On second thought

Kitten for Christmas is living proof that sometimes Mom says ‘yes’What’s a mom to do at Christmas when her children beg for expensive gifts she can’t afford?She does what any good mother would do. Without a moment’s hesitation, she utters the single most detested word in childhood history: "No."And then she follows with a brief sermon about money not growing on trees and that their friends who are reportedly getting these gifts will be no happier in the long run.All good mothers know this, and all good children eventually accept "no" for an answer.But a creative mother improvises.She finds a priceless (free) gift that will make all others pale in comparison, and to build anticipation, she drops hints that the "big gift" is coming, even if it’s not wrapped under the tree.In the Ehde house this year, that gift was a kitten.Though it took contemplation, it wasn’t a difficult decision."Please, Mom. Can I please have a kitten?" has been the recurring refrain for the past six months. At the Rock County Children’s Fair this summer, 4-year-old Carson met a kitten at one of the learning booths. He spent an hour holding and petting the fur ball until we dragged him away kicking and screaming.And he’s been begging for a kitten ever since.Common sense initially drove me to say "no" (we already have two house cats). But in the weeks to follow, the continued pleading tugged at my heartstrings, and I found myself looking for reasons to say "yes."
At 13 years old, our current housecats are entering their golden years. I reasoned that a kitten would ease the "circle of life" discussion when that time comes.
The repeated pleas for a kitten indicate that it’s more than a passing 4-year-old fancy. He really wanted this one thing.
Other than a future vet visit for shots, etc., kittens come cheap.Once I started shopping around, I found that kittens are abundant. It made me sad to learn there are so many kittens looking for homes and I could choose only one.The "chosen one" eventually came from Scott and Michelle Wessels, whose house cat had a litter several weeks ago. The little darlings had just been weaned, and they were ready to take on the world.I bonded immediately with a fat gray tabby with a sweet face and white paws.I took him home in his new kitten carrier Friday, wrapped it and placed it on the kitchen counter before picking up the boys that day.I followed them into the kitchen in time to stop a furious package shaking — a kid’s natural response to a large, wrapped present.It took awhile for reality to set in."Mom, you got the cats a new carrier!" 9-year-old Jonathan said at first glance."Look inside," I urged, trying to contain my own excitement."Is that really what it is?" he asked. "A kitten?"His jaw dropped, remaining that way for quite some time."Is he ours?" Carson asked, jumping up and down. "… to keep? … Forever and ever?"I don’t know what was more amazing to them, having the kitten in their possession or the fact that sometimes Mom says "Yes."Best wishes in 2006, and may you sometimes hear "yes" to your most urgent requests.