I know that there are many parents that have raised their kids in a orderly and disciplined way. They read all the how-to books on raising children to the tee. Some even waited and planned when and at what age this would fit into their life---schedule. I salute them if they were able to achieve this life time---feat!

Now let's be fair? In today's world you have all the advantages given to you. So lets back up this train, to what some call the good-ole-days.

1. Try being sixteen years old and think that you know it all, (well maybe that hasn't changed.) You get married, because the law said you had to be sixteen. No one thought of just living together as they do now days. Of course if you did, you swore that you were married or get run out of town.

2. There was no magic pill. There was no doctor that could tell you the sex of the child. No it was simply a time of many surprises.

Yet, with all this being said, I brought three wonderful human beings into this crazy world like so many others did. I had the privilege of growing up with my children and it was wonderful! No they were not raised by any book-line and chapter. Yes, we had rules and here are a few that I didn't see coming that you might get a chuckle out of.

Rule #1. If anyone did extra jobs around the house or neighbor hood and earned money for it, then you could spend that money on what ever---you wanted. You earned it and it was all yours.

My son Dennis decided to take on mowing lawns other than just ours to accomplish this endeavor. Each evening when I came home from work, I would find him sitting at the kitchen table counting and recounting that mason jar full of coins. What I did not know at that time is that he had planned on going to the local pet store and buying a snake. Now we are all pet lovers and shared our house already with two dogs, two birds and a chameleon which blended into---somewhere??? It was the ant farm that I had been keeping and eye on as to if there was a lone ant wandering around where did it come from---outside or inside?

Well, being the adult in charge I found out how much this snake and glass container would cost and every-time Dennis would almost get enough money to buy this creature, I cleverly would borrow some of his money to for- stall this purchase hoping this would go away. Now don't get me wrong---snakes are okay and they serve a purpose in there own environment but I don't want them to touch me or do I want to touch them.

So much for being the clever adult.   Dennis mowed and extra lawn on the next block and when I came home from work that day, sitting there on the kitchen table in a glass container was a snake and beside it was a mason jar with four lonely shinny pennies left in it.

Well it was to late to change rule #1 now. There sat a nine year old boy with sparkling blue eyes staring at "Jake" the snake with a great pride of an achievement. I was also glad that rule #2 (keeping you own room clean) was in place for I really didn't want to get acquainted with "Jake the snake."

Several months past---never did find or see the chameleon. I came home from work and found a line of ants making their way through the front room and attempting to get out the door. I immediately back-tracked this parade of big red ants to their source---yes, I seen why they were anxious to leave their residence. Dennis had placed their glass ant farm next to "Jake the snake," and he was anticipating a great feast. Well need I say, the vacuum cleaner and I had quite a work out that day.

Now as I sit here 48 years later and look out my window, I see that same boy all grown up and he is still mowing my lawn.  I will not mention to him that just the other day I did observe a garden snake down by the wood-pile and those ants that have found a great home in that same wood-pile.  Oh, we still have two dogs, and a parrot.

There is still no sign of that chameleon that I'm sure has blended into the past so long ago, but I will always cherish those parenting memories.

•  Maybe we are given children to test us with open eyes and lasting memories and laughter?