ROXanne.....

(Please tell me you sang that, Police-style. Please.)

When the girls and I moved into our new home, we had to make a sacrifice. We were not allowed to have a big dog here. That meant I had to find a new home for our boxer mix, Sofia.

Long-time readers will know how hard that was for me. You all know about my involvement in animal rescue & fostering. I do not consider animals disposable. It was tough.

And that's all I have to say about that.

I have very much missed having a canine companion, especially on the nights that the girls are at their dad's house and I am home alone. So I decided that once we got settled in, I'd find a small dog to keep me company.

We've been in our home for two months so lately, I've been keeping an eye out, but hadn't found the perfect dog until this weekend. I checked Craigslist and found an ad for a terrier-poo. When I opened the ad, I saw a picture of a dog that reminded me SO MUCH of the dog I had growing up, a terrier/poodle mix. I called the number right away and talked to the owner for half an hour. She runs an informal, non-profit rescue group and just wanted to find this little girl a good home.

And she did.

Roxanne, a.k.a. Roxy, a.k.a. Foxy Roxy, is my ride or die chick.




She is wonderfully well-behaved, and she is my little shadow.

She couldn't have come at a better time; it's Spring Break for the girls and they're both gone for a solid week.

Roxy and I are bonding.

And We Shall Call Her Grace.

I believe that all of the cats saved from the hoard were saved by grace.

The cat that we chose chose us

has effortlessly moved her way into our home.....

.....and into our hearts.....

....and onto our pillows. ;-)

And she definitely spreads her goodwill to all of us,

and her love is bestowed freely.

And also given back - we all adore her.

So, we shall call her Grace.

Linking up with my girls Angie & Amanda for

Wordful Wednesday!

Like Peas & Carrots

In June, 700 cats were seized from the largest hoarding case The Humane Society has ever seen in the United States.

This happened just a few miles from my home.

According to the article, "People who needed to give up their cat and who visited Haven Acres likely got to see only the part of the facility that showed it in its best light, Animal Services Director David Flagler said.

"They thought they were taking their cats to a country club environment, and even some of our own staff thought the conditions were much better than what was found," Flagler said."

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while will understand that I followed this case closely. We are animal lovers and rescue advocates, and have done a lot of volunteering and fostering throughout the past few years. I also have a personal connection to the situation; I went to school with the daughter of the man who was arrested in this case. I've talked to her on Facebook about the situation. She cut all ties with her 'father' years ago, and was so happy and relieved to hear that the couple was finally arrested.

So I'm sure it will not come as any surprise to any of you that, when they announced that the cats were now available for adoption, I felt compelled to get involved.

This weekend, The Humane Society held a huge event called the Florida Feline 550. Out of the 700 cats seized from the hoard, 550 were available for adoption this weekend. Many of the cats had to be euthanized, some are still undergoing medical treatment, and some are being held to be used as evidence in the criminal case.

The rest, five hundred and fifty cats, were at our local Humane Society, looking for homes.

And naturally, I knew one of them had to be mine.

It wasn't hard to find a cat to adopt; what was hard was to narrow it down to only one. But we already have four cats; one was my limit.

{she loves MY pillow.}

And once again, those of you who know me will not be surprised that the cat I chose has only one eye, and one kidney. I gravitate towards the animals that most people wouldn't want. There were many beautiful cats there. It's astounding how wonderful they look now, considering the condition they were in when the HSUS found them. One tiny cat that I really liked has gained three pounds since she was brought in. She only weighs about 5 pounds now. Three months of good care makes a world of difference.

I'm a huge fan of Forrest Gump, so when I saw a cage containing two cats with the labels "Forrest" and "Jennie", I naturally looked in. And that's when I saw my sweet one-eyed girl.


After being reassured by the vet that her kidney issues wouldn't require expensive medical care that we just can't afford, I knew Jennie was our girl. (I'm not sure if we'll keep the name or change it.)

She was born with two kidneys, but while at the "cat haven", she became pregnant and got an infection, involving her uterus. When the UF Vet School opened her up, they found severe infection and a mummified kitten. There were adhesions attaching it to her kidney, which is why it had to be removed as well as the reproductive organs. But she will be able to live just fine with one kidney. She was born with two eyes as well, but one ruptured due to untreated infection.

To me, she's beautiful, just the way she is.

She's settling in well. She explores when she feels like it, and hides when she feels like it, but mostly hangs out on my bed, on my pillow, looking out the window.

I hope she understands that she is safe now. She'll never be stuck in a cage again with minimal food and water. She'll always have a home, and food, and love.

Linking up with Unknown Mami's Sunday in my City.

AND!!

The brand new meme over at Miss Elaine-ous Life!

Can I Have Some of That?

Do you get your Daily Dose of Jack?

No, I'm not talking about this.

Although if you do get your daily dose of that Jack, that's certainly none of my concern. Party on, with your bad self! I'll be over here praying for your liver.

Anycirrhosis, that's not what this post is about. This is about a whole 'nother kind of Jack. This Jack is so awesome, if he had thumbs, he would rule the world.

As it is, he's written two books! This latest one is a cookbook, and yours truly (that's me) contributed a recipe to this awesome book. It's now available for your Kindle! Can I Have Some of That?

And best of all, all of the proceeds go to French Bulldog Rescue Network and Chase Away K9 Cancer. Even if you don't have the Kindle, if you purchase the Kindle version, Jack will send you a PDF version for free. That way the charities still get some bones (haha!) and you still get your book. Win/win!

So check it out, and while you're at it, check out his fabulous first book, Jack: A Book About a Dog Where the Dog Doesn't Die at the End.

Dogs everywhere will thank you!

Putting the FUN in Canine Cognitive DysFUNction

a.k.a. Doggy Dementia.

This is about our oldest dog, Suzie. She is a miniature dachshund and she is somewhere around 18 years old. Which puts her somewhere around 126 years old in dog years.

And her mind, it is a'slipping.

This about.com article describes Suzie's behavior so well, I am suspicious that they have been peeking in our windows.

She stands at the hinge side of the door, wondering why it doesn't open and she can't get out of the room.

She randomly walks in circles. Over and over and over.

She gets stuck under things like end tables and Sofia's feeders. She wanders into the closet and stares at the walls.

And we laugh hysterically.

Because truly, these things are funny! She's cute. It's endearing. When you see her running around the house trying to get the little metal decorative table off of her back, what else are you gonna do?

Besides help her, of course. Once you contain your laughter.

She also does things that are not fun. Not funny. Not even a little bit endearing.

Like, her "loss of housetraining". Sigh.

She doesn't respond to commands. We thought she was going deaf, but it appears that she can still hear, it's just the dementia. But the sleep irregularities and barking for no reason? They are the ones that are going to drive me completely off of my rocker. She has combined the two, to save herself trouble I suppose. So when the house is quiet and she should be sleeping, she randomly decides to bark. Except that it's more of a "yelp". It is extremely loud and piercing and makes me want to rip my ears off of my head.

Alternately, I have considered putting Suzie in the washing machine and setting it on SPIN.

(I'm kidding, PETA, and stay off my blog, ya freaks.)

I honestly have no idea when I've slept for a reasonable amount of time. Sometimes, we can quiet her by wrapping her in a blanket and sort of tucking her in to her doggy bed. Sometimes, there is no consoling her. She doesn't like to be petted, picked up, or touched at all, really.
Sometimes, she wakes up the other dogs and they start barking, too. We can't keep her outside so that we can sleep, because I'm afraid she'll wake the neighbors. Even though we are a good distance away from our nearest neighbors. She is LOUD.

She is not in pain. She's just cognitively dysfunctional. The dysfunction is taking over!

There's not much we can do. And I don't feel guilty about laughing at the funny parts, not for a minute. When we were fostering for the dachshund rescue group, I picked Suzie up from the shelter. She had been dumped off by her former family because she was old and they wanted her put to sleep. They weren't willing to pay for it, though, so they just surrendered her to the shelter. There was nothing wrong with Suzie except for untreated worms, which were quickly cleared up with meds. We kept her, thinking she would probably not live long and we didn't want her to be put through the trauma of going to yet another home. And I was attached.

That was about three years ago. She has basically been spoiled rotten for three years, because we figured she didn't have much time left and wanted her to be comfortable and happy. She had her own bed and her own blanket, and she was kept away from the other dogs a lot because they annoyed her. She has lived the good life. And we will continue to keep her comfortable for whatever time she has left here.

I just wish they made Ambien for dogs.

A former foster, Honey, with Suzie.

Ace of Hearts

{Our hearts, that is!}

Shelbie, my 15 year old daughter, has wanted a small dog for a long time. She loves pugs & chihuahuas. She wanted a dog that would be her baby.

And last week, I got a Facebook message from a friend,

with an offer we couldn't refuse.

She had developed allergies to her adorable, two year old, long-haired chihuahua, and wanted to know if Shelbie wanted him. He is CKC registered, perfectly healthy and adorable. He just needed a new home.

So naturally......he has found his new home, with us.

Introducing Ace, the newest member of the DysFUNctional Zoo!

Shelbie is spoiling him rotten!

She spent a chunk of her birthday money on a collar, leash, tag, and toys for her new baby.

He has won all of our hearts!

****I'm so excited - Wordful Wednesday is now CO-HOSTED by Parenting By Dummies and the original Wordful Wednesday host, Angie of Seven Clown Circus!

I love both of these awesome ladies!***

Check them both out for more Wordful Wednesday fun.

She was loved.

We adopted our newest dog, Sofia, from a rescue group earlier this year.
Now that we have learned to keep all food and garbage out of her reach (she was a bit of a counter-surfer), she is the best dog ever. Her behavior is perfect. She is sweet and obedient. And I can't figure out how she ever ended up in rescue, because the thing that almost haunts me is....sometime, somebody loved her.
I don't just mean took care of her, I mean truly loved her.
She knows the sit command, and sits for a treat without being told to. She knows "shake". She never gets on the furniture unless invited on. She knows what "car ride" means, and she LOVES them. If we ask her if she wants to go on a car ride while we're inside the house, she runs to the door, and as soon as we open the door, she runs outside, goes potty, and then runs to the car.
(she prefers the passenger seat to the backseat!)
I have no doubt that she was once a beloved pet, and I wish she could talk to me and tell me about that person who loved her, and how she got separated from that person. I wonder if they are looking for her, or missing her.
I wish I could tell that person how much we adore her, and how happy she is now. That we take good care of her, and we love her like that person did.
Because there is no doubt in my mind that she was loved.

Visit Seven Clown Circus for more Wordful Wednesday posts!

On Purpose

Since I sometimes read blogs at work, I get a lot of people looking over my shoulder. They'll see pictures and say, "Oh, who is that?" and I explain that it's a blog.
And of course, they often say, "A what?"
And I either explain, or blow it off, because some people just don't get it, and won't get it.
(and how rude is it to look over my shoulder and ask about what I'm looking at? Ugh!)
Last night, one of the repeat offenders did it again. She saw a picture of a baby and asked who it was, and I told her it's a blog. Her response was, "It's so CUTE that you do that! Read all about other people's lives."
Cute? I tried to explain to her that the blogger is blogging for that purpose...for other people to read it. But...she just doesn't get it.
I think people either get it or they don't. Those who have to ask "What is the purpose of blogging?", will never get it.
I have been a bookworm since I learned to read. And I became a writer around the same time. I was always making up stories in my head, or mentally recording what was going on around me. I wrote many stories and poems when I was younger (and wish I'd never stopped). So when I discovered blogging, it was a natural thing for me.
My blog is my place on the web. My internet home. I decorate it in a way that makes me happy. I talk about things that make me happy or interest me. I put things in my sidebar that mean something to me.
It's an outlet to talk about things that confuse me, anger me, amuse me, or just interest me.
My blog is also my soapbox. I talk about things that I want others to know about. There are so many issues that people are not aware of, such as Premarin mares, and puppy mills. I feel like if just a few people learn about these things from my blog, make changes in their lives, and maybe tell a few others....I've made a difference. And that means the world to me.
I blog about pet rescue and pet fostering, and even had one of our foster kittens adopted by a blog reader!
My blog is one of the places that I record our memories. I do Weekend Wrap-Ups, write about the funny things the kids say and do, post pictures of the fun times, and the ordinary times.
And through my blog, I've made friends. Friends who have laughed with me, supported me, lifted me up, prayed for me, and commiserated with me. People who have my back.
I blog to vent, to laugh, to learn, to relate, to inform. I like to think that I have something to give, and I most definitely receive so much from blogging (both writing and reading).
The purpose of blogging is so many things for me. I put a lot of myself into it, and get so much out of it.
It's so much more than "cute".

BlogHop '09

I go and announce that I'm taking my first ever Blog Break, and what happens? I stumble upon this awesome party going on this weekend! It's BlogHop '09. I'm all about a party, so I just had to crank out one quick post and join in on this one. It's a little fun for those of us who aren't at BlogHer '09. I'd love to be there - maybe next year!

So, here's a little about me:
My name is Cyndy. My husband, John, and I have been married for 4 years. Between the two of us, we have four children. Our boys are 16 & 9 years old, and the girls are 13 & 8. They are all awesome kids & we're very proud of them. My husband also has an angel baby, his firstborn son, who lived only 3 weeks. We live in a small town in North Florida.
John is my hero; I never imagined finding a man like him. He is such a good person and so laid-back. He took on a stressed-out single mom and her three kids, and loves us and takes care of us. He also makes me laugh even when I am in the foulest mood EVER. We are very good for each other.
I'm a little bit of a hippy who wants to save the world. We volunteer as much as we can, and try to help charities in small ways. One of those is the March for Babies, as John's firstborn son was a preemie. We walk & raise money in his memory at least once a year.
We are very committed to animal rescue, and foster cats and dogs. We currently have four dogs, three cats, and one fish of our own, and a handful of foster kittens.
I work nights full time at a hospital, and will soon be going to college to start the prerequisites I need for nursing school, which is exciting and a little terrifying.
We love going to outdoor concerts, the springs, the beach, river, lake....we like water. We love camping. I'm all about making memories and having fun. We love to laugh.
I'm not a type-A, overachieving kind of mom. I'm a DysFUNctional kind of mom. I'd rather leave the dishes in the sink and take the kids to the park. Our house is a chaotic zoo (which is why my Twitter name is CyndysZoo!). And that's the way we like it.
There's so much more to say, but this is supposed to be a quick introduction and I think I passed that a couple of paragraphs ago!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy Hopping!

Not Me! Monday - If NOT ME....Who?

Visit MckMama for more NOT ME! Monday posts!

Last week, we had 2 little foster kittens at the house.

Then I got an email from the head of the rescue group.

There was a mommy cat and 5 beautiful, still-nursing kittens at the shelter

who really deserved a shot at life.

Could I pick them up and foster them? NOT ME!

Would I add 6 more animals to the zoo? No way, NOT ME!



Would I give this sweet Mama a chance to live and raise her babies? NOT ME!

Would I give this wild man a chance to have a happy, cozy home? NOT ME!
(he's just meowing, I swear!)

Who would give these sweet babies a warm, safe home until they can be adopted and bring their love and joy to another family? NOT ME?
If not me...who?

There are nowhere near enough homes for them all.

There are also not enough foster homes for them all.
Do you have room in your home and your heart to foster even one kitten?

Do you have a tiny bit of extra time to save a life?

It doesn't take much. Most rescues pay for everything....food, litter, vetting, etc. All it costs is love and a very small amount of time, picking up the kittens and then taking care of them (feeding, watering, changing litter).

Summer is "kitten season". (the kitten in that pic looks just like one of our fosters!!)

I can promise you that your local shelter, Humane Society, ASPCA, or rescue group(s) would JUMP at your offer to foster kittens right now.

Can you help save a life?
If NOT YOU...who?

Weekend Wrap Up - 4.6.09

We had a pretty great weekend!

* Friday, we dropped off Elayna to spend the night with my parents. She LOVES spending time with them. I was exhasuted so my sweet hubby cooked dinner.

* Saturday, my parents took Elayna to Silver Springs. They had a great time. The big kids helped with an Easter Egg Hunt at Church. (Andrew is in the keys with my MIL for Spring Break!) Then Saturday afternoon, John, the big kids and I went to a Pet Adopt-a-Thon to help out our rescue group. We had a great time. Shelbie stayed in the puppy pen the whole time, taking on the rough job of cuddling with adorable, fuzzy puppies! Afterwards, we walked around the mall for a bit, then picked up Elayna. We had a very late, light dinner.

* Sunday, I had some great plans. And you know what happens with great plans, right? First, we were all going to go to church. Then, we were going to go back to the Adopt-a-Thon with 2 of our dogs, because they were doing free microchipping. Then we were going to do lots of other fun stuff. But, I woke up with my friend Mr. Migraine slamming on my head. The kids went to church by themselves, and the dogs did not get microchipped. But, once I finally got up, we did have a good time. I rode Shelbie's bike with Elayna....first time I've been on a bike in a LONG time, and my muscles were screaming! It was a lot of fun though. Afterward, we watched movies and ate another late dinner.

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

Did you have any plans that didn't quite work out for you?

10 Things I Believe In

This is my first time being able to participate in Mama Kat's Writing Assignment. I'm very pleased to be able to do it, finally!
If you have never visited Mama Kat, you are missing out. She is smart, funny, real, beautiful, the whole 9 yards. She has it going on! I love that attention craving poodle.
She's also having a giveaway right now that you should really check out. But if you enter, could you please do it in MY name? I really need a vacuum right now! K thanx bai.
So, for the writing assignment, I chose to list 10 things I believe in. These are scattered and unrelated things, but things that I truly do believe in.

1. Number one has to be Karma. Whatever you choose to call it, I'm a firm believer that what goes around really does come around.
2. Love. I had my doubts at some points in my life, whether or not true love really existed. I have no more doubts. (now I have that Dixie Chicks song in my head. "I believe in love. Love that's real, love that's strong, love that lives, on and on......")
3. Telling your kids NO. Why are some people afraid to set boundaries or say the dreaded "N-O" word to their children? They are doing their children and the world NO favors with this mentality. And it drives.me.crazy.!
4. The Golden Rule. "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." It's the number one thing I try to teach my children. I'm not saying I always follow it! But I think it's the ultimate rule to live by.
5. Helping out your fellow man, and those who can't help themselves. Be that children, animals, the elderly, adults who have fallen on hard times....etc.
6. Spaying & neutering, and being a responsible pet owner. This means taking care of your pet in all ways. This does not mean expecting your pet to act & reason like a human. It is OUR job as pet owners to protect them. We take on that responsibility when we take that animal into our home. Please, take it seriously.
7. Fun. Laughter. Enjoying the company of your family & friends. Living life to the fullest, not sitting idly back and watching it pass me by!
8. "You teach people how to treat you." -Dr Phil Whether you like him, love him, or hate him, this quote, in my opinion, is right on. You have to set boundaries with people in your life. Even if it means losing them, that's better than allowing yourself to be treated terribly. Another big thing I try to teach my kids. I had to live & learn.
9. Live & let live. Judge not. And "before you point your finger,make sure your hands are clean." -Bob Marley
10. I believe that this blogosphere is an amazing place. The fact that so many people take time out of their day to read my posts, then leave a comment of support, to wish me well, to commisserate, to laugh......it thrills me to no end. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. When I'm really PMSing, it makes me get choked up. Seriously, blogging is truly amazing. Thank you all for being my friends!

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta ~ Found!

"I'm in some weird house filled with dogs and strange people. Send help!"

"What is this place? Dogs Anonymous?"


"I told you we should've stayed in the yard!"

"Um, you're the one who wanted to go run in the highway!"


On Sunday night, my niece was on her way to my house. She called me and told me she had found two chihuhuas running in the highway. "What should I do with them?" she asked. Before I knew it, the words flew out of my mouth: "Bring them to me!"

This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has read my blog for more than 2.5 seconds. But, I was on a mission to get these puppies home. They looked as though they were well cared for, and I just knew that someone out there was missing them. We fed them and gave them a cozy place to sleep, and then I got in the internet. I posted ads on craigslist and our local paper, and got advice from my rescue group. We put up signs near where the dogs were found. I even asked for contacts for chihuahua rescues, just in case I couldn't find their owners. No more dogs for me!

They are so cute, though! The girl is white with black specks, and the boy is chocolate brown.

Very well-behaved doggies, too.

