...when you have pushy, selfish people in your life. :P
The family my last post talked about - the ones not liking change - are the only disgruntled people in the pack. Their son has been our highest seller for scout popcorn because his parents have pushed him hard every year to have that position. Last year, when he finally hit their goal for him, he asked if he had to sell anymore. To me, that speaks volumes - it should be fun, not a job.
Now that Hubby and I have taken some training on a new system of selling, we want every boy in our pack to have the opportunity to sell a lot. (We do some site sales - and they would take all sorts of times, leaving precious little to those who were new.) They're having a conniption fit because they don't want to try it and that it's being forced upon them. While I agree that it's being forced upon the pack, it's because that's the only way this new technique would reasonably be allowed by the very vocal opposition. (Very vocal opposition would be just be that family...)
Then I have EB who, because he had a consequence for not being ready to start our school day on time yesterday, threw out "I want to go to public school" again. He says this about half the time he's required to do something for school or after he's been at a scout function. I know he says it to try to get a reaction out of me. He kept saying it last night and I told him he needed to go away. (I was trying to make dinner on an already short schedule.) He finally asked, in a hopeful voice, "Are you getting upset?" "No, I'm tired of you saying you want to go to school when you don't get what you want." Last night, after scouts, he started up again...and MM started making fun of him when we got home because that's almost all EB talked about the whole way home. Would it be easier on me to get him out of the house so I can teach the willing participants? You BET! Do I think he'd get suspended within the first month or two? Absolutely. And am I going to be beholden to the school's schedule? No way.
Oh well...let the feelings wash over you, put them in a bubble and let them float away. :)
Have a great day!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
A Cure
The past few days have been rather difficult for me to deal with. I don't enjoy stress - no, I take that back, I actually thrive on stress and work better under pressure. I don't enjoy being frustrated.
At any rate, between that and some medication I received, I have been having some problems sleeping and just being generally grumpy. However, last night I was able to sleep for almost a full 8 hours for the fist time in a really long time - and I took no sleep aids! How is that possible - because my "problems" are still around?
My hunch is these things had something to do with it:
The above I did last night before coming to bed - and I'm confident they resulted in a peaceful night's sleep. Letting go of the emotions that are attached to your problems, while challenging (and, obviously, I haven't quite done that with all of them) is refreshing and uplifting - takes the weight off of your shoulders.
As I find myself back in more normal and relaxed state, I bid you a peaceful day.
We have had an issue with resistance to change with our scout pack - those the most resistant actually being people who have no children involved.
Also in the pack, I have been struggling with one parent's habit of deriding the decisions of other parents and families. I found it put me in a difficult place because I know the behaviors of this parent's children were one of the many reasons we decided to homeschool. With that knowledge, it's hard for me to accept their offhanded judgments.
We've also had some annoyances with EB and TCC's grandmother. She has a history of being untruthful and unreliable. I've had some contact with her and was pulled in by, what I would call, her manipulative ways. I've struggled with how to make her respond - though I know I can't force anyone to do anything - especially if they don't really want to.
My hunch is these things had something to do with it:
Hubby spoke to a higher up in scouts. Just him voicing that concern is a big step.
I wrote a blog entry for the second one and then let it sit overnight.That evolved into today's post - which is much shorter and far more positive.
I sent a message to the grandmother, telling her in a polite (and not so direct) manner that our family, and the boys in particular, aren't going to sit around waiting for her to follow through. There needs to be some effort on her part, more than just words - or there won't be any more contact. (Ok, that last part was my own quiet mental fortitude peaking through. However, should I not hear from her by the end of the month, will be the end result.)
The boys know about the attempts to deal with her and, truth be told, have only once or twice asked about it. (This has been going on since July) They aren't counting on her. I need to let go too.
The above I did last night before coming to bed - and I'm confident they resulted in a peaceful night's sleep. Letting go of the emotions that are attached to your problems, while challenging (and, obviously, I haven't quite done that with all of them) is refreshing and uplifting - takes the weight off of your shoulders.
