For the Love of Animals

My son has a heart of gold, and I am not just saying that because I am his mom. 

He makes sure no one is left out, shares his goodies without anyone asking, and has been known to continuously donate the balance of his fun money to Toys for Tots during the Christmas season.

The compassion he feels for the living does not just concentrate on the human population either, it transcends to animal life as well.

Any television show or movie we watch where an animal is hurt, or God forbid DIES, he has been known to shed a tear (the younger he was he bawled his eyes out – but don’t tell him I told you so).  Not just the furry dogs either; he cares for chickens and frogs just the same.

So while driving this morning on our way to an appointment, it came as no surprise when my son jumped out of his seat at the sight of road kill and cried out, “What’s that?! A raccoon?”

I glanced at my rearview mirror and a saw some kind of flat, furry animal on the road.  My specialty is not zoology, so I supposed it could be a raccoon, but I was not sure.

Accepting my answer, my son sat watch to make sure no other car ran over the poor creature’s body, including “drunk drivers.”  As we drove off he turned and said, “I hope it gets medical attention.”

Ah, time for a mom moment.  I could let him go on believing that the blood and guts all over the street were invisible, but since his occupation of choice is currently a veterinarian, I decided it was time for a reality check. 

“Um, buddy, I hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure it’s dead.”

He was quiet for a moment, then looked back wistfully and said, “Well, I hope at least someone picks it up so it can be buried.”

See what I mean?  Heart of gold that kid.

Board Games: Do They Cause Sarcasm?

Harry Potter Clue

Playing a board game as a family is not like in the movies.  It is not all fun and games.  Well, not in my house anyway.  Guess what I am doing right now?  I am ignoring my children as they argue with each other over a game of Harry Potter Clue.

"Ignoring children?  What a horrible parent!"  I can hear the reproach from here.  I figure my kids need to learn to argue effectively to be in good relationships in the future.  It's not like they are toddlers, so no tantrums are allowed (unless they are mine).

To my chagrin, they ARE using their words...unfortunately, it's in a loud and sarcastic way.  I have only myself to blame for that one.  Still, pretty soon I will lose my patience (or my hearing, not sure which will go first) and I will have to end the "fun" the way only this mom knows how: time to put the game away.  And then I will get, "But Mommy..." as if I haven't heard all their excuses already.

Sometimes, it is a struggle to get my almost-middle-schoolers to treat each other with respect.  Then again, I wasn't exactly a princess towards my brothers.  Maybe my plan IS working.  They just finished their first game, and are starting their second.  Let's see how many insults I hear this time!

Sick Days

Yesterday I had one of those days when I had a taste of my past life.  Not when I was a caterpillar or anything, but the one where both my kids were babies.  They both have upper respiratory infections and their fevers were pretty high yesterday.  Waiting for them to break was worrisome.  The amount of work that went into making sure they were okay reminded me of their baby days.  I would never wish that insanity on anyone.

Don't get me wrong.  I love my babies and enjoy all the love they have given me, but their baby days were very stressful.  My kids were both surprises.  My daughter was conceived on a cot in Sarajevo (can't wait to tell her THAT) while I was deployed, and my son was made four weeks after my daughter was born.  Yes, I didn't wait: my kids are almost 10 months apart. 

Let me tell you, when your first born is 9 months old and another baby comes about, that is a tough job.  It didn't help that my husband was deployed at the time either.  So you can imagine the sleepless nights and zombie-like days I had keeping us three alive.

That's what the last two days were like.  Hour upon hour I was on the move getting them this and that, giving baths, making sure they were eating, drinking, ALIVE - and taking their temperatures.  I had a chart with their temperatures and what medications were taken when.  I was doping them with the occasional Mucinex for their coughs plus Tylenol and Motrin, since the fevers were so high.  Anything above 103 scares me.

Perhaps I overreacted, but I think not.  After all, they are my only children.  So with my 2:00 AM bedtime, I'm happy their fevers finally broke.  Thank goodness I have tomorrow off to recuperate!   

It's The Thought That Counts

Chocolate covered cherries are the devil in my house.   Every year, without fail, my husband gets a package of them as a Christmas gift as a reminder of that one mistake he made years ago…

One Valentine’s day, my husband at the tender age of 16, was scouring the stores looking for a gift for his dear mother.  He just couldn’t find that special present that would express all the wonderful things his mother was: kind, patient, loving.  And then he found it.  He heard the angels singing and saw the light shine on the gift that would change his life forever: a box of chocolate covered cherries.

Okay, it didn’t really happen like that.  The tard forgot, and when he realized that his sister had something and he didn’t, he ran to the closest gas station and bought his mom the first thing he could lay his hands on.

