On the first day of first grade Maggie came home sporting a lovely beaded necklace she had made. She proudly announced that the necklace told all about HER. Each color represented something different. Pink meant she had a sister, blue - she had a brother, white - she liked to read, etc. She told me that she was able to put every color bead on her necklace, except one - orange. So, of course I then asked her what an orange bead meant. With obvious disappointment, she said, "It means I have a pet." Oh, no. She's finally noticed. Ugh...



On occasion, I've been ridden with guilt over the fact that my children don't have a pet. But obviously not guilty enough to run out to the nearest pet store to buy a kitten, hamster, or even a goldfish (puppies, as cute as they are, are simply out of the question at the present time. I already do enough feeding, watering, cleaning up after, and yes, even poop scooping although of a different sort). Some of you may call me lazy, mean, an insensitive mom, or a bad citizen for my selfish stand. But as of today, I call myself BRILLIANT!!



For all you moms that may have similar feelings as mine, I have come up with the perfect solution to the parent-child pet problem. The best part - everyone ends up happy! The kids get their pet (so they think) and the mom has very little, if any, added responsibilities. Now that you're on the edge of your seat in anticipation, here it is...the solution to one of life's most frequently unsolved dilemmas...and it should have been so obvious before now... drumroll... A BIRD BATH/FEEDER. It's easy as that. My kids will get the pleasure of being able to daily feed and water their 5,000 new feathered friends and I get the pleasure of doing NOTHING!! Except maybe buy an occasional bag of birdseed which I believe should be cheaper than dog food, treats, toys, collars and accessories, puppy shots, and having the fluffy guy spayed or neutered (I can't say those two words together without thinking of Bob Barker).



Thanks to my friends at HGTV (they really do feel like my friends. Is that bad?) my kids and I are currently building our own birdbath and feeder. It's cute, quick, and inexpensive - my three requirements for a great family project. So, give us a day or two to complete our project, only because that's how long it will take me to post anything again, and then check back to see pictures of our creation and Maggie's and Ty's smiling faces because they will soon have more pets than any other kid they know. Man, I'm smart.