Having a Hamster

I finally realized why my parents adamantly refused to get us pets--well, we had a few here and there, a guinea pig once, (or maybe twice), we tried a dog, didn't last long (poor thing got sick) and when we were all considerably older, we got a cat.

The reason my parents didn't want pets was because--

FIVE KIDS IS A LOT OF WORK!! WHY ADD TO THE RESPONSIBILITY??

My kids are pestering me for a hamster (actually, they'd like 3 hamsters, but are willing to settle for one.) I resisted and resisted and resisted, but they eventually wore me down. I have gone down fighting though, and am milking this for all I can get. I said:

"OK, but this is the deal--
1. You will do 90 minutes of study time for 40 days, once everyone completes their time, you can buy a hamster (emphasis on the A).
2. You will buy the hamster, the cage and all accessories with your own money.
3. You will keep the hamster in your rooms, not in the living room, or any other public area.
4. If I find myself taking care of the hamster, the hamster will find itself living in the yard with the cats!"

So far so good. Three days into the deal and they are completing their first 90 minute study period, guess we'll see how it goes in a couple months--hehe. (I secretly hoped the 'deal' would put them off the hamster, it almost did, but they decided to persevere, and so...we may have a hamster soon! Of course, we have 2-1/2 hamsters buried in our backyard from hamsters who've been part of our family over the years--ahhh, the hamster stories we tell..)