... and building a Tower, with a Moat.

"So what happens if he makes it past the gun...or your daughter gives you the guilt trip "Daddy, your over reacting, we are JUST friends....I trust him Daddy and I know if you love me you will trust him too"............ ;O)"

Then I build a tower.
And a moat.
And I fill that moat with crocodiles.
Butnot just ANY crocodiles.
No sir... Big man eat'n crocodiles.
Maybe with some Piranhas as well.
Oh, and totally gonna get some sharks as well... with laser beams on their heads.

I guess the instinct to protect is natural, and the instinct to rebel is pretty darned natural as well.

So maybe what I should do, is employ some "reverse psychology". For example, if I go out and buy myself a big ol' Harley Motorcycle, wear some black leather jacket and chaps, get some tattoos of scantily clad wom... er... operating systems on my arm (a big ol' OS/2 WARP logo with a Penguin on the back), then maybe my daughters natural rebellion path will be to date some Accountant or Lawyer with good hygiene and manners. I know I'm not going to be able to protect my children from all that will confront them on a daily basis. During our bedtime routine I'm reading a book called "Rosa" to Kid #2, and in the book, this Spanish girl starts attending a school in Washington State. There, she faces some racism and she wonders "Will they laugh at the way I speak? Or will they laugh at the colour of my skin?" How sad is that, that in today's society there are still racial issues. And as a parent, what can we do about it?

Create a home full of love and acceptance? That's great and all... but still, she is going to have to leave the house. She is the one who will have to deal with those questions. We've talked to our other children, and already been working on the questions like "what do you say if someone asks you if Ping is your real sister?"

But what is it going to be like the 1st time we have to come face to face with it?

I guess maybe better than building an Ivory Tower and trying to hide them from Life, I should get down and dirty with them in the muck and myre of Life... and just be there when they need me. Carry them when I can, help them walk when I can't, and love on them every day... ... but I'm STILL getting me a Shot Gun.