As I find myself back in more normal and relaxed state, I bid you a peaceful day.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Rain!
We had rain last night! First time in a long time we've had any moisture. Unfortunately it didn't rain enough to lower the temps; merely enough to raise the humidity and offer a slight reprieve to the plants.
I was excited when I saw the temps were going to be in the low 90s over the next few days. then I looked at the projected forecast – over 100 again starting next week.
Not much to do about it though, just make the best of it.
Peace
I was excited when I saw the temps were going to be in the low 90s over the next few days. then I looked at the projected forecast – over 100 again starting next week.
Not much to do about it though, just make the best of it.
Peace
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Changes on the horizon
Well, the crappy economy has finally hit my work. Received a message from my boss saying our fall enrollment was the lowest it's been since our school opened 7 years ago and they're just trying to get by. Fortunately I always knew my position was a luxury - even though I was only there for about 3 hours a week.
For me, it was extra money - out to eat, special treats, extra classes, etc. For my boss - she's the primary breadwinner in her family. My heart goes out to her, her family and the other employees who might be affected more drastically than I. For several, it's their sole income.
This will affect our upcoming school year - I was contemplating subscribing to Discovery streamingPlus (or their science program), sending the kids to a couple of different classes at the zoo and/or the Homeschool Learning Center - but that, too, is a luxury. I can handle the $5 classes at the art and history museum - and MM will still go to the art museum for his art classes and EB will continue to go to the medieval classes he takes at our taekwondo school.
So...time to be a little more frugal - thank goodness for libraries and free online educational tools. I started investigating Khan Academy and think we'll be utilizing that this year. I also have started checking out Sophia.org, which is headed up by Bill Nye - yes, the Science Guy!
Scouts
MM is currently working as a Counselor In Training at the local Boy Scout camp. He had a great time the first week (he's only working 2 weeks - just became eligible) working with the equestrian program. He was hoping to work there again this past week. He comes home on Saturday. It's been strange not having him around, but his level of confidence soared in just the one week - I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll come back with after his second week. (Which had feels-like temps of over 100 every day!)
TCC went to his first overnight scout camp with Hubby last weekend and had a great time! This weekend, he's joining Hubby and EB for a weekend camping with the troop. (EB is hoping for some swimming, fishing, canoing or kayaking, but given the level of the river, there might be nothing but sand...)
Personal Changes
I've been doing some personal growth lately. I've deactivated the dreaded FB account (complete with changing the password and deleting the apps...) - there were only a handful of people I actually wanted to see updates from. (Yes, my only follower, you're one of them!) Eventually I'll go back, but I have no strong desire to do so right now.
I've been working on becoming more active again - kind of fell off the wagon for a while, but have gone back to taekwondo after a month off, started swimming and am walking most days while the boys are in their taekwondo classes. I'm eating much better than I had been (of course, vacation tends to blow any chance at quality diet - especially when your destination doesn't have much more than deep-fried foods...).
On a related note, TCC and I tested for our new taekwondo ranks before vacation. We thought we flubbed big-time - but he went back about 2 weeks later and I went back 4 weeks later - we both passed on the first go-round! He's hoping to make yellow belt before his birthday - which is definitely doable. My goal of getting my green belt before Christmas is well within sight, since it's my next rank!
I've been making foods ahead of time - breakfast foods and breads are in the freezer currently, along with a round of leftover spaghetti. Next up I think will be some dinners - we've been going out too much because we've been unprepared and it's cutting into the budget!
I've been keeping up fairly well with the kitchen, which is astounding! I've been working on getting the boys to get chores done too - I'd like to get us in to a routine on cleaning - if everyone pitches in on a room a day, the house should at least be decent and we should still have plenty of time for school when we start up again early next month.
Still working on calm parenting and calm living. Striving for a Zen-like approach - doesn't always happen, but it's surely a learning process. Living in the here and now - not in the past "what's done" and not in the future "what-ifs".
