offing furry family members
 

five seems early to know details. but I don't think we had a pet die between when I became aware of stuff and age 9 or so.

I didn't have a pet die during that period either. I had a puppy with severe hip dysplaysia (no idea how that is spelled), but my mom "took him back to the breeder" and everything was fine. Um, yeah. Apparently he got better and lived happily ever after. Bruno Dunes. <sniff>

My parents swear to this day that the dog from across the street went to live with the cousin of the owner on a farm. I press them on it every couple years or so. They remain steadfast in their "farm" story.

I got a dog out of it, though. I used to cry for the neighbor dog after it went away.

Binky!!!!!!!!!!!!

eta, come to think of it, I cried for Binky when he was there. He pretty much lived on a rope tied to a tree. Even at sub-8, I knew this was no way to live.

OK, now I'm really quite depressed. Good thing I have my new friend Sake with me again.

Ty. Now do you realize I'm right? Remember, at every step where you know what fringey's parents did- you need to go a different way. Costanza's rule.

And yet, you still became a lawyer.

No wonder you're depressed. . .

I had a dream where a puppy was injured and may have died last night.

I blame all of you.

My son had an uncle die when he was four. Kids really only process as much as they need to. They ask why someone's dying, why they won't be able to see them any more, and they get reassured that the person or pet isn't in pain any more. That's it.

This may perk you up: Grandma dies at grandchild's funeral

My son has been watching our dog fall over, so he's figured out that something is up, that's for sure.

is he still curious about his mom's breasts? maybe she can distract him.

dog
 

the main thing is for your kids not to think you're hiding stuff from them or giving them half truths-

when my daughter was about 5 my radio was stolen form my car. when lil princess sees the dangling wires she asked what happened- I didn't want for her to feel her security was violated by someone breaking into my car which could lead to her worrying about people breaking into the house etc. SO I LIED! i told her it was in to be fixed, she asked a follow-up question that would have required a second lie- and I just told her the truth. she was fine.

As to the dog, his friends will be telling him what happened so you might want to be straight. hell i don't know. it probably doesn't matter.

dog
 

When my mom told me that my pet hamster had run away while I was at school, I assumed she was feeding me BS and the thing had died.

Imagine my shock when, about 18 months later, the very-much-not-dead hamster ran across the kitchen floor during dinner. Damn thing had gained weight. She put in a few more appearances over the next few years, and apparently lived to a ripe old age.

dog
 

Oh, that is so so funny. We had a hamster who used to climb to the top of the "wheel" thing inside the cage, hang onto the cage cover with his little paws and then push the cover off. He'd zoom through the baseboard heating things at 4 am and everyone would wake up and Dad would be running around in underwear with holes in it trying to find (and kill) Sammy. Ah, the good old days.

Since we're on the topic of dying/dead pets, I have a friend who is ruined because she left the hamster cage on top of a space heater in the basement and later found him cooked.

I can't believe The Onion did this piece on a Viet Nam adoption. Things have changed attitude wise, but there are still people like this out there of course: My Adopted Daughter Is The Most Beautiful Child in The Third World

Have a great weekend everyone and Ty - I am so sorry!!!

dog
 

This is awesome! It gives me hope. I'm calling my mom right now and telling her to keep a look out for Sammy, the cat that ran away when I was four!

dog
 

(!)When you call, could you ask her why we all had pets named Sammy?

dog
 

It was short for Samantha.

dog
 

Greedy is right, I think. I remember what Sammy looked like well, and think it was a she, but I was four.

dog
 

or kids.

Speaking of which....
 

Happy Easter!

edited by Not Bob -- hi, TexLex!

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

1) Is it appropriate or just hypocritical to take your kids to an Easter egg hunt at a local church if you have no intention of attending not only that church but any church, ever?

And, unrelated, but...

2) What is the best way to get rid of church ladies that show up at your door early in the morning peddling Jesus Christ?

