Its been an emotional week

Well we've started off the year with the loss of a beloved (not really) family member. Our last living cat, Peyton, passed away last night from..........something bad. While it is always sad when a pet dies, I cant say I will miss replacing the carpet.  Its been a rough week.  I have successfully stuck to my guns about never telling my children a lie about what happens to their pets.  You know....the old "your dog went to live on a farm" bit.  My parents did that to me when I was a kid.......and I still freaking resent them for it.  I remember being in elementary school when my beloved dog "Prissy" was "missing" when I came home from school one day.  I remember looking for her, and I remember calling her name for months when I was outdoors playing.  Hoping for some miracle like in the movies that she would come running from a field and leap into my arms.  Never happened.  Years went by and I forgot about that scrappy little dog.  I also vividly remember the night we were sitting around watching tv with our entire family when we got the phone call.  You really couldn't tell from the sound of my mothers voice if someone had died or if it was Ed McMahan calling with good news.  I just remember someone showing up at the door and handing them Prissy.  It was an effing Christmas miracle.  Years later I would learn my parents gave her away. They decided they didn't want her anymore.......and unlucky for my parents......her new owners had remembered where we lived.  I believe "Prissy" was the smelliest, most yappy, annoying dog anyone could imagine, and she lived for about 15 more years.  Karma? I believe so.   Again.......I'm over it.......really........its just.......irritating.  


I cant say my nose didn't grow just a little as I gathered my little ones to break the news of our kitty's demise.  I told them she was dead, of course, but I didn't tell them I had her put to sleep.  I told them she died.  See......when an animals dies around here it seems like they always go for one last ride in mommy's van and never come home.  Pretty soon my kids are going to be afraid to go anywhere with me or let the dog go to the groomers.  I am sick of driving a hearse, so I told them she died.  There, I said it, I LIED!  Its not a big lie, but I didn't come out of this deal clean like I had hoped.  I had been practicing all night how I would tenderly break the news, researching online how to best let them down easy and vowing to keep my composure as I watched their tiny little tears escape from their eyes.  Maybe I would have to take them to school late and give them time to grieve, maybe they would be SO upset they would have to stay home and mourn our loss privately as a family.  I'm not sure if anyone even stopped eating their cereal. There were no tears other than my own.  As I walked into the bathroom to dry my eyes and blow my nose I overheard my son walk into the bathroom, look at his dad and say "Hey dad,......your cat is dead" and walk out.  I'm a little worried about them.