Butterfly Cauldron

The scene: My brother's home. In the yard sits a wayward, lonely little pug puppy. The other dogs refuse to play with her and the cats have mocked her. She is sad, sad, sad. She has also never been at this house before, but it seems friendly. As she sits there, a car pulls into the driveway. She stands up, hopeful, and wags her little tail.

In the car: Brian spots the dog and looks at Kim. Oh no. They know what this means. Is there a way to get Kady into the house without seeing the puppy? Ha. Not likely.

Kady, preceptive child, spots the puppy and makes for her like a beeline.

Kady (to puppy): Oh, my doggie! Where have you been? I've missed you sooooooo much!
Brian: Kady, we don't know where that dog has been. We don't know whose she is . . .
Kady (scooping up the now happy puppy and hugging her tightly): She's mine.
Kim: Kady. Someone may be missing her.
Kady (stubbornly): She's MINE.

And so, my niece now has a new dog. Her name is Missy. And she belongs to Kady. Period.

Labels: kady

I know you've all just been *dying* to meet the people who produced the amazing woman who is me. I know, I know. You never said, but I understand. You all want to meet my family, doncha? Well, ok. If you insist.

I was at my gorgeous, beautiful, amazing Kady's 3rd birthday party yesterday. So, let's meet her first, shall we?



You see now why I adore her? Of course you do. It's readily apparent. A quick story from the party: Kady got her first *shudder* Barbie Doll. A pack of two, actually. A Snow White Barbie and a Cinderella Barbie. Not from me, of course. Still, being the good Aunt, I unpacked 'em for her and handed 'em over. Her mother and my mother were cooing over the dolls and I was inwardly cringing. Barbie? Nooo!! Then, Kady looks at me, offering me one of the dolls and says, "Wanna go play with 'em in the dirt?"

At which point, any fear I had of Barbie underminding my Kady's sense of self-worth was instantly demolished. And I laughed. Oh, I so laughed. And we plotted to bury Barbie in the sandbox, much to my mother's horror.

Next up? My Dad (with Kady, of course):



You can't really tell from this photo, but my father is a giant. He's six foot nine and well, you can see he's not small in any other way. And he's a marshmellow. Kady gets anything she wants and she looooves her Papa. Yesterday, when she was showing me her bright red My Little Pony, she said that Papa was going to buy her a real one when she gets big and she's gonna ride it. I told Dad she said this and he, for a moment looked puzzled, then shrugged and nodded. "I am." Of course he is. That child is irresistable.

Next, my grandmothers. Both of my grandmothers are still living and have always been very much a part of my life. My Grandma West (in the blue shirt) is the one who raised five children on her own, after dumping my abusive, adulterous grandfather at a time when women did not do such things. All five went on to get an education and to raise families of their own, being decent citizens who are nothing like their father. My Grandma Manuel (in the pink) has reinvinted her life following my grandfather's death 20 years ago. She had spent all her life focused on her family and home. Now, she's one of the "Crazy Old Women" who do whatever the hell they want. Each year, she and her friends get into her minivan, pull out the map and decide where they're going. They've been all over the country and they're toying with going to Mexico. They give me hope that life always gets better, even when it gets hard.

Labels: family, kady