And, I cut my hair! It's been shoulder-length (give or take) for quite a while and I realized my swimming ability was suffering. (Crawl with hair in your mouth? Yuck!) Plus, it's so much easier to work with. My SIL, who is my normal stylist, wasn't available when I decided "it's got to go", so I went somewhere else. It's still a little too long, so I'm going to see my SIL tomorrow to get it fixed. But, I really, really like it!
Alright - time to think about bed.
Peace!
(P.S. I picked up an iPad 2 back a few months ago, mostly for schooling - I'll post about some apps later.)
For me, it was extra money - out to eat, special treats, extra classes, etc. For my boss - she's the primary breadwinner in her family. My heart goes out to her, her family and the other employees who might be affected more drastically than I. For several, it's their sole income.
This will affect our upcoming school year - I was contemplating subscribing to Discovery streamingPlus (or their science program), sending the kids to a couple of different classes at the zoo and/or the Homeschool Learning Center - but that, too, is a luxury. I can handle the $5 classes at the art and history museum - and MM will still go to the art museum for his art classes and EB will continue to go to the medieval classes he takes at our taekwondo school.
So...time to be a little more frugal - thank goodness for libraries and free online educational tools. I started investigating Khan Academy and think we'll be utilizing that this year. I also have started checking out Sophia.org, which is headed up by Bill Nye - yes, the Science Guy!
Scouts
MM is currently working as a Counselor In Training at the local Boy Scout camp. He had a great time the first week (he's only working 2 weeks - just became eligible) working with the equestrian program. He was hoping to work there again this past week. He comes home on Saturday. It's been strange not having him around, but his level of confidence soared in just the one week - I'm looking forward to seeing what he'll come back with after his second week. (Which had feels-like temps of over 100 every day!)
TCC went to his first overnight scout camp with Hubby last weekend and had a great time! This weekend, he's joining Hubby and EB for a weekend camping with the troop. (EB is hoping for some swimming, fishing, canoing or kayaking, but given the level of the river, there might be nothing but sand...)
Personal Changes
I've been doing some personal growth lately. I've deactivated the dreaded FB account (complete with changing the password and deleting the apps...) - there were only a handful of people I actually wanted to see updates from. (Yes, my only follower, you're one of them!) Eventually I'll go back, but I have no strong desire to do so right now.
I've been working on becoming more active again - kind of fell off the wagon for a while, but have gone back to taekwondo after a month off, started swimming and am walking most days while the boys are in their taekwondo classes. I'm eating much better than I had been (of course, vacation tends to blow any chance at quality diet - especially when your destination doesn't have much more than deep-fried foods...).
On a related note, TCC and I tested for our new taekwondo ranks before vacation. We thought we flubbed big-time - but he went back about 2 weeks later and I went back 4 weeks later - we both passed on the first go-round! He's hoping to make yellow belt before his birthday - which is definitely doable. My goal of getting my green belt before Christmas is well within sight, since it's my next rank!
I've been making foods ahead of time - breakfast foods and breads are in the freezer currently, along with a round of leftover spaghetti. Next up I think will be some dinners - we've been going out too much because we've been unprepared and it's cutting into the budget!
I've been keeping up fairly well with the kitchen, which is astounding! I've been working on getting the boys to get chores done too - I'd like to get us in to a routine on cleaning - if everyone pitches in on a room a day, the house should at least be decent and we should still have plenty of time for school when we start up again early next month.
Still working on calm parenting and calm living. Striving for a Zen-like approach - doesn't always happen, but it's surely a learning process. Living in the here and now - not in the past "what's done" and not in the future "what-ifs".
And, I cut my hair! It's been shoulder-length (give or take) for quite a while and I realized my swimming ability was suffering. (Crawl with hair in your mouth? Yuck!) Plus, it's so much easier to work with. My SIL, who is my normal stylist, wasn't available when I decided "it's got to go", so I went somewhere else. It's still a little too long, so I'm going to see my SIL tomorrow to get it fixed. But, I really, really like it!
