A friend with dogs and kids sent me one of those “Been there, done that” emails. It read:
Life really boils down to two essential questions.
1. Should I get a dog? Or…
2. Should I have children?
I’d have to say on behalf of those of us who have “been there and done that,” having a dog first definitely helps to develop important skills you’ll need later as a parent. At the very least, there’s a good likelihood your … Read More
Yes, time flies — and those of us, ahem, over a certain age know exactly just how fast. Seems every time I turn around another one of my animals has just turned another year older. Just this week Finnegan and Wink have traveled around the sun one more time.
Finnegan is 6 years old now — the longest I’ve had a cat live. Â He tells me he’s going to live to be 16. I’m choosing to take him at his … Read More
To all my “mom” friends–here are a few smiles to brighten your day.
[Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:]
Why did God make mothers?
How did God make mothers?
It’s no secret that I’ve been working toward producing most of my family’s food for the past several years. And while I don’t even come close to qualifying as a real homesteader, I do seem to represent a rapidly growing segment of the gardening population: people who have become extremely conscientious about where and how they get their food. Think locavore on organic fertilizer. You know, those of us who’ve rediscovered the wisdom of the “Victory Garden” of yore and … Read More
So goes a recent phone conversation between Cait at home after school, and Andrew and me at work. Cait calls. Andrew picks up the phone.
… Read MoreCait: Dad, there’s a mouse in the dog food drawer. How do I get it out?
Andrew: Yell at it.
Cait: Yell at it?
Andrew: Yeah, that’ll scare it out.
Cait: Is Mom there?
Andrew (handing me the phone): Cait wants to talk to you .
Me: Hey honey, what’s up?
Cait: Mom,there’s a mouse
Cait was on her fourth hour of homework when she looked over at me wearily and said, Tell me something profound, Mom. She shoved her geometry book aside in protest, propped herself up on her elbows and said, “All these math problems I’m doing are so meaningless. Who cares?
Slogging through my own pile of homework, her question jolted me upright. But I quickly regrouped, I knew exactly what she was asking:
So you’re thinking you might want to throw in with a dog lover? Let me share a few helpful DO’s and DON’T’s to help smooth the way.
Kiera, my Australian Shepherd, has a vocabulary of a hundred or so individual words and a couple dozen expressions — last time I counted. On the one hand it makes life much easier for me. For instance, I can just tell her to go get Cait for dinner, instead of yelling upstairs. Or I can ask her to help me find my other shoe that Graidy, my Border Collie mix, has hidden somewhere. The “helpful” list goes on and on. … Read More
