How Many Kids Do I Really Have?

Sometimes I think I have six children instead of three because of our two dogs and Ms. Angelle. Don't get me wrong. I love my friendship with Ms. Angelle. It's just that she has gotten very needy lately, as any almost ninety-five-year-old would. Poor thing can barely walk, yet she is too stubborn to get a walker to help her around her two-story, ten bedroom and three car garage house. Since her daughter, who lives only ninety miles away, can never find the time to visit her mother, Mr. K and I feel we need to check on her almost everyday. I take her shopping (wheel her around Sams and try to manuever the big items as well) and to doctor's appointments, although we haven't been in a while and need to go. Yesterday I took Ms. Angelle some banana bread and she was feeling very poorly. I think I might have cheered her up, though, because we ended up going through all her shoes and she gave me a lot of them. Some have never been worn and some are worn out, but how could I say no? She delighted in the joy of watching me try on each pair and parade around for her. I had felt a little weary about going over to her house but was so glad I did.

The dogs are like kids, too. Yesterday when I got home from visiting Ms. Angelle, two huge pieces of wood had been ripped off the back of our house and drug to the back door. When Mr. K got home, I told him I was sure Snowy did it (of course, since Jake is basically my dog, and Snowy is his). He defensively replied that he thought Jake did it. How dare he? My dog is a perfect angel. At least he was until mischievous Snowy showed up! The other day, Mr. K made a sandwich and then left it on the counter for a few minutes. When he got back to eat it, nothing was there. The napkin was on the floor and BOTH the dogs were looking at him with their big sweet eyes and innocently wagging their tails. Yet, Pete had to blame it on Jake. Just like kids, the dogs get in trouble together. Only Katie, Andrew and Nicholas don't seem to cause as much trouble as Snowy and Jake (thank you dear Jesus). Actually, I think that the dogs are more like children and our kids are more like...responsible Kolps. Hopefully it will stay that way.