Alright - time to think about bed.
Peace!
(P.S. I picked up an iPad 2 back a few months ago, mostly for schooling - I'll post about some apps later.)
Friday, June 8, 2012
Quick update
So, our last few weeks of school haven't been anything. I haven't been wanting to do anything except vegetate... The house is still a disaster, but at least some of the yard work is getting done and the laundry was caught up for a while.
Today I have a list of things that need to be done to clean up the house and the boys and I will work on them over the next 2 days. That'll put my mind at ease and I'm sure I'll be able to function better. (Pigsty house=shut down brain & motivation for me)
Time to run - been working on other things in the midst of the blogging and completely forgot what exactly I was going to be posting. But, children are up and about, showers are going, breakfast is being consumed and we'll be starting on housecleaning and laundry soon.
Have a fabulous weekend!
Today I have a list of things that need to be done to clean up the house and the boys and I will work on them over the next 2 days. That'll put my mind at ease and I'm sure I'll be able to function better. (Pigsty house=shut down brain & motivation for me)
Time to run - been working on other things in the midst of the blogging and completely forgot what exactly I was going to be posting. But, children are up and about, showers are going, breakfast is being consumed and we'll be starting on housecleaning and laundry soon.
Have a fabulous weekend!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Sleep, it doth elude me
It's almost 3am - and here I am on the computer. Really?
I have a lot of things rushing around in my brain, apparently:
I broke a tooth Friday, so I'm anxiously awaiting my dentist's call first thing in the morning to see if I can get in to get a crown. At least it shouldn't be a root canal! Had one of those last year - apparently on the wrong tooth. I don't blame the dentist - my "mystery tooth" has been bothering me off and on for over 10 years. We've fooled around trying to figure out which one is the right one and last summer I was positive that we had it - got a crown, then a root canal because the crown didn't solve it. Once that one was on, within a week, I knew it wasn't right - but the darn thing just wouldn't show itself. The dentist said from the get-go that he thought it was a hairline crack and that eventually it'd show up or break off. It did - and it's not even one of the teeth I thought it could have been! Darn mixed up wiring in the mouth...
I'm trying to get the kids on a school schedule again - but we have so much other stuff to accomplish, it's not working. The story of my life... So, today they're working on math and typing, then we'll do some stuff on one of the older boys' merit badges, do some cleaning up (the house is a disaster), a bit of yard work, and then swimming. My goal is to finish up one merit badge this week, another next week, a third one the following week, then work on our current unit study and fit in swimming several times each week. EB needs to be a confident and capable swimmer before mid-June (Hubby is also taking him swimming about 6am most mornings.) and MM and TSS need to regain some comfort and stamina by then too.
As I said above, the house is a disaster; the yard is atrocious and a mess; laundry is backed up - just a lot of things that distract me and pretty much shut down my motivation centers.
While not a problem, it's something that's been in my head - Saturday TSS, EB, TCC and I all competed in a martial arts tournament. Our school had 8 of us representing - not too bad, considering we're not an enormous school. Even our master instructor was there and competing. TSS did forms and won 3rd place for his age and rank; EB sparred and did ok - didn't move much at all; TCC was put in the wrong category, but gave it his all and will receive a medal from the school; I won 3rd place in forms for my age bracket (against men) and 1st place for women's sparring. (I was the only one in my age bracket and rank to spar so was guaranteed a first place win, but I fought two women at least half my age - and won - to earn it.) Next month I'm hoping to test for my next rank.
Also working on building up my stamina for bike riding. I'd like to build up so I can ride my bike to work - probably not much more than a mile, but at this point, I can't do that. I credit all of my increased fitness and activity to my chiropractor (and my final decision to go see her). With 6 weeks worth of treatment, I went from almost immobile to riding a bike, entering a TKD tourney, walking, stretching and swimming again. HUZZAH!
