<p>Now I see why those signs are necessary around water!</p>
<p>I have an entry in the “crazy” category, as opposed to the “mean,” “rude/obnoxious,” and “sub-human” categories I am starting to see here. I have a huge family, on both sides, well over 100 first cousins, many aunts and uncles. Some years ago one of my sisters did a lovely family tree as a school project. Because of the large number of descendants, it was quite intricate and beautiful. My mother had the idea to take it to the family Christmas gathering of her side of the family. Two aunts stomped out, irate, after seeing it. First aunt’s (not blood) reason: The family tree included the children of another aunt/uncle, whom she considered illegitimate because they stemmed from a second marriage (she is more Catholic than the Pope) which the Catholic Church recognized because the first marriage had not been performed in a C. church. Second aunt’s (blood) reason: The family tree did not include her cats, whom she considered her children.</p>
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Oof! That is a winning anecdote. Pretty hard to top that.</p>
<p>OMG, the feline children just tops it!</p>
<p>HImom, there’s a family in my building that lets their 3-to-6-year-olds swim in the un-lifeguarded pool without watching them. Mom is usually somewhere outdoors, but often tanning face down 30 feet away or otherwise totally disengaged. The kids are strong swimmers, but come on! The little one wears arm-floaties, so I guess that means nothing bad can happen. I can’t complain to the building because the kids are behaving, and technically an adult is present (though apparently asleep, far away, whatever). I’m just waiting for these Planet Lazy parents to sue our pants off if somebody gets hurt.</p>
<p>zoosermom, you beat me to it! I agree that feline offspring needing to be listed on the family tree may win the “folks from another planet” prize!!!</p>
<p>Wow, NYMomof@, you win. Cats in the family tree!</p>
<p>Also peculiar-- the idea that children born to unmarried parents aren’t in the family. If one of my nieces had a baby without being married, I wouldn’t be related to that baby? Or maybe it’s not a baby? Strange. Very strange. I realize that in fact, the parents of the kids in question were married. But the whole idea is bizarre, married parents or single parents. Do the kittens and grandkittens of the cat-aunt count, even if they are in different households? Inquiring minds want to know.</p>
<p>I know a young person who almost drowned wearing one of those tops that have an innertube attached that is supposed to aid floatation. Her mom was sitting 20 feet away but could have been on another planet for all the attention that was being paid. For some reason, the young person ended up being flipped so that the floatation device was actually holding her UNDER the water and she would have drowned if someone hadn’t been keeping an eye on the youngster. Her mom never realized how close the kid came to drowning & still doesn’t understand 15 years later!</p>
<p>Not that long ago, a young infant/toddler drowned while being “tended/watched” by an older sib, who was also about 5 years old. It really does make you wonder what folks are thinking. I feel bad for the older sib who will have to live with the guilt that somehow s/he didn’t honor the responsibility that was entrusted to him/her when it was child abuse & neglect.</p>
<p>A relative would always sign his Christmas cards as being from “cousin Scooter” (dog) as well as his two girls. He told his mom that she had 15 grandkids & mom was puzzled until he said, you ARE counting Scooter, too, aren’t you?</p>
<p>Including the cats and their offspring on the family tree would increase the sanity quotient considerably.</p>
<p>As a side note to the cat relatives, here’s a sweet story. My D2 always wanted a dog and in our previous home we just couldn’t have one, so a dear friend would invite my daughter for playdates with her doggie daughter. My D could come over and play with the dog, take it for walks, enjoy snacks together. My D would send the dog thank you notes and they would dress up together and go trick or treating on Halloween. This friend was never able to have children and is one of the most generous souls I’ve ever met. When the doggie daughter passed away, the outpouring of support and affection from people who had been touched by this woman was enormous.</p>
<p>Increase the sanity quotient with the cats in the family tree. LOL NYmomof2!</p>
<p>NYMomof2-That story is a classic!</p>
<p>Just want to know - were the cats from a first or second marriage?</p>
<p>I know a very nice woman who has about 15 cats–all living with her in her condo (the number goes up & down slightly from time to time). She has to hold a full-time job and another part-time job to pay the vet bills & other living expenses. She is very dear and the cats are like her kids, as she has no kids.</p>
<p>The cat-parenting aunt has never married. So, I guess, according to Crazy Aunt 2, the cats are illegitimate and should join the illegitimate children in Family Tree Limbo!</p>