kat - my nephew (after the cat Caesarean fiasco) said "I can never pay you back for all you've done for me. Not even for before this". Makes it all worth while. I of course jumped on the opportunity and made him promise to take ALL my cats if I die. Poor Chris! Ed will be peeing all over his things and he won't be able to put him out. But that's only if I die soon.
Rue will appreciate you someday. Even my son, now 26, says that I was a good mom. Then he tries to get me to buy cigarettes and Pepsi.
Wolfgang is a little heavy handed with the devil's advocate thing. But do try to see it from her point of view. We mothers are by definition pains in the ass. My son tactfully avoids arguing with me by calling on a pay phone and not having change to refill the slot. So by the time we get to my opinion on his whatever, Ma Bell cuts us off. Very clever of him actually.