So it appears that there is at least one person on the planet who is prepared to tell Madonna that she can’t have something she wants. Despite the expectation that all would go smoothly for Madge, Judge Esme Chondo yesterday ruled that the great one could not adopt 4 year-old Malawian orphan, Mercy James and remove her to New York.
Judge Chondo. 'I am the law'
I have mixed feelings about the current celebrity craze for adopting third-world orphans. On one hand it could be argued that they’re giving these children the chance to live their lives in privilege and comfort and theoretically look forward to a long life expectancy. On the other hand though, these celebrities often reveal themselves to be shallow dabblers in all areas of their lives, constantly finding something new before tiring of it and handing it off to their millions of wannabes and moving on. Celebrities are able to indulge their every whim so it’s inevitable that their boredom thresholds get so low that only the most outlandish diversions are able to satisfy them. And children are NOT toys.
I’ve read several hair-raising articles from sources allegedly ‘close’ to the inner sanctum of the Madonna household and had I been Judge Chondo these alone would have been enough to convince me that she should be kept at least a continent away from any orphans in future.
As some people may be aware, I have 3 children of my own. A 9 year old, a 4 year old and my little 9 month old girly. Yesterday morning David (#1) was struck down with a very nasty stomach bug. His brother Stu had the beginnings of a cold and so did Ava. When Stu gets the cold he also throws up cos his temperature goes through the roof. So I spent the entire day shuttling between the toilet, the bedroom (where David was) and the living room (where Stu was). If I cleaned up the toilet once, I cleaned it 20 times. In between dispensing cuddles, water, Calpol, wet face-cloths and clean jammies, I had to feed and change Ava (who was girny), change their beds, tidy up dishes etc. and just generally keep on top of things. Then last-night I had the boys in bed with me so I could keep and eye on them. The night was punctuated by visits to the toilet to throw-up, re-settling the crabbit baby whose nose was completely bunged up, adminstering Calpol and drinks and trying to prevent David (who was a bit delirious) from wandering off downstairs cos he was imagining he could ‘hear a burglar in the house’.
This morning I feel like I’ve been beaten around the face and body with a 3 foot length of scaffolding pole. My eyes would give Keith Richards’ a run for their money and my brain is operating on Windows 95 instead of Vista.
HOWEVER, I love it.
I love all the bits about being a mother, good and bad and that’s what bothers me about Madonna. Can you really see her crouched on the bathroom floor holding a little one’s hand and stroking their wee tear-stained face while he/she has yet another episode of agonising diarrhoea? Or cleaning a hysterical, vomit encrusted 4 year-old at 3 in the morning? Or mopping up poo from the carpet cos they were on their way to the loo and ran out of time? Or sitting up all night with a feverish child snuggled into each side of her in bed, trying not to move so they don’t get disturbed? From what I can gather (and clearly not all that you read in the press is true) she has nannies/assistants/flunkies to attend to almost all the normal duties of a mum. Taking them sledging, nanny’s job. Dancing lessons, nanny’s job, Teaching them to swim, nanny’s job.
She seems very rigid when it comes to controlling what goes into their bodies and their minds but perhaps a wee cuddle and a bit of fun now and then would be more beneficial for her kids than having her floating around parties and acting like a teenager. I’m a bit mystified as to why she feels the need to bring another child into her family when the ones that she already has are raised primarily by other people.
Well, anyway. I’m glad the judge said no and I wish it would make her take a wee reality check into exactly the type of mother she is but somehow I doubt that her gargantuan ego will allow that.
Nintendo and Chocolate 