CJ's conversations with her children.
CJ's 7 year old: Mommy, can I have a Mandarin duck?
Me: No. What's a Mandarin duck?
CJ's 7 year old: The prettiest bird, um, duck in the whole world!
Me: No, you can't have a duck. We've talked about not turning this house into an even bigger zoo. You have enough animals already. Enough is enough.
CJ's 7 year old: Mom!
Me: No!
CJ's 7 year old: Please!?
Me: No amount of begging is going to get you a duck. Where would you even keep it?
CJ's 7 year old: I don't know. The pool?
Me: I'm not turning our pool into an aquarium.
CJ's 7 year old: I can't wait to grow up so you can't tell me what animals I can and can't have.
Me: Odds are you'll end up living here anyway, just like everyone else. And by the time you're that grown up, I'll still own half this house which means I can still tell you what animals you can and can't have.
CJ's 7 year old: