January – 2012 – ReeWrite

I am a bad blogger. I haven’t written about my son in months and it’s a shame because he’s growing and developing in leaps and bounds and I haven’t the time to document a lot of it.

I am a bad mom. With almost a moment’s notice, I ran off to Las Vegas with my best friend, crashing a trip my mom and dad had previously planned there. My brother and his pregnant wife tagged along, too. We. Had. A. Blast.

I have a good son. Well, sometimes. Besides calling anything with fur that moves, Ella, the name of our dog, he now clearly says Dee-Dee, the nickname of our cat. He also says momma and dadda with purpose. Much to my enjoyment and to Jason’s chagrin, he knows the word “cookie” which he pronounces “coke-a.” He does so many things that delight me, like kiss the boo-boo on my hand, and so many things that frustrate me, like constantly drag me to the fridge so that I can watch him empty its contents, only to eventually abandon all of it.

Be still my beating heart...

Mylo started daycare in November and has been healthy for all of one week since. Seriously, he spent the entire month of November sick. So much so that it required his first antibiotic, a non-Mylostone milestone. It is mid-January and he is with cold, again. His doctors tell us to look on the bright side: when he starts kindergarten he won’t be sick as much because his immunity is strengthening thanks to other snot-nosed Brooklyn babies and toddlers. Other than being sick all the time, daycare’s been great. While he’s not always so thrilled when we drop him off, it’s doing great things for him. They provide a vegetarian menu at daycare and the women there genuinely seem like they care about him. He’s learning to share, and he’s learned to nap in a pack n’ play. Yes, NAP! The most precocious boy who would only nap in a moving stroller, has finally taken to napping in a crib, with a bottle. Hallelujah.

I am working again, part-time and it’s fantastic. I am also currently waiting on big news. NO, I am not pregnant. To think we had talked about having another in 2012 makes me think someone must have spiked our drinks. Or, we were just high on life. I am not low, but I cannot even imagine bringing new life into the world right now. There is so much we are working on, and talking about… not to mention a certain little someone who stimulates and exhausts every fiber of our being. Our plates are full and our palettes are sated. For now anyway 🙂

A friend recently brought the news about Angel’s Gate to my attention and it has left me sad and extremely confused. To say that this organization was one that I looked up to and admired is an understatement. This hospice for animals began in a town away from my hometown. I volunteered with them, ran their 5K’s every summer, donated to them on a monthly basis and stood by them while they were being pushed out of their home by the town.

While I do support PETA, I also take everything they do and say with a grain of salt. Susan Marino was obviously in way over her head. It happens to many animal rescuers, and it is unfortunate.

This statement was recently posted on the organization’s website:

As many of you know, for unknown reasons Angel’s Gate has been the target of an unwarranted attack. Unfortunately, this has resulted in the circulation of many false accusations and rumors.

We here at Angel’s Gate, have created a gentle and compassionate environment to allow our resident animals to live out the final chapter of their lives with dignity and receive specialized care for their individual needs. Anyone thinking otherwise simply hasn’t visited the facility or witnessed the extraordinary work accomplished on a daily basis by the committed and loving staff.

Angel’s Gate is not a shelter; it is a hospice and as such, many of the animals require care that most pet owners never have to contemplate. Our residents’ health and safety are our primary concerns and we go to remarkable lengths to ensure their well-being.

We are appreciative of our supporters who continue to believe in us and our work as we go through this difficult ordeal. We also hope there comes a day when animal care and rights groups start working with, and not against, each other. We all have a common goal: ensuring the well-being of sentient creatures who, for better or worse, have found themselves at the mercy of our care. Angel’s Gate hopes that you continue to support our mission so that we may provide for terminally ill animals and rehabilitate those with special needs in the future.

Sincerely,
The Board of Directors of Angel’s Gate

Month: January 2012

First Post of 2012

What happened to Angel’s Gate?