Thursday, June 07, 2007

R.I.P. Qwan Yin

We lost little Rattie this morning. The poor little thing had been not doing well since Saturday. She was very indifferent in her nature (normally, she was always very affectionate and curious, and always very active). However, since the weekend, she would simply sit in one spot and quiver slightly with labored breathing. Finally, by this morning, she gave one final violent shudder and died.

Eddie and Luke were very distraught, very sad indeed. This was the first loss they've ever experienced, so it was natural for them to be very sad. Becky and I pulled Qwan Yin out of her tube (where she chose to die), gave her an old puzzle box filled with litter for a coffin, and buried her in a nice spot in the garden. We put a small stone on the spot, and the boys put flowers atop the grave. It is a fine marker for a very sweet pet.

The boys were pretty sad, but upon re-entering the house after the funeral, we found Frank standing on the kitchen table eating Eddie's morning waffle and sausage. This provided much needed comedy and catharsis, and the boys were able to go to school with more cheerful hearts. We all agreed that Qwan Yin and Frank must have pre-arranged this, her final moment, for maximum effect.

Kids are resilient creatures, and Eddie is already talking about when he can get his next hamster.

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