So while I am trying to drain the nasty stagnant water and debris off the cover, I scared up a couple of frogs. Anyone who knows me even a little, knows that I absolutely HATE reptiles (mostly snakes), and only barely tolerate amphibians. This was fairly unnerving as I am always scared to death that a snake will come slithering out from under the pool deck.
At any rate, Clara was "helping" me, which translates "running around frantically trying to catch the frogs I had scared up". After loosing a couple, she penned one under the lid off a bucket of pool chemicals. I was given the order to maintain the "capture" while she ran up to the house to try to find some kind of container to hold the frog. I was kind of creeped out doing this, but after about five minutes waiting on her to get back, I became suspect that the captured frog had succumbed to the overwhelming fumes of chlorine from the lid I was using to hold him. He didn't seem to be moving any longer. I carefully eased up the edge of the lid. I guess he got just enough fresh air in to revive him, as he took the moment to make a run (or hop) for the hills.
So now, I'm feeling just a tiny bit guilty for letting him get away. This guilt really comes from a deeper-seated guilt related to the fact that we, the parents have pretty much had a "no-pets" rule at our house. This rule came about for several reasons, the primary one being that with six children, I/we had dealt with way more poop than anyone should have to deal with. (Unless you can cash in on this and get your own "large family" reality show on TLC!)
What we did not realize was the severe and damaging psychological effect being a pet-free home would have on our children. Looking back now, I think there were signs of this trauma our children were going through that we missed. It probably was a BIT unusual that Mason and Jordan had pet ladybugs for a couple of years during the Great Lady Bug Infestation of the 90's. We thought it worked out great, satisfying that desire that all kids seem to have to have a pet. And on the plus side, ladybugs didn't leave poop to be tracked in on shoes, didn't really have to be fed or watered, didn't have to be boarded when we went out of town, no hefty vet bills, etc. They kept them in matchboxes until they would die (usually fairly quickly) and as soon as one died, they would just catch another off our walls or ceilings. There were so many, I guess they didn't really get attached to any "one" of the thousands which tried to cohabitate with us, so we also didn't have to deal with the sadness and trauma of losing a dear family pet, either.
I'm asking you honestly, DO THESE CHILDREN LOOK DEPRIVED/DAMAGED due to not being allowed to experience the joys of having their own puppy?
Jordie, about age 4, BEING a lady bug for Halloween.....well, maybe this COULD be a sign that we were just a little tough with the "no-pets" rule.
In our defense, we DID have one brief "pet-encounter" allowing the kids to have a beautiful champion-line Brittany Spaniel who was given to the kids by one of the surgeons I used to scrub for who "insisted" that no family was complete without a dog. The first problem with Henry involved naming him...five kids-five names. For once (and maybe only once)they finally settled on "Dr. Laws" as the chosen name. But I had to veto that because it seemed a little too weird to call my boss and my dog by the same name. Still wanting to give Dr. Laws a bit of honor/thanks for the gift, they settled on Henry. (Dr.Laws' first name) Unfortunately, Henry was either dog-napped or took off, possibly looking for a home where he did not have to wear doll clothes or ride in a doll carriage.
We were however tricked/severely guilted into allowing one small white fluffy dog enter our family about five years ago. I'm still not really sure what happened with this. I think Tom and I both had just gotten over the flu or something and just weren't thinking clearly/got hit with the request during a weak moment. Or maybe it was that little bit of grieving you do when you realize that your "child-bearing" years (i.e. joy, cute little sweet-smelling cuddly babies) are officially over and now you are just left with "child-rearing" years(i.e. work, $$$$$, cute cuddly babies are now pre-teen/teen-agers with car keys and wildly fluctuating hormone swings). Those sweet, fun "nurturing" years were long gone.So what we are now left with is "mostly" grown children "mostly" out on their own. And what is one of the first "big" decisions they make now that they are in charge of most of their own decisions???........they get pets. (insert more parental guilt here over the "no-pets" rule) Blake and Jenny....dogs Petey and Rascal; Wes and Sarah....Kimono; Rachel....Hurley; Mason....Sunday(tragically killed by a car), then Jules; Jordan....Pierre, the wonder dog (abandoned, but remains at home with parents who don't want a dog) unknown named fish who died over Christmas break due to being transported 300+ miles home for Christmas Vacation.
