Yep, just heard from the vet last night that Josie the cat has diabetes. Because of this she will have to go on insulin and get shots 2 times a day probably for the rest of her life. Gee, do I really need this added responsibility when I already feel like most of the time I am barely handling what I need to? I already told hubby that I did not need anything else to take care of when he had the bright idea of getting a turtle for the girls right before he left for 7 months.
It all started a couple of months ago. I have one of those new type of cat boxes that have the pee pads in a drawer underneath and the larger clay litter. I used to change the pad about every 4 or 5 days but the last few months I change it every 2 days and it is FULL. This was my first clue. Also, Josie started just hanging out and taking naps in front of the water dish. I has also been a bad flea season and although she is an indoor cat the dog must have been bringing in fleas and passing them to her. So I took her into the vet to get some good flea meds and I knew something else was up too. I had a feeling it was probably either diabetes or some type of kidney problem. She is about 13 years old, not exactly a spring chicken. I have to say that I had no inkling what diabetes in a cat would mean. I certainly did not expect to have to put her on insulin just like a human and give shots 2 times a day.
The people at the vets office have been extremely helpful though. After I picked up the insulin from Walgreens they told me to come on by the office with Josie and they would show me how to give the shots. Fun! Luckily Josie is the best cat ever and so mellow she didn't even seem to notice the practice shot of Saline they had me give her. Then they tell me that there are a few signs of problems to look for such as being lethargic (how do they think she got so fat in the first place, she is lethargic daily) or having a seizure (that sounds fun, not). But they tell me if I notice her being too lethargic to just rub some Karo syrup on her gums. Rubbing it on the gums gets it to the blood stream fast, just like they show coke addicts do in the movies. Wow, this has been such a learning experience. We'll just have to see how it all turns out.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Mom = Foreign Language Expert
Savannah's art
Savannah's note
Sydney's art (that red curly thing is the dog's tongue, he's panting mom I was told)
Sydney's note
Sydney's noteMy latest mom job is a writing decipherer (yeah, that is probably not a word).
The girls have obviously been learning to write in Kindergarten this year. Suddenly they are on this total writing kick even at home. They want to write everything. Every picture they draw must have everyone in it labeled, they want to write notes to send daddy, they want to know how to spell practically every word they hear. The other night they were pretending to be babies so ,of course, they couldn't talk but for some reason they could write. Go figure. So they were trying to communicate all night by writing me little notes. I have to say it was cute and this is probably great practice for them. Great! What can get a little old is trying to decipher everything they write. Let's face it, they barely have the form of all the letters down so it can be a little hard to make out which letter they are writing in the first place. On top of that THEY CAN'T SPELL! They really try, bless their hearts. They know several words like their names and each others names and mom, and dad, and and, and the and my and me but most everything else is still foreign. They are sounding things out like they are supposed to and a lot of times once they tell me what it "says" I can kinda see where they were going with it but I can rarely get it on my own. Then I feel bad because I feel like I'm making them feel stupid because I don't understand their words. Ah, vicious circle!
I guess they aren't taking it too bad though because here come more notes, gotta go.
Funny things Savannah says
Last night at bedtime Savannah told me that she didn't like school and didn't want to go. I tried asking her why she didn't like school all of the sudden, because usually she likes it okay, but she didn't really have an answer. Then I told her that it was the law and she had to go so she could learn. Then she said "But I don't want to be a teacher when I grow up!" I had to laugh at the logic but then I told her she wasn't going to school to learn to be a teacher but it was the law she had to go and didn't she want to learn to read and write. She then told me "but I'm not learning to read." I had to explain to her that all these little words they were learning and how they were learning to sound out words was just the first step to learning to read. She didn't really seem convinced, but at least it gave her something to think about.
While walking to school today we spotted several Robins flitting around the neighborhood. The girls were pretty excited about this since that is a sign that spring is near. I asked Syndey how she knew they were Robins and she said "Mr. L is teaching us all about Robins in class". Then I mentioned how they call them "red breasted" but they really looked orange to me. So Savannah says that Robin starts with RO, that must be R for red and O for orange. Okay, sure.
Tonight while watching TV I heard a definite fart (which we call a toot) from Savannah, boy she has been gassy lately. So I said, "I heard that, does someone need to go potty" and Savannah pipes in that "It was the dog." This would make her dad so proud! He is constantly blaming the dog, the cat, other people, the couch, etc. so to hear that his baby girl came up with this all on her own will, I'm sure, bring tears to his eyes.
