Round TWO!

OK...I've been a little behind on posts and this whole "incident" went down so fast that I barely even got pictures of it! We are (or were) on round two of pets in our house. This past weekend (actually last Friday) we got Beta fish for each of the kids. Max named his "Mac" and Titus named his fish "Lighting."

This is (or was) Mac

Within the first few short hours of the kids having their fish, we found Titus fondling his fish! He was actually picking it up with his hands and pulling it out of the tank and playing with it! We gave him a "time out" for it and explained to him how fish can't survive out of water and that he could actually kill Lighting by doing this! So, it should come as no surprise that on Saturday morning I awoke to Titus crying/howling hysterically because his fish had died! Yes....he actually FONDLED his fish to DEATH! There Lighting was, belly-up in the bottom of his brown water infested tank. The kids flushed him down the toilet before I could even get out of bed that morning, let alone get a picture of it. So...sorry, there's no documentation of his untimely death!

At this point, Max's fish Mac was doing just fine. But that didn't last long. Come Sunday morning, little Mac was found, also floating belly-up, at the bottom of his tank. We have no idea how or why he died....but Max actually took it really well....maybe a little too well. When Max found Mac dead he asked Scott how he should get him out of the tank. Here's how that conversation actually went:

Max: Dad, how should I get him out of the tank? Should I scoop him out or stab him?

Scott: (Curious, Scott answered) Well......how do you want to get him out?

Max: I want to stab him! (what else do you think a 7yr old boy is gonna say?)

Scott: OK!

Max: Really?  That's so COOL!!!!

So, of course, Max frantically runs downstairs to get a fork as Scott starts telling me what's about to go down...and I begin yelling "Wait for me to get my camera!" This is a LONG way from the burial that Scooter the snail got. Here's the boys preparing for the stabbing...

Poor Mac....

Max was actually excited that he got the fork to stab directly into his eye hole! I now feel sorry for any pets that may attempt to live in our home. So, a message to all our future pets: "In advance, I'm sorry for your death!"

p.s. I'd just like you to note that I've actually had to add the label "Pet Funerals" to the mix....is that wrong? : )

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R.I.P Gary

We had Gary's funeral today. To say that Gary's funeral was "far lesser" a production than Scooters would be a GIANT understatement! First of all, Max didn't even care to be present for this one. When we asked what he'd like to do he simply said, "I really don't care. But it would be cool to keep his shell!" It really doesn't get more apathetic than that does it!?!? 

The funeral began by fishing out his soft, squishy carcass with kitchen tongs.

I must inform you that his body began to break into two pieces as Scott pulled him out.

We then prepared to dispense of him in a place where all respectable snails go....the toilet! There was no fanfare, no prayer and really...no attendants. Except Titus who was standing by saying, "Cool! Look at his guts!"

 

His body actually began to break down and disintegrate as we tossed him in. And so....here lies Gary in his cold, fecal infested, watery grave....in many pieces, I might add!

We now have the joy of remembering him always, as his stinky little shell is currently drying out on top of Max's dresser. He was a good snail. (Well, as good as snails get I guess....)

One thing is for sure...Gary, like Scooter, is free at last!

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Something Is Seriously Wrong With This Picture....

Well...Gary is dead. At least there's no guessing game with this one. When the snail carcass is on one side of the tank and his shell is on the other...CLEARLY, he's dead! Max doesn't know yet...I'll be informing him when he gets home from school today. I hope he's not too upset. I'm not quite sure if we'll have all the same fanfare over his death that we had for Scooter, but I'm thinking another funeral is in our near future. So for now, this story is: To Be Continued...

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R.I.P. Little Scooter

Well, Scooter the snail has finally passed. His time with us was short (a whopping 18 days) but he will truly be missed. (well, really only by Max) We've actually been trying to decide if he was dead or not for the last 7 days now so who knows when he actually died? All I know is that he's "officially" dead now. 

The "official" discovery of Scooters death

Surprisingly, Max didn't shed any tears today as we performed a funeral for Scooter. I guess he got all his tears out the other day when we first discovered he "might" be dead. First, Max and Scott built him a coffin out of a toilet paper roll.

I gotta tell ya... this thing stank like rotten eggs!

 

We decided to bury him on the side of the house so Scott dug him a little grave.

Max literally threw him into the hole!

And there he lies in his cold shallow grave.

Earlier, while we were talking to Max about how he felt about Scooters death, he said to us, "It's OK dad...Scooter is dead...but now he's free at last!" So Max made a make-shift tombstone out of a rock with that quote on it. (and honestly, it was all his idea)

The boys all said a little prayer for him.

Then the boys took turns kicking the dirt back over the hole and Max placed his little rock tombstone on top.

And so...there lies Scooter. (until the next person buys this house, sees it, and decides to dig his little rotting carcass up) R.I.P. little buddy!

Though Max was visibly distraught, he did OK for having to bury his first "pet."

And Titus....well, let's just say, he really could have cared less about the whole thing! He was just happy to be there!

Believe it or not, there will not be a reception following his funeral. You will all just have to grieve his death on your own time.

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