Finally, late on Tuesday night, the call came in. "I'm so sorry to call this late, but I just saw your ad in the paper. Our two chihuahuas are missing and my son is heartbroken!" She described our houseguests to a "T". Her husband had accidentally left the gate open.

So, on Wednesday, the dogs were returned to their happy owners and their very relieved Little Boy.

And all was right with the world!

~The End~

*Don't forget to check out my new rescue blog, daretorescue.blogspot.com!*
~We're going camping this weekend. Peace out!~

Tonight's Tirade

Warning: Pictures in link are not for the faint of heart.
This is why we foster & rescue.
This dog is not one of our fosters, but anything we can do to help dogs like that in any way...we're going to do it.
Our part right now is to take in dogs like these and help them get rehabilitated. We didn't get that poor girl, but because we have others, there was foster space for her in another home.
SCREW the people who make smart ass comments about all of the animals in our house.
SCREW the crap about the dog & cat hair.
SCREW the crap about us having more pets than humans (who fucking cares??).
SCREW the people who say we care more about animals than kids (total bullshit).
At least someone is stepping up and DOING SOMETHING about this horrific problem we have of throw-away animals. Turning a blind eye to it doesn't help at all.
Oh and SCREW the piece of shit who allowed this dog to get in that condition. I hope the same fate befalls that excuse for a human being.

How About You Just Rip My Heart Out, Instead?

As most of you know, we foster dogs for a rescue group. We've done very well about not getting attached to the dogs, for the most part. In fact, the only foster dog we've kept is one that Dysfunctional Dad got attached to. It wasn't my fault! Other than him, we've been able to take these dogs, help them get healthy (in some cases, take them to heartworm treatments, have major dental work, etc), and then lovingly pass them on to forever homes.
Back a couple of months ago, I got an urgent call from a rescue member, asking me if I could pull a dog from my county shelter that day or she'd be euthanized. I got the message too late to go that day, and I panicked; but fortunately she'd talked them in to waiting until the next day. So first thing the next morning, I picked up Suzie.
Suzie was skin and bones, and had liquid poops. She was in terrible shape.
We took her to the vet, and treated her for whipworms, which were causing her bowel problems and her inability to put on weight. She now looks and feels so much better. But she's still very old, around 14 years old. She's frail. And she's very, very attached to me. She sleeps right next to me. She follows me everywhere. She doesn't care about any other person or dog; just me.
Just last week, I said to hubby, I think we are going to have to keep Suzie.
She probably doesn't have a whole lot of time left on this earth, and I don't really know how she'd handle leaving our home at this point. Hubby agreed with me ('cause he's awesome like that).
The only issue is her adoption fee; while it's not much at all really, every dollar right now is going to the down payment for the Ladybug's braces. But I figured, well, nobody's showed any interest in her so far, so we'll probably have time, after we get the braces out of the way next month, to get the adoption fee paid.
What I didn't know was that the rescue group hadn't gotten her bio up on the website yet. But just this week, they put Suzie's bio on the website. And already, TWO people have shown an interest in her.
Oh.Crap.
I know the rescue group would hold her if I asked them to. But I'm so torn. I want what's best for Suzie. What if these people would give her a happy, comfortable forever home? I try SO hard to remember that we are fostering these dogs, and the goal is to let them go. And I've never had a problem with that.
Until Suzie.
I just don't know if they'd understand her. One of them said they're looking for a companion for their other dog. Suzie doesn't hang out with other dogs. Suzie likes people. (Suzie likes ME.)
The other one asked if she plays with toys. Suzie mostly sleeps. She wakes up to eat and go outside. She's not into toys. She's not into playing. She's a feeble old lady. And I love her.
I just want what's best for Suzie, and I want to do the right thing as a foster.
Why does it have to be so hard?


Here's a puppy picture for your viewing pleasure. This is Spikes, the 8 week old pupster. Apparently he likes to sleep while inhaling the lovely aroma of Dysfunctional Dad's toejam.

Thursday Thirteen

I'm ripping off Jogging in Circles and also posting 13 Random thoughts today.

1. I have had some work issues this week but they seemed to be resolved now, and it feels like a burden has been lifted off of me!

