The old grey dog, he ain't what he used to be ...

Yeah, Old Dog is 15 now and far from being a pup. He's actually doing amazingly good considering that most large dogs don't make it this far ...

We all love him and I put up with his habit of sleeping on our bed and getting dog hair on my pillow (he seems to prefer my side ... in the picture he's on J's side though) ...

You have to love lab crosses because they can smile :) There is a reason I'm posting about Old Dog today though. Today is the day that his age has really hit home with me. I knew he was getting older and having a hard time with things (like our very steep basement stairs) and I also figured he's had a couple pee accidents because of his age. With little M running around and going on the floor sometimes though this isn't a huge huge deal right now (did I mention I love this dog?). I guess I just thought he'd just keep going. This morning though I saw clearly that the old boy is really feeling every second of those 15 years;

I was upstairs at 4am getting a drink of water when I heard him come thumping up the stairs. I knew the only reason he would tackle the stairs was if he had to go outside so I waited for him. He got to the top all right but then his back legs went out from under him when he hit the lino of the kitchen floor. He was huffing and puffing so I told him I would wait until he caught his breath before letting him out (yeah I know he's a dog, but I thought he'd get the message from my voice). I sat down to wait but he wasn't budging even after he got his breathing under control. I stood by the door and asked him again if he wanted outside and he just looked at me so I decided to go back to bed. As I went by him I stepped in the puddle. Yup he had had to go all right but the stairs had taken too much out of him and he just couldn't hold it any longer. It may have been my imagination but he kinda looked ashamed to me. I cleaned up the pee and dried off his belly for him, told him it was okay and then came downstairs and told J what had happened (right after I told him he was snoring). He went up and checked on the dog a few minutes later and said he was fine, even managed to go outside and wander around the backyard for a while. Sadly the time has come to ban Old Dog from the basement. I hate to do it but the stairs are too much for him now. Hopefully with the reduction in strain on his body he will hold out another year or two ... Right? Right?!? *sniffle* I couldn't go back to sleep ... so I thought I'd blog and sniffle and feel sad. Old Dog is the oldest pet I've ever had (he was 7 years old when J and I met), I sure don't like the idea that someday, way sooner than I'm ready for, we're going to have to take him on that last van ride to the vet's office. He won't be the first pet I've had put down, but he will be the very oldest pet. I don't even want to think about how hard the kids are going to take it, if I'm this upset at the mere thought of it. *sniffle* *deep breath* Okay, I'm Okay, or I will be for now.

While I was grabbing the pictures from the camera of Old Dog that K and I had taken I came across a pair she had taken of me goofing off *grin*. So I will share those now :)


"AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHH!! The Pain! Why is my sweater so lumpy!?!?!"

"Oh! It's just little M sharing Mommy's warmth."

Yes, I can fit a three year old in my favorite at home sweater jacket, M often climbs up in my lap while I'm on the computer and since she insists on being nude most of the time she's cold often and likes to cuddle.

Well that's it for me ... I think I'll go back to bed.

Cass.

A day of rest ... and a funny song:)

Thanks to a very good friend yesterday was a very relaxing day for me! I was having my usual morning chat with C and she asked if she could take my little girl M for a couple of hours in the morning. I, of course, jumped at the chance to veg out for the morning with no children in the house!! It was wonderful ... Just like this lovely picture I found. I played my Sims2 game and got into some random searching for a song I had heard on the radio earlier that morning ... found the video as well, here it is :)

C returned M to the house just before lunch and my older two K & A showed up shortly after they ate and went back to school and M consented to laying down for a nap with me. I had a nice short 1/2 hour nap(which I find leaves me feeling better than an hour long one) and got back on the computer and M slept until 3pm!!

So thanks C, for the wonderful, relaxing, rejuvenating day I had. What would I do without a wonderful friend like you??

Cass :)

Oh, Christmas Tree - 2006

Yup, it's that time of year...so we finally put up our tree. Now this all actually happened about a week or so ago, I think it was December 3rd evening. We use the same 4 foot fake tree every year (it was originally a gift from my first husband's parents-but I don't hold that against it) and have since K was a baby. The ornaments are an interesting mix of 'Baby's First Christmas' and ones J had when we got together as well as ones that have been made by the children over the years. Plenty for our little tree anyway. The lights that I put on the tree were my mother's and are also plenty for my little tree. Once decorated the tree goes way up onto the TV stand so it can't be messed with, this is also where we put the gifts (which we just got wrapped and put around the tree yesterday afternoon!). The kids are excited and it's hard to believe that Christmas Day is only 2 short weeks away.


