...And it's getting pretty crazy!
We are still in the depths of tonsilectomy recovery with Erin. She is getting better, but not by leaps and bounds...more like fits and starts. She and Dani start "club PeeWee" today...a program offered by the Parks and Rec dept. I'm hoping she'll make it through the 2 hour timeframe without any issue.
Yesterday we just found out the sad news that one of Jeff's Aunt's died unexpectedly. She wasn't in the best of health to begin with, but apparently she laid down for a nap and never woke up. Jeff's entire extended family lives in Iowa, so this morning Jeff's mom and sister (who live near us) got on a plane to fly there for the funeral. Jeff hasn't decided whether he'll go back yet, but will hopefully sort through everything soon. The funeral is on Friday.
And of course I'm supposed to head to an agility trial in San Diego this weekend! Soooo, I've already talked to a friend who is willing to take the girls Friday night for a sleepover. Jeff would catch a late flight back Friday night and pick up the girls Saturday morning.
CRAZY!!!
Oh yeah...and Jeff is having an abcessed tooth extracted today!
I think what amazes me most is how calm I've been through all this. Erin's surgery was a big deal, but I didn't let myself get all worked up. The recovery has been difficult, but I've held it together for the most part. The death of the Aunt...I went into a mode in which I wanted to find solutions that would work for everyone. I got online and got a good airfare for Jeff (should he decide to go) and I talked with my friend about possible childcare...all without losing it or shedding a single tear.
Hopefully this means that I can take lemons and make some pretty sweet-tasting lemonade! :)
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Tonsil Removal
Erin had her tonsils and adenoids removed on Tuesday. I think I was more nervous than her! We were both worried about how she would deal with not being able to eat in the morning, but thankfully she understood that she couldn't eat and didn't even ask! The only thing she asked for once we got to the hospital were popsicles!
She went into pre-op and seemed a bit overwhelmed, but she happily put on her pretty pastel orange jammies and her purple surgery hat. A child advocate person stopped by to show pictures of the OR to Erin and to give her a mask (the one they use to put her to sleep) to play with so she wouldn't afraid when they put it on her mouth. She initially shunned it as well, but ended up putting stickers on it and holding it over her nose! They eventually came and wheeled her off to surgery in a wagon.
25 minutes later, they came to get me from the waiting room...surgery was over! In the recovery area, they wheeled in a recliner for me and I held Erin while she slept. When she woke up, she had a green popsicle waiting for her...she wolfed it down happily! She then dozed a bit more. They ended up admitting her so we were soon whisked off to her room in the pediatric ward.
Throughout the day, she ate several popsicles, a few containers of ice cream and some jell-o. She was so happy to be able to finally eat that stuff!! She was an awesome patient. She only complained about the pulse ox monitor attached to her toe. By the end of the night, she wanted to go home, but understood that she had to spend the night. She slept well, even though they woke her throughout the night to take vitals and give her meds. I slept very fitfully since a hospital at night is a VERY noisy place!
This morning Jeff came to relieve me so I could come to work. She was released by 9:30 AM and has been home with daddy and Dani all day. Hopefully her recovery will go well...only time will tell!
All in all, she was a model patient and a very good girl! :)
She went into pre-op and seemed a bit overwhelmed, but she happily put on her pretty pastel orange jammies and her purple surgery hat. A child advocate person stopped by to show pictures of the OR to Erin and to give her a mask (the one they use to put her to sleep) to play with so she wouldn't afraid when they put it on her mouth. She initially shunned it as well, but ended up putting stickers on it and holding it over her nose! They eventually came and wheeled her off to surgery in a wagon.
25 minutes later, they came to get me from the waiting room...surgery was over! In the recovery area, they wheeled in a recliner for me and I held Erin while she slept. When she woke up, she had a green popsicle waiting for her...she wolfed it down happily! She then dozed a bit more. They ended up admitting her so we were soon whisked off to her room in the pediatric ward.
Throughout the day, she ate several popsicles, a few containers of ice cream and some jell-o. She was so happy to be able to finally eat that stuff!! She was an awesome patient. She only complained about the pulse ox monitor attached to her toe. By the end of the night, she wanted to go home, but understood that she had to spend the night. She slept well, even though they woke her throughout the night to take vitals and give her meds. I slept very fitfully since a hospital at night is a VERY noisy place!
This morning Jeff came to relieve me so I could come to work. She was released by 9:30 AM and has been home with daddy and Dani all day. Hopefully her recovery will go well...only time will tell!
