Pet Cemetary

I've been away from the blog for awhile. It's not that I've been needing new material... with these kids there's always something to share w/ a little personality. It's just that life's gotten in the way and my time's been stretched too thin.


I felt pretty crummy yesterday when I opened an email informing me that my blog had been selected as one of OnlineSchools.com, top 50 Midwest parenting blogs. Not crummy that I'd been selected, that I was honored about. I felt bad that it'd been about 2 months since my last post!


So as I sit here at my laptop today, I vow to get back to the writing and make it up to my Midwestern audience! I'll start by sharing some good old fashioned advice on how to care (or not to care), for your children's pets!

Spring has sprung as they say and with it comes the desire to build a bonfire in the backyard, roast some weenies, a few marshmallows and enjoy some cold beverages with friends. Last weekend was the perfect weather for doing such things so the kids and I talked Daddy into spending some quality time around the fire pit. 


Our oldest has a fondness for fire that's been passed down from my brothers, his Grandpa and his Grandpa the Great (or great Grandpa as most people would call him)! Where there's a fire, the boy will find something to throw on it! Now I know what you're thinking, and yes we try our best to teach fire safety! And if you're thinking this tale goes on to tell of how our son cremated a pet... luckily, you're wrong! I'm merely setting the mood for the rest of the story!


As we're sitting around the fire eating our charred food, youngest Son decides he needs a drink. And while what he really wanted was a sip of Momma's homemade wine, I decided it'd be better for him to have a juice cup instead. When we came back out I could have sworn I heard a cat meowing but that couldn't be right, our cat had just gone "missing" the week before! 


I knew Hubby had heard it too and it wasn't just my imagination when I got back up to my lawn chair, the look on his face said it all. We silently made a pact not to say a word unless small ears heard what we had... it only took a few minutes for that to happen!


2 weeks ago we had a week of the most perfect weather. Everyday was an outside day of play. The windows in the house were all open, the sandbox toys brought out of the barn and shoes were optional all week long. Jaxon's cat Patch had caught Spring fever right along with the rest of us. He managed to pop out the screen on one of our front windows and escape to the front porch. Jaxon thought this was great! After explaining to him that Patch wasn't safe outside w/ the dogs, Jaxon still continued to beg me to let Patch out to play. "I'll watch him Mom, PLEASE?!" 


I finally decided to just let Jaxon prove to me that he could do as he said and watch him. After all, the dogs weren't really bothering him anyway! As the day went on Patch stayed out and Jaxon had done as he promised. Just before dark we made our way in for bedtime baths and guess who forgot to let Patch in?! ME! 


As I was draining the tub and getting the boys in their PJ's I heard a horrible sound coming from outside... that's when I remembered the cat had gotten left behind! I ran out the back door Jaxon questioning what I was doing all the way out to the driveway, where the dogs (who were all bloody) had Patch cornered. Patch was holding his own, that blood all over the dogs was their own! I chased the dogs off and corralled the cat back up to the porch where Jaxon by this time was hysterical. 


After calming him down I simply explained that Patch would have to stay outdoors now but that he'd be fine and asked him to go in after his food and water dishes, which he did. When Daddy arrived home later that night, Patch was still hanging out on the porch so Jaxon was content. After the boys went to bed Daddy & I decided it'd be in Patch's best interest to take him for a little ride up the road! We both knew he'd probably not make it through the night and didn't want Jaxon stumbling across his dead body the next morning!


I didn't even want to get out of bed the next morning. I felt terrible about our decision and even worse about having to lie to our son about where his kitty had gone. Normally lying to him (especially to protect him) doesn't bother me so but this time was different. I knew it'd be the first thing out of his mouth upon waking and I still didn't have a story prepared. I let him sleep later than normal to avoid the conversation that ended up not taking place!


He went to school and didn't say a thing, came home not asking about Patch at all, in fact a week went by before he said anything at all about that cat! The night of the bonfire, you know the night the prodigal cat returned?! That was the first time we heard him say anything about his kitty! He ran up to Patch asking, "Where have you been?" "I've been so worried!" And that was that! 


Hubby and I joke about how it's a little like Pet Cemetery


If you liked this story, check out the link below for the list of all top 50 Midwest parenting blogs chosen by OnlineSchools.com! And thanks for reading!!!
http://www.onlineschools.com/blog/50-top-parenting-blogs-in-the-midwest.html