphlets perused, and Petco employees had their ears talked off.
Trial the Third: Anya had to prove she could support the lizard financially. She needed to pay for the lizard and all the supplies and food herself. This could be accomplished either by saving up on allowance or doing chores. As soon as the first barrier was crossed, the number of extra chores in the house skyrocketed, the yard was weeded the furniture dusted, and help was even given during dish time (now we know she’s capable!). She got a bit ahead of herself and spent $150 on supplies at the store. Grandma and grandpa found a free terrarium, and now all she had to do was wait to earn the final $50 to pay for the baby dragon.
While we waited, we began looking on Craigslist for bearded dragons and discovered that most of them come with gear and some are free. So Anya decided to return what equipment she could to reclaim some of her hard earned cash. Again she impressed us with her maturity. She walked into the store and addressed the cashier. She managed to get all of the items returned and was extremely polite the entire time.
Finally, today was the day. Dad left work early, and picked up Anya. They drove to North Bend, and brought her home. We also got a colony of Dubai roaches (yay?) which will never leave their cage ever. Never ever ever.
All in all, one of our better life lesson parenting moments. The kid rose to the occasion and we couldn’t be more proud of her.
Welcome to the family, Sage!
The first moment with Sage
Sage in her new home
Basking is what they do.
She likes to lick Anya's neck
There has never been a harder earned lizard