I'm working my normal work schedule over the summer. First time I've worked over the summer since my first year there. I'm actually looking forward to it. :)
Last pick up of a friend's son from public school today - at least for this school year. They asked if I would pick him up next year as well, so I already know to include that in our schedule. I expect next year will be my last year as his brother should be driving by the end of December.
Ok, time to see if dumping my brain will let me get back to sleep.
I have a lot of things rushing around in my brain, apparently:
I broke a tooth Friday, so I'm anxiously awaiting my dentist's call first thing in the morning to see if I can get in to get a crown. At least it shouldn't be a root canal! Had one of those last year - apparently on the wrong tooth. I don't blame the dentist - my "mystery tooth" has been bothering me off and on for over 10 years. We've fooled around trying to figure out which one is the right one and last summer I was positive that we had it - got a crown, then a root canal because the crown didn't solve it. Once that one was on, within a week, I knew it wasn't right - but the darn thing just wouldn't show itself. The dentist said from the get-go that he thought it was a hairline crack and that eventually it'd show up or break off. It did - and it's not even one of the teeth I thought it could have been! Darn mixed up wiring in the mouth...
I'm trying to get the kids on a school schedule again - but we have so much other stuff to accomplish, it's not working. The story of my life... So, today they're working on math and typing, then we'll do some stuff on one of the older boys' merit badges, do some cleaning up (the house is a disaster), a bit of yard work, and then swimming. My goal is to finish up one merit badge this week, another next week, a third one the following week, then work on our current unit study and fit in swimming several times each week. EB needs to be a confident and capable swimmer before mid-June (Hubby is also taking him swimming about 6am most mornings.) and MM and TSS need to regain some comfort and stamina by then too.
As I said above, the house is a disaster; the yard is atrocious and a mess; laundry is backed up - just a lot of things that distract me and pretty much shut down my motivation centers.
While not a problem, it's something that's been in my head - Saturday TSS, EB, TCC and I all competed in a martial arts tournament. Our school had 8 of us representing - not too bad, considering we're not an enormous school. Even our master instructor was there and competing. TSS did forms and won 3rd place for his age and rank; EB sparred and did ok - didn't move much at all; TCC was put in the wrong category, but gave it his all and will receive a medal from the school; I won 3rd place in forms for my age bracket (against men) and 1st place for women's sparring. (I was the only one in my age bracket and rank to spar so was guaranteed a first place win, but I fought two women at least half my age - and won - to earn it.) Next month I'm hoping to test for my next rank.
Also working on building up my stamina for bike riding. I'd like to build up so I can ride my bike to work - probably not much more than a mile, but at this point, I can't do that. I credit all of my increased fitness and activity to my chiropractor (and my final decision to go see her). With 6 weeks worth of treatment, I went from almost immobile to riding a bike, entering a TKD tourney, walking, stretching and swimming again. HUZZAH!
I'm working my normal work schedule over the summer. First time I've worked over the summer since my first year there. I'm actually looking forward to it. :)
Last pick up of a friend's son from public school today - at least for this school year. They asked if I would pick him up next year as well, so I already know to include that in our schedule. I expect next year will be my last year as his brother should be driving by the end of December.
Ok, time to see if dumping my brain will let me get back to sleep.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Busy, busy day!
I think today is going to be a double-shot of espresso day...a few times over...
Last night, MM came home from his Order of the Arrow ordeal, proud and carrying his OA sash. (Yea!) He was exhausted from a rainy Friday - he and his sleeping bag were soaked - and working all day.
This morning, we'll be getting everyone up early and going to see the Avengers. (The boys and I saw it Friday morning sans Hubby. This morning we're taking Hubby and meeting some friends.)
From there, we drop the boys off at the in-laws and head downtown to see Bill Cosby with Hubby's brother and sister-in-law and an early dinner follows.
Then we'll have enough time to come home just long enough to head right back out for a scout meeting tonight.
I expect to be crawling back home around 9 or 9:30pm.
And I woke up with a migraine. (Thanks allergies! Is it bad that I'm already wishing for a hard freeze...?)
Inner strength - that's what I'm looking for today. To keep the good mood and to keep me awake...
