Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The saddest face in the whole world…

belonged to my daughter on her birthday.

IMG_0846

Why?

(This was February 2nd. I’m just now getting around to telling this story for my blog).

Stormy’s sleepover was the night before. Her friend’s were all here and she was having a blast. Which is how parties are supposed to be.

Paul had gone upstairs and into the girls’ room.

Sage told him, “It smells like crap. I think it’s dead.”

Nice language for our 5-year-old, I know. You would really have to know Sage to appreciate how this was stated.

Paul checked on Hammer. Hammer is the hamster Stormy got after her hamster, Jack died last June. Hammer is the meanest, craziest little rodent. And Stormy loves him even though she is afraid to hold him because he bites.

Hammer isn’t moving.

And it really does smell in the cage. Stormy had just fed him that morning so I know he’s eaten.

Paul takes the whole cage out to the garage.

Hammer looks like a Zhu Zhu pet…except he will never make any noise again.

What are we going to do? Stormy has 9 friends over and it’s her birthday PARTY.

We played it off. No way am I telling my kid her hamster croaked during her party.

The next morning, all Stormy’s friends go home and we are all getting ready. It is Stormy’s actual birthday so we have lots to do. I get Stormy into our dining/office area. Paul is standing nearby. We ask Stormy a few questions.

“So Stormy. Did you have a great party?”

“YES! It was great!”

“What was your favorite gift?”

“I liked all of them!”

“Hey sweetie. Did you feed Hammer yesterday?”

“Yes. Crap. I have to go feed him now!”

(silence.)

(I’m holding Stormy on my lap giving her a hug)

“No. Honey. Hammer died last night.”

Instant tears rolling down my girl’s face.

My heart breaks a little. Not gonna lie. I disliked Hammer. Not a little. A lot. He was mean. I was terrified to touch him. But the little sucker couldn’t have waited until after her birthday to die?

“What happened to him?”

“Oh-honey. We don’t know. It was just his time.”

“Where is he?”

(silence)

(Not sure how to tell my kid, he got thrown out in his bedding last night by her father.)

“I took care of him Storm,” Paul tells her.

Thank God he didn’t just blurt out he tossed him.

We ask her if she wants to get another hamster.

“Yeah. Like Shayne’s that won’t die for a long time.”

My poor kid.

Did I mention it was her actual birthday?

She cried for a little bit.

We told her we would get a new hamster after birthday lunch.

She perked up.

She knew we were gonna do pictures. So she posed a little.

IMG_0887

I couldn’t do it.

She was so sad.

That did change.

IMG_0950

Lunch and a new hamster really helped her.

Not that she wasn’t sad still about Hammer. Because she was.

She also instructed Winter (the new hamster) to not die.

IMG_0942

Winter.

I don’t particularly like rodents.

I’m a pretty big chicken when it comes to you little beings.

But if you could not die for at least one year, I’d appreciate it.

3 comments:

  1. Poor Stormy....makes me sad to see her sad face, I hope winter is nicer, healthier and has a very long life in store!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh poor girl. I'm happy to hear she cheered up.

    ReplyDelete