So Thankful, Thankful, Thankful

I can hardly believe that November is coming to a close.  It seems like this month absolutely flew by...

 

The other day I took down our Thankful Tree.  I really enjoyed looking at all of the leaves and noticing some of the things that my kids wrote down this year.  They really put some thought into what they wrote.  They aren't just thankful for toys, candy, and other such things anymore.  They listed things like piano, music, senses, friends, individual family members, food & shelter, etc.  It's neat to see them growing up that way.

 

Now, I know I've done thankful lists before but I feel like I should close out the month with one last hurrah before December hits us.  I am, after all, blessed beyond measure in so many ways (aren't we all?).  I feel like I should voice/write some of the things I'm grateful/thankful for while they're fresh on my mind.

 

I am thankful for...

• my hard working, handsome, funny and supportive husband who puts up with my malarkey and sticks around in spite of it.
• two beautiful, smart, funny, thoughtful, kind, amazing and all around awesome children who make my life worthwhile.
• incredible parents who are always there for me.
• four amazing siblings who also happen to be four of my best friends.
• wonderful in-laws both in my family and in my hubby's...I've been blessed to find great friends and family in them.
• the greatest extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins) that anyone could ever dream of or ask for.  I love them to pieces!
• my good health, strength, and physical abilities.  Five years ago these things were either not part of my life or they were being threatened.  I am so grateful that I'm able to walk, hear, and function well in general on a daily basis without my pesky health issues causing problems.
• modern medicine (it ties in with my health but I have to give it its own nod) and how it has benefited my life and the lives of my loved ones.  If it weren't for advances in the medical world over the years, many of us wouldn't be here.
• the freedoms I enjoy living in this country.  I know that the government isn't perfect and that things look pretty bad at times but I feel so blessed to live the life that I do with the freedoms we have been given here.
• the opportunity I have to stay home and be a full time mom.  I know that this is not as common as it used to be and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else
• my blog.  It may sound cheesy but I enjoy writing, even if it is just about day to day stuff.  It's therapeutic for me and is good for my soul.
• technology that allows me to easily stay in touch with and communicate with my family and friends.  It wasn't that long ago that the Internet, e-mail, and cell phones were non-existent or uncommon luxuries.
• a roof over my head, food on the table, clothes on my back, and a warm bed.
• the little things in life that help me make it through the hard days...a visit or a phone call from a friend or family member, people who are good to my children and love them like I do, unexpected service or kindness from others, etc.
• my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and the opportunity we have to celebrate his birth in December.  There is no greater blessing in life than His life, teachings, and atonement.

There are so many other things that I am thankful for but today, I'm especially grateful for the things that matter (and a few things that don't)...

Memories of Miles - Nice List

As I stated the other day in my post about some of Miles' naughty misdeeds over the years, the good things about him and the things he did right far outweigh the bad.  This one is going to be lengthy since I feel like I have to explain or tell a story with everything on the list so if you don't want the details, come back another day for a different post.

Without further ado, here's my list of some of the great things about Miles:

