Teenagers - am I glad mine are now dogs

The following piece is "author unknown" but came to us via the American Family Association.  It will be especially meaningful to those of you who are parents of teenagers:

"I just realized that while children are dogs -- loyal and affectionate -- teenagers are cats.  It's so easy to be a dog owner.  You feed it, train it, boss it around.  It puts its head on your knees and gazes at you as if you were a Rembrandt painting.  It bounds indoors with enthusiasm when you call it. Then around age 13 your adorable little puppy turns into a big old cat.  When you tell it to come inside it looks amazed, as if wondering who died and made you emperor.  Instead of dogging your footsteps, it disappears. You won't see it again until it gets hungry -- then it pauses on its sprint through the kitchen to turn up its nose up at whatever you're serving. When you reach out to ruffle its head, in that old affectionate gesture, it twists away from you, then gives you a blank stare as if trying to remember where it has seen you before.  You, not realizing that the dog is now a cat, think something must be desperately wrong with it. It seems so antisocial, so distant, sort of depressed.  It won't go on family outings. Since you're the one who raised it, taught it to fetch and stay and sit on command, you assume that you did something wrong.  Flooded with guilt and fear, you redouble your efforts to make your pet behave.  Only now you're dealing with a cat, so everything that worked before now produces the opposite of the desired result.  Call it, and it runs away. Tell it to sit, and it jumps the counter.  The more you go toward it wringing your hands, the more it moves away.

Instead of continuing to act like a dog owner, you have to learn to behave like a cat owner.  Put a dish of food near the door, and let it come to you.  But remember that a cat needs your help and affection too. Sit still and it will come, seeking the warm, comfortable lap it has not entirely forgotten.  Be there to open the door for it.  One day, your grown up child will walk into the kitchen, give you a big kiss and say, "You've been on your feet all day.  Let me get those dishes for you.”

"Then you will realize your cat is a dog again." 

Wedding

Wow - the wedding day is almost upon us.
Seven months of planning and anticipation and the finish line is right here.
I made the guests gifts - decoupage tooth boxes with hand made earrings for the ladies, and key rings for the guys. Then special glitter for the kids table. I have made the table map for the entrance (which will be put up on an easel) , the name tags for each person and the thank you cards. I bought all the vases for the centre pieces and will be ready to do special arrangements (pretty simple but I think its stunning).
I have bought three candles and decoupaged wedding goodies onto them, and all kinds of finicky little things that have kept me so busy and happily jiving until late some nights.
Have loved it. Even thinking of going into wedding planning. It has been such a pleasure.
Right down to going with to the dress fitting has been exciting. The fact that the girl child is not thrilled with how the dress has turned out is besides the point. On the day she will love it when everyone tells her how absolutely beautiful she is.
And to add to all of this joy, the family is coming from the UK a week before the wedding. I cannot wait to see them.
Will take photos of the goodies and post at some later stage.