All in all, she was a model patient and a very good girl! :)
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Bermuda, agility and life in general...
Simply put...Bermuda is one of THE most beautiful places on this Earth! When you fly in, you see the white-roofed houses all painted in different colors of pastels. It is so pretty! The water is turquoise blue and oh so inviting. And to think I was headed there with my husband and my dog!! We stayed with friends I had made on a previous trip...Frank and Kathy. They have a 200 year old house with an incredible view of the ocean off their back patio. It was spectacular!
We arrived on a Wednesday and within 3 hours of touch down, my husband was off diving and I was off with my friends practicing agility on their beautiful agility field. Oh, and we had already had a dark 'n stormy or two! :) Five of us traveled from the states to show our dogs, so we enjoyed a lazy afternoon with our dogs and our Bermuda buddies. At night, we had dinner at one of the Bermudian's houses.
Thursday I went shopping in Hamilton and at the Dockyards with agility friends, Darlene and Jane. We had fun "power shopping." We ended up missing two ferry's because my watch was 5 minutes too slow! :) My husband went diving with Frank again, though the water was a bit choppy. That night we had dinner at the Bermuda aquarium. I got to pet a grouper (!) and dance with a skeleton (long story). Many rum swizzles and dark 'n stormies were available.
Friday we woke up to a pancake breakfast cooked by Frank and Kathy. We then headed to the show site (the Botanical Gardens) for the first day of the show! The first day was the Team event. I was on a team with Jane and her dog Tizzy and Rose and her dog Kelly (Rose is from San Diego but has been living in Bermuda with her husband for the past 8 years). After the first two classes (there are 5 total) our team (Two Tollers in a Tizzy) was in last place. By the end of 4 classes, our team was in 1st place!! The last class is Relay in which all three members of the team are running at the same time. All of our dogs ran clean and we ended up winning the gold and qualifying to run in the National competition in Phoenix, AZ!! :) I was elated! :) Friday night we went to Rose and Jonathan's for a wonderful dinner and swizzles!
Saturday we woke up to rain...LOTS and LOTS of rain. It rained all day. Despite that, Jam and I ended up earning 3 of the 7 qualiying scores towards our first USDAA title! She Q'd in Snooker, Jumpers and Pairs. We crashed and burned in the Grand Prix, but that's OK. She is a baby dog after all! Saturday night we were supposed to have a beach party, but the rain prevented us from doing so. We ended up at a Bermudian's house for BBQ chicken, burger and dogs...and more swizzle! :)
Sunday it was misting in the morning, but then cleared up by afternoon. Jam and I earned 2 more Q's towards our title!! We Q'd in Gamblers and Standard. She needs only 2 more Standard legs at the Starters level to earn her Agility Dog (AD) title! :) I couldn't be more proud of my baby dog. She is awesome!! After the show, Jane and I walked the dogs down to a small beach and let them play in the water. Jam barked and bit at the water and had a blast! Sunday night was the big farewell party. More swizzle, stormies, good food and dancing with the skeleton! :)
Throughout the weekend, my husband was diving and eventually earned his Advanced Open Water Scuba certification!! He was thrilled to be able to do so...especially since his cert. card will say he did it in Bermuda! :)
We left, grudgingly, on Monday. We had a nice leisurely morning of sitting on the back patio and taking in the view before departure. Leaving was so hard, but I also missed my girls and was anxious to get back home to them.
We came home (to Wisconsin) when they were asleep. The next morning, Dani opened our bedroom door and her face just lit up! :) Erin was right behind her. It was Erin's 3rd birthday so we had a small celebration with cake and presents. We flew back to Phoenix in the afternoon. My parents were thrilled to be able to spend a birthday with one of their granddaughter's!
All in all, the trip was a HUGE success for everyone. I got to show Jam in her first USDAA show and qualify for Nationals, my husband earned his scuba cert., my girls had a ball in Wisconsin, and my parents got some much-needed/wanted bonding with the girls. We didn't get to go for that romantic walk on the beach, but that's OK...it'll give us another reason to go back!
We arrived on a Wednesday and within 3 hours of touch down, my husband was off diving and I was off with my friends practicing agility on their beautiful agility field. Oh, and we had already had a dark 'n stormy or two! :) Five of us traveled from the states to show our dogs, so we enjoyed a lazy afternoon with our dogs and our Bermuda buddies. At night, we had dinner at one of the Bermudian's houses.
