The other day my daughter rushed the kitchen to find me. She was very excited because the UPS truck pulled into our yard. This was the day before her birthday she assumed my brother had sent a present. I went the door and signed for the very large box that the driver set on front steps. It was addressed to my daughter and when we looked inside the packaging we see that it was gift wrapped. My brother called that evening, when he knew my daughter would be in bed and asked if the large fish tank had arrived. I had let my daughter open the package because I wanted her to wait until the day of her birthday. A large fish tank, what was he thinking! We had fish when we were growing and I remember what a chore it was for my mom to keep it looking nice and clean. Now I was the mom and I knew the task fall to me.

When I got off the telephone my brother I told my husband that there was a large fish tank in the box. He was so excited he wanted to wake up my daughter he could see it right away.

His family had a large fish tank when he was growing up he loved watching the fish. I shared my concern about keeping the large fish tank clean, he promised that he would help and that he thought this would teach our daughter responsibility to have her help also. He said this could be a family project. He knows I like doing things together as a family so he used this to convince me that the large fish tank should be set in the living room.

He was so excited about the large fish tank that he started doing research �different types of fish to put in it and where to buy supplies. He was measuring the box as as various areas in the living room so that the large fish tank could get set up as soon as my daughter opened the next day.

The next day we followed the tradition that one gift could be opened the breakfast table. My daughter of course wanted to open the box my brother. She pulled the wrapping and I saw the look of disappointment on her face. "It is a large fish tank" is all she said, and then she grabbed her coat and books and headed out the door catch the school bus. I was glad that my brother was not there to see the lack of enthusiasm her part. We do have the large fish tank set up in the living room, but it is always referred to as my husband�s tank and he has filled with all sorts of exotic fish.

from www.interestingarticles.net

� CynWilkinson 2009