Last November, Christine asked me if we could get a kitten. While my original answer was no - I decided to give it a try - and wound up with the most loving, affectionate and adorable cat I have ever encountered. From following me around the house, to greeting me as soon as I get home from work - to waking me up with kisses every morning - I consider Beavis not my pet - but my son. And if he is my son, then I am the parent. And after this morning - I really know what it feels like to be a parent.

Considering the fact that Beavis is less then a year old, he is still a baby. And being a baby, he is undisciplined, curious - and destructive. He claws at the couch, he knocks over garbage cans - and even surprisingly enjoys playing with water. But most of the time when he is bad - or as Christine and I call it, "stink" - I let it slide after I discipline him. But this morning was a whole other story.

I had planned to get up at 6:30am for work - which apparently was not early enough for Beavis - who wanted to be fed. So in order to wake me up, he did everything from playing with objects that made noise, to meowing - to knocking over several garbage pails. After trying to ignore his behavior for what seemed like an hour - I finally had it and got up to yell at him - and fell down a flight of stairs as I was on my way to yell at him.

As I was lying there looking up at my ceiling at 6:00am - I was in pain, half awake - and very angry. I always pride myself on starting off my day calmly and stress free - not by waking up and falling down the stairs before my eyes are even fully open.

After screaming at him at the top of my lungs, I then went into the shower. As I mentioned before, Beavis likes to play with water and always wants to look in the shower to see the water running. This morning, he wanted to look in the shower so badly - that he managed to use his paw to not only open the shower door - but to knock it off of its hinges. Now, here I am standing in the shower holding the glass shower door so it doesn't fall off and shatter while still reeling from my fall just a few minutes earlier.

Needless to say, I wanted nothing to do with Beavis for the rest of the morning - and that was obviously made very clear - because he knew to keep a safe distance from me until I left for work.

It's no secret that I do not want to have children of my own. But I realize now that in a way - I already have one. Because just like a human baby - Beavis is an infant that needs as much attention as two legged babies. And while I was very mad at him this morning and still am - I know that when I get home and he greets me at the door - I will probably forgive him for being so "stink" this morning.

Look on the bright side - at least I don't have to change diapers.
"Teach your children well,
their father's hell did slowly go by.
And feed them on your dreams,
the one they picks, the one you'll know by.
Don't you ever ask them why, if they told you, you will cry,
so just look at them and sigh - and know they love you."
CSNY - Teach Your Children