As you can imagine, they were not well received.  Now, it has become a Christmas tradition to never let him forget the inconsiderate gift he bestowed upon his mother all those years ago.  The funny part is that the gift comes from his DAD.  We see it coming every year and we all get a good laugh.  In reality, when it comes to gifts, it’s the thought that counts.  My kid better be running to the nearest store if he forgets a gift for me!

Taking The Scenic Route

Sometimes, I take the scenic route home.  Since it snowed the previous night, I would like to say it’s because I wanted to see the beauty of the landscape…but in reality, I took a wrong turn.  This is something that happens to me quite often.  Monday through Friday I am fairly routine based, so anything that alters that route tends to throw me in a jumble. 

Case in point: my loop around the west shore yesterday after work.  Instead of heading home, I was to go to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for some lasagna.  Being the engaging parent that I am, I was asking my children about their day in school and wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.  I noticed last minute I was about to get on the highway to go home.  I made that split second decision to go left and ended up on the highway going the opposite direction.  Oops.

Since nothing is ever my fault, I called my husband to blame him.  If he hadn’t messed my route up, this would have never happened!  (I know it all seems to be weird logic to you men, but it totally makes sense.)  Of course, being the sane person he is, he attempts to calm me down in his passive voice, which just pisses me off more.  In my anger, I miss my exit to turn around and end up making this giant circle through THE WEST SHORE. 

There’s this imaginary divide on the Susquehanna River.  It’s a rivalry.  The east and west side of the river do not mix.  East shore folks call west shore folks snobs, west shore folks call east shore folks ghetto.  Whatever, we’re all people.  I go wherever I want BUT…I do get lost on the other side.  I don’t know it as well as my hood, thus, the scenic route home. 

Through all my panic, I eventually make it somewhere recognizable to find my way home.  I completely bypassed the grocery store – no way was I going to mess with all the inconsiderate people there.  An hour and half after my work day has ended, I hoof it up my stairs and quickly change into my comfy clothes.  As I eat my spicy chicken nuggets, I saw the silver lining to my hectic drive home: my kids were the most quiet they have ever been in the backseat of my car!

Techno-World

This is defiinitely a world of instant gratification.  Why?  Technology.  No home is complete without televisions, computers, cell phones and internet.  Who reads newspapers made of paper anymore?  Why wait until Saturday morning to watch cartoons?  You can watch any show or movie at the click of a button.  Why wait?  You don't have to!  Our kids are so advanced compared to us geezers due to this overload.

I watch as my kids play online games and think, I didn't even learn how to type until high school!  They are already doing their homework on Microsoft Word, learning to research on the net, taking computer art clases - and they're only in elementary school.

On the flip side, my mom can't even text.  One of her friends made her a facebook page so she could be my "friend" and be able to see pics of her grandkids.  Since she's on the other side of the US map, this would be a great medium to see the lives of the kiddos and keep in touch.  We could even skype!  Eh, not so much.  She still hasn't accepted my friend request.  To be fair, she doesn't know how...

Whenever I tell my kids that I didn't have a computer, I didn't have cable and that I only had cartoons on Saturday morning as a child, they just can't believe it.  They are in shock!  My daughter gasped, "How did you survive?!"  Well, I played outside, I read and used my imagination.

I know I'm starting to sound old when I wish for the good old days of QUIET.  My kids need something to do at all times.  If the TV or computer isn't on they get bored.  I am honestly okay with a blanket and a good book to read.  Then again, I may just be lying to myself.  I'm typing this on my laptop with the TV tuned into the latest Masterpiece Theater selection on PBS while downloading pictures and checking my iPhone for the latest update on facebook and instagram.  Yeah, I'm a sucker for technology, too! 

Dream House

In case there was ever a zombie apocalypse, this is the child who would save me.


My son is someone I swear has been here before. He's always said things that are too adult for him, in the correct context, and he just knows things. He'll casually start a conversation of someone or something he "knew before" and makes predictions...like my death, which was weird. Other than that, it's awesomely cool.


We always have a hard time buying things for him because he never wants anything. He likes to watch Eagles football and play video games. He likes sports, peace and quiet. He doesn't makes lists of wants unless we ask him to, and even then he gives us the you're-a-dumb-ass look and says, "I like the Eagles and video games."


This year we went hog wild and got him a book. Not just any book either. It was Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Do it Yourself Book. It's like a diary (shhh!). You answer a bunch of questions and have a little look-see into the mind of an 8-year-old boy. That should be funny when he's 35!


The big TA-DA in the book was a blank page asking you to draw your dream home. I was so sure of how well I knew my son I thought, "The first room he's going to draw is an entertainment room for his video games."


I was half right. He drew a room with a line down the middle and labeled it POLE DANCING ROOM. Once I find out where I threw the book, I'll post a picture. Yes, I'm such a proud mom!