Thursday I went shopping in Hamilton and at the Dockyards with agility friends, Darlene and Jane. We had fun "power shopping." We ended up missing two ferry's because my watch was 5 minutes too slow! :) My husband went diving with Frank again, though the water was a bit choppy. That night we had dinner at the Bermuda aquarium. I got to pet a grouper (!) and dance with a skeleton (long story). Many rum swizzles and dark 'n stormies were available.
Friday we woke up to a pancake breakfast cooked by Frank and Kathy. We then headed to the show site (the Botanical Gardens) for the first day of the show! The first day was the Team event. I was on a team with Jane and her dog Tizzy and Rose and her dog Kelly (Rose is from San Diego but has been living in Bermuda with her husband for the past 8 years). After the first two classes (there are 5 total) our team (Two Tollers in a Tizzy) was in last place. By the end of 4 classes, our team was in 1st place!! The last class is Relay in which all three members of the team are running at the same time. All of our dogs ran clean and we ended up winning the gold and qualifying to run in the National competition in Phoenix, AZ!! :) I was elated! :) Friday night we went to Rose and Jonathan's for a wonderful dinner and swizzles!
Saturday we woke up to rain...LOTS and LOTS of rain. It rained all day. Despite that, Jam and I ended up earning 3 of the 7 qualiying scores towards our first USDAA title! She Q'd in Snooker, Jumpers and Pairs. We crashed and burned in the Grand Prix, but that's OK. She is a baby dog after all! Saturday night we were supposed to have a beach party, but the rain prevented us from doing so. We ended up at a Bermudian's house for BBQ chicken, burger and dogs...and more swizzle! :)
Sunday it was misting in the morning, but then cleared up by afternoon. Jam and I earned 2 more Q's towards our title!! We Q'd in Gamblers and Standard. She needs only 2 more Standard legs at the Starters level to earn her Agility Dog (AD) title! :) I couldn't be more proud of my baby dog. She is awesome!! After the show, Jane and I walked the dogs down to a small beach and let them play in the water. Jam barked and bit at the water and had a blast! Sunday night was the big farewell party. More swizzle, stormies, good food and dancing with the skeleton! :)
Throughout the weekend, my husband was diving and eventually earned his Advanced Open Water Scuba certification!! He was thrilled to be able to do so...especially since his cert. card will say he did it in Bermuda! :)
We left, grudgingly, on Monday. We had a nice leisurely morning of sitting on the back patio and taking in the view before departure. Leaving was so hard, but I also missed my girls and was anxious to get back home to them.
We came home (to Wisconsin) when they were asleep. The next morning, Dani opened our bedroom door and her face just lit up! :) Erin was right behind her. It was Erin's 3rd birthday so we had a small celebration with cake and presents. We flew back to Phoenix in the afternoon. My parents were thrilled to be able to spend a birthday with one of their granddaughter's!
All in all, the trip was a HUGE success for everyone. I got to show Jam in her first USDAA show and qualify for Nationals, my husband earned his scuba cert., my girls had a ball in Wisconsin, and my parents got some much-needed/wanted bonding with the girls. We didn't get to go for that romantic walk on the beach, but that's OK...it'll give us another reason to go back!
Friday, May 11, 2007
Holy Smokes!
I went to the vet last night to get Jam's International Health Certificate. I had called on Monday to be sure they had it. After some searching, they assured me that all was well and they did have it.
I got there last night and the first thing we noticed was that Jam's microchip may be of the wrong type. On the instructions I had, the microchips listed did not include Home Again, which is Jam's microchip. We had maybe a little panic, but I was pretty sure it would be OK.
The vet then brought in the health cert. and said that this was a state cert., that they didn't have the International certs. I FREAKED! I told her that I had called before coming in and was assured that they did indeed have the cert. I needed. She said she'd go look for it, but I didn't have a high degree of confidence. I called another vet that I had frequented before and they told me they did have what I needed and I could walk in last night...to a tune of $132 JUST to walk through the door!
Meanwhile, my vet came through the door and said "we found it!" Thank goodness! We got it all filled out and faxed to the Bermuda government. They sent me on my way 1.5 hours later. I called Bermuda this morning to be sure all was in order, and thankfully, everything is good and I should have my import cert. to get Jam into the country by today! :)
But wow...talk about a rollercoaster!!!
I got there last night and the first thing we noticed was that Jam's microchip may be of the wrong type. On the instructions I had, the microchips listed did not include Home Again, which is Jam's microchip. We had maybe a little panic, but I was pretty sure it would be OK.
