On The Road To Womanhood... Wearing Roller Blades???

I went to bed Friday night the mother of a tween, but awoke the next morning the mother of a teen.  How scary is that?  Yes, Mikayla is a true teenager now, having turned 13 at 12:57 a.m. Friday night/Saturday morning.  Oh the horror!  I'm OLD now!

It's hard to believe that the tiny, 6 pound, 13 ounce baby that I delivered is now nearing womanhood.  I say nearing... she's still got plenty of growing to do!

Thinking back on that labor and delivery I can both laugh and cringe.  The pain!  Oh, the pain!  Why did I not get an epidural?  Having Mom and Jill in the room should have been so comforting to me, but the blasted pain was so bad that I was delirious for most of the labor.  Speaking unintelligibly, moaning and groaning as if that creature from Alien was in my belly, not a sweet, innocent baby.




And let us not forget the most profound thing uttered from my lips during labor.




"Doc!  My hoo-hoo HURTSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"




But now look at her, my beautiful fiesty girl.

Always with the mismatched socks that match not her outfit, or even each other.

The child looks nothing like me.  She's all Oko.

She's a short little thing, but with legs that go for miles.

She's a playful thing when the mood strikes, but if she's not in a happy mood?  Watch out world!




Twice that day she made me sing Happy Birthday to her in my "funny" voice.  I do believe she recorded it and posted it on Facebook.  Little stinker still doesn't get it that it takes a lot more than that to embarrass her mama!




Here she is decked out for July 4th... on July 3rd.  Ermmm?  Huh?

One of the neighbors organizes a kids parade to celebrate Independence Day and for some reason, this year it was held the day before.  It was totally adorable, the kids, adults and dogs being led by two motorcycles and one quad driven by a retired Marine.  Yeah baby, yeah!

That's my little Jordyn, my favorite kid in the neighborhood, aside from my own.  And that's her proud daddy, Tom, who has fought for our country with bravery and pride.  Thank you, Tom!!!

They're at the ready!  Can you spot Strudel's ass?

And they're off!!!







Hope all of you had a fabulous holiday weekend. Mine was spent in the house by my lonesome, feeling horrendously weak and tired. I just found out that I'm anemic, so hopefully after a bunch of iron pills are consumed I'll start feeling my normal crappy again.


Muah!

I Smell A Rat!!!

Sniff sniff.  Do you smell it?  Smells like rodent to me!

But not that rodent.  He's just too weird looking.

I'm talking about this rodent...

And she doesn't smell at all.

Try to tell me that's not a face you could love?  I'll tell ya what, I love that face.  I love this rat!  

Unfortunately, she's not mine until I kill her owners and steal her.  Her name is Cheesy and she is Madison's friend's beloved pet.  But for the next week, while Cheesy's family is away on vacation, I get to rat-sit!!

Ya know, while the rats mice are away...

I know you're all thinking I'm some kind of ratshit crazy, but... I adore her.  I adore almost all critters, but I especially love ones that will snuggle and cuddle, wrap their tail around you and lick you senseless.

And that's exactly what Cheesy does.  She's kind of like a dog, but with a disgustingly scaly tail and little beady eyes.

I think Strudel wants to eat her but we can't have that, no no!  So Cheesy is spending time between Mikayla's and Madison's rooms upstairs, with playtime downstairs while Strudel is confined to the bitch cave.

I'm in rat heaven!!!!

Did I mention that I lurvs her?