• When he was young, Miles would cower and make himself dead weight as soon as he realized the water running in the tub was meant for him.   In the past few years this changed and he would hop into the tub for a bath on command.  All I had to do was point and tell him to "get in the tub" and he was there.
• While he was very friendly to pretty much anyone he met, Miles had a keen sense of good vs. bad in people. On one particular occasion, I had a few people come to give us bids on replacing some windows in the house. He was fine with every single person that came...except one. A pair of guys from one company came together and Miles did NOT approve of one of them. The entire time they were here, he growled anytime the guy talked, got even more agitated when he'd get close to me, and he didn't calm down until the guy left. We never had those men come back.
• Miles was always very careful and gentle with babies and kids alike but he really had a thing for babies. He was still a young pup when I watched a friend's infant one day. I told Miles to stay away from the baby in the car seat/carrier and placed it in the kitchen where he wasn't supposed to go (we boundary trained him). Very slowly but surely, he literally "crawled" along on his tummy, closer and closer until he was right next to the baby's carrier. He didn't bother the little boy, he just wanted to be close to it and happily laid there as long as I let him.
• He never complained or whined when getting a check-up or shots at the vet's office - he actually liked going there.  He was very stoic and would just stand there and take whatever was coming without complaint.
• Miles absolutely LOVED the UPS man and the mail carrier. He would initially bark upon hearing the UPS truck but as soon as he saw our regular UPS guy coming up the walk, he'd be whining at the front window to be let out front for a visit. The UPS man liked Miles in return and would always stop to rub/pet him and talk to him for a minute. As for the mail carrier, if Miles was able to get out front when the truck pulled up to the mailbox, he'd run out there and climb up onto the steps of the truck for a hello. I can't tell you how many times I had to call him back so that the mail carrier could continue on his/her way.
• Going along with Miles being good with babies, Hudson was born when Miles was about 3 years old. He was Hudson's personal play thing and step stool until Hudson was probably about 2 years old.  Miles never growled or did anything around either of our kids to make us worry.  If he got tired of the treatment, he'd just quietly get up and go somewhere else.
• He was concerned when he could tell that something was wrong with someone in our family.  When one of the kids or I would cry, he was quick to come and check on us or sit with us as we cried.  When someone was sick, it was obvious that he was worried and he laid low and stayed closer than usual.  He was very much in tune with what was happening within our family.
• He remembered the people who loved him (and he loved in return) and was always eager to spend time with them when they'd visit. He loved my dad, my hubby's dad, the vet, my Aunt Shivaun, the carpet cleaning guy, the UPS man (as mentioned above), my brother's girl Abby, my niece Courtney (I swear they would have married each other had species not been an issue), and a number of our kids' friends.
• Other than a short time period when he tried to make the living room couch his bed, he was always obedient about our no furniture rule and would only hop up when given the okay (which was very rare until the last few weeks of his life when we were total suckers and allowed him up on the family couch every evening).
• Miles was one smart cookie.  He was very easy to boundary train - both at our old house and here - and learned how to use a dog door with nothing more than going out and back in once.  We watched other people's dogs on a couple of occasions (one of them in particular was hailed as being the smartest dog her owner had ever met) and in spite of our showing them over and over again, neither of them ever grasped the whole dog door concept...dumb as doornails.  It drove me crazy.

I think that my need for writing therapy over Miles' passing is finished.  I only cried while typing the first post about him (I've made great progress!) and I don't feel like there's anything else I need to get out.

 

I will say that it sure was nice to have an easy topic for three posts.  Now to knock out 14 more by the end of the year...yikes.

Memories of Miles - Naughty List

You may or may not have heard of a website out there dedicated to "dog shaming".  It's for people to send in pictures of their dog wearing a sign around its neck (or with one next to them) detailing said canine's naughty deeds and therefore shaming them for their behavior.  A couple of months ago I checked the website out and got thinking of some of the naughty things that Miles did over the years.  Here are a few treasures that would have earned him a spot on the wall of shame:

• chewed on our brand new upright Baldwin piano
• chewed on the cross-beams at the base of our coffee table
• stole an entire piece of pizza from my hand as I went to take a bite (we were sitting on the ground at a park)
• went through the trash baskets in the house numerous times to retrieve candy wrappers and Go-Gurt sleeves
• possibly chewed holes in our huge Persian area rug (his younger "brother" was possibly responsible for this but we were never sure of who was to blame - my guess it it was both of them)
• snuck up onto the leather couch in the living room when he knew we weren't paying attention...that didn't last long (he only had to get caught once and he learned his lesson)
• played keep-away with a dead baby bird he found in the backyard at our old house
• happily rolled around in deer feces whenever he could find them (usually in a neighbor's back or side yard)
• found the measuring cup for his food bin had been left out and destroyed it
• ran away to explore the neighborhood and refused to come home when called
• after refusing to use the outdoor "facilities" upon arriving at the groomer, he proceeded to relieve himself on a bag of dog food just after we walked in the door

Thankfully his naughty list isn't anywhere near as long as his nice list (which will come later this week) and the majority of his misdeeds were done in his younger years.  As much as his shenanigans drove me crazy, I'm glad I have those memories to think back on and smile about now that he's gone.

