Go Fish

This challenge has taken on the feeling of a game lately. Most of my downsizes are hatched from thinking about the expendable items in my house and then trying to match them with the people I encounter or the activities of the day. It really makes this entire exercise more entertaining and allows me to weave it into the fabric of our life.

Today after racing to an early morning dentist appointment I dropped the girls off at school. While delivering Kiera safely to her classroom, I casually asked her teacher Mrs. O if she could use two empty glass fish bowls in her science corner. Unfortunately, my offer was a few days late. Like any resourceful teacher on a shoestring budget, she had jumped at the chance when she spotted an aquarium with a sign that said "free" on the roadside. I'm not going to lie, I had already decided that this was going to be an easy downsize before entering the school. Reeling a bit from being turned down, I paused and then asked if she knew any teachers that might be in the market for fish bowls. She directed me across the hall to Ms. V's room stating that "she is always collecting creatures". Perfect! Ms. V was Shayla's teacher 2 years ago so there was an established relationship. Shayla and I poked our heads in her open classroom door and were greeted warmly. I got right to the point and offered my donation. Luckily, Ms. V is the head of the science curriculum at our school and said that she'd be happy to take our bowls and store them in the science closet even if she didn't need them right away. I promised to drop them off later in the day.

The girls and I arrived back at the school a bit later than I had planned and found that most of the teachers had departed for the day. Not to be detoured from our mission, we placed the fish bowls and a small net on Ms. V's table and left a note for her. Because the picture has evolved into an integral part of my blog, I insisted on taking a snap shot of the scene. I must admit, I was desperately hoping that no one came upon us to ask what we were doing in the empty classroom. Can you imagine trying to explain the downsize, the fish bowls, and the need for the photo? Check out the image at left, you can almost see the angst on the girls' faces. And little Kendra was taking notes for later use I'm sure.

As it turned out, we left the building without a single inquiry. I hope that Ms. V and the students at Hall School can house some interesting creatures in those bowls through the years. At the very least, they will be right at home in the science closet. After all, for much of their time as vessels for our pet fish the water and scum on the inside of the bowl were a science experiment themselves. Which is exactly why they are now empty and being passed on.