Mom, The Pig and Anna

 Life in the Schmidt house could be unusual.  This is an example from a November, 1992 journal entry.

I awoke this morning to the sounds of grunt, grunt, grunt.  I looked at the clock – 5:15AM.  My piglet, Itsy-Bitsy-Betsy was hungry.  I forced myself to get up.  I warmed a cup of milk, fed her and went back to bed – then…grunt, grunt, grunt – Betsy wanted out to take care of her early morning personal needs. “Hey pig, use your litter box.” “Grunt, grunt, grunt – no way”, so, at 5:30 AM, we're outside – temperature 25 degrees and Betsy is relieving herself on the grass.  We return to the house and by now, Anna is up and preparing for another day and calls out a request for French toast.  I stand in the kitchen and notice Betsy is out in the dining room getting frisky.  She runs and slides and jumps and turns.  I walk out to see her and then turn to go back into the kitchen.  She begins to chase me.  I run back to dining room – she chases me.  Back and forth we go – me in my bathrobe and slippers being chased by a piglet – click, click, click – the sound of little piggy hooves.  Anna comes out of the bathroom, looks at me as if I’d lost my mind.  I say, “How many other high school students in Novi are getting ready for the day while their mothers run around the kitchen and dining room being chased by a pig – it kind of sets apart from the crowd.”