R.I.P. Rocky

Wednesday morning started like any other . . . sleepy kids, reminders about brushing teeth, eating breakfast, white glove check in the boys' room . . . haha!! Just kidding about that one!!

Anyway, we were almost ready to go when I went into the playroom to turn on the TV for Landry (something I don't normally do) and imagine my surprise when I glanced into Rocky the bird's cage and found him lying in the bottom of his cage in a rather unusual position for a bird!! Before I could help myself, I gasped loudly (Parker's description) and said, "OH MY GOSH . . . LOOK AT ROCKY!!" Everyone runs over and we're all just standing there staring at Rocky with our mouths hanging wide open!! Parker reaches in and rubs his belly, but nothing happens. He thinks that he must just be resting though I've never seen a bird rest like that before!!

Not wanting to break it to Parker just yet that Rocky is no more, I suggest that Parker get a water bottle and spray a little water on him. That was how he would get his baths and he really didn't enjoy it, so I thought if there was any little bit of life left, this would certainly get him going!! But . . . it didn't!

I gently tell Parker that I think Rocky is dead, to which he replies, "No, Mom. I think I felt a pulse when I rubbed him!!!"

Luke softly says, "I knew we shouldn't have gotten that cat!!"

Landry says, "Can yall get out of the way of the TV?? I can't SEE!!!"

I go and get Scott who comes in and confirms our worst fears . . . Rocky is dead!!

Parker and Luke immediately fall apart and Parker is convinced that he will not be able to pull himself together enough to go to school. He immediately begins to feel regret for not playing with Rocky as much as thought he should have and for not taking care of him as well as he thought he should have. That was very sad to see!!

Finally, after no small amount of drama, we loaded up and headed to school. It wasn't going to be easy but, as I told Parker, Rocky would have wanted him to press on!!

He made it though the day ok, though he decided at one point that he wasn't going to eat, drink, or sleep until he got a new bird. That however, changed by lunch!! By lunch, he was only going to eat/drink/sleep on weekdays, but not on the weekends!! Isn't it funny how their minds think??

That night after Scott got home, they went out to the back of the property and had a proper funeral. (I was hanging with the girls for Deneise's birthday so I missed the service!! We agreed that we needed some closure so we shouldn't drag it out!!) This is how Scott described it . . . he had one arm around a crying Parker, one arm around a crying Luke, Alex standing off to the side like DUH?? and Landry running around like a little maniac wondering what was going on!! They talked about what a great bird Rocky was and how much they would miss him!!

Parker now wants to go to Albertsons to get some flowers to put on his grave!!

It has been an interesting mix of smiles and sadness! We've never had a pet die on us before but that is a life lesson, if there ever was one!!