A Sad Day

Artica

The beginning of April 2008

Justin brought home a new pet that the kids (mostly Alyssa)

would come to really love.

Well, Artica passed away Feb. 16Th.

I found her right before Alyssa came home from school.

It was so sad!

Alyssa was so distraught, and we knew she would be.

It broke our hearts to see the kids so sad and in such pain.

These hamsters only live a few years

and she was only about a month short of that.

We could tell something was wrong

and she was changing fast over the past week. Justin had a good talk with Alyssa a few days before

and told her what might happen soon.

Alyssa just cried and cried, she immediately asked to hold her

(this made me a little nervous to her reaction

but there was no judgement.)

She seemed to be a little comforted by holding her for a bit.

Hayden is a hard egg to crack sometimes.

We finally got him to open up, instead of being angry,

he finally just bawled, like Alyssa.

We had to answer so many questions for them.

Alyssa still asked me recently if Artica was going to forget her.

It's a good, but really hard lesson for such little kids to learn.

We all had fun holding her and playing with her.

Alyssa would put her in her My Little Pony house

and walk around with her, or find

some other little small place for her to hang out close by her.

I am sure she would have tried to sleep with her if we let her.

One time I caught her walking down the street

with her little pony house to show her friends her pet.

I made a special box for her & everyone colored

or wrote a little message on it.

It was so hard for Hayden to let go of the box.

Later that day he wanted to just go down and drive his cars

over the spot we buried her.

I never knew that something so little could

make my little girl so happy.

The laughter she brought to us, especially Hayden, will not be forgotten.