A window into her mind.

Maddie has been keeping a blog for a few months now. I kept this from you because most of the time the Internet is like a big bear hug but sometimes the Internet is like a sloppy grope in the dark and it makes you angry.

But Internet, I know if I show you my nearly 9-year-old daughter's blog you'll be cool.

Months ago she wrote this post. She was expounding on her very sweet relationship with my brother and sister-in-law's rescue dog Molly. The one who would only quiver in fear while in my presence.

Hello you may have or know a scared dog well here are some things I do when I see one if you want to pet it then maybe you should let it sniff your fist instead of your hand and if it starts to bark just walk away do not look at them later try again but push(not really push go up and pet it) a little because at some point your going to need to feel and pet it just remember you have to remember that every one gets scared some times.

I love this: "you have to remember that every one gets scared some times." She knows animals get scared as well as anyone.

On Saturday Maddie had some trouble with Logan and I going to a wedding. She cried and begged us not to go, just like she did as a three year old. We felt frustrated and frankly, annoyed, with her inability (again) to just roll with life.

While we were at the wedding, she went with my friend Andrea to a couple of soccer games and then a neighborhood party (we had to miss and it hurt....oh it hurt). When she called crying about how she missed us and just wanted to be home we tried to be patient and empathetic but really our annoyment may have come through our gritted teeth as we said, "WeWillBeTogetherAllDayTomorrowJustLikeEveryOtherDay....PLEASE LET US HAVE FUN WITH OUR FRIENDS."

She wrote a post early Sunday morning which seems awfully transparent considering all of this.

Let's re-title this post: Kids Are Kids!

Today I will share some thing every dog owner should know......................DOGS [Kids] ARE DOGS [Kids] ......I mean if your dog trashes things [kid has trouble going with the flow] and no matter how hard you try you can not get him [her] to stop you tried your hardest but that will be the way he'll [she'll] stay like my cat Gary he will always be hungry but I can not make him never be hungry again (even though it would save us a lot of cat food).So love your dog [daughter] even though it [she] has it's [her] moments.Remember DOGS RULE,CATS DROOL! [Loose Translation: Daughters Rule, Sons Drool]

If only she were a dog, we could just swat her with a newspaper.

Comments

[Jennifer]

Holy Crap, that's a cute blog. I'm so impressed that she can keep on topic like that.

[beanpaste]

Oh, Lordy, that is painfully adorable.

Thanks for sharing with the Internet. (And it's hard to imagine anyone being an ass about a sweet, tender, dog-loving, 8-year-old.)

[jkmommie]

That was too cute! Impressive really. There is only one question that I am left with....have you considered that Maddie might (just maybe a teensy bit) want a dog? Personally I think its just a longshot...I am a cat person myself, but I get hints much like her entries from my (almost) 9 year old son ALL THE TIME.

[dutch]

forget the dog. buy that girl a giraffe.

[AmyinMotown]

So. Fucking. Cool that she has a blog. I just love that. Pretty soon there will be the kid equivalent of Club Mom or whatevver and she can pay for her own college. And buy herself a dog.

[merseydotes]

I love the Great Danes post, especially the 1950's TV ad at the end: "Great Danes are perfect companions; get yours today!"

What does Maddie think about people who don't know her (ie, Suburban Bliss readers) posting comments on Dogs Rule, Cats Drool? Does she think it's cool or weird?

[The Other Laura]

Thanks for sharing Maddie's blog. (My son wants to start one too.) You really have wonderful insight into what makes your daughter tick, even as you're gritting your teeth. I like that. Good parenting on parade...

[SueFromOhio(nowfromSC)]

I am sooooo setting up my daughter with a blog tomorrow. Brilliant!

[amypt]

I love the record reporting. I wish I knew you guys. We're suddenly stuck for a dog sitter in a few weeks, and Maddie would be perfect. Except, you know, for the whole we live in Grand Rapids thing.

Does Maddie read your blog? I've wondered that about the kids of the blogs I read, and when the time comes if my kids will be aware that I'm writing about our lives in public. Maddie and Max are the oldest of that set. What do they think of this?

[wendy]

That girl loves her Labs! I'll ship ours down to you from Flint, if you want? She needs a new home.

[Sharyn]

That is absolutely charming! I hope you're keeping permanent copies of her writing.

[Angelina]

Reading your daughter's words reminds me of all the very IMPORTANT things I wrote when I was her age. I happen to think that blogs are the best thing for verbally incontinent people like myself, but I have to admit that I feel deep relief that there was no such thing when I was her age.

To this day all my very vulnerable and (now) embarrassing, excruciatingly earnest thoughts are just between me and my million hand scrawled journals. (And anyone who may have stolen a little disapppointing read from time to time.)

On the other hand, maybe having a blog at such a young age would have made me a better writer sooner.

Write on kiddo!

[Ninotchka]

That's so cute! Natalie kept one for about a year but abandoned it to, and I quote, "move on to greener pastures." She started a flickr account and posted a few pictures. And a Twitter account she has used to insult me. Just once. All in good fun, of course. ha ha ha