Kimono...my only female grand-dog
Petey and Rascal starring in their own video made by Blake who has a theory that the dogs on the ASPCA Commercial with the tear-jerking Sheryl Crowe song are not really abused dogs, but are in fact actor/imposter dogs posing as poor neglected dogs. He theorizes that THESE imposter dogs actually are much like his own Petey and Rascal, who live very comfortable, if not lavish lives.
Sorry Hurley, I don't have a picture of you yet, but that doesn't mean you are loved any less.
Addendum...we now have a picture of Hurley, who looks alot like the dog Winn-Dixie in the movie "Because of Winn-Dixie"...which is kind of funny, because Rachel looked ALOT like the little girl (AnnaSophia Robb) who played Winn-Dixie's mom when she was about the about same age.
Lastly, we have Clara, who desperately wants a puppy. Since she knows we won't cave on the the "dog issue", she frequently adopts anything and everything and deems it her "pet", hoping for the love and affection that only a puppy gives. Luckily, since her other pets are minus the "cute" factor and really haven't given back much love, they are quickly abandoned. Case(s) in point- Hermit Crabs x3, miniature hamster x1, lizard x1, dog abandoned by older sister, two outside cats, several kittens (before we FINALLY got our cats spayed) and other "critters" that slowed down long enough to get caught.
So now we have a pet frog.....named Patricia. That is one of the "interesting" things about Clara and her pets....they usually have "unusual" names. Case(s) in point- Hermit Crabs - PeeWee Hermit, Joe (as in Joe's Crab Shack?), and Nobber-Nobber Jerry Holmes; miniature hamster - Olive; outside cats - Cheese-Puff and Whitey.(the only "normal" pet name, in my opinion) Pierre, the fluffy white dog abandoned by her older sister has seldom been called by his name by Clara. Instead, he is called Zucha Poodems, Frank or Frank Miller (after Grampa Frank in the Junie B. Jones books-he, like Pierre, naps alot) Snookrums, PW, P-double-U air (a slight variation of PW) and many other names that slip my mind at the moment. I am not sure if there is any psychological significance to the "unusual" naming of the pets, but my guilt for depriving my kids of pet ownership tends come soaring in here. Since she has been "pet-deprived" by her parents, there probably IS some damage being done to her "psyche" as evidenced by her attempts to make "anything" a pet. And I'm sure the unusual pet names are some type of evidence of more underlying latent damage. When questioned about the origin of the name Patricia, she simply said she liked it. I want to believe this, but my mother-guilt is struggling.
.JPG)
PATRICIA
Asking her how she knew that Patricia was a "she-frog" was a bit more risky, as we have been having "those" talks as of late. I was a little nervous that the "p" or "v" words might be used. I know, I know, I'm a NURSE for goodness sake...that shouldn't even faze me. Nurse or not, I revert back to a Mom when it comes to matters like these with my kids. And even though I've had "those" talks before, I still kind of draw up in a knot and get kind of sweaty when it comes right down to it. Thankfully, her answer was simply "She looks more like a girl-frog".
As it has turned out.....I convinced Clara that Patricia might be happier under the pool deck....and it seems as though Patricia, once released, met up with Patrick as the next day we had evidence of some big time frog-partying going on.....bunches of frog eggs on top of the pool. So now.....we have a tub full of the consequences of Patricia and Patricks night of carelessness......about 50-60 TADPOLES!
We had a similar situation w/our pool except the cover tore and EVERYthing went into the pool...old rainwater, leaves, sticks, pollen and FROGS! The later was to the delight of my 18 yr old Beau Richard( who will tell you, "we NEVER had pets when I was little). We made several attempts w/an aquarium and there was the dog their daddy let them talk me into bringing home from the ballpark (will not go into the details). I let this same child talk me into a "practice pet" a few years ago w/Bubba T. Cat who in addition, we have THREE dogs,Harley-Dean, Penbrook Maebell and Willie G aka William. They are of various nationalities and I have deemed myself the Angelina Jolie of the pet world. With all of these critters comes poopage and teetee by the...well, its a lot! W/this said, when Beau and Marty were cleaning the pool, my sweet son comes into the house and finds and old goldfish bowl and scoops up several tadpoles and they are stashed somewhere in his room. As a mother of boys, you know going into said room requires a mask and gloves on a good day. I only hope he tires of them and sets them free in the branch before they reach adulthood.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your kill! Our motto is "the only good snake is a dead one" (come and get me PETA)
Love the updates on the house and thanks for the explanation on the drinks in the dishwasher!