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

1. No, go for it. It's fun for the kids.

2. I used to greet them in the nude, but then I just got more visits, and come to think of it, more quarters. You might just simply tell them you belong to another church.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

1) Yes, it is fine. Just like your kids can show up for the White House Easter Egg Hunt even if you never have (nor will) voted for the occupant (cue the gay families showing up on the White House lawn this weekend). We are all God's children, even the prodigals among us.

2) Ask them if they have any kind of support group for lesbian mothers (it's mostly the conservative groups who knock on doors). Then tell the short one she's kind of cute.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

Is it open to the public for recruiting purposes? It seems a bit wrong to participate in (or take advantage of) an event that presumably is intended for members of the church or those who might become members of the church.

Of course, if it's just a community event, like the white house easter egg hunt, then carry on.

I won't inquire as to why you would have your children participate in an easter egg hunt when you have no intention of joining any church that celebrates easter. Then again, I don't understand jews (other than those For Jesus) celebrating christmas.

The church sent out a flier, so presumably we're invited, along with the rest of this zip code. I'm no Egg Hunt crasher!

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

And the religous significance of Easter eggs (or for that matter most Christmas traditions) is..........? I say go. It's like going to the summer fest beer tent at the church or the Friday fish fry.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

The Easter egg tradition may have celebrated the end of the privations of Lent. In the West, eggs were seen as "meat", which would have been forbidden during Lent. Likewise, in Eastern Christianity, both meat and dairy were prohibited during the fast, and eggs were seen as "dairy" (a foodstuff that could be taken from an animal without shedding its blood).

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

In reality, the tradition comes from a Christian sect, the "Church of the Two Marys", that was repressed by the Romans in the fifth century. The egg symbolized new life that was sacrified for mankind, in other words, it symbolized the sacrifice that Mary and Mary Magdalene made when her son/husband was crucified. The dying of the egg represented Jesus' blood on the cross, and early eggs were mostly dyed red. The Church of the Two Marys ate dyed eggs every week, in a ceremony similar to communion.

While the sect was repressed and the Gospel of Mary declared heretical, the egg dying appealed to the Romans, both because eggs had been used in Roman religion as a substitute sacrifice and because dying eggs was a way to have a more civilized version of the tatooing done by many of their Pagan subjects. It was in these years that eggs became more decorative, often being decorated with Gallic or Celtic patterns previously used for tatoos.

So, in reality, the dying of eggs is a combination of heretical and pagan symbolism adopted by mainstream Christianity.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

Why would you do either of those things? Unless you're going as part of a community event, or a charity fund raiser.

But since the church in question apparently made ithis a community event, I say "hunt away". And bring your gay lover.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

I'm thinking that your second paragraph isn't based in reality, since you haven't told us that it is. Very sneaky.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

I hope it's not. It's too sad to think of all those poor dying eggs.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

It's nice to have you around to fix my spelling.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

If only I could make a job out of it.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

You can. It just doesn't pay very well. Or at all.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

Depends whether it's a union shop. I have a friend from high school who's a copy editor for a relatively podunk, but union, newspaper, and she makes pretty good money. Not BIGLAW money, but better than you'd might expect (better than the local teachers).

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

Maybe if they paid the teachers more, the community newspapers wouldn't need so much editing.

Every time I read my neighborhood weekly I want to red pen the hell out of it and walk it down to the printing office. It's a shandeh un a charpeh, I tell you.

OK, so, in sum, I can take my Cadbury worshipping self and my gay lover(s) to this Baptist event without feeling any pangs of remorse? I do know better than to sign up for the well-advertised door prizes which will only get me more Jesus Ladies coming to the house.

You can bring your kid, too.

But have I ever told you about where the Easter Chocolate Bunny tradition came from, in reality?

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

My friend got her first copy editing job by doing just that.

Of course, she makes dtb look like, um, something that's the opposite of an editing nazi.

In reality, it doesn't matter as long as it's good quality chocolate. And solid...none of that hollow bunny bullshit. Rabbitshit. Whatever.

I apologize for breaking the Board.
 

Ask them in so that you can show them your personalized line of sexual devices in action, available at rock bottom prices.