In other news, made the plunge and bought an iPad, primarily for education purposes. We already have to schedule time for the kids' foreign language and typing lessons on their computer, the three older boys have multiple research projects they're working on (which TSS frequently utilizes the laptop for) and MM uses my system for a computer programming...program... ? This just gives some more options - I love some of the educational apps that are available for the iPad exclusively already. More on that later.
Have an enjoyable day!
Last night, MM came home from his Order of the Arrow ordeal, proud and carrying his OA sash. (Yea!) He was exhausted from a rainy Friday - he and his sleeping bag were soaked - and working all day.
This morning, we'll be getting everyone up early and going to see the Avengers. (The boys and I saw it Friday morning sans Hubby. This morning we're taking Hubby and meeting some friends.)
From there, we drop the boys off at the in-laws and head downtown to see Bill Cosby with Hubby's brother and sister-in-law and an early dinner follows.
Then we'll have enough time to come home just long enough to head right back out for a scout meeting tonight.
I expect to be crawling back home around 9 or 9:30pm.
And I woke up with a migraine. (Thanks allergies! Is it bad that I'm already wishing for a hard freeze...?)
Inner strength - that's what I'm looking for today. To keep the good mood and to keep me awake...
In other news, made the plunge and bought an iPad, primarily for education purposes. We already have to schedule time for the kids' foreign language and typing lessons on their computer, the three older boys have multiple research projects they're working on (which TSS frequently utilizes the laptop for) and MM uses my system for a computer programming...program... ? This just gives some more options - I love some of the educational apps that are available for the iPad exclusively already. More on that later.
Have an enjoyable day!
Saturday, April 28, 2012
For Scootch
I wrote this about 2 or 3 years ago - guess I didn't publish it. While I didn't write one when his sister died, this was extremely cathartic and felt I should post it.
Big basso rumbles and paws in my face, Chasing your sister all over the place, A gentle head nudge and a grab at my hand, Keeping you was not what we had planned.
Smiles to our lives you brought every day, With love and affection we watched while you played. For the hearts you helped heal and the company you kept, I write a bad poem now that I've wept.
Not so good, but it's hard to condense over 14 years of one of the best and most intuitive pets I've ever had. (Especially trying to do it in 10 minutes...)
Scootch, my wonderful gray long-haired tabby cat, was with us through a lot of different things. Bandit, our first beagle, found him and Molly in our woodpile. The dog rarely made a noise yet on that cool day, he was out barking like crazy at the same spot. When I finally decided to see what was going on that evening, I found two very young gray kittens. One I could hear mewing and the other, when I reached down, hissed and batted at my hand.
There was a hard freeze coming that night and we couldn't in good conscience let them stay outside. (We figured a momma cat was moving them when the dogs showed up.) We brought them in for the night and then took them to the vet where we discovered they both had a serious case of ringworm and had to be quarantined for a month. (Hubby was hoping to take them to Nuke-Con which was 2 weeks later to find them new homes. Like that worked...HA!) They were about 3 weeks old and I bottle-fed them, took them to my in-laws when I worked so I could easily feed them over lunch, taught them how to get into the litterbox - I hand-raised these cats.
He accepted all of the kids with good graces and much tolerance. (One time I recall Scootch was playing with MM when he {MM} was maybe 3 or 4. Scootch got tired of playing and MM didn't know it. Scootch whacked him so hard on the cheek, I could hear it reverberate throughout the room. I was stunned, waiting for MM to cry. Instead, he looked at me, looked at the cat and laughed.)
The dogs in our lives he dealt with a little more severely. Routinely he would beat them, though they hardly realized it. When we brought home Cletus (our coonhound), the only place he wouldn't go was MM's room, so the cats would take refuge there. One day Cletus chased them down the hall and started to come into the room. Scootch, who had had quite enough, turned around in the doorway and, for the first time, smacked him upside the head. Cletus was so startled he pulled his head back and crashed his face straight into the door jamb. He must have thought Scootch was some sort of ferocious beast because from then on, he never bothered the cats again.
