Teaching Your Child to Mistreat God's Creatures is So Wrong!

Ok, I hear you. How many parents do that? Too many in my mind and by my definition.

I am pretty riled up on several levels about a situation in my neighborhood. Seven weeks ago a young couple with a little girl moved out of the neighborhood. They left their dog and cat at the old house and come by once a day to feed them. What the hell are they thinking?

What kind of example is that for their little girl? That is bad enough but the dog is completely undisciplined or trained--that seems to be why they left him. Well, it is their fault if he is unruly. I don't think the little thing ever got any lovin' since he is not socialized at all-- and he is about 5 years old. He is in a small run 24-7.

Another neighbor offered to take the cat, but they have not taken her up on it as of yet. And there are lots of pet rescues in the area that could take the dog. How could they leave those animals there feeling confused and alone? It breaks my heart. Now, I am a dog person, but I also have cats. My pets are part of my family and I could no sooner leave one of them than I could leave my husband or my kids.

And the other part of this that steams me is that they call themselves "Christians." Isn't there a quote from Jesus in the Bible that as you treat least of God's creatures, so you have treated Him? It upsets me that this child is learning to mistreat animals through neglect at such a young age. To me, that is not upholding the truths of God. If they do not want the pets, then find good homes for them--don't just abandon them. I will never respect the so-called Christian that can do this!

Parents, please think about it before you buy a pet, much less more than one. Do you love animals? Do you have time to care for the pet? Do you have room for them in your heart, home, and life? If the answer is NO or I Don't Know, then do not bring the pet home. It is that simple.

My wonderful Waya is a rescue that was mistreated and abandoned (she is in the photo). She had so many issues with trust and socializtion when we first got her. She was afraid to get inthe car to the point that if you went more than 1/2 mile, she would shake, foam at the mouth, and throw up. And you had to put her in the car. No way would she just get in by herself! She either hid or acted very mean if people came into the house--even if they came regularly.

Now she is such a great friend to me now. She and I bonded first and we spend a lot of time together. She is never judgmental when I get in a bad mood, she just gives me my space. When I return home from a trip or from the grocery, she is always thrilled to see me. She listens to me when I need to vent about something without trying to fix it for me--just lets me talk. She is very social with people and other animals. She has blossomed beautifully, but I never want another dog to be damaged like that.

Pets are great for kids. They give unconditional love and provide a lot of enterainment. Pets teach kids responsibility and give them a readily accessible "buddy." But not every home should have one, as evidenced by my former neighbor.

Celebrating my birthday with Billy Joel and Elton John

Yep, and they even sang Happy Birthday to me!

Well, I was in the audience and they sang a Happy Birthday song and it was 2 days after my birthday and the tickets were a birthday present.

I am sure that the fact that Elton John was born in March had nothing to do with it...

For my birthday, my kids got together and bought me tickets to see Billy Joel and Elton John in concert. I was blown over! Both by the gift and by the concert. When I pulled the tickets out of the gift bag, I was speechless. My husband was just as excited--until I told him I wasn't sure who was getting the second ticket. That cooled him down and bit and made him be nice for a couple of days.

Seriously, he knew he was going and he is always nice (which is quite annoying sometimes when people--aka: my kids--want to know why he is nicer than me... but that is different story.) What a great show. I drug myself out of my sick bed--sorry all of you who were sitting around me. I did try to not cough too much and to breathe shallow so as not to spread too many germs.

The way Billy and Elton played together was nothing short of miraculous to my non-musical brain. They would be playing a song and they alternated on the keyboards without ever skipping a beat, or a bar, or whatever it is . We in the audience only knew if we were watching very closely. And, they did all my favorite songs--how did they know?

Even better was that I was able to share it with my daughter and son-in-law. Scott had given Erika tickets for her birthday a couple of weeks ago so we went down together. Unfortunately our tickets were not together, but we have had a great time comparing notes ever since.

Another thing that I enjoyed was that so many young people were there--20's and 30's kind of people. Most of these kids weren't even born when some of those songs were popular, but they were singing away with songs like Crocodile Rock and My Life. Obviously they had great parents who taught them about good rock and roll.

Anyway, we had a great time and I just want to say how great my kids are! This was an "over the top" kind of gift that leaves me stunned and speechless. I remember when their gifts were cold toast in bed, homemade cards and clay pots, a cheap dime store necklace, and such. They were all wonderful and filled my heart because they gave the gifts out of love--I could see the eagerness in their faces when I opened each one--so sure I would love it. And I did love all of those gifts.

This was the same way. The kids that were here were anticipating my reaction and my son who lives in Panama, called and asked if I had gotten my gift yet. They were as excited to give me this gift as I was to receive it. I saw that old anticipatory look in their faces that they had when they were little. For that, the gift was so much more precious. They are all adults and did not give something out of obligation. The fact that it was something they knew I would enjoy and that they were so enthused about presenting to me meant more than the actual gift.

Thanks, Erika, Scott, Michael, Susan, Aaron, and Jaime. I am the luckiest mom in the world and I love you all.

Yea, Obama!

As most of you know, I did not vote for President Obama--we have many philosophical differences in how to get out of the recession and other stuff. But something he said last night during his address to Congress made me want to stand up and cheer.

When he was talking about education, the President said something that we don't hear anymore. It was a common theme when I was growing up. By the time my kids were going to school, things were different. It was discussed in hushed tones by small discreet groups and in a few homes. But most people did not believe it or want it to be the truth. Why? Because it is hard sometimes. And, frankly, I did not think there was a politician from either party that beleived it.

What was this very controversial thing he said?