Max's Hip Surgery

Today I am thankful for modern medical procedures and practices, physicians, and medications.

 

Max had his big hip resurfacing surgery this morning.  His doctor called me when it was done and said that everything went perfectly and that hubby was doing well in recovery.  I wasn't able to see him until a little bit after noon but I was surprised at how good, alert and comfortable he looked.  When he had his left hip done 4 1/2 years ago, I wasn't able to visit him until a bit later in the day (Hudson was in preschool and Claire was only 7 months old) so seeing him so soon afterwards this time was a new thing for me.

 

Max was starting to hurt a bit when he came up from recovery and obviously the pain is going to get worse as everything wears off.  It's no fun to see someone that you love hurting and I know he will be doing just that for the next several days.

 

I'm really not worried about Max's recovery (other than the fact that I know that it's painful and slow going for him) or how things will be down the line.  We've done this before and more than anything, I'm just glad to know that his condition will improve each day from here on own rather than deteriorate.

 

Our lives and our family have been blessed by doctors and modern medicine over and over again throughout the years and I'm sure they will continue to be.  So today I am very thankful indeed.

Letting Go: Goodbye, Miles

On Saturday afternoon we chose to have our beloved dog Miles put down.  He had been with us for 11 of our 14 years of marriage.  Some will think or say that he was "just" an animal but he was a dear friend, family member, and companion to all of us.

 

After suddenly fainting and going stiff one day back in March, Miles was diagnosed with a large tumor in his abdomen (and some smaller ones to go along with it).  We thought we were going to lose him within weeks at that point but he'd bounced back and had been pretty doing well.  He did look old. He had a very distinguished white "beard" contrasting the black fur on his face and there were newer areas of white fur around his paws, knees and tummy. In recent months, I had taken to calling him "Old Man".  However, in the past 8 weeks or so, he had really started going down hill.  His back right leg had obviously been hurting or uncomfortable for a while, his tumors were getting larger, he was sleeping and laying around a lot more, he'd appeared to have slimmed down suddenly, etc.  Thinking that we might need to put him down, I took Miles to the vet the two Saturdays ago.  The vet thought he was still doing okay and sent us home with some additional pain meds to help his leg (we had an anti-inflammatory at home that we'd been using for a month or so).

 

While the meds did help somewhat with his ability to walk, early last week Miles suddenly cut way back on how much he was eating (though he was drinking a ton), he got drastically thinner over the course of a few days, and his back left leg started to go as well.  Both legs actually simultaneously gave out on him a couple of times during the week.

 

Friday morning we woke up to a blanket of snow and Miles was a little bit spunky (a rarity these days) and was obviously happy about it.  He was always a snow dog...winter was his favorite time of year.  When I went out to shovel the driveway and walks late morning, Miles had a blast playing in the white stuff - albeit at a slow pace - and got himself good and dirty and drenched.  He needed a bath afterwards.   As always, he was a good boy and went to hop in the tub when I told him to but his back legs couldn't do the job and I had to lift him in. For the first time ever, he actually voluntarily sat down a few times while I was bathing him as his legs were too weak. He was happy to be clean and after a good towel-drying, I sat down in our big chair by the fireplace in the the living room so that he would lay down in front of the fireplace to dry off.  He was worn out and slept there for a while.  That night, Max and I talked about Miles' condition.  We knew that it was time and decided Friday night that we'd need to make the call on Saturday.

