For my sweet boy Waylon

My name is Avery! I'm 7 years old and I am in second grade.

My best friend Maggie has a pet rabbit named Hoppsy.

I want a pet too.

I came up with an idea in school to get a pet.

I'm going to make a deal with mommy and dad to show I am responsible.

Responsible is a new word we learned in school. It means doing the things you're supposed to do.

Some things that are responsible are brushing your teeth and doing your homework.

I told mommy and daddy my idea as soon as I got home. I told them that I was going to be responsible to show them I could have a pet.

Mommy and Daddy agreed!They said if I get a good grade on my vocabulary test and do all my chores for a month I can get a pet.

After Mommy and Daddy agreed Mommy sat down with me and helped me make a countdown. On the last day I would get any pet I wanted!

The first few days of being responsible were really hard. I did not like doing my chores. I really did not like taking out the trash.

After Mommy and I had counted down 15 WHOLE days we started talking about what kind of pet I wanted.

This was a big decision for me!

Did I want a puppy with a big cold nose?

Or maybe a kitty with teeny tiny toes.

Maybe I could get a snake, we learned about them in school!

Or did I want to get a rabbit just like my friend Maggie?

Mommy and I looked at all the animals we had listed. We decided the best way to pick was to research them.

Researching is an important thing, its when you learn about something to make a good choice.