He and Molly stayed with me the night before my mom died, when I sat alone in the darkness with my thoughts and feeling that she was going to die. Neither one pawed, meowed or head-butted - they just were there for a friend in a time of need.
When TSS and EB came to live with us, they'd only had a yappy, nippy dog who they incessantly teased. We showed them how to care for and respect animals. TSS has healed a lot from the events of his previous life and had claimed Scootch as his. (After me, of course!) He started calling him "Scootch-a-Boo" and could easily spend an hour lying on the floor petting the cat.
I could go on and on about him and how positively he's affected our lives. I'll miss his deep purrs in my ears before bed and pawing at my face for me to talk to him or pet him. Hubby misses him coming up and grabbing at our hands because it's obvious that hand isn't doing anything, so it should be petting him.
Goodbye, my big gray cat.
Big basso rumbles and paws in my face, Chasing your sister all over the place, A gentle head nudge and a grab at my hand, Keeping you was not what we had planned.
Smiles to our lives you brought every day, With love and affection we watched while you played. For the hearts you helped heal and the company you kept, I write a bad poem now that I've wept.
Not so good, but it's hard to condense over 14 years of one of the best and most intuitive pets I've ever had. (Especially trying to do it in 10 minutes...)
Scootch, my wonderful gray long-haired tabby cat, was with us through a lot of different things. Bandit, our first beagle, found him and Molly in our woodpile. The dog rarely made a noise yet on that cool day, he was out barking like crazy at the same spot. When I finally decided to see what was going on that evening, I found two very young gray kittens. One I could hear mewing and the other, when I reached down, hissed and batted at my hand.
There was a hard freeze coming that night and we couldn't in good conscience let them stay outside. (We figured a momma cat was moving them when the dogs showed up.) We brought them in for the night and then took them to the vet where we discovered they both had a serious case of ringworm and had to be quarantined for a month. (Hubby was hoping to take them to Nuke-Con which was 2 weeks later to find them new homes. Like that worked...HA!) They were about 3 weeks old and I bottle-fed them, took them to my in-laws when I worked so I could easily feed them over lunch, taught them how to get into the litterbox - I hand-raised these cats.
He accepted all of the kids with good graces and much tolerance. (One time I recall Scootch was playing with MM when he {MM} was maybe 3 or 4. Scootch got tired of playing and MM didn't know it. Scootch whacked him so hard on the cheek, I could hear it reverberate throughout the room. I was stunned, waiting for MM to cry. Instead, he looked at me, looked at the cat and laughed.)
The dogs in our lives he dealt with a little more severely. Routinely he would beat them, though they hardly realized it. When we brought home Cletus (our coonhound), the only place he wouldn't go was MM's room, so the cats would take refuge there. One day Cletus chased them down the hall and started to come into the room. Scootch, who had had quite enough, turned around in the doorway and, for the first time, smacked him upside the head. Cletus was so startled he pulled his head back and crashed his face straight into the door jamb. He must have thought Scootch was some sort of ferocious beast because from then on, he never bothered the cats again.
He and Molly stayed with me the night before my mom died, when I sat alone in the darkness with my thoughts and feeling that she was going to die. Neither one pawed, meowed or head-butted - they just were there for a friend in a time of need.
When TSS and EB came to live with us, they'd only had a yappy, nippy dog who they incessantly teased. We showed them how to care for and respect animals. TSS has healed a lot from the events of his previous life and had claimed Scootch as his. (After me, of course!) He started calling him "Scootch-a-Boo" and could easily spend an hour lying on the floor petting the cat.
I could go on and on about him and how positively he's affected our lives. I'll miss his deep purrs in my ears before bed and pawing at my face for me to talk to him or pet him. Hubby misses him coming up and grabbing at our hands because it's obvious that hand isn't doing anything, so it should be petting him.
Goodbye, my big gray cat.
I'm baa-aaack...
...on task (or off, considering what I'm supposed to be doing...).