 

I made the call Saturday morning then went out and cried to my husband about the fact that it was really happening.  Miles followed me around the yard as I shoveled and I got a few pictures of him with the kids.  The kids had already had a good cry about Miles the weekend before when we sat them down and told them that he'd be going soon so we didn't tell them what was happening until it was time to go.  When I was ready (a relative term...I was an absolute wreck) to take him to the vet on Saturday, we had the kids come and say goodbye.  They both started crying and they each gave him a big hug. We were all in tears.  I lifted Miles into the car and we headed down the hill.  Miles loved car rides and usually sat in the cargo area of my car but this time, he came up and laid down behind the center console.  I reached back and pet him as I talked to him the whole way there.  I got to be with Miles for a while before he was put down and I sat on the floor with him through the whole thing. He actually really liked the blanket that they put down for him and he was happy to lay on it with me sitting next to him. He went peacefully and quickly. The vet had only administered about half of the medication when he passed. She said that sometimes it takes until it has been completely injected for an animal to pass (or even a few minutes after), but that when the animal goes only partway through, it means that it really was their time to go. She reassured me that we had definitely made the right choice and that it was his time. I stayed there with him for a while afterwards.  I kind of expected him to lift his head at any moment.  Part of me was thinking and wishing that he'd suddenly wake up all renewed and healthy again, ready to walk out the door with me. It was hard to leave him lying there even though I knew he was gone.  I kept reminding myself: he's happy now and he's not in pain anymore.  That and he got to go on a perfect,  snowy day...we couldn't have picked a more fitting day for him. 

 

I do know that letting Miles go was the right thing to do but not having him here is going to take some getting used to. I sobbed the whole drive home and Max and I had a good cry together again when I got here.  I cried a few more times that evening and Claire sobbed for a good 10 minutes as she was getting ready for bed that night after stating, "Now our family only has 4 people in it." Talk about a heart breaker! We've all done pretty well since then but writing this has me all worked up again. Dang crying genes!  I honestly wonder how long it'll take me to stop crying at random over my furry boy.  Even if I don't cry, I know I'll still expect him to be here - I've already done several things and thought things as if he was here.  Max told me yesterday that he keeps doing the same.  There's going to be an adjustment time for all of us, I'm sure.

 

(picture taken summer 2011)

MILES

7/13/2001-11/10/2012

 

You are and will be sorely missed, Miles.  We loved you, we love you, and we will continue to love you.  Until we meet again...

Time To Quarantine?

Since mid-October, we've had a nice round of ailments at our house...

 

It started with Claire catching a cold/cough on a Tuesday morning.  The next day I came down with some sort of stomach bug.  Her cold lasted until Friday, as did my sickness.  It happened to be the week of hubby's birthday, our anniversary, and the kids' annual fall break from school.  What a great way to spend what should have been a fun few days!

 

The following week, I convinced hubby that he needed to go to the ER late one evening as he was having symptoms that pointed to kidney stones (he'd had them once before).  Only one was diagnosed that night but they didn't check his kidney on the CT scan and said there could be more hiding in there.  Sure enough, ever since then, my poor husband has had a number of good days and nights interspersed with a few rotten days and nights as he's dealt with additional stones.  On top of that grand fun, his hip is beyond ready for the surgery he's having on the 19th...it doesn't take much activity or use to leave him in discomfort or pain.

 

This week started with Max having to stay home on Sunday with kidney pain but Monday looked a little brighter.  The kids had the day off from school and everything was normal... until that night.  Claire got up coughing and in spite of medicine, a humidifier and opening her window to let some cold air in, it took her a while to settle down.  Yesterday morning she was coughing again and thoroughly congested.  She perked up within a few hours (and spent a good 20 minutes in the afternoon sobbing because she couldn't go out and play with friends) and I was hopeful that she was on the mend already.  Silly me!  Last night was a bit rough again.

