Puppy Please???

Who can resist?

Soft round pink bellies, bad breath we forgive, playful pawing.

I was writing a article for a national magazine and needed some pictures of a garden. Having just put mine to bed for the winter I quickly called me closest friend.

"Sure, come on over" she said.

" I have to bring the boys I am carpooling."

'Great I have some new puppies in." My doggy friend is a weigh station for dogs in need. On any given day she has a dog visiting for a night or two. Today it would be two yellow labby puppies.

"I really want one." exclaimed Julius as he snuggled with the larger of the two puppies.

I will take care of it."

"No." I said firmly

"But why(the last word said long and drawn out)?" asked Chen, "Please?" he was cuddling with the smallest.

"No." Alex my son echoed

Its not that we don't like dogs, we do. We presently have 6 and adore each one, but its alot of work and puppies are even more.

So head down, shoulders fallen in misery they followed me out of the yard leaving the puppies playing hide and seek in the elephant ears.

No Place for Wishes

My day started out in a rush like most of ours. Dogs fed at an ungodly hour followed by breakfast for a multitude of rushing late teens, lunch bags made and stuffed uncaring into heavy backpacks, a quick load of laundry, sort of separated and car pool. Having mastered all of the above in record breaking time.

I thought I would throw in a dentist visit after the car pool.Dr. Williams was awesome or as Julius(my exchange student) told me "Nawesome!", teen speak for just pretty great I think.

Afterwards we went to Hallmark to get a "American Card". Still moving at American mom breakneck speed.

Julius walked up and down the aisles, pondering and looking, taking his time to get the right card. I continued to check my watch, well actually my phone, who wears a watch anymore and jingle my keys. Looking back now I realize I really had no where to go so I guess I was just practicing to stay in tip top rush form.After about fifteen minutes Julius approached me, my heart sank as he had no cards in his hands. I just saw myself repeating the process in another store. How hard could this be I thought. After all my version of card shopping is running(literally and physically) into the store, picking out a card at eye level in the right area, you don't want to send a bon voyage instead of a sympathy, signing my name, not reading the card, stamping and going, I am a American mom, wife and friend and don't have time for such frivolities - does it say birthday then its a birthday, belated birthday, good then I can take an extra day to get to the post office and use the time more appropriately for washing floors or more laundry.

"I have to ask, where do you write the wishes?" Julius asked truly from his heart, I looked at a card he was showing me.

"They come with wishes." I explained pointing out some collection of meaningless words written in colorful ink splashed against the brightly colored page.

"No," he always says No really long its one of his multi second words. "I mean the real wishes, the ones you feel and mean. There is no place on any of these cards for the wishes."

I thought we are so busy that when we send cards we don't even bother to write real wishes anymore.
I am not that busy and my cards will have real wishes from now on

Time

I have lied, fibbed, failed to tell the truth whatever you want to call it. I am pretty sure as I sit here that there is not one among us that has not done the same.

So as I am confronted with a battery of "fibs" , and I must dole out the necessary consequences. But what are those? This is a road I have not walked in a long time at least a decade.

You see years ago I found that if we treat people with respect and understanding they realize themselves without that awkward moment, that lying and fibbing are not really necessary. That respect, understanding and forgiveness and be realized and gained by facing your situation and asking for help with a course correction.

I don't yell, I don't punish, or ground, (lets be honest where is a 10 year old going without you anyway?) So what do I do?

At this point I am talking, listening and trying to understand why it is acceptable in one culture(his), and I expect he is confused why it is not acceptable or tolerated at all in mine. Its been a tough week.

I wonder and think to myself can it be that we need to strip down the outside layers so that the true beauty can grow successfully?

Sunday.

Tears and Fears

Things have been rough. There is no doubt. But at what point do we give up. I have been faced with the question every minute for the last few days. I have momments where I just want to give up.

Its hard, its frustrating.

But so many years ago, dozens of crunchy leaf falls ago I was told usually doing the right thing is the hardest.

Chen is coming down to the wire. His English is not as good as we had first hoped, and he is falling behind. I have worked endlessly everynight and when I tire or become frustrated, Julius or Alex have jumped in to continue the lessons.

We have only a few short weeks left to make this work or he will be returned to China. So now I take a breath and return to our studies and in my heart know that it is hard for me but harder for Chen.

Last night he looked at me with tear streaked cheeks and red eyes and said I have made a mistake. Can we fix this.

I am not sure, but what I do know as I write this is I wont give up trying. As long as Chen tries I will.

Homecoming and true love

It rained, winds were blustery and raw. It would be homecoming. Soccer at 9:15 which my darling husband went to while I tried ward off an impending cold at home. By noon we were headed out to buy shoes, shirts, ties and flowers, the rain fell off and on throughout our trip.
Have you ever tried to go to buy shoes with a teenager? Add into the equation a foreign teenager now whose thoughts on fashion style and sense are very different and for good measure throw in a cold, and limited time. And did I mention the ordered flowers were the wrong color? By 4 pm we had maneuvered our way though piles of ties and drifts of shoe boxes. BY 4:20 everyone was showered and dressed. I was still unpacking groceries and there they stood dressed looking to learn how to tie ties.
I felt bad I thought their parents should be here for this, but the least I could do is take pictures of the moments and send the pictures.
Chen was going to a friends house and would be going with the boys to the dance. Julius had chosen the date route. That meant everyone had to be at their assigned party within minutes of each other and since Murphy's Law was in play that meant it would be across town. My son Alex was having a spend the night and wires got crossed and the wrong child showed up so his parents had to be called, could it get any crazier, yep. We also had to be at a wedding at the same exact time in an entirely different direction, and don't forget the appetizers. Well everything went off without a hitch, well with the exception that David was so busy making ties that when he got to the wedding he realized he forgot his. I was busy taking pictures and delivering my appetizers I left my purse at the homecoming party! Oh and it was rainy and wet at the reception so I resembled a wet rat, with a bad cold...we laughed and took it all in stride and decided there was no doubt that, that was true love and your average homecoming.