While walking to school today we spotted several Robins flitting around the neighborhood. The girls were pretty excited about this since that is a sign that spring is near. I asked Syndey how she knew they were Robins and she said "Mr. L is teaching us all about Robins in class". Then I mentioned how they call them "red breasted" but they really looked orange to me. So Savannah says that Robin starts with RO, that must be R for red and O for orange. Okay, sure.
Tonight while watching TV I heard a definite fart (which we call a toot) from Savannah, boy she has been gassy lately. So I said, "I heard that, does someone need to go potty" and Savannah pipes in that "It was the dog." This would make her dad so proud! He is constantly blaming the dog, the cat, other people, the couch, etc. so to hear that his baby girl came up with this all on her own will, I'm sure, bring tears to his eyes.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Hubby's Synapsis of the movie "Marley and Me" (spoiler alert)
The other day I receive this somewhat cryptic email from hubby.
"Never, under any circumstances, see the movie Marley and Me. Love you."
I have to say that it never crossed my mind and here is why. Whoever wrote the book (which I'm completely blanking on right now) is know to write tear-jerkers. I am not a fan of the tear-jerker. So, of course, I would expect the movie to be a tearjerker, which is to say that the dog must die (that is not a spoiler because I don't know that for a fact, I am just surmising so). I am a sucker for the dog dying bit and will bawl like a baby if any dog dies in any movie. I know this and thus avoid these movies. I have a friend who loves a good tear-jerker because she feels that it is a release of sorts and it makes her feel good to get it all out. Me, it just depresses me and I can't deal with that. I told hubby this.
Well today he called, about something unrelated, but later in the conversation he asked about Ferris (his dog) and then the conversation came around to this movie again. "Don't get me wrong," he said "it is a great movie but I cried almost the whole way through it." Now granted he has been away from home for 5 months and does tend to get a little emotional but this seems a little excessive. Then he tells me the reason that it hit so hard was because it paralleled our life with our dog so much and the wife reminds him so much of me the way she is always screaming at the dog and stuff (me being compared to Jennifer Aniston, nice suck up babe!).
His synopsis went something like: They are a young couple, they get a dog and he is a pain, but they love him. Then they have kids and the kids love him and he is still a pain but they love him. Then the dog gets sick and they are all upset, but he gets better but he is still a pain and they love him, then he dies. Hubby and I got Ferris about a year after we got married (14 years ago this June) and he was a major pain but luckily he was cute so we loved him. We had kids, he was still a pain but he'd been around long enough that we loved him. The kids love him as long as there is no food around that he is trying to steal from them. He grew these big cysts which worried us, but we had them taken off and he seems fine, he is still a pain but I guess we love him.
Gee honey we are right on track for the dying part, thanks for bringing that up.
"Never, under any circumstances, see the movie Marley and Me. Love you."
I have to say that it never crossed my mind and here is why. Whoever wrote the book (which I'm completely blanking on right now) is know to write tear-jerkers. I am not a fan of the tear-jerker. So, of course, I would expect the movie to be a tearjerker, which is to say that the dog must die (that is not a spoiler because I don't know that for a fact, I am just surmising so). I am a sucker for the dog dying bit and will bawl like a baby if any dog dies in any movie. I know this and thus avoid these movies. I have a friend who loves a good tear-jerker because she feels that it is a release of sorts and it makes her feel good to get it all out. Me, it just depresses me and I can't deal with that. I told hubby this.
Well today he called, about something unrelated, but later in the conversation he asked about Ferris (his dog) and then the conversation came around to this movie again. "Don't get me wrong," he said "it is a great movie but I cried almost the whole way through it." Now granted he has been away from home for 5 months and does tend to get a little emotional but this seems a little excessive. Then he tells me the reason that it hit so hard was because it paralleled our life with our dog so much and the wife reminds him so much of me the way she is always screaming at the dog and stuff (me being compared to Jennifer Aniston, nice suck up babe!).
His synopsis went something like: They are a young couple, they get a dog and he is a pain, but they love him. Then they have kids and the kids love him and he is still a pain but they love him. Then the dog gets sick and they are all upset, but he gets better but he is still a pain and they love him, then he dies. Hubby and I got Ferris about a year after we got married (14 years ago this June) and he was a major pain but luckily he was cute so we loved him. We had kids, he was still a pain but he'd been around long enough that we loved him. The kids love him as long as there is no food around that he is trying to steal from them. He grew these big cysts which worried us, but we had them taken off and he seems fine, he is still a pain but I guess we love him.
Gee honey we are right on track for the dying part, thanks for bringing that up.
No bad luck, but a strange day
Today was the day for weird conversations.
