Never Say Never

I've done it again.  I swore I would never do it and I am having to eat my words.  

Two summers ago, we took care of a friends' gecko for a night or two.  Actually, I think it was for one night and I happened to be out of town that night.  I was scared to death of that thing.  The owners were ominous with their warnings - don't put your hand in there - it might bite.  Now, I didn't know a thing about geckos but if it had potential to bite, I wasn't going anywhere near it!  I was never so glad to hand the biting reptile off to our friends with toads.  Yes, they have a multitude of toads living at their house (as pets), so feeding hopping things a meal of crickets and playing with slimy, wart-causing animals was nothing new.  Don't worry, they don't allow toads in the kitchen, so all is safe over there.

They didn't know it, but when my friend (the mom of the gecko owner) and the other friend (mom of the toad owner) discussed purchasing crickets, I sighed a huge relief that I would never have to purchase crickets.  or feed toads.  or lizards. or snakes. or anything else that might bite or be slimy or wartish.  I will also reveal that I had great admiration for them.  They fell into the "real mom" category in my book.  Yes, I have birthed 4 children and raised them to the healthy ages of 12, 11, 9 and 7, BUT I was not willing to go out of my comfort zone for my beloved offspring.  These "real moms" had ventured from comfort into the adventurous zone and they will reap great rewards for it in the future, I am sure.  But back then, I really didn't care.

This summer we travelled to Dallas for a few days.  We were visiting with friends who have 2 boys and a girl.  One afternoon I went up to check on their daughter, Kate (6), and Cole (6).  I found them playing quite contentedly with blankets and boxes.  They looked to be playing house.  I asked what they were doing and they said, "making a maze for Duchess!"  As I processed the whole maze thing and the dainty name, I began to search for the cute kitten that was buried under the blankets.  Imagine my surprise when I found a bumpy, leopard-type red lizard staring up at me from a box.  I tried to hide my surprise as I slowly backed up to get away from the lizard that had biting potential!  I headed right downstairs to find my friend (the non-pet-loving girl that she is).  I really was quite miffed!  She had entered the "real mom" state and had not clued me in (or warned me that there was a biting reptile in the house)!!!!!!

As my astonishment set in, I complimented Amy on her accomplishment - I was so impressed that she had agreed to raise a lizard.  She assured me that the Leopard-Spotted Gecko (the rock star of all geckos) is actually the easiest pet you could have.  You throw in a few crickets a few times a week, try to keep water in its bowl, and you have earned the title of "real mom".  I took her word for it and tried to stay as far away from that thing as possible.  Cole and Kate toted that thing around for 3 days straight.  They covered it up with blankets, talked to it, cajoled it through their maze, and put it to bed at night.  I have to admit, by the time we left, I was buying into the "easiest pet" claim.

Cole continued to talk about Duchess after we left Kate's house.  It was absolutely the calmest, coolest looking lizard I had ever seen, for sure!  The oldest boys were sold on it, and Caroline?  Well, she didn't get too close to it.  I couldn't blame her.  When I was a little younger than 10, I picked up lizards all of the time.  But once, I must have startled a big green chameleon that was on the swingset and it chomped down on my hand as if it were lunch.  That bite hurt and scared me to death and I haven't had any desire to touch a lizard since!

Yesterday we took a family trip to Fins N' Skins.  It's the local shop selling reptiles and fish. Cole celebrated his birthday on Friday and guess what he got!?!  

Meet Sahara, our rock star Gecko, who now resides in our home.  She/he is really quite cute and watching her snatch up crickets captured this family's attention last night.  It makes me happy to watch all 4 children (and my husband) roll out of bed in the morning and walk straight to the kitchen - to see how our yellow-stripey lizard is faring.

Just one more thing to add to my resume' - I'm a REAL MOM!

Can't Wait to Get to Heaven

The deadline to complete "40 things" is looming ever closer as the days in 2008 fade away.  Therefore, I've been trying to keep my nose in a book every chance I get.  I have just 30 left to go... now you can see why I must read, read, read!