He said that education begins in the home. And that is not all! He had the gall to say that parents should turn off the TV and the computer and read to their children or help them with their homework. I am sure most people simply chose to ignore what he said or stare at him on the TV set with disbelieving eyes and ears. Many people this morning are probably wondering if he is completle deranged by the rigors of the Presidency already.

But, I say, "you go, Mr. President!" It is about time we get back to thinking that our children's education is our responsibility--not the government's! It is the parents' responsibility to guide a child's education, to teach them the basics of numbers and alphabet and colors. It is a parent's job to see that the child gets to school and does their homework. It is the parent's responsibility to make sure no one (even the parent) does the work for the child.

It is about time we bring this out of the proverbial closet. Let's talk about it out loud and at PTSA meetings. Way to go, Obama. You certainly got this right!

Valentine Pizza with a Stud

This past weekend was Valentine's Day and my husband and I had a wonderful time. But that is not what this post is about. It is really about another Valentine's Day 13 years ago.

I was single and not dating anyone--my choice. I had given up on dating and decided that I could focus on my family and friends and be perfectly fine. And I was doing great, although Valentine's Day was a little sad for me. My friends were all busy and my kids all had boyfriends or girlfriends so I was looking at an evening by myself.

Not so bad, I thought. I would pamper myself with a long shower and a facial. Some wine...I will go to bed early and it will be over. Actually I was starting to look forward to it. The phone rang on my desk and my son, Michael, was on the line wanting to know what I was doing that evening.

I told him and he immediately said I was going out with him. He was in high school and had a girlfriend, so I thanked him for the offer. But to my mind, he needed to spend the evening with his girlfriend and I told him so. Michael explained that he had taken her out the night before and she knew what he had planned for me.

When I got home from work, he had flowers and a stuffed bear for me. We left the house--he drove--and went to Mellow Mushroom Pizza. Michael would not let me pay for anything. He opened doors and was such a great date. We talked and laughed and the evening went by too fast. That was the best pizza I have ever eaten and it was the most memorable Valentine's I have ever had.

Thanks, Baby!

Grandma Duty is Exhausting, but Great

Ok.. I am now rested up after my 8 days taking care of the two grandkids--ages 3 and almost 2. They survived us but were very glad to see their mom and dad come home. We just drug ourselves home and slept for two days. Well, not that long, but I was asleep in bed at 6:30 that night!

My highlights include: not being late dropping the 3 yr old off or picking him up for "school"; getting soundly beaten by a 3 yr old in Wii tennis; going to the park twice and having a great time--no one got hurt (I was worried about me) and no one got lost (worried about my husband); remembered how many things there are to "God Bless" when a child does not want to go to bed; and making a million memories with the two boys that I will never forget.

The almost 2 yr old vegetarian has the most wonderful smile that he showers on you when he sees you. It just makes you feel like you have made his day because you walked into the room. His little spontaneous hugs are always completely unexpected and given from the heart. He reminds me of what unconditional love is all about.

The 3 yr old meat eater is a talker. He reminds me of my son Michael (his uncle) in so many ways and that is one of them. He doesn't cry much but can throw a major temper tantrum when he wants to. He is so cute trying to exert his independence and wants some control over his environment. We quickly learned to give him choices and life was more peaceful. His creative mind kept us in stitches much of the time with what amazing ideas came to him.

It was a wonderful week that we will treasure. But we were tired. I don't remember how I did it with 3 stairsteps. It is obvious to us that it is a good thing that young adults have kids.

My prayer now is that our kids don't get the idea of dropping all 12 grandchildren off for a week at the same time!

"Cop Farts" for breakfast

Ok. Here I am at my daughter's house while she is in Hawaii. If that is not bad enough, I have her two toddlers. OMG! I forgot so many things...not the least of which is "what can I get these kids to eat?" The older one said this morning that he wanted "cop farts" for breakfast. Somehow, I am sure that is not really want he wants. Besides, my daughter did not tell me anything about those in the notes she left for me.

Obviously my brain is fried from lack of sleep. Looking back to dinner last night, I remembered that you have to make some hard choices nutrition-wise. So I gave the meat eater his brother's meat loat (which really disappointed the dog waiting for the next bite to be thrown from the high chair.) And I gave the vegetable eater his brother's acorn squash.

Sometimes it just boils down to quiet... and getting them to eat something without a big battle. Luckily I did get them both to eat some corn and peas--of course there was some bribery involved with the meat-eater. But it all worked out okay.

It is important to encourage children to eat a balanced meal. But sometimes it just isn't going to happen. They are little individuals and have their own likes and dislikes. So I will keep trying to offer nutritious meals.

But, as a grandmom, my main goal is that they do not starve until their parents some home.

Why the (bleep) did she want 8 more?

So the news today has been about the new mom of octuplets and the fact that she has 6 kids at home already. There has been a lot of discussion about should she have done it, is it ethical, should the doctor be charged with malpractice, and so forth. On the ABC website there were tons of comments on the story.

Some people are criticizing her for not aborting some of the fetuses. Do you have any idea how hard that is for someone who had fertility treatments? You go through an awful lot of misery on the slim chance of getting pregnant, then are asked if you want to get rid of some of them. A hard decision.

We know so little about this woman and her family. It could be that she is the villian the press is trying to make her. It could be that she is independently wealthy and loves kids. Who knows? I am sure the truth will come out soon.

But my question is "Why?" Bill Cosby once said that he and his wife had five children because they did not want six. So I stole it and told most people that I had three because I did not want four. Why would anyone want fourteen? Or why would they want seven if they had to have fertility treatments to do it?

That is the part that I don't understand. I love my kids with everything I am, but it was hard having three stair steps. Sometimes I felt like my whole day dealt with trying to stop arguments and answer whoever was whining, "Mommy" at the time. Now this woman has fourteen with the oldest being seven or eight...can we get her a lifetime supply of Valium?