7 days and going strong

Exactly one week ago we were rushing home from vacation, trying to beat the 6pm closing time of our vet's office. Our precious kitty, Ben, was very sick and probably not going to make it more than another day or so. He was on medication and doing better before we left, but took a turn for the worse. He'd lost a lot of weight, was not eating, needed a blood transfusion, had a mass in his belly. The prognosis was grim. The only thing we knew for sure was that we wanted to bring him home. As soon as possible, for as long as possible.

It was a very long car ride. A very emotional car ride.

The first night was rough. Ben was frail, and we were afraid of mishandling him; we didn't want to cause any pain. We brought him into our room, so that if he needed us, we would be there. We slept on and off all night, never too deeply. I checked on him 20 times. And in the morning, he was still here.

We carried him into every room we were in. Offered food constantly. Put little dishes of water all over the house. Above all, we spent time with him. We snuggled him and told him how much we loved him.

Fast forward a week. Every day he has gotten stronger. He's eating 10 times a day, using his litterbox, jumping up on and off of the furniture, curling into a ball and sleeping, grooming,

purring.

In other words, he is acting like his old self.

He is still extremely skinny, and I know he isn't cured. But every extra day I get with him is a miracle. Every morning when I wake up and he's sitting there waiting for us to feed him is a great day in my book.

And to think that they wanted to administer the final shot to him. I'm so glad we listened to our instincts and brought him home.

First day of school wrap up

It was a quick one...the kids only had half a day. Ridiculous.

Evan is in seventh grade this year. Overall, I think he's happy with his schedule. We all got a surprise in that he was placed in Advanced Math after being told his grades weren't enough to keep him in. Band, AR, History, French, Science, ELA & Painting round out his schedule. Painting? He was aiming for rocketry.

Emma is in ninth grade. She also likes her teachers and classes. Right off the bat her biology teacher tried to discourage freshmen from being in the class. We're hoping that isn't the tone for the whole year. She knows it's going to be hard. She's willing to work. We've got the driving situation worked out. No homework the first day. Things are good.

five good things : August 2011

August was kind of a crap shoot for me.

I spent about 2 weeks with a nasty stomach virus that blew in like a storm and lingered much longer than necessary. I'm still not convinced that it's fully gone, because the last few days it's been bothering me again.

The virus was so bad that I missed my 25th high school reunion and my sister-in-law's birthday celebration.

I also didn't drink coffee or eat dairy for 2 weeks. Two of the major food groups and I was unable to enjoy either. It practically killed me.

On the other hand, the hateful heat that plagued us for the month of July disappeared and we had some very nice, unseasonably cool weather. I hope that it's a sign of a beautiful Fall to come.

1. The Help

I don't get to go to the movies as often as I would like, so when I do I want to see something that is great. This is a great movie. I loved the cast, all of them. I loved that this movie showcased so many fantastic actresses. It was as good as the book, which is rare. I highly recommend it.

2. I was surprised with tickets to not one, but TWO shows that I really have wanted to see. We'll be seeing Kathy Griffin in September and Wicked in December, on our anniversary! I couldn't have been more surprised or happy. I can't wait!
3. Watching a new team come together.

This year Evan moved up to 11x11 play, on larger fields, a new coach and with an almost totally new team. That is a lot of changes in one season. They had their first test as a team during the Rush Kick Off Classic, and performed very well. They won the first three games and lost the final game. While they do have some work to do this season, I saw some really good soccer. I can see the improvement Evan has made in the short time he has been training. It should be an exciting season.
4. Transitioning to high school.

Sometime in the two weeks before Transition Day, I started to get emotional and freaked out about the fact that my baby girl will be in high school this year. How is it possible? It's just the most bizarre feeling to me. She has handled it like a pro. Her supplies are organized. She's printed out several copies of her schedule. She's found some friends to have lunch with. She even mapped out her route from class to class, complete with arrows. I was a basket case in HS. I was so afraid to be alone in classes. She's just so cool about it all. How did I give birth to this uber smart creature?

She even attended her first school function: the freshman dance. And she had fun. We are ready to tackle this year! (some of us more than others)

So, I don't have a fifth thing this month. I consider myself lucky to have anything good to focus on after being sick. I will take my four good things and file them away.

August 2011, you weren't the worst month, but you weren't the best either.

Hello, September.

Temagami, here we come!

In just a few short hours, after the young man has been transitioned into seventh grade, we are headed north, far north, to visit Temagami, Ontario Canada.

We're all so excited. There was a time this summer we weren't sure we'd find a weekend that would work, between soccer, summer school, & Bart's schedule. But this one works just fine. The last hurrah before school starts.

So until the first of September, I will have no internet access and won't be able to check on y'all. Don't do anything dumb while I'm gone. Stay safe from Hurricane Irene. I'm going to miss ya!

frosh

Somehow, this little peanut is going to high school tomorrow.

My heart can't take it.

I have been preparing for a year now, and yet, this week I am gobsmacked. High school? Didn't she just start kindergarten? I remember waiting with her at the door for her first day of school.

And I remember my first day of high school, for that matter. It's such a strange place to be in...watching your child experience the things you remember doing not that long ago.

After her first day, she has a freshman dance and we have a parent orientation meeting. Good, because I have no idea about what goes on at the high school. I've only ever been to the cafeteria and the auditorium. This school is ginormous. I can't imagine having to navigate thru that every day. I'm nervous for her, but I'm also glad it's not me. I know she'll be just fine; this kid is way better equipped to handle high school than I ever was.

Good luck, sweetie.

five good things : July 2011

It's time for another installment of five good things, where I name at least 5 things that happened in the last month that were pretty cool. On a day to day basis, sometimes this feels like an impossible task. It's been hot hot damn hot, and humid this month, making we want to crawl into a hole until October. So here goes!

1. Segwaying thru Chicago on the 4th of July. Chicago is awesome, and what could be more awesome than riding a Segway around the city for two hours? Nothing.Nothing is cooler. If you are ever visiting a city and they offer a Segway tour, take it. It's worth every penny. And it's fun. And your kids will love you.

2. Cousins that visit for 10 days.
3. Inappropriate pictures on your camera. Always good for a laugh.
4. Construction on the pergola is making progress! It's going slow, but some forward progress has been made. Hopefully by the end of summer it will be all done and we can enjoy some lovely shady afternoons in the back yard.
5 .Hello, lover. Completely out of the blue, Bart bought me a brand new MacBook Air. It is lovely. It took me a week to get all of my photos and files off my old one (which now belongs to Evan), and I am enjoying playing with this new beauty more each day. Bart Rocks!!
6. A ripe tomato in July! I haven't had one in a few years. It's small, but nothing beats a homegrown tomato for flavor.

Hello, August

It's barely noon on the first day of the month, and I have already medicated myself three times against a monster headache lurking under the surface, and threatened to kill my son if I see his face again before 3:00.

It's going to be a long month.