So, the girls and I were walking home from school today and I asked Savannah "How was your party?" because today was their 100th day of school and they were having some sort of celebration. Her class did Valentine's Day yesterday just so it wouldn't interfere with the 100th Day Celebration. Here is the rest of the conversation:
S: We didn't have a party.
Me: You didn't?
S: No.
Me: That is bologna. Mr. L (Sydney's teacher, who I helped out with his party today) said he saw you guys having chips and juice boxes.
S: There was cake too, with pink frosting.
Me: So you had cake and chips and juice and watched a movie (which I know because her teacher popped in to tell Sydney's teacher the channel it was on) but that isn't a party?
S: No.
Me: Let's see, cake, chips, juice, and a movie. That sure sounds like a party to me.
I think she was just being ornery because she is a little jealous that I always go help in Sydney's class and never in hers. I've tried to explain to her that her teacher has another teacher in the room with her, so she doesn't need help, whereas, Sydney's teacher does not have another teacher but she isn't too impressed with that explanation. I've also tried to tell her that I'm sure that some year she will have a teacher that needs help and Sydney won't but that is just too far in the future for her to contemplate. So next I tell her "That's life kid, welcome to the real world, where you don't always like what you get. Better get used to it." No wonder they never want to grow up.
Much later, after they had eaten dinner and had dessert and were watching a little TV Sydney came in where I was on the computer and we had a strange conversation.
S: Mom, I want to have some Cheetos, but I don't want my teeth to fall out
Me: (??!!) Honey, what are you talking about?
S: Well, we watched this movie in P.E. and it scared me.
Me: Sweetie, that movie is probably talking mostly about sweets and anyway if you brush your teeth good after you eat your teeth will be fine.
S: I wish there weren't such things as bad things that got in your teeth and you had to brush them out.
Me: Well, that would be nice but that's not how it is so we just have to be sure and brush good.
Okay, a little explanation here. From what I can gather they have seen a movie in P.E. several times now about tooth decay. Evidently, this movie tells them that all snacks are the devil and if you eat snacks all your teeth will rot out and that will hurt. Okay, that might just be what they are getting out of it. I'm hopeful that it is really just a cartoon that is trying to teach them to limit snacking and brush and floss, but it seems that they are both (Sydney especially) feeling traumatized by this. I can really tell that she is traumatized because she won't eat Cheetos and most of the time she would live on Cheetos if possible. Later, she wanted me to come and watch her brush her teeth. I'm starting to sense a pattern here.
Me: Why can't you start brushing without me?
S: I want you with me
Me: Why?
S: Because of that movie, and remember we didn't floss last night because you said we were too late going to bed.
Me: Okay, but why is this movie freaking you out so much, what is so scary about it?
S: I don't know how to explain it but it just freaks me out. It just freaks me out all the way to my heart.
Suddenly I'm sure that I will have to go to the school and have a talk with them about this movie because all of the pieces are fitting together and I'm realizing that they are really freaked out about this. When your 6 year old is begging you to floss alarm bells start going off. I'm realizing that they have been completely anal about the tooth brushing and flossing all week, I'm remembering that Sydney has woken me up with nightmares two nights this week, I'm remembering our earlier conversation about the Cheetos, and now this little 6 year old voice is saying "It freaks me out, it freaks me out all the way down to my heart". Holy cow, what the heck are they showing these kids?
So, the girls and I were walking home from school today and I asked Savannah "How was your party?" because today was their 100th day of school and they were having some sort of celebration. Her class did Valentine's Day yesterday just so it wouldn't interfere with the 100th Day Celebration. Here is the rest of the conversation:
S: We didn't have a party.
Me: You didn't?
S: No.
Me: That is bologna. Mr. L (Sydney's teacher, who I helped out with his party today) said he saw you guys having chips and juice boxes.
S: There was cake too, with pink frosting.
Me: So you had cake and chips and juice and watched a movie (which I know because her teacher popped in to tell Sydney's teacher the channel it was on) but that isn't a party?
S: No.
Me: Let's see, cake, chips, juice, and a movie. That sure sounds like a party to me.
I think she was just being ornery because she is a little jealous that I always go help in Sydney's class and never in hers. I've tried to explain to her that her teacher has another teacher in the room with her, so she doesn't need help, whereas, Sydney's teacher does not have another teacher but she isn't too impressed with that explanation. I've also tried to tell her that I'm sure that some year she will have a teacher that needs help and Sydney won't but that is just too far in the future for her to contemplate. So next I tell her "That's life kid, welcome to the real world, where you don't always like what you get. Better get used to it." No wonder they never want to grow up.
Much later, after they had eaten dinner and had dessert and were watching a little TV Sydney came in where I was on the computer and we had a strange conversation.