 

Today my girl woke up congested again so we kept her home from school a second day.  Hudson was up and getting ready for school as usual but seemed to be dragging along.  I thought that it might be a bit of "no-school jealousy" but he insisted that he felt weak, a bit tired, slow, and achy.  We thought he was probably just making it up but chose to let him have a day as well.  I'm glad that we did.  We checked on him mid-morning as Max was headed to work and he felt a bit warm so I decided to take his temperature.  He was nice and cozy at 100.5.  Oh, goody!  I gave the boy some Tylenol and sent him off to play quietly with his sister.

 

It's been a fine day, really.  No one is horribly sick, it's been relatively quiet, and I've been able to get some things done.  Oh - and I'm wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt and while I've showered, I haven't done my hair and I don't care because I'm not going anywhere today.  Bonus!! However, I'm 150% done with these pesky sicknesses and ailments making their rounds in our family.  With surgery less than 2 weeks away, I'm worried about Max catching one of the kids' bugs and I'm certainly in no mood to be sick myself.  I gave the kids very detailed instructions this morning about not touching ANY towel in the house except for their own bath towels in their bathroom upstairs and I'm getting things cleaned all over the house today.

 

Maybe I should just quarantine every member of our family until everything has worked its course. I know kidney stones aren't contagious, but still.

 

I will say one thing...  Times like these sure make me grateful for good health and all the days, weeks, and months of the year that we go without anyone being sick.  I gladly look forward to getting back to that!

Grateful: 5 Things On The 5th

If I'm going to meet my quota of 50 posts this year (and possibly out-do myself and go beyond that), I've seriously got to get it in gear.  Luckily, November and December are two of my favorite months of the year and therefore, I feel like I naturally have more to write about.  November ranks up there for three main reasons:

1. The weather is quite wonderful...not hot, sometimes warm, and seldom too cold.  That's my kind of deal.
2. Soup season starts.  I love making big pots of soup or stew or cheating and using my trusty slow cooker to do the job for me.  There's nothing like a big bowl of hot goodness paired with some fresh sourdough bread, sharp cheddar cheese, and apple slices (preferably Honey Crisp or Fuji).  My tummy loves November.
3. I positively LOVE Thanksgiving and thinking about gratitude.  I honestly have things I'm thankful for running through my mind quite regularly as the month goes along.  It's one of the reasons we have a Thankful Tree every year.

In honor of the beginning of this glorious month, I'm going to make a short list of a few things that I'm grateful for today...

 

5 Things I'm Thankful For On The 5th

1. The Daylight Saving time change.  I love the change in the spring as the days grow longer and I love it in the fall since I get an extra hour of sleep in the morning (the morning is my arch nemesis).  I also actually really enjoy that it gets dark early.  Before we had children, I would intentionally leave a light or two on when leaving for work in the morning so that when I arrived home as it grew dark - or already was dark - I felt like the house was welcoming me back when I saw the front porch lights on or perhaps a lamp on in the window.  I may be a weirdy, but that was always a comforting feeling to me.
2. My family's patience with me and their forgiveness of my shortcomings. I kind of lost it a couple of times today. I was frustrated with my kids for various reasons, I got upset and lashed out when I shouldn't have, and I was mad at myself for letting said frustration get the best of me. Bless their poor hearts, in spite of what a lame mom and wife I can be at times, at the end of the day, my hubby and kids still accept me: lost marbles, overreactions and all. My children especially get big kudos on this one because all it takes with them is a simple, sincere apology and they let my misgivings go. I am one lucky lady.
3. The fabulous television show Castle.  It is, after all, Monday night.  Our TiVo box is just finishing recording tonight's episode and I can hardly wait to go and plop down on the couch.  The writers, producers, etc. of the show really nailed it...the characters (who doesn't totally love Caskett [ha ha!], Ryan, and Esposito?), the one-liners, the story lines, etc.  If you haven't seen it or if you don't like it, then you've got something seriously wrong with you.
4. Great neighbors who also happen to be great friends...  We seriously hit the jackpot in terms of neighbors.  We live next to and around some of the most friendly, generous, kind, loving, thoughtful and giving people in the world.  Everyone watches out for each other and is genuinely concerned about each other's well being.  I couldn't ask for better.  Heaven forbid we should ever have to move because nothing compares to these people!
5. A hard working husband who does SO much for our family. Max works his tail off at the office and makes it possible for me to stay home with the kiddies. In addition to bringing home the bacon, he has also always been the one to do most of the yard work. While I enjoy doing yard work (to an extent...ahem), I'm afraid that I often take for granted just how much he does. With his being somewhat unable to work in the yard as of late, I've been trying to make things easier on him and pick up the slack. Today I spent hours outside raking, blowing, sweeping, and bagging leaves. I honestly enjoy the work and the results when I do it but it really is a lot of work. He keeps our yard pristine and lets me be the pansy I am when it comes to yard work most of the time. I am blessed to be married to him.

