Fun with Lauren

I've been here with sick kid(s) since Sunday. Husband has been out of town since Sunday at 6am (before Mason's illness was evident). Today I sent Mason to school. Sure he was wheezing, but hey, they have his albuterol at school too! He hasn't had a fever in over 48 hours and technically, he could have gone to school yesterday.

Lauren on the other hand had a fever of 101 this morning. So, she and I hung out today. We went to the doctor. She was diagnosed as "viral". After the doctor and the orthodontist, we came back home and she wanted to watch T.V. She chose 'on demand'. No problem. So, I snuggled with her on the couch and took control of the remote. Pretty much I held her hostage while I turned on various 'on demand kids' shows for her enjoyment. Here's what we watched:

1. Kids Karaoke - The Ants go Marching (sang Karaoke)

2. Blue's Clues (of course I was answering Steve when he asked his questions)

3. Barney (sang along with him)

4. Baby Boost Hebrew with your infant (practiced my Hebrew)

5. Baby Boost Italian with your infant (practiced my Italian)

6. Hip Hop with Nikki (laughed at her)

Lauren was in hysterics, rolling on the ground in laughter, as I was enthusiastically chiming in with each show. After just 1-3 minutes on each show, I gave the remote back to her and let her watch her own program. Aren't I kind? She was able to watch her on-demand show for only a few moments. The school nurse called and we had to pick up Mason early from school.

Lethargy can be a blessing

Sometimes lethargy can be a blessing. Take yesterday and today for example. Yesterday Mason was LETHARGIC. Probably the "best" lethargic I've seen him. Didn't eat until dinner time (yogurt & a nutrigrain bar) and I had to push fluids all day. He watched 6 straight hours of movies. Today he perked up a bit (temperature of 103.1 this morning & 102.7 this evening). We took a field trip to the doctor, Home Depot (I needed a landscaping item), Bartells (for Mason's drugs). So, in the midst of all this, I decided to take advantage of the weather and get to work outside. It was time to get my vegetable garden going. Yesterday I worked on just the veggie garden. I pulled weeds, raked, filled it with more dirt, then planted! Then I put up landscaping edging (cedar things). We started most the vegetables from seeds - walla walla onions, lettuce, chives, cucumbers, peas. My tomato plants died, so I had to buy some 4-inch tomatoes. I was a gardening fool! All the while, Mason was on the couch watching T.V. I'd check in on him every so often and make him drink fluids, take his temperature, or give him albuterol. Lauren went to a baseball game for most of the afternoon.

This afternoon Lauren came home from school sick too. UGH! Fever of 102.4, etc. So, the duo laid down on the couch and watched a movie together. Mason went to sleep at 6:10. He actually ASKED to go to bed (a rarity around here). Lauren went to bed early too. So, after they were in bed, I headed to the front yard to start weeding and raking. Then I put new labels on the plants (that hopefully won't fade this year). I also had to dig up plants that didn't make it through our cold winter! I only got a small portion done since it got dark. Anyway, even though we don't want to be stuck with sick kids...sometimes it can be a blessing in disguise!

T-ball Rules

I try to plan my schedule around important kid events. I go to almost every field trip. I even went on one last Wednesday. I've missed (I think), 3 field trips since Lauren was in preschool. 2 were because Mason was in the hospital (surgery, illness, or something). For those two field trips, my Dad went on one and Mark went on the other. The other one was because there was a drawing to pick the parents and I lost.

About a week and a half ago we got the t-ball schedule for games. The first one was today. And, I was scheduled to work. Which meant, I couldn't go! So, I explained to Mason why I couldn't go, and of course he was fine. We practiced t-ball yesterday after school with throwing, hitting, and catching. For a while he wanted me to pitch for him (and I'm not the best pitcher)and he actually hit the ball twice!

Anyway, today was the first t-ball game. They are the Giants - hilarious for the shortest kid on the team. They wear bright orange baseball caps and shirts.

Here are t-ball rules, as I understand them:

1. There are 2 innings

2. Every batter hits at each inning - and they bat until they hit the ball.

3. Each batter runs one base after they hit - except when the last batter is up, everyone runs around the bases to home plate.

4. There are no outs (even if you're out)!

5. No one loses (it's always a tie).

6. It doesn't matter if you miss the ball or run to the wrong base...everyone cheers for you.

Mason loved it. He told me all about it and can't wait for the next game. I wonder if he'll notice the difference between t-ball rules and "real" baseball when we go to the Mariners game tomorrow.

Mason antics

On Wednesday night, I'd had it with Mason.

