We've spent the summer just trying to enjoy summer. Lots of pool time nd lots of play time for the kids. The kids spent their mornings the first week of break at VBS and this week Chase is at baseball camp every morning. I've been reading whatever I can get my hands on poolside, or in the backyard. I've also been hitting the gym regularly and am strangely proud of my first gym-related injury, which involved my backside and pilates. My sister in law the trainer suggested I double up on mats! I'm trying an ab class tonight. For once I'd like a six pack that doesn't have anything to do with Diet Coke. We'll see.
Cassie is absolutely obsessed with all things Hello Kitty right now. She got a motherload of Hello Kitty Cat stuff for her birthday this year and is coloring a picture on the couch while I type. She also has several boyfriends ranging in age from 4 -12. Seriously. We're keeping our eye on that one.
Chase is still obsessed with all things Lego & video games. I limit his screen time even though it is summer. He's my happy-go-lucky one these days. Well, him and Sherman. Sherman is totally recovered from his surgeries and the perfect mellow pup. He's also 20 some odd pounds lighter, despite his penchant for stealing crayons.
All in all, life is good. Busy. And good.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Friday, May 6, 2011
Dear IRS: After the amount of time and money shelled out this week, the dog is officially the third child. Does that mean we can deduct his care-related expenses? Or at least use the HSA account?
What does it mean when your regular vet finds out how much you spent ($1785.34--it honestly doesn't even seem like real money) on emergency surgery for your dog, he doesn't charge you on your next visit to irrigate a now infected incision, give an antibiotic shot, and dress the wound? Besides the fact that I have the best vet on the earth, I think it means your vet feels sorry for you and your Mastercard. Not as sorry as I feel for Sherman. The incision is infected. So on top of recovering from major surgery, he's sick. Ever try to change a dressed abdominal wound on a loopy golden retriever who weighs about 14 lbs less than you? I need a drink.
To get the proper context why I wish I were drunk before noon, I should start at the beginning with my morning yesterday. I intended to drop the dog off at Dad's so I could be parent helper in Cassie's class. Except that my alarm didn't go off. And when I woke up (LATE!) I noticed that Sherman didn't sleep with his weeping wound on the towel I provided to protect the carpet. So my bedroom looked like the scene of a minor homicide. A can of Spot Shot and 20 minutes later, I got ready. We were crazy late and I didn't have time to run by Dad's. I left the dog in the laundry room with his lampshade. The Parent Helper gig went swimmingly until my little princess BIT a kid on the playground. He pushed her first, but still...she BIT HIM! The Mother's Day Tea was nice, but I was honestly still trying to get over my horror at being the mom of a biter. We'll call that the cloud over the tea. When we got home, the laundry room was the site of homicide 2 (much easier to clean that floor). So I called the vet and they wanted to see him.
This time I dropped Cassie off at Dad's and made it to the vet right on time. (Late for human kids, on time for canine kid. Clearly, I'm a mom with my priorities in order. Which may explain why it is the 30 pounder who bites instead of the over-90 pounder...) The vet took one look at the incision, decreed infection and irrigated the wound. It took three of us to hold him down while they did that. And still his tail wagged. Then he gave him an antibiotic shot and dressed the wound. Mostly b/c I complained how gross it was that it wasn't dressed. This morning, as I changed the dressing, I learned why dog wounds aren't usually dressed. Adhesive tape + fur. YOUCH! Being MacGuyver Mom (and out of that cool adhesive tape that sticks to nothing but itself), I ace-bandaged a new dressing on. The incision doesn't look any less infected to me though. I hope I'm wrong. If he ends up septic and I'm out almost 2 grand AND my dog--MacGuyver mom is gonna go postal.
And that's why I'm comptemplating a vodka tonic before noon...although I may settle for shooting the bird in the vent w/an air soft rifle instead...
To get the proper context why I wish I were drunk before noon, I should start at the beginning with my morning yesterday. I intended to drop the dog off at Dad's so I could be parent helper in Cassie's class. Except that my alarm didn't go off. And when I woke up (LATE!) I noticed that Sherman didn't sleep with his weeping wound on the towel I provided to protect the carpet. So my bedroom looked like the scene of a minor homicide. A can of Spot Shot and 20 minutes later, I got ready. We were crazy late and I didn't have time to run by Dad's. I left the dog in the laundry room with his lampshade. The Parent Helper gig went swimmingly until my little princess BIT a kid on the playground. He pushed her first, but still...she BIT HIM! The Mother's Day Tea was nice, but I was honestly still trying to get over my horror at being the mom of a biter. We'll call that the cloud over the tea. When we got home, the laundry room was the site of homicide 2 (much easier to clean that floor). So I called the vet and they wanted to see him.
