I have a group of friends, one guy and a group of gals that get together once a month for a pot-luck dinner and a movie. And one of the all time favorites of this group is the movie “Sophie’s Choice.” I hate this movie with a passion. Not because of the acting, Meryl Streep is probably one of the best actresses alive and I usually love Kevin Kline.

No, I hate this movie because of the plot. In case you haven’t been forced to sit through this dribble, (spoiler alert) the movie centers around the choice forced upon Sophie by the big bad Nazis; she must choose between her children – which one will live and which one will die.

When my husband and I first were married, we made the decision to delay starting our family for several years. We were both working professionals who traveled frequently with our jobs and when we did have some spare time when we were both home together, we liked to go out and have a little fun.

We enjoyed nothing more than going to our favorite bar ‘n grill for some really fine tasting grub, great music, good booze and dancing. I’ve always been a shot of tequila and a beer babe myself, while hubby enjoys his whiskey. Give him enough whiskey and he will put the shrimp heads on his fingers and make them start dancing.

You know, I love a gin and tonic after work to unwind. Okay, maybe two or three, but I make sure it is out of reach of my toddler. I’m pretty sure that most responsible parents out there would make for damn sure that their children don’t get into the liquor cabinet.

Well, Raymond Jackson, from Crescent Springs, Kentucky encouraged his two year old stepdaughter McKenzie to drink his specially brewed sweet tea, complete with a dash of gin. After a few glasses of this magic juice, the toddler passed out and became unresponsive.

When Jackson’s wife arrived home from work roughly around midnight, she did what any loving mother does and checked on her little girl. Immediately, she noticed that there was something horribly, horribly wrong. When Amanda Jackson kissed her daughter’s cheek, she noticed her eyes were rolling back in her head, and her breathing was labored. Amanda rushed her daughter to the hospital with Ray in tow.

Ah, spring! Nothing like the birth of the seasonal cycle to awaken your appetite for companionship, eh?

Spring is usually the time when young men and young women turn their thoughts to new adventures, new acquaintances, and new loves.

And when a couple falls in love, the whole world can seem brand new.

Together, two hearts beating as one. United, the woosome twosome feel that there are no obstacles in life that they cannot overcome, no problems they cannot solve, no enemies they cannot defeat.

This bliss frequently leads to the urge to make something together – and so, many young couples in love find themselves ‘with child’, the ultimate act of creation.

Today, I treated myself to a frozen and blended concoction of coffee and chocolate from a major national chain retailer who shall remain nameless as they are not a paying sponsor. Even though I felt guilty about the calorie consumption, I reasoned with myself it wasn’t that bad because I didn’t have the whip cream.

I also told myself that my pre-pregnancy size 2’s were a thing of the past given that I am an old broad and if I ain’t lost the baby weight by now, I’m not going to so just shut up and savor it. But as I sat there enjoying my drink and the relative peace and quiet of the coffee house, I thought about Jaime B. Day of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

I think that most of us make a “to do” list on occasion, especially when we have a particularly busy day. I know that if I don’t make a list, I might drop the dogs at the dry cleaners and take the clothes to the groomers. I have been accused of forgetting my head if it wasn’t attached (thanks honey, love you too).

One can only imagine the March 7, 2010 “to do” list of Ashley Nicole Cox (AKA Ashley Jones), 20, of Corbin, Kentucky.

1. Go visit boyfriend at Roederer Men’s Correctional Complex
2. Give birth to a baby on a prison toilet in the visitors’ room.
3. Stuff toilet paper down the throat of the baby, suffocating it.
4. Throw body in the trash. Make sure to cover the body up with garbage.
5. Resume visit with boyfriend.
6. Pick up something for dinner on the way home.

I would like everyone to meet Jasmine Nicole Bowman, and 9, Minnet Cecilia Bowman, 11, of Lusby, Maryland. Aren’t these precious little angels beautiful? You can tell from their picture that Minnet is the mischievous one (just look at that grin) and that Jasmine is a little shy. Their eyes sparkle and their smiles light up the room. You can almost hear their high-pitched giggles as they laugh at one another’s jokes. Well, you could hear them if they weren’t dead. And thrown into a freezer.

These two sisters, along with an unnamed 7-year-old sister, were adopted by Renee Bowman from the District of Columbia. Renee, the ravaging beauty below, systematically starved and then asphyxiated both Jasmine and Minnet.

This is 36-year-old Brandy Sherrie Foreman.

A few years back, Brandy Foreman had a child, a little girl that was named Daelynn.

Tragically, Daelynn Foreman was born with cerebral palsy and a seizure disorder. She had an abnormally small brain, never walked or talked and wore diapers every single day of her life.

Daelynn was completely dependent on her mother for survival.

Brandy Foreman was dependent on the state for financial support to take care of her daughter.

Fortunately for the little family, Ms. Foreman had applied for and received just about every single social service available to her that the great state of California offers – free food, free doctors, free teachers, paid-for special schools, paid-for therapies. There was free medical equipment and supplies. Brandy Sherrie Foreman is also recorded as receiving Supplemental Security Income payments and an In-Home Support Services salary.