Sacrificial Lamb

Every enthusiastic cook as a few disasters to laugh about - later. Here's one of mine:
My mother had a mold that baked a cake in the shape of a lamb. The cake was her Easter centerpiece every year. She used boiled icing, and patted shredded coconut into it for fleece; tinted more coconut green for 'grass' for it to set on; and cut up jelly beans for facial features. One year when I was in my teens, decorating the cake feel to me because Mom had to be away all day Sat. I had never made boiled frosting before, but had in my mind that it was made over a double boiler. Of course, it never boiled or thickened. I asked my dad what to do and he didn't know. Then, I asked a neighbor, but she'd never made boiled icing, either. Dad came in to see how I was doing and suggested just stirring powdered sugar into it. I did, and then started spreading it on the cake. As I worked, the icing cooled and started to set up. As I struggled to frost the head and neck, the poor guy's neck broke. I tried to 'splint' it with toothpicks and they didn't hold. I tried a nut-pick and it didn't hold, either. I was near tears. Dad had an idea! Set the head on the tray next to the cake; thin the remaining icing with a little milk and a few drops of red food dye, and put that on the 2 parts of the neck. I thought we were clever. Mom was furious! (of course, now I understand why, but it took a few years).