This time I dropped Cassie off at Dad's and made it to the vet right on time. (Late for human kids, on time for canine kid. Clearly, I'm a mom with my priorities in order. Which may explain why it is the 30 pounder who bites instead of the over-90 pounder...) The vet took one look at the incision, decreed infection and irrigated the wound. It took three of us to hold him down while they did that. And still his tail wagged. Then he gave him an antibiotic shot and dressed the wound. Mostly b/c I complained how gross it was that it wasn't dressed. This morning, as I changed the dressing, I learned why dog wounds aren't usually dressed. Adhesive tape + fur. YOUCH! Being MacGuyver Mom (and out of that cool adhesive tape that sticks to nothing but itself), I ace-bandaged a new dressing on. The incision doesn't look any less infected to me though. I hope I'm wrong. If he ends up septic and I'm out almost 2 grand AND my dog--MacGuyver mom is gonna go postal.
And that's why I'm comptemplating a vodka tonic before noon...although I may settle for shooting the bird in the vent w/an air soft rifle instead...
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
The Most Expensive Ear of Corn EVER (otherwise known as there is no ear of corn on earth that tastes as good as $1,785.34--therefore we're now a corn-free home)
Right now I'm on the couch in my bathrobe, listening to Cassie play with a pair of toy binoculars and a baby monitor (perhaps she's a secret agent?) and Sherman do this wheezy whine thing. On Saturday afternoon, Jamie's dad came up to look at a piece of farm equipment (I'm not going to try to tell you what is was because I will undoubtably get it wrong). He brought a cooler full of fish and corn. Jamie's local siblings came over and we had a fish fry. I made two delicious apple crisps, we all had a lovely time and all was right with the world.
Sunday I went to church w/Cassie, Jamie went to baseball with Chase. When we got home, I decided to try to take a sick day (HA!) and went upstairs to sit in my chair with my latest crochet project. Sherman followed me. To make a very long story short, he ended up puking. A lot. Multiple times. At one point a chunk of corn cob came up. At that point, my mother's intuition (and let's be real here--this just proves that mamas don't get sick days) was shrieking "BLOCKAGE! Intestinal blockage!" When he refused steak for dinner and puked again, I decided a trip to the doggie ER was in order. Jamie disagreed. I went anyway.
3 days and $1785.34 later, Sherman is recovering from major abdominal surgery. He did have an intestinal blockage (they saved the surgically removed corn cob to show me) and my intuition saved us another $700-1000 in additional surgery costs. It also saved Sherman's life.
Now I know some of you reading this are astounded at the amount of money we shelled out for our dog. I know. I threw up a little in my mouth when I handed over the Mastercard. But when push comes to shove, Shermy is a part of our family. We love him, he loves us and you can't put a price on that.
So my sick day turned into nurse duty. Shermy has 10 pills a day to take until tomorrow, when it drops to 8 pills a day for 10 more days until the staples come out. I've got two more pills to shove down his throat and a shower waiting for me. As for the sick day? Mamas don't get sick days. I should know that by now...
Sunday I went to church w/Cassie, Jamie went to baseball with Chase. When we got home, I decided to try to take a sick day (HA!) and went upstairs to sit in my chair with my latest crochet project. Sherman followed me. To make a very long story short, he ended up puking. A lot. Multiple times. At one point a chunk of corn cob came up. At that point, my mother's intuition (and let's be real here--this just proves that mamas don't get sick days) was shrieking "BLOCKAGE! Intestinal blockage!" When he refused steak for dinner and puked again, I decided a trip to the doggie ER was in order. Jamie disagreed. I went anyway.
3 days and $1785.34 later, Sherman is recovering from major abdominal surgery. He did have an intestinal blockage (they saved the surgically removed corn cob to show me) and my intuition saved us another $700-1000 in additional surgery costs. It also saved Sherman's life.