First scenario: Lauren exited the house to the garage, to retrieve her backpack from my car. No problem. Problem was that Mason followed her and got INTO the car. When in the car he likes to buckle himself in the driver's seat, turn on lights, pull down the turn signal and turn on the washers (which don't do anything UNTIL you turn on the car). Anyway, Lauren ran inside to tell me that Mason was in the car. I ran out to the garage and couldn't see him. Where was he? HIDING under the dashboard from me. When I retrieved him, he was giggling!

Second scenario: Children were tucked into bed. Mason got out and complained about a tummy ache. Not the kind of tummy ache I had assumed. Do you know why? It was a bruise on his belly (from practicing diving at the pool that day) and he wanted a bandaid for it. So, I band-aided him and sent him back to bed. A few moments later the phone rang. It was Melissa (who was in the hospital for dehydration), so I chatted with her for about 3-4 minutes. As I left my bedroom and passed Mason's room, he was no longer in bed. And, he wasn't in his room. Lauren peeped up and said she thought he went upstairs. I opened the door to upstairs and heard NOTHING. As I walked up the stairs I stated "you have to the count of 3 to get down here or your bedroom door will be shut". 1-2-3. NOTHING. As I reached the top of the stairs I saw him. He had been hiding INSIDE the sliding cabinets in the very back.

Forward to Thursday morning. I was talking with the kids about my tomato plants. We'd started them as seeds and I had just put them outside a few days earlier to prepare them for planting. Unfortunately, the first night, the temperatures dropped to freezing. In April. So, I was explaining that the tomatoes were most likely dead, but I was hoping they might come back to life. Mason's response (without missing a beat) was "Mommy, they can come back to life like Jesus". Then, on the way to school he was singing He Reigns by the Newsboys. Only, he doesn't say hallelujah. He sings the chorus like this: 'Holly-hoo-haw Holly-hoo-haw he reigns'. Adorable.

Control the pet population

There are times when I really feel that almost every family should have some sort of pet. There are other times when I envy those families who do not have a pet...especially a dog. Today would be one of those days. Little Zoe just hit the 6-month mark. That means it's time to be a responsible pet owner, and as Bob Barker says, "have your pet spayed or neutered". So, I took Zoe to the vet yesterday to do just that. Last time I had a pet spayed was 6 years ago. It was fairly straightforward and Maggie recovered in no time. This time was a whole new ballgame.

I did my research into the cost of "fixing" a dog. When Maggie was spayed, the Humane Society had low-cost clinics to control the pet population. Now, however, the low-cost spay/neuter clinics are only for those who qualify. We don't. Anyway, the price ranged from about $160 to well over $200 for the standard procedure. I also learned that there were a few options to the procedure. Did you know that there is more than one way to spay/neuter a pet? I am going to list a few of the standard vs. optional "upgrades" for your viewing pleasure.

Standard "scalpel" spay: $189.50

Upgrade option to a laser surgery: $29.50 (they claim that it's an easier recovery with less bleeding)

I.V. hydration: $79.50 (again, this is optional)

Tooth extraction: Don't remember the price quote, but this was to remove any remaining baby teeth

Microchip: $25.50 (this is now offered at ALL surgical procedures)

Cone: $14.50 (to prevent the pet from licking the incision site)

So, when you drop off your dog, you then "check the boxes" indicating which upgrades you'd like (if any). The things they don't tell you about are the medications for going home. That came to a total of around $16 more. Zoe also had an umbilical hernia (which we knew would be fixed at this time). Total came to only $55 for that. Luckily, the pulse oximeter monitoring was free...or I might have opted out of that too!

Zoe pulled through the surgery just fine. She has quite a few external stitches that will be removed in 2 weeks. I wrote my check and picked her up last evening. She ate dinner and slept through the night. This morning she went out and went potty - but only a small amount. I gave her her morning doses of 2 pain medications as prescribed (and as paid for). Then I offered her food. She refused. A little later, she took some food that I hand-fed her and drank some water. After that I took Mason to school, then Lauren to school. In a 2 hour period of time she vomited, had diarrhea, and was shaking. Back to the vet again. This time the diagnosis was for dehydration.

Here's today's actual fees:

Exam: $44.75 (excuse me, but this is all related to yesterday's surgery...shouldn't the exam be complimentary?)

Injection of 50cc of fluids: $25.25 (under the skin in the neck....it IS cheaper than an I.V.)