I have so much more that I'm thankful for but a) I'm not going to list it all now because I need more writing material for future posts and b) it's time for CASTLE...

Happy Halloween 2012

We had a very nice Halloween this year.  I was more organized than usual and that led to things running a bit more smoothly and quickly...weird.  We had tacos for dinner with orange & black tortilla chips, a peach flavored brain Jell-O with Cool Whip mixed in (you can see last year's brain Jell-O pics here...just imagine a very pale shade of pink instead of the dark red), and sliced apples.  Our drink was "Witches' Brew": lime sherbet with grape soda.  It's really quite tasty.  I also made devil's food cupcakes with white frosting and orange sugar crystal sprinkles for dessert....because the evening's haul of coma-inducing sugar just wouldn't have been enough.  I failed to take pictures of any of our semi-festive meal so you'll just have to imagine it.

 

As for trick-or-treating, Claire was dressed up as Disney's Belle and Hudson was a Clone Trooper from Star Wars.  Thanks to my good friend, neighbor, and hair genius, Melinda, Claire's hair was as perfect as it could have been.  And thanks to my sister-in-law, Heather, Hudson had a great costume that fit perfectly when his original costume plans (he wanted to be a miner) fell through.

 

Both kids loved their costumes and while I thought they looked great, I have one complaint about each:

• Hudson's: the Star Wars gun he used (came from another Star Wars costume I purchased a few years back) makes noise.  A lot of obnoxiously loud and annoying noise.  Why I haven't yet permanently confiscated it and sent it to the land of misfit toys is beyond me.

• Claire's: Holy freaking gold glitter.  Her beautiful dress/costume came from the Disney store, complete with a lifetime supply of glittery trim that sheds off like you wouldn't believe.  I thoroughly tape-rolled the back seats of my car the next day.  And there's still some left.  Glitter is of the devil.

Immediately after dinner we took the kids to see Max's parents across town.  We made it a quick stop so that we could get home and go trick-or-treating before it got too late.  This year I took the kids out on my own while hubby stayed home to 1) pass out candy, 2) save his poor hip from unnecessary pain, and 3) finish up his CE hours that were due by morning.  The kids and I took a spin around our little neighborhood "loop" and then drove a couple of blocks away to go to the homes of a few other friends.  While we were hitting those last few houses, Claire stated that she was just too tired, that she wanted to be done, and that besides, she already had "too much candy".  What?!  Strange, strange child.  However, in spite of said "too much candy", when Hudson decided to go to the homes of another friend or two, Claire would yell from the back seat, "Get me some candy, too, Huds!"  I couldn't help but chuckle.

 

I don't recall what time the kids and I finished up for the night.  I do know it wasn't the latest we'd been out on Halloween but we all welcomed the end of our fun.  Trick-or-treating is positively exhausting.  I don't know what it is, but I was plumb tuckered when we got home and I honestly had a hard time deciding whether to head to bed at the same time as the kids or to stay up for a while and relax.  Relaxation won.

 

I vote that next year, I stay home and pass out candy while hubby and the kids make the rounds.