The Funeral.

We came home yesterday to find Zoe the guinea pig dead.

To be quite frank, we have all known this was coming for a while now. She was old for a guinea pig, and had slowed down considerably as of late. Several times lately I've had to stop and really look to see if she was still breathing.

Naturally, we had to have a funeral.

H and I went out and chose a place for Zoe under the "Hummingbird Tree" as H calls it (which is the big tree in the back with the horse swing). I dug a hole, she asked questions about how Zoe died, why Zoe died, you get the idea.

So then she asks if she can carry Zoe out. Absolutely, I tell her. Have Daddy help you wrap her up nicely in some paper towel and we'll bury her like that.

R wants to know if he should put her in a plastic bag or anything. I said no, thinking plastic's not going to decompose.

So in they go, and out they come a few minutes later. H is solemnly carrying Zoe in her outstretched hands.

They get out to where I'm standing (gravedigger extraordinaire!) with the other two. H very gently lays Zoe down in the hole and looks at me. I ask her if she'd like to say a few words before we cover her up. She nods, then throws her hand over her heart and glares at us as if to say "HELLO PEOPLE, HANDS OVER YOUR HEARTS!!"

So there the five of us are, everyone with their hand over their hearts, the little ones with their eyes scrinched shut. H goes on for a few minutes about what a nice guinea pig Zoe was, how we all loved her, how pretty she was, and how sad we all are. Meanwhile, I am biting my bottom lip and trying very hard not to laugh at the absurdity of it all, and wondering just what the heck the neighbor's babysitter (who is in their backyard with their baby) must be thinking.....

We covered her up, said how nice a place it is for her, how she's happy and fine where she is now, and head back inside.

And you know what happened next, right?

from A ---- "CAN WE GET ANOTHER CAT?"
(cuz I'd already said no more guinea pigs.... LOL)