The vet then brought in the health cert. and said that this was a state cert., that they didn't have the International certs. I FREAKED! I told her that I had called before coming in and was assured that they did indeed have the cert. I needed. She said she'd go look for it, but I didn't have a high degree of confidence. I called another vet that I had frequented before and they told me they did have what I needed and I could walk in last night...to a tune of $132 JUST to walk through the door!
Meanwhile, my vet came through the door and said "we found it!" Thank goodness! We got it all filled out and faxed to the Bermuda government. They sent me on my way 1.5 hours later. I called Bermuda this morning to be sure all was in order, and thankfully, everything is good and I should have my import cert. to get Jam into the country by today! :)
But wow...talk about a rollercoaster!!!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Ponderings...
As I am set to embark on an agility adventure with my new dog, I cannot help but remember how it was with my old, now departed dogs.
I used to own 4 wonderful, absolutely fabulous "fur kids." They were each special in their own way...
First there was NEA. She was my Beagle and had attitude to burn. She was once nicknamed "Her Beagleness" by a friend in New Mexico, and it stuck. I unwittingly got her from a pet store. I started her in agility in 1993 and she went on to earn her Championship in USDAA-style agility. She was only the 2nd Beagle to attain that title.
Next came Fred. He was my rescue dog. I rescued him from Italian Greyhound rescue. He had personality plus! I "tried him out" for a week and during that week, everyone I saw said they would take him if I didn't. Needless to say, I kept him! He started agility in 1994, and quit in 1996. He had a degenerative eye disease that left him blind in his left eye.
Then there was Chakotay. He was my second Italian Greyhound. I saw him as a puppy while I was in San Antonio at the USDAA Nationals. He was so CUTE!! I wanted to take him home right there, but I didn't have the means nor the $$. Turns out that he was still available several months later and at a reduced price. He broke his leg 3 times, but these breaks never broke his spirit. He was and always will be my buddy. He competed successfully in agility, falling short of his USDAA championship by 4 Gamblers legs.
Finally there was Rysa. She was my big Toller girl. I loved her with all my might. She was sensitive, but would do any and every thing for me. She was my princess and went just about everywhere with me. She did agility, though she always seemed to have a "hitch in her giddyup." I had many specialists and vets look at her, but no one could figure it out. She ended up 3 legs shy of her Championship.
In 2003/2004, each of my dogs died one by one...
First Fred. He had osteosarcoma. He died in my arms at the age of 11 in May of 2003.
Next was NEA. She stopped eating and walking. We let her go gracefully at the age of 14.5 in Sept. of 2003.
Then, Chakotay. He also had cancer, myeloma. We were treating it, but it spread to his kidneys. He died at the age of 8 in Nov. 2003.
Finally, Rysa. She collapsed one night and never regained conciousness. She had Addison's...that's what was wrong with her the entire time, but no one knew. She was only 7...she died on June 23, 2004.
Just before and in between this timeframe, I was giving birth to my two daughters. My hormones were off the map. I wanted to die. I felt as if I had betrayed my dogs by having these human kids. Thankfully, a good therapist made me realize that that was not the case and that these animals were a huge part of my life and always will be in my heart. I just hadn't allowed myself to grieve properly. Luckily she helped me through that and I am in a much better place right now.
I last competed with Rysa in April of 2004. Now I am starting with Jam, my young Toller. I thought I'd feel more emotional when I stepped to the line with her the first time, but I didn't. I think mostly I felt numb, but happy to finally have my own dog to compete with again! The show in Bermuda will be my first USDAA show with her. USDAA is my preferred venue, so perhaps the emotions will show themselves then!
Regardless, I am looking very forward to the years ahead of fun, silliness and agility with Jam!
I used to own 4 wonderful, absolutely fabulous "fur kids." They were each special in their own way...
First there was NEA. She was my Beagle and had attitude to burn. She was once nicknamed "Her Beagleness" by a friend in New Mexico, and it stuck. I unwittingly got her from a pet store. I started her in agility in 1993 and she went on to earn her Championship in USDAA-style agility. She was only the 2nd Beagle to attain that title.
Next came Fred. He was my rescue dog. I rescued him from Italian Greyhound rescue. He had personality plus! I "tried him out" for a week and during that week, everyone I saw said they would take him if I didn't. Needless to say, I kept him! He started agility in 1994, and quit in 1996. He had a degenerative eye disease that left him blind in his left eye.