With all the gifts (except for the ones for J & I to each other) :



Some other shots that were taken that day:

K Goofs Around

A Helps & Goofs Around

M Lounges

And just yesterday:

Dog Pile on Mommy!!

There ... all up to date. M is feeling better, still coughing but better. K was promoted to Dolphin in swimming yesterday and A is still A :)

Cass :)

More Mommy madness ...

Yup ... last night(all night) and today was all about time and how it messes with us sometimes. M was up at least 6 times during the night. The meds that the Doctor at the walk in clinic gave us for her to take to stop her croup cough also gave her nightmares all night and because she drank so much water yesterday she wet the bed three times as well. I was the one to deal with all this so at about 11pm last night(when I was getting up for the second time after just falling asleep to a bed that I needed to strip and remake) I opted to spend the rest of the night on the couch so I wouldn't have to be running up and down the stairs all night. Instead I got to fight my way off/out of the couch each time she called to me and, in hindsight, I realize I should have just slept with her, silly me. Today was supposed to be flu shot day, I had already booked the appointment with my family doctor and I figured I would get all the kids checked while I was there. So here is the run down of what ails us; I'm fine but need to quit picking at my ears and should put some peroxide in them to help clean them out if they are bothering me. I also got my flu shot. K has an ear infection, got some nose spray for her constant sniffling, some acne cream for her pimples and did not get her flu shot. A is as healthy as a horse and after much tearful anticipation took the flu shot like the good boy he is. M has croup, I need to keep up with her puffers(which the doctor had to remind me how they were given-turns out I've been doing it wrong), she also has an ear infection and did not get the flu shot. The kids weigh: K-85lbs, A-60lbs and M-30lbs. I liked the scale at the doctors it said I weigh 210lbs but I highly doubt it*chuckle*.

We took the bus to get to the doctor's, or rather two buses. Our city buses kinda look like this one :) I was thinking if we left at 12:50pm we w0uld make our 1:30pm appointment perfectly because the two routes I normally take that way meet up quite nicely. I got confused after that brief moment of clarity and we were waiting for the bus at 11:50am when I realized my mistake. I went with it though and we were an hour early for our appointment but the kids were good and we went for ice cream after. Then just as we got to the bus stop to head home I decided to run my prescriptions into our clinic pharmacy because they deliver(for free, can you imagine!!) and told the kids to wait, I figured we'd miss the bus for sure. Just as I was coming out it was pulling away(and before you get scared the kids were waiting for me and were not on the bus) but then it had to stop for a red light. I forced the driver to stay there and got my crew on so we didn't have to wait a half hour for another bus! Thank goodness! We got home tired but I hadn't been angry at all today even though we were out(I must have used all my angry up last night) and I had to carry M the last 4-6 blocks without the aid of a carrier(I have a nice hotslings pouch that still works well for M in a pinch) but over-all not bad.

I'm tired tonight and M is still sick and needing more attention than normal and we won't be going anywhere this week so I can keep an eye on her. I have a Mount Washmore in my basement again(which is also my bedroom/computer room/laundry room in case you forgot) that I have got to take care of. Never mind the vacuuming and tidying and present wrapping that needs to be done*sigh*. I'll try to take it one job at a time and not get stressed ... Happy thoughts!!

Cass :)

:( Rotten Day :(

These two lovely ladies give a visual cue as to how I am feeling today ... not good pretty much sums it up. M has a nasty cough, she has coughed almost non-stop all day. So I took her to the walk in clinic and they gave me something for it, which I gave her and now it seems to be helping(a little). I still had to listen to her cough all day and she is still coughing now just not as much. I also had to let the older two miss school this afternoon because K called from school saying she's still feeling awful because of her cold. Also M, because of her cough partly, managed to pee on me twice today ... the second time just a few minutes ago which prompted me to come down stairs. I'm tired out, I haven't had a chance to anything even remotely relaxing all day and I didn't even really have a chance to do much housework because M was a super clingy monkey all day :( and it's only 6:15pm. I have no idea how I am going to get trough the rest of the day let alone tomorrow. I'm a mess and we're supposed to go get our flu shots tomorrow ... I may not get the shots(and I don't think M can because she has a low grade fever) but I do want to see my family Dr since this cough is nasty and sounds like it's going to disrupt M's(and my) sleep tonight.

