RIP, Seabrite

I was not home when our pet parakeet of 7 years decided that the end of her life was today, but I received this text message from my daughter:

"Lol just to let you know...
the bird's dead.  Happy 
Wednesday!

Oh and her food and water were full so it wasn't that...

The funeral is at sunset, I'll
speak.  We'll bury her at noon and say our
farewells.  I've already 
forwarded the invitations"

Now, that might seem like a cold-hearted reaction (that and her taking pictures of the dead bird carcass in the hole she dug to bury the thing) but you have to understand that this is how we deal with death at my house.  Jokes, nervous laughter, the inappropriate text message (although taking graveside pictures is new).  Not necessarily the best way to deal with it, but it is how we roll here. 

I remember when my grandfather died.  Poor man--the funeral home zipped up the body bag incorrectly.  Smooshed his nose.  Rather awkward laughing at the viewing was to follow. 

I remember when my father died.  The magicians who were his friends wanted to perform a "wand ceremony", which consisted (among other things) of breaking his wand and throwing it into the casket with him.  We joked that now people would mistake the coffin for a trash can and start throwing their drinks in on top of him. 

Humor can be very cathartic in death, even the death of a 14 oz. parakeet whose only friend is our nineteen year old son, who gave her kisses and let her fly into things in his room.  I really didn't expect to feel anything, but I do.  I'll miss that little bird.  She may have had a brain the size of a marble, but she had personality and she was with us for 7 years, whistling away, singing with music boxes, and being a part of our family. 

RIP, Seabrite bird...

Yeah, and she was a football fan too...

Thank You, Teachers!

Today starts Teacher Appreciation Week, a week where we teachers can be appreciated for the things that we have done and things that we do to help enrich the lives of young people.  Even though I myself am a teacher, this week always makes me think about the teachers that my children have had and currently have. 

I have been extremely fortunate.  I can probably count on one hand (and I wouldn't need all the fingers) the teachers that my kids had that I thought probably should choose a new vocation.  That's less than 5 fingers for THREE children (funny that most of them were my middle child's teachers), which is not too shabby.  Most of my kids' teachers have been awesome.  They have worked with my children, recognized their talents, supported them with their needs, and made them work hard.  One has made it through (our "leisure learner"), one is almost through, and one has a month before he's halfway through.  That's a lot of teachers and a lot of years of homework, projects, plays, and concerts. 

So, I wanted to say "thanks" to all my children's teachers.  Thank you for times when you worked one on one with them.  Thank you for the extra hours you put in grading papers.  Thank you for supplies you bought with your money.  Thank you for the phone calls and emails and conferences.  You rock!