Then there was Chakotay. He was my second Italian Greyhound. I saw him as a puppy while I was in San Antonio at the USDAA Nationals. He was so CUTE!! I wanted to take him home right there, but I didn't have the means nor the $$. Turns out that he was still available several months later and at a reduced price. He broke his leg 3 times, but these breaks never broke his spirit. He was and always will be my buddy. He competed successfully in agility, falling short of his USDAA championship by 4 Gamblers legs.
Finally there was Rysa. She was my big Toller girl. I loved her with all my might. She was sensitive, but would do any and every thing for me. She was my princess and went just about everywhere with me. She did agility, though she always seemed to have a "hitch in her giddyup." I had many specialists and vets look at her, but no one could figure it out. She ended up 3 legs shy of her Championship.
In 2003/2004, each of my dogs died one by one...
First Fred. He had osteosarcoma. He died in my arms at the age of 11 in May of 2003.
Next was NEA. She stopped eating and walking. We let her go gracefully at the age of 14.5 in Sept. of 2003.
Then, Chakotay. He also had cancer, myeloma. We were treating it, but it spread to his kidneys. He died at the age of 8 in Nov. 2003.
Finally, Rysa. She collapsed one night and never regained conciousness. She had Addison's...that's what was wrong with her the entire time, but no one knew. She was only 7...she died on June 23, 2004.
Just before and in between this timeframe, I was giving birth to my two daughters. My hormones were off the map. I wanted to die. I felt as if I had betrayed my dogs by having these human kids. Thankfully, a good therapist made me realize that that was not the case and that these animals were a huge part of my life and always will be in my heart. I just hadn't allowed myself to grieve properly. Luckily she helped me through that and I am in a much better place right now.
I last competed with Rysa in April of 2004. Now I am starting with Jam, my young Toller. I thought I'd feel more emotional when I stepped to the line with her the first time, but I didn't. I think mostly I felt numb, but happy to finally have my own dog to compete with again! The show in Bermuda will be my first USDAA show with her. USDAA is my preferred venue, so perhaps the emotions will show themselves then!
Regardless, I am looking very forward to the years ahead of fun, silliness and agility with Jam!
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Whew!
What a weekend! Started with agility practice for Jam and I at 6:15 on Saturday morning. Then a trip to the park with the girls, followed by naps (for the girls) and then a trip to downtown Phoenix to see Sesame Street Live! featuring Elmo's music. We then decided to have dinner out at Applebee's and finally came home and collapsed.
Today (Sunday) we started out by looking to replace the two ficus trees we lost during the frost this past winter. We ended up purchasing two red plum trees and a palm tree for another corner of the yard. The rest of the day was spent planting trees, fixing drip lines, taking the girls to get their hair cut, a trip to Lowe's and grocery shopping.
I think we need a weekend to recover from our weekend! :)
Today (Sunday) we started out by looking to replace the two ficus trees we lost during the frost this past winter. We ended up purchasing two red plum trees and a palm tree for another corner of the yard. The rest of the day was spent planting trees, fixing drip lines, taking the girls to get their hair cut, a trip to Lowe's and grocery shopping.
I think we need a weekend to recover from our weekend! :)
Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Prepping for our Bermuda trip!
Getting a dog into Bermuda is no easy task! Humans need only a passport...dogs need:
- an import certificate
- an international health certificate
- a rebies vaccine given more than 30 days ago, but within a year
- a microchip
- a tick/flea treatment from the vet (not from the owner)
It's crazy!! Luckily a friend of mine has been through this process a couple times and gave me all the information I need to safely transport Jam into the country!
Now...I've got to get Jam ready for competition! Today she "comes of age" for USDAA-style agility. Dogs have to be 18 months old in order to compete...Jam's 18 month birthday is today! Our training is sporadic at best. I have limited equipment to train on in my backyard and I have 2 kids to work around! We head to class once a week, but as any agility enthusiast knows, you need more than once a week practices before competing so you won't be laughed off the course! :) She's competed successfully in a few trials now, so there is hope!
The girls are anxiously awaiting their airplane trip to Wisconsin. Every day they ask if it's time to go on the plane...and when they're going to Build-a-Bear with Grandma and Grandpa! They've already packed their backpacks (Dani has a Dora pack, Erin has a Hello Kitty pack) with breakfast bars and raisins for Grandma and Grandpa...oh, and a few toys too! They can't wait to get on the plane and have it go fast, fast, FAST into the sky!
Jeff is researching dive sites in Bermuda and I'm looking forward to simply having fun! As a friend said, this is the ultimate vacation...agility, kid-free, beaches, tropical drinks...all in a romantic setting...couldn't ask for any better!
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