Now I know some of you reading this are astounded at the amount of money we shelled out for our dog. I know. I threw up a little in my mouth when I handed over the Mastercard. But when push comes to shove, Shermy is a part of our family. We love him, he loves us and you can't put a price on that.
So my sick day turned into nurse duty. Shermy has 10 pills a day to take until tomorrow, when it drops to 8 pills a day for 10 more days until the staples come out. I've got two more pills to shove down his throat and a shower waiting for me. As for the sick day? Mamas don't get sick days. I should know that by now...
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Oops
So I just got a FB message from a friend asking if I blog and where. As I replied, I realized it's been a while. Sorry. I've made a few more blankets and read 30 some odd books on the Kindle. We bought Chaser his own Nook. For the record, the Kindle is better. But don't tell Chase...
Cassie isn't really napping much anymore. Right now she's upstairs and quiet. She could be sleeping. Or she could be coloring all over herself like she was yesterday when she was supposed to be napping. Frankly, I'm afraid to go see.
UPDATE: She was napping and I woke her up. Awesome. I started this post during "nap" yesterday and am finishing while I watch Cass and babysit my niece, approx. 21 hours later. This may be why blog posts are few and far between. Life gets in the way. Last night after dinner I went to yoga (I joined a gym and gained five pounds. And lest you assure me it is "muscle" b/c muscle weighs more than fat, I'm pretty sure muscle wouldn't make my tush jigglier and jeans tight. More likely the mentality of "I just busted my butt at the gym, so I'm going to eat these Girl Scout Cookies" is catching up w/me), came home and fed the kids (again), got the kids in bed, read a bit and collapsed in bed. This morning was school drop off, shopping (Easter & grocery), hardwood mopping, preschool pick up, lunch, babysit niece while neighbor kid mows, catch up on email & various correspondence. Tonight is a baseball game for Chase (dear God, please rain after recess but before he gets home) 30 minutes from here less than an hour after he gets home. When I called his BFF to see if he could go w/them, I ended up getting to take along the BFF w/us instead. At some point in there I must make and serve a delicious but nutritious dinner.
I saw SAHM = vacation on Facebook today. Does that sound like a vacation to you? I could really use room service and a maid, but I've got a baseball uniform to find, laundry to put away and carpet to vacuum. Maybe I just need a wife....
Cassie isn't really napping much anymore. Right now she's upstairs and quiet. She could be sleeping. Or she could be coloring all over herself like she was yesterday when she was supposed to be napping. Frankly, I'm afraid to go see.
UPDATE: She was napping and I woke her up. Awesome. I started this post during "nap" yesterday and am finishing while I watch Cass and babysit my niece, approx. 21 hours later. This may be why blog posts are few and far between. Life gets in the way. Last night after dinner I went to yoga (I joined a gym and gained five pounds. And lest you assure me it is "muscle" b/c muscle weighs more than fat, I'm pretty sure muscle wouldn't make my tush jigglier and jeans tight. More likely the mentality of "I just busted my butt at the gym, so I'm going to eat these Girl Scout Cookies" is catching up w/me), came home and fed the kids (again), got the kids in bed, read a bit and collapsed in bed. This morning was school drop off, shopping (Easter & grocery), hardwood mopping, preschool pick up, lunch, babysit niece while neighbor kid mows, catch up on email & various correspondence. Tonight is a baseball game for Chase (dear God, please rain after recess but before he gets home) 30 minutes from here less than an hour after he gets home. When I called his BFF to see if he could go w/them, I ended up getting to take along the BFF w/us instead. At some point in there I must make and serve a delicious but nutritious dinner.
I saw SAHM = vacation on Facebook today. Does that sound like a vacation to you? I could really use room service and a maid, but I've got a baseball uniform to find, laundry to put away and carpet to vacuum. Maybe I just need a wife....
Monday, February 28, 2011
SLACKER
I'm currently reading Rummy's memoir and loving it. I think it is even better than W's memoir because it gives a view of American politics over the last 50 years. As a politics/history buff, it's a great read for me!
When I bought Known and Unknown, I also got a Kindle. It was my Valentine's Day present from Jamie. I'm loving it, but not as much as Chase is. He read for 6 or 7 hours straight yesterday. That's not a typo. He is completely obsessed with the Percy Jackson series right now. All he wants to do is read--it reminds me of myself at his age, when my mother would kick me off the couch and make me go outside to play. That kid is SO his mother's child!
