So much has happened since Spring, for a moment I had to wonder where I should start.
The grandparents came and are now gone after 6 months of stay. Of course being typical Chinese they had some issues with my two 4-legged kids, but I am glad that they (more like my dad) did not make me send my dear pups away... well actually he did "hint" such an idea but I turned a very deaf ear to that. In the end, the old man gave up and learned to walk the two big ones on his own when my husband and I were not around. I don't know if they will miss my dogs at all but I do hope that they will think twice next time they have dog dish in a restaurant back in China.
Speaking of big, Coley has become oh so HUGE - actually I think I should have named him Pony! The boy is nearly 90 pounds now. When our vet first met him, he commented that the boy had "elephant feet" and warned he could be gigantic. Coley is now officially 11-month old and is even taller than Daddy when he stands up. As he grows the boy's shepherd instinct has finally kicked in. A few weeks ago Coley had his very first trick-or-treating experience, and I was surprised to see how anxious he became when the girls walked up to doors outside our cul-de-sac street to beg for candies - he whimpered, he jumped around, and he barked on top of his lungs to warn people "Don't you get ideas!"....I think.
Caitey on the other hand, is about 2-inch lower in height and many many inches shorter in length compared with her "hubby". I sometimes feel sad for her because the power has once again shifted - this time to Coley's favour. The boy is now bigger, stronger, and faster, so the girl loses to him left and right. Whenever the boy steals her toy or treat, all she can come up with is to growl. That kind of pathetic and sad look makes Mommy once again thinking - did I exactly do Caitey a favour by giving her a companion of MY choice?
The good thing is that both pups are usually very quiet, but they will jump up from their naps and give out the most vicious barks if there is something or someone at the door. The other day a UPS guy left a box at my front door, and once these two started making noise I don't think that I have seen anyone run that fast in my life!
The happy news is that both our dogs have gone thru intermediate training which prepared them for further advanced classes to be therapy dogs, although I have to say that it was a bit of struggle for Caitey to pass because she STILL jumps on people when I am not watching her. I AM glad though that she possesses that kind of crazy zest for life, and frankly I don't really wish it to change anytime soon... well so long as I don't get sued.
Their human sisters have also grown - they are now taller, smarter, and driving me to the wall! The trade off is they have also picked up mommy's quick wit so I can get amused often. Just the other day Caitlin said "Mrs. So-and-so's pupils are bigger than her eyeballs!".
The girls have also matured (somewhat) mentally. Today Claire mentioned to me on our way back home after her ballet class that she "accepts" the fact the boy(s) she has a crush on probably will never like her back. She mentioned this in a very casual yet brave "I am fine with that" kind of tone and it made me sniff. A very bright and pretty girl, Claire is not even 12 yet but already going thru adult pain!
Sometimes I feel I live just for the sake of my four kids. I hope they will grow to be wise and kind human beings and useful K9 citizens respectively.
We Chinese parents typically wish our children to excel academically, have a respectful career that pays many many many zeros after a high number, and fulfill the dreams that we could never make happen in our lives. We can't help being pushy and demanding, not just because we want to be proud of our cubs and have something to brag to our friends, it is because WE THINK we are doing the best for our kids with our relentless disciplines and demands and we THINK we have done them a huge favour and carried out our duty as parents.
After having spent most of my adult life in the corporate world, I have seen many high-IQed & well-educated people struggle, yet better-EQed & well-liked people succeed at the workplace. So in this sense, our children's sky-high scores on standard tests really aren't a guarantee of their future success in life - it is a child's positive attitude that makes him/her stand above the crowd and shine, "Attitude determines lattitude" as they say.
Here I might sound like a 女人 (woman) but I am also a 过来人 (been there done that). As I grow older (and hopefully a little wiser), I have learned that the grass over the fence really isn't that greener if you look at it from their side, and the ladder that you desperately try to climb ahead of everyone else is easier to advance up than to stay up - hence people say it is cold and lonely at the top. The things that used to matter dearly to me stopped feeling so important. Material things, fame, and vanity fair are as intangible as the air we breathe, yes they ARE as beautiful and brilliant as the rainbow up in the sky, but unfortunately they are as short-lived as well.
Finally, from this point on I shall pass this blog to my two human girls. I am getting so busy that I find it hard to devote much time to record those perky daily events of my children. A friend suggested that maybe I should ask the girls to do it instead and I think it is a brilliant idea. The Brontë sisters wrote stories for each other at very young age and that experience prepared them to be world class writers. I hope by taking over this blog, my girls will at least have the chance to learn how to organize their thoughts and put things together in an interesting and meaningful way. I will be their most loyal reader and diligent critic.
Last but not the least, I will conclude my writing here with a quote from my favorite poet Robert Frost - "You have freedom when you're easy in your harness."
May God bless all of our children.