Injection of anti-nausea meds: $25.95

Antibiotic: $14.75 (just in case there is a post-op infection)
Probiotic packets: $19.50 (to help with the stomach issues)

Special food: $4.78

All for a grand total of $93.94. So, I wrote my check (AGAIN), and took Zoe back home after about 45 minutes in the vet. Guess what? About 4 hours later she perked up. She was walking around the house. Ate a little food and water (and kept it where it belonged). She even tried to run (but I had to stop her as she's not supposed to right now). So, to sum up...for a few hundred dollars YOU too can be a responsible pet owner and control the pet population! Or, perhaps it would be a wiser decision to invest that money.

As a side note, Zoe traveled with us to Palm Springs. If you follow the rules, the cost is $100 each way to put your pet under the seat in front of you. Oh, and you also have to have a note from the vet to document they are healthy (again, for a small fee). Now, we followed the rules on the way down. It was our first time traveling on a plane with a pet, and it was close to spring break. I didn't want the chance of them "catching us" and preventing us to travel. Anyway, NO ONE looked at the vet documents. NO ONE touched the dog. The only thing they did was collect $100 from me! So, could someone please explain to me WHY one should pay to put a carry on bag (that happens to have a pet) under the seat in front of you? I couldn't explain it either, so we skipped the official process on the way home. Guess what? NO ONE looked. And, Zoe was quite the entire flight. No whining, whimpering, or barking. No accidents either!

Upstairs

The upstairs is "usable" now. The windows and screens are in, walls are painted, trim work has been painted, lighting is finished, extra heaters are installed, t.v. is on the wall, and "junk" has been moved back upstairs from the garage. The desk might even be ready to install tomorrow (or at least I'm crossing my fingers). The desk will be at the "back" of the room, behind the couch, under the angled ceiling (which was where the old ceiling was). We gained a ton of floor space. It's amazing!

The kids have now been let back upstairs to play. They were ecstatic to play with the things that have been stuck in the garage for 6+ weeks. Lauren even convinced Mason to play dress up with her (and she even dressed him)!

Murder?

Murder? Some might say it was. Some would say it wasn't. Me...I think it was an honest mistake.
Today was pretty much like all the rest. Take Mason to school. Take Lauren to school (via a quick stop to Starbucks). Come home. Work on Lauren's school auction stuff. Clean a little. Pack a few things for the upcoming trip. Go to Mason's school and pick him up early to go to the doctor (just a cold right now). Stop at Bartell's. Go back home. Go pick up Lauren. Come home. Let the dogs outside.
When I went to let the dogs back in (so that I could then take Lauren to piano...then Mason to t-ball), there was something furry on the deck. And it was moving slowly. I ran to let the dogs inside. But, Zoe (all 3 pounds 15 ounces of her) had IT in her mouth and was shaking it. When I opened the door, Zoe put IT down and I quickly barked instructions. Lauren (and yes she was shrieking) locked Maggie in the crate in the garage, while I locked Zoe in her crate. I went to evaluate IT. IT was a tiny wild bunny. And it was still alive and slowly moving. When it moved, it's back legs looked broken, but it was still breathing. Wanting of course to rescue it, I called the vet who gave me the numbers for a few animal rescue facilities. I grabbed an empty shoebox, put a junk towel in the bottom of it, picked up the bunny with another towel, and placed it in the box.
Now the dilemma was WHEN to take the bunny to the wildlife rehab place. Lauren's piano was in 15 minutes. So, there was no time. Between Lauren's piano and Mason's t-ball is 40 minutes (which is barely enough time to get home, eat dinner, and leave again). After t-ball meant it'd be close to 7pm. So, I took Lauren to piano and Mason and I came back to check on the bunny. I opened the box and it was just as I had left it, but not breathing. It had died. There was no external bleeding, so my unofficial diagnosis was internal injuries and shock. So I had to dispose of it.
Knowing that I had some time consuming tasks, it was McDonalds drivethru for dinner after piano lessons. While the kids ate, I started the decontamination process. First, Maggie. I donned by big boots and a pair of gloves (to keep my hands kind of warm). I tied her up to the deck and gave her a good outdoor bath. Lauren was my go-to girl who kept bringing me warm water from inside. Second, a good toothbrushing. While outside, I also hosed down the deck. Third, Zoe. She's easy and can be washed in the bathtub (since she doesn't leave mounds of hair everywhere). Fourth, brusing Zoe's teeth. Last, but not least, a good mopping of the kitchen floor (lest any bunny germs have been tracked through).
Now, back to the first sentence. Was it murder? The problem is that I don't know HOW the bunny ended up on our deck. It's possible it hopped. It's possible one of the dogs carried it. What I do know, is that Zoe was shaking the bunny just like she plays with her stuffed cat or duck (which are both the exact same size the bunny was). I'm going to vote that it was bunny-slaughter.