Updating the blog, trying to post a little more frequently - though we've heard that before!
School
We've been revamping school schedules - again. We had a series of months where we took off apart from life skills, standing classes and videos. The boys had become almost rebellious in doing their work, so we just stopped. I wanted to see what would happen. About a month or so ago, two came to me and asked if they could start schooling again - FINALLY! We revised a bit, and then ended up completely on a different schedule.
I now have planners for each boy and am trying to get their schedules and work into their planner. I'd done that in my own planner but that just didn't work out. There was so much to put in, plus I'd have to rewrite it all out for them anyway, that I started slacking. Now I'm planning out their week one at a time for the rest of the "official" school year, which ends in mid-June. Trying to balance schoolwork with housework and yardwork, plus field trips, scouts and other classes and activities...yikes!
EB keeps asking about going to public school - mostly after he's been hanging out with his scout buddies. I sat down with him and explained why, exactly, we'd pulled them out (he was only finishing up 3rd grade when we did that) and what cost it would have to him (no family vacations). I just don't think he's a public school kind of person. While he's extremely social, that's been a detriment in the past. He doesn't like other people telling him what to do (you know, like teachers...). I also told him he needs to put forth some effort here - he's never given it a chance as he doesn't do the work he's assigned without a fight. (Which is currently working in my favor - he can't test for his next tae kwon do rank until he gets it together...)
Me, I don't want to be beholden to the school's schedule. I already pick up other children a few days a week and it plays havoc with our scheduling sometimes. He thinks it's just going to be a time to sit and chit-chat with his friends.
Other
I've been out of commission for a while - I have a pinched nerve in my back from a herniated disk last spring. It got so bad that I could hardly walk for an extended time. About 6 weeks ago I finally went to a chiropractor and have been extremely grateful for her services! I went back to TKD this past week and was able to do almost everything without penalty. So nice to be able to move with little or no pain and difficulty!
With that, I'm going to sign off - I have core strengthening and stretches to do before we start on the day.
Updating the blog, trying to post a little more frequently - though we've heard that before!
School
We've been revamping school schedules - again. We had a series of months where we took off apart from life skills, standing classes and videos. The boys had become almost rebellious in doing their work, so we just stopped. I wanted to see what would happen. About a month or so ago, two came to me and asked if they could start schooling again - FINALLY! We revised a bit, and then ended up completely on a different schedule.
I now have planners for each boy and am trying to get their schedules and work into their planner. I'd done that in my own planner but that just didn't work out. There was so much to put in, plus I'd have to rewrite it all out for them anyway, that I started slacking. Now I'm planning out their week one at a time for the rest of the "official" school year, which ends in mid-June. Trying to balance schoolwork with housework and yardwork, plus field trips, scouts and other classes and activities...yikes!
EB keeps asking about going to public school - mostly after he's been hanging out with his scout buddies. I sat down with him and explained why, exactly, we'd pulled them out (he was only finishing up 3rd grade when we did that) and what cost it would have to him (no family vacations). I just don't think he's a public school kind of person. While he's extremely social, that's been a detriment in the past. He doesn't like other people telling him what to do (you know, like teachers...). I also told him he needs to put forth some effort here - he's never given it a chance as he doesn't do the work he's assigned without a fight. (Which is currently working in my favor - he can't test for his next tae kwon do rank until he gets it together...)
Me, I don't want to be beholden to the school's schedule. I already pick up other children a few days a week and it plays havoc with our scheduling sometimes. He thinks it's just going to be a time to sit and chit-chat with his friends.
Other
I've been out of commission for a while - I have a pinched nerve in my back from a herniated disk last spring. It got so bad that I could hardly walk for an extended time. About 6 weeks ago I finally went to a chiropractor and have been extremely grateful for her services! I went back to TKD this past week and was able to do almost everything without penalty. So nice to be able to move with little or no pain and difficulty!
With that, I'm going to sign off - I have core strengthening and stretches to do before we start on the day.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)