another one bites the dust

So this actually took place on May 2nd and keep in mind that this was after the replacement fish "Sunny" died... But on this morning James came running into the computer room where I was effectively neglecting him and told me "Mom, Snow White's dead" and then made his dead fish face. (he kills me)I went & looked & she really was dead. Why do we have such crappy luck with pets? I called Jason and he said that he would stop on the way home from work & buy another one. We are not going through another Paige mourning ___________(insert dead pet here). It's too much for one little 5 year old to deal with, let alone feeling like a crappy parent knowing that 2 deaths were your fault. (3 dead pets within a couple weeks - let's not.) So, I scooped it out of the cage with a salad tong and put it in a Disney princess bag which I felt was kind of fitting considering her name and put her in the big black barrel. Then I prayed that if "Sunny" - the other rat was going to kick the bucket as well. please let it happen before Jason gets home with the replacement rat, so he could get the 2 for 1 dead pet deal. Jason called & I gave him the addresses of 5 Petco's from Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, and Gilbert. He stopped at everyone on the way home. He couldn't find one that looked just like her. When he got home he "dug up" the remains from the trash barrel to look at her markings? I was like "are you crazy she's a white & tan rat" - anyway, all this time I am doing my best to stall. We played at the playground after school. When we got home I told her I lost the key to her door & locked it so the preschoolers wouldn't go in and bug her rats. I was petrified that James would say "No. Your rats dead Paige" - So I told him that it was sick & Daddy would take it to the hospital for a shot to make it better. Grandma saved the day & picked up Paige for a few hours. Jason finally located it's twin & everything was put back together before Paige knew any better. I think back over all the crazy events that happened and ask myself what I have learned from this experience? how to be deceitful? or a good liar to my kids?... was it worth lying to our child? Of course. And I would do it again in a heart beat! But next time you are needing a pet sitter and thinking of who could watch your beloved "Fifi" you might want to think twice before taking your pet to visit the cursed house of dead animals (aka the Buchanan's)...