Change is good.

At around four in the morning I was sound asleep. Was. My beloved Alice decided that she was filthy and proceeded to bathe herself on the pillow next to my head. Great. There are a multitude of sounds that happen when a cat gives herself a tongue bath, exacerbated by the fact that during the wee hours of the morning my house is exceptionally quiet. This harmony going on just inches from my ear throws my brain into hyper-drive.  There's the jingle-clatter of her collar bell and identification tags... which makes me think about how much jewelry is necessary for this eleven-pound kitty; one with my name and address, a rabies tag, a city tag, and a small ball and clapper to warn little birdies of the oncoming approach of a predator.... Add to that the sound of licking. Not just licking  ... no... at close range Alice sounds like she's chewing an extremely ripe banana... slowly....  Then  she finds a little knot in her coat which sends her into a frenzy, nibbl...

There are moments in my life when I swear I'm psychic.  However, when I stop to think about it, it's more likely that I have, over the years, sharpened my intuition as a mom. I've honed the ability to recognize subtle changes in their behavior, stance, facial expression, etc., etc. in order to predict the next few events that will logically follow. Take the following scenario as an example... Standing in one of a variety of discount stores that grace the beautiful countryside of rural America, my son and I are shopping. The day has been fairly routine; breakfast, followed by about a half hour of Spongebob (or other varieties of animated delight), some light cleaning... you get the idea. He's been in a pretty good mood up to this point in the day.  By the time we reach the cleaning aisle, his demeanor changes... his skin has gotten a little paler, his eyes have glazed over as he stares bewildered into nothingness. My son now stops abruptly and leans forw...