*sigh* Think happy thoughts for me everyone, I need all the help I can get. Now I'm going to go stick my nose in a book and relax for another 45 minutes before I go back upstairs and hopefully put my kids to bed!

Cass.

Zzzz ... A Sleepy Sunday ... *yawn*

Now my bed doesn't actually look like this bed but it sure felt like this bed looks today!! I was up about 6:30am after staying up too late Saturday night on the computer fooling around and Instant Messaging with friends. After a short time on the computer I decided at about 7:15am to go back to bed. I stayed there until 1:15pm *laugh* it was something. M came down and snuggled with me and everyone was playing on the computers at one point. J spent the morning playing his game on the good computer(aka 'my computer') and I was joined by the children from time to time but other than trips upstairs to grab myself something to eat or drink or to use the bathroom I dozed off an on all morning and well into the afternoon. M was with me most of that time when she wasn't playing or coughing, poor kid, she's got something that's making her cough and nothing I gave her really seemed to help. Whatever it is it doesn't seem to be slowing her down too much(other than sleeping most of the morning ... but then so did I). After I made lunch for everyone I made up a new set of curtains for the living room(by hand) and hung them. I'd run upstairs and take a picture of them to add here but I'm sleepy again and am going to bed here in just a few minutes ... so maybe tomorrow when I post the Christmas Tree pictures. :) J got us take out for supper and while he and A were off getting that K & I did a small clean up of the house, it still needs more work but with M coughing the way she is we won't be going anywhere tomorrow anyway; I can clean more then.

So that was our lazy Sunday. We watched A Christmas Carol (the really old black and white one) and just hung out in the living room with the kids after that. Now everyone is in bed but me so I'm going to join them!

Cass :)

Parent - Teacher Interviews ...

Noooooooo!!!

I heartily dislike the whole Parent - Teacher interview deal. They allot 15 minutes per interview, so the ones before you always run over. Case in point: I had two interviews last night. One for A from 7:15-7:30 I actually got into it at about 7:28pm. That wasn't a huge huge deal because I have a standing appointment with A's teacher every Friday after school now because of all the issues he is having at school. A's report card was the worst I have ever seen ... never had I seen anything like it. Good thing the school warned me. Did you know they don't give F's anymore? No they changed it, now they give R's which stands for Remediation, which means "This kid needs help!". My running joke is that A's report card sounds like a pirate(ARRRRR!!) with no A. He did get two B's, in art, because that's what he does all day; he draws. I'm working with the teacher to help get A on task, he's distracted by everything and doesn't transition well without warning from one task to another. With the drawing at least he isn't disrupting the class the way he was at the beginning of the year and getting sent to the office and/or home for not listening to the teacher or the principle. *sigh* To say I am not happy about the fact that my son is sitting off by himself a good chunk of the day because he refuses to do any school work is putting it mildly. I like his teacher and feel that he is interested in A learning and being successful at school but he also can't ignore the rest of the class all day to help A either.

But on to K's teachers ...

K is my good girl. She has always averaged in the A's and B's with the odd C in non-academic stuff(like drama or art). She's bright, pays attention and behaves. Thank Goodness!! The only complaint, after waiting for about a half hour or more, is that she's 'unmotivated' and could do better and she's shy and doesn't ask for help when she should. In other words, she's lazy like her mother and father. My Mom would hear the same things or close to it. I wasn't applying myself and I was anti-social(at least K has friends!) and would isolate myself from the other students. So no real complaints which is nice.

So after walking all the way there(10 minutes) in the rain and wind at 7pm so I would be on time for my first 7:15pm appointment I got home at 8:15pm *sigh* just in time to put kids to bed. I feel the night was somewhat wasted and I think from now on I will make a point of speaking to K's teacher once a month and of course I have that weekly appointment with A's teacher once a week. That way I can just skip any future parent - teacher interview nights.

To brighten this post I have to add a pic of M in her dress up princess dress that she chose as one of her gifts from J's parents with the money they gave her as a birthday gift. I photo-shopped her onto a castle background :)

Well, my watch alarm just went off. It's 7am and I have to get the garbage, recycling and compost out to the curb and hope that the kids sleep for another hour since today is a PA day. Later we will be putting up our tree and the few Christmas decorations that fit in our house. I'll post pictures :)

Cass :)