S: Mom, I want to have some Cheetos, but I don't want my teeth to fall out
Me: (??!!) Honey, what are you talking about?
S: Well, we watched this movie in P.E. and it scared me.
Me: Sweetie, that movie is probably talking mostly about sweets and anyway if you brush your teeth good after you eat your teeth will be fine.
S: I wish there weren't such things as bad things that got in your teeth and you had to brush them out.
Me: Well, that would be nice but that's not how it is so we just have to be sure and brush good.
Okay, a little explanation here. From what I can gather they have seen a movie in P.E. several times now about tooth decay. Evidently, this movie tells them that all snacks are the devil and if you eat snacks all your teeth will rot out and that will hurt. Okay, that might just be what they are getting out of it. I'm hopeful that it is really just a cartoon that is trying to teach them to limit snacking and brush and floss, but it seems that they are both (Sydney especially) feeling traumatized by this. I can really tell that she is traumatized because she won't eat Cheetos and most of the time she would live on Cheetos if possible. Later, she wanted me to come and watch her brush her teeth. I'm starting to sense a pattern here.
Me: Why can't you start brushing without me?
S: I want you with me
Me: Why?
S: Because of that movie, and remember we didn't floss last night because you said we were too late going to bed.
Me: Okay, but why is this movie freaking you out so much, what is so scary about it?
S: I don't know how to explain it but it just freaks me out. It just freaks me out all the way to my heart.
Suddenly I'm sure that I will have to go to the school and have a talk with them about this movie because all of the pieces are fitting together and I'm realizing that they are really freaked out about this. When your 6 year old is begging you to floss alarm bells start going off. I'm realizing that they have been completely anal about the tooth brushing and flossing all week, I'm remembering that Sydney has woken me up with nightmares two nights this week, I'm remembering our earlier conversation about the Cheetos, and now this little 6 year old voice is saying "It freaks me out, it freaks me out all the way down to my heart". Holy cow, what the heck are they showing these kids?
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Who do I admire?
I have been sick for the last two weeks and am finally, FINALLY starting to feel myself again, thank goodness. Not only have I been sick, but to make it even more fun the girls have been sick too. As if being sick feeling like your head is stuffed with cotton, coughing up a lung, and literally going through a bushel of Kleenex from Sam's Club wasn't enough Sydney had the same exact thing and Savannah had some sort of stomach flu. Truthfully Savannah only had one day of really being sick, but she stayed home from school most of last week with Sydney. Why? Mostly because I just couldn't get up and get her ready and off to school. Pathetic isn't it? This is when I start cursing my husband for being gone on a ship for 7 months. I have to say that I have been doing pretty well with him being gone but let me get sick and it just all falls apart.
This makes me think of how really amazing any single mom is. First of all, I think I have it so bad with my husband being gone for 7 months at a time, but try not having a husband around ever to help with anything. I mean, I like to think of myself as a pretty self sufficient person but just having someone around so you can take a bath in peace can make all the difference in your day. Then add in that I am a stay at home mom and cannot imagine how anyone manages to work outside the home all day then come home and make dinner, get the kids bathed and fed and then wake up at the crack of dawn to do it again. Yikes! I stay at home all day while the kids are in school and still feel like I don't get anything done. People like my sister-in-law amaze me. This woman has to work every day to pay the bills, then come home and take care of her daughter (my completely adorable niece) and she has no spouse to support her so she never really gets a break. To top this off she is a high school teacher (don't get me started on how insane she must be to do this, but she loves it).
One question I always get having twins is "How do you do it?" to which I always reply "You do what you have to do." So I guess it is like that, you do what you have to do. But I still admire those single moms out there, they are an inspiration.
This makes me think of how really amazing any single mom is. First of all, I think I have it so bad with my husband being gone for 7 months at a time, but try not having a husband around ever to help with anything. I mean, I like to think of myself as a pretty self sufficient person but just having someone around so you can take a bath in peace can make all the difference in your day. Then add in that I am a stay at home mom and cannot imagine how anyone manages to work outside the home all day then come home and make dinner, get the kids bathed and fed and then wake up at the crack of dawn to do it again. Yikes! I stay at home all day while the kids are in school and still feel like I don't get anything done. People like my sister-in-law amaze me. This woman has to work every day to pay the bills, then come home and take care of her daughter (my completely adorable niece) and she has no spouse to support her so she never really gets a break. To top this off she is a high school teacher (don't get me started on how insane she must be to do this, but she loves it).
One question I always get having twins is "How do you do it?" to which I always reply "You do what you have to do." So I guess it is like that, you do what you have to do. But I still admire those single moms out there, they are an inspiration.
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