Let's Jump Off Together

It has long been my intention to create a blog to chronicle the lives of my children. I have a notebook I keep by my bedside and I write little antecdotal stories that I always want to remember. But, I know me. And, I know how unfaithful I have been. I also know that I don't have a live-in member of my household to share these beautiful memories with. So, friends, I choose to share these beautiful memories with you. Okay - these will not always be beautiful memories, I can assure you. You may log onto my blog to find a horrendous and embarrasing kid or me story, a quick one liner, a mommy rant, a stray dog or puppy update, a social opinion - or just whatever. But, either way....it's my blog. It's my funny, my scary, my sad, my glad - or my beautiful.

And, why in the world did I name my blog, "The Jumpin' Off Place?" Well, I spent long moments in the shower or the car (usually the only quiet places I have to think - and those of you who know me know my showers are usually 3 minutes max) trying to come up with a title that didn't include our last name. I have just chosen not to use our last name for good common sense. And, I was texting my dear friend Jason today and telling him my mom's friend Bettye, a spitfire (who recently lost her battle with breast cancer) would say someone was ready to go to the "jumpin' off place" when they were stretched to the limit. Now, don't gasp! I am not ready to join Bettye Sue in the hereafter. She would be horrified at the thought. Besides, that would mean my parents would raise my children! I shudder to think of it - not because they are bad people, but because my mother threatened to leave me out dead in the yard if I got sick and died and left my kids and my dog and my new stray dog and the two puppies to her and my dad to raise. So, no jumpin' off place for me. But, rather - a jumpin' off place for all of us....a sort of new adventure.

As many of you know, I am a single adoptive mommy to two children ages three and four (Eli and Rosemary - my life), a mommy to Panda, an 11 1/2 year old rescued doggy whom I have had since she was 3 1/2 weeks old (we have been through everything together), a mommy to Gaby (Gabriella), a rescued, undernourished 7 lb. stray who we think is around 1 and came to live here around 5 1/2 weeks ago and had puppies almost 5 weeks ago, a guardian to Louise who weighed 9 ozs when she was last weighed (one of Gaby's puppies), and a guardian to George who weighed 1 lb, 4 ozs when he was last weighed (also one of Gaby's puppies.)

As I go through my life and my changes, you can go with me through them, too. Stay tuned. There are going to be several. I don't even have a hint as to what many of them will be just yet. I don't have a lot of strengths. Really I don't. But, I figure if one of a persons strengths combines with that same persons passion (for me it is writing), then the person can't go wrong if they share. I only hope it is enjoyed by 1 or 2 people! So, here we go.
Let's jump off.