Our Funeral

So I performed my very first funeral today. Poor little Flick, not even a week old. We got him last week from TSC. What an adorable duck! We got 2 ducks from TSC. One named Petal and the other Flick (a few days later Clay renamed him Flip). During the few days Flick (or Flip) was with us, he went to kindergarten testing (we got Flick right before we were supposed to get Clay tested), he played with Petal and got played with by Clay, Leanne, and Allison. He also got to be show and tell for preschool and kindergarten the day before his death. Then today, Clay and Leanne asked to play with their ducks outside. I gave them specific instructions not to let them out of their sight and be gentle with them. Clay had the hose running and had a little "stream" going int he front yard. I went back inside to clean up and then Leanne came running up the deck steps saying that Clay killed Flick. Sure enough Clay carried little lifeless Flick up to the deck. He drowned in the stream and Clay said he didn't mean to do it. I had him lay Flick down on the deck and I tried to get him to come back to life. I pushed on little Flicks heart with 2 fingers several times (chest compressions). Water came out of his beak, but he never did breathe again. I tried to stimulate him with a dry washcloth and still their was nothing. Leanne was crying by now and she was taking it pretty hard. We found a little box to put Flick in and I had the kids choose a burial site. I dug the little grave and had Leanne place the little box in the hole. She was now wiping her eyes and nose with Kleenex. We each said something to Flick. Clay went first. He said "good bye Flick. I'm sorry I killed you." (at this point I'm trying to keep a straight face and not laugh) Leanne said sobbing and wiping her eyes, "good bye Flick, I'll miss you." Alli said "bye duck" ( I really don't think she understood what was going on) and then I said "good bye Flick, you were a good duck, Petal will miss you. So will Clay, Leanne, and Allison." Then I prayed at the little funeral. We finished burying him and found stones to put around his grave.

So that night we went back to TSC and bought 2 more ducks (you have to buy 2 at a time). Leanne named one Feather and I convinced Clay that Aflac would be a good name for the other. So while we were there I looked at a pamphlet about ducks and it said that baby ducks love playing in water, but tire very easily and will drown. oops. I guess I should have looked for a pamphlet the first time around.

Clay with Flick (Flip)