Anyway,  the past few weeks have been filled with difficult decisions, distressing news, instability in the financial world, an upcoming election that is slinging mud all over the place, and it is raining today! This morning I went to a funeral and learned that a boy from last year's baseball team died, too.  Bad news seems to be all over the place. 

Books have always been an escape for me.  With times like these, Fannie Flagg has been just the prescription I've needed.  I'm reading Can't Wait to Get to Heaven.  It's a hilarious tale giving a first hand description of heaven after an elderly woman is stung by a bunch of wasps and falls off a ladder. 

If you like to read and haven't already subscribed, check out www.goodreads.com.  This site provides an easy way to record all of the books you've read.  You can link up with friends' book lists, recommend books, read reviews and search for books - all in one location.  You can even keep track of books you are planning to read.  Caroline

Yesterday I was a ball of stress. Today I feel lighter and more optimistic in light of the bad news.  Thank goodness for the escape I can find in a good novel.  

Adolescent Aromas

I know what you are thinking after reading today's title.  You can barely stomach the thoughts of "adolescent odors".  Me too!  Believe me, I can not tolerate the waft that comes my way from sweaty, dirty tween-age boys.  Fortunately, I have maintained my level of (shall we say) "power" over my 3 males, and they will still shower nightly.

A few years ago, one of my good friends in Mississippi gave me some invaluable advice.  She recommended that I start my boys in the habit of wearing deoderant around 2nd grade.  I know, it seems crazy!  Boys who are 8 absolutely do not need to worry about B.O..  They certainly sweat when it is hot and while exerting themselves in the competitive way that they do, but there are minimal lingering odors that would cause pain to adults.  However, just a few years later, that is no longer true.  Joy said if we start when they are young, they will already be in the habit and you can TRY to prevent the assault on the senses.

I took Joy's advice to heart.  Upon their 8th Christmas, every child in my family received one travel-size stick of deoderant for their wearing pleasure (and for mine in the future).  I purchased the unscented variety for my kiddos.  I figured they didn't need to carry the smell of musk or baby powder around with them all day.  I'm sure it won't surprise you when I reveal that Cole has actually had his since his 5th Christmas.  He refuses to accept that he is not as old as everyone else.

Brooks came home one day last year from school with a request.  Could I buy him some deoderant with a "smell"? He had noticed in gym that all of his friends had different deoderants and he wanted a new kind.  I'm always up for shopping, so I promised him a quick deoderant-sniffing trip to Walgreens.  Off we went to locate the scent that would soon define him via my nasal cavity.  He had a ball trying them all out.  There are sticks, sprays, gels, etc. - all with either a "clean" smell or a "cologne" smell.  I had a headache by the time we had narrowed the selection to three.  I hastened him to "just pick one!" and out I could go to the fresh outdoors! Brooks picked the Cool Rush version of Ultra Dry Degree.

This summer, Brooks talked so favorably about his new scent that Reed decided that it was his turn.  We just happened to be in Kmart one day and both boys ended up on the deoderant aisle.  Brooks was there to guide Reed to the "best smell for him".  Sure enough, within minutes, Reed had selected Gillette's gel edition with the Cool Wave scent.  He couldn't wait to apply his new purchase, so once in the car, he whipped that gel out and applied it to his apparently sweaty underarms.

A few days later, Reed and I were on our way to soccer practice.  I pulled up to a red light and heard Reed inhale with a gasp.  I whipped around to see what was wrong, but he was just grinning.  I asked if there was a problem (you know me, I thought he was about to throw up) but he said "no!  I was smelling my deoderant!  It just smells so good!"

Who would have thought a scent could bring such a change to two boys.  Reed applied his deoderant 3 times a day the first few weeks he had it.  I suspect that Brooks did, too.  I guess I don't really care as long as it prevents me from suffering through the upcoming sweaty, hormonal odors that will soon abound!