Since he's been using the Kindle, I've been on a bit of a crochet tear. I made Cassie a new blanket (v-stitch) and Jamie a blanket (also a v-stitch w/six pounds of yarn, my biggest blanket to date and the current family favorite). I also made two baby blankets (1 large granny square and 1 waffle weave) and a baby hat to match one of the blankets. I'm working on a third baby blanket right now. There is no shortage of baby boys due to friends this spring/fall, so I've got plenty of stuff to make!
I joined a gym a few weeks ago and am loving the Zumba and yoga classes offered. I'd forgotten how much I loved yoga classes--it just doesn't compare to a tape at home!
Naptime for Cass means crochet (and laundry) time for Mama. Per my last update--the Allergy Mama's chocolate chip cookies are the new hands down favorite around here. They were a HUGE hit at church yesterday, too!
When I bought Known and Unknown, I also got a Kindle. It was my Valentine's Day present from Jamie. I'm loving it, but not as much as Chase is. He read for 6 or 7 hours straight yesterday. That's not a typo. He is completely obsessed with the Percy Jackson series right now. All he wants to do is read--it reminds me of myself at his age, when my mother would kick me off the couch and make me go outside to play. That kid is SO his mother's child!
Since he's been using the Kindle, I've been on a bit of a crochet tear. I made Cassie a new blanket (v-stitch) and Jamie a blanket (also a v-stitch w/six pounds of yarn, my biggest blanket to date and the current family favorite). I also made two baby blankets (1 large granny square and 1 waffle weave) and a baby hat to match one of the blankets. I'm working on a third baby blanket right now. There is no shortage of baby boys due to friends this spring/fall, so I've got plenty of stuff to make!
I joined a gym a few weeks ago and am loving the Zumba and yoga classes offered. I'd forgotten how much I loved yoga classes--it just doesn't compare to a tape at home!
Naptime for Cass means crochet (and laundry) time for Mama. Per my last update--the Allergy Mama's chocolate chip cookies are the new hands down favorite around here. They were a HUGE hit at church yesterday, too!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Adjusting
I'm reading these two books and LOVING them! Decision Points is a fascinating look inside W's Presidency. Since I'm a fan of 43, I don't know if haters would enjoy the book. I am enjoying it tremendously. So much so that Cassie's new unicorn pillow pet is named George.
We are adjusting to a dairy-free life with her. Since she was already peanut/tree nut-free, the real challenge of her recent testing was eliminating dairy. It's been quite an adjustment for me (as the primary shopper and preparer of food in our household), but Cassie has adapted BEAUTIFULLY. She loves chocolate rice milk, loved soy pudding, liked strawberry soy yogurt, eats veggie slices american cheese daily--she has adjusted beautifully. Last night I made chocolate cake from the Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book. I iced it with Pillsbury Chocolate Icing (yes, it is dairy-free). It was a hit. So were her chocolate crinkle cookies tonight. My only complaint is that there is no calorie/fat/nutrition information for the recipes. That would elevate the book to just about perfect in my eyes. My true test comes tomorrow when I take some of the cake and cookies over to Dad's house. The immediate family gave the cookies and cake a thumbs up. Chase's friend Cody who was over tonight also enjoyed the cookies, so much so that I sent some home with him.
We are adjusting. It is a new way of life, but we are making our way...
We are adjusting to a dairy-free life with her. Since she was already peanut/tree nut-free, the real challenge of her recent testing was eliminating dairy. It's been quite an adjustment for me (as the primary shopper and preparer of food in our household), but Cassie has adapted BEAUTIFULLY. She loves chocolate rice milk, loved soy pudding, liked strawberry soy yogurt, eats veggie slices american cheese daily--she has adjusted beautifully. Last night I made chocolate cake from the Food Allergy Mama's Baking Book. I iced it with Pillsbury Chocolate Icing (yes, it is dairy-free). It was a hit. So were her chocolate crinkle cookies tonight. My only complaint is that there is no calorie/fat/nutrition information for the recipes. That would elevate the book to just about perfect in my eyes. My true test comes tomorrow when I take some of the cake and cookies over to Dad's house. The immediate family gave the cookies and cake a thumbs up. Chase's friend Cody who was over tonight also enjoyed the cookies, so much so that I sent some home with him.
We are adjusting. It is a new way of life, but we are making our way...
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