2. I am (literally) working my butt off to lose this weight! I am exercising more and more and being sure to eat right, even though I can eat basically anything I want, within reason, now that I am 7 weeks out. And I'm darned proud!

3. I am so happy that my husband holds down a steady job. Although his employers drive me nuts sometimes, he has worked at this job for over 5 years (longer than we've known each other!), which provides myself and my children with a stability that we have never before known. With my ex, I literally never knew when he was going to come home and tell me that his boss had 'pissed him off', so he'd quit his job. It happened often and it was a scary way to live.

4. I feel sorry for 'outside' pets. I can't imagine leaving my little doggies outside all night and/or day. Would you want to be outside all the time? Dogs are pack animals and want to be with their people. Statistically, inside animals live longer (although my parents had an outside cat who lived to be 19 years old.....I swear she truly had 9 lives.)

5. I have the coolest kids on the planet. Some days, something happens...something small.....that makes me realize that although I make mistakes, I do a pretty good job, and I am teaching them what I feel is important, and it really is sinking in. Case in point: when we adopted our cat last weekend, the group had a jar for donations. My Princess had a dollar in her purse, and asked me if she could put it in the jar. All on her own. She knew she was helping the animals. I nearly cried. The rescue group was very appreciative and made her feel awesome.

6. I feel so good about putting our blood, sweat, tears, and a chunk of money into fencing our back yard. None of us really knew what we were doing, but we figured it out and have a strong, sturdy fence and we go out and play every day. It's a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

7. My house is quickly becoming a zoo. In addition to four dogs and one cat, we may soon be adding a Sugar Glider. This will be primarily my son's pet. We also foster for the dachshund rescue, and we offered to foster & volunteer for Animal People, the group from which we adopted our cat.
And I love every minute of it all!

8. We love festivals and carnivals and goofy stuff like that. This summer, I hope to take the kids to all of them that fall on our 'kid weekends'. I want my kids to experience things, and have fun doing it. It's really not that hard to find inexpensive things to do, instead of sitting home on our hineys watching TV all weekend!

9. We're also going to start playing Disc Golf. Ever heard of it? Hubby has played before and says it's a blast.

10. This must be the most boring Thursday Thirteen EVER!

11. Many of your blogs inspire me in so many ways. I am so glad I found the Blogosphere!

12. Every fall, we do something called the Gator Walk. It's a smaller version of the March for Babies, hosted by the University of Florida. We started after Mr Wonderful and I got married. His firstborn son died from complications of prematurity, so we decided to do this as a way of honoring him. Last year, my kids came along too.
I will be hitting you up for money come fall! =)

13. When we adopted our cat, I asked Mr W for help in naming her. It seems like I always end up naming our pets, fosters included. He said he wasn't good at naming pets. I asked him "well, what were some of your cats' names, growing up?" and he said, "Mama Kitty, Big Kitty, and Baby Kitty."
I told him he is now officially never having any input into pet naming.

~43 lbs, gone forever!

Tater

Tater is our Baby Boy. See, hubby and I don't have any kids together. I have 3 kids, and he has one son. But no babies that are 'ours'. Which we are OK with.
Instead, we have dogs. And Tater is the youngest, and our only boy (except our old foster doggie, Tony).
Mr W LOVES Tater. I think maybe he loves him a little bit more than me.
He is really a darling, lovable dog, and much nicer than me, so I guess I can't really blame him, can I?
Tater is a lot like a cat. He's very snuggly. If I lay down, he lays right on my chest and snuggles up under my neck. He isn't hyper and he doesn't like to lick. So we're not constantly having to push him away from us because he's giving us an unneeded bath, like some other dogs who shall remain nameless. Sasha Isabella Maizy
He follows us around all the time, especially Mr W. He even follows us into the bathroom while we're showering, and stands up on the side of the tub, wanting to be let in.
We don't have our yard fenced yet in the new house, and when the kids are playing outside, he gets up on the top of the couch, looks out the window, and cries.
It's SO sad.
He is so tiny, furry, snuggly and cute. And a very, very good dog. The fact that someone, somewhere, let him get out and didn't even try to find him, is unfathomable. I don't know how long he was a stray. I don't even know how he survived, he's so little. But I'm so glad he did, and found his way to our rescue group, and found his way to us. We love our little Tater Tot.