Update II on Pritsha

Pritsha has spent the last several days not eating at all--and I had stopped force feeding her in the hopes that she would eat on her own. Not so. I called the vet office and one of the vets suggested we try an IV of Valium. Apparently it makes cats ravenously hungry after receiving it.

After she was weighed....at 5 lbs 15 oz (still loosing), they gave her the IV and the Valium worked! She ate almost a tablespoon of food!! I got her home, gave her some more food later on...was feeling so ecstatic...and then everything she ate came up. I spent the evening crying while she flailed around (affects of sedation and from being too weak) and rasped for air. I attempted to give her water. She threw it up. She hid from us for a while, then I found her laying in her litter box in the wee hours of the morning and I took her to bed with me. I was convinced she wouldn't make it through the night.

But she did and thank God for being so merciful...she has been able to keep down a little food and water today (force feeding). Her prognosis is not good. Her body is metabolizing itself and causing her liver to shut down. Her ears are showing some jaundice. The best I can do is keep feeding her and hope that it reverses the liver damage and we can put the weight back on her.

I know many people are not animal people, but I certainly am, and she is my first (fur)baby so if you pray, please say a prayer for her.

Reaganisms

As we were reading The House in the Night, Reagan looked at the skeleton key (seen in this image) and loudly declared "This MUST be from the 80s, we don't use keys like that NOW!" *GROAN* I have never felt so old in my life......

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And, on the way to karate.....Reagan asked "How do mama cats get their baby kitties?" Needless to say, I nearly wrecked the van. After a quick thought through the parenting database in my brain, I remembered that usually kids just want a simple answer. So I tried "from their tummies, Reagan." Yep, that satisfied her..now I'm just wondering when that answer is going to stop working!!!

Did you know?

That you can substitute plain yogurt or pureed cottage cheese for cream cheese? WOW! Check out some other substitution ideas here.

There was snow on the ground this morning when I woke up....and yes, I did a double take. SNOW? REALLY? Ugh. However, I'm happy to say that it had all melted by the time we broke for lunch. Reagan is outside playing in the frosty air and gorgeous sunshine and I'm catching up on blog reading. In a little while we're heading to Goodwill to look for a new white sugar bowl (I love Goodwill for finding ironstone!!!) and then off to the dollar store in hopes of finding some foam board to make a "REAGAN" central station to display the day's work for Daddy.

Days like today are make me glad I'm homeschooling. Everything went perfectly--no fighting to get her to finish. No frustrated screaming because she wasn't getting something right--I was patient and she was sweet. Why can't every day be like this? Oh, because we're not perfect..that's right :)

We had a GREAT lesson on words today, studying several verses from Proverbs and I have to say I think hiding God's Word in our hearts is definitely making a difference in attitudes around her--specifically mine.

My favorite part of the day? Singing a praise hymn with Reagan. AWESOME. I love days like these.

*And for my friends who don't homeschool, please don't even think that most days are like this...I *DO* get frustrated easily and scream and so does she..so if you're thinking of homeschooling and think that you could never be patient enough to do it, you're right--you won't be--no one is. But with God's help you can make it through!*

Update on Pritsha

No kidney disease..but we're not sure what IS wrong with her. Her bloodwork came back that she was low in protein, VERY low in potassium, anemic, very high red and white blood cell counts and several other numbers were off. The vet believes there might be a problem in her intestines that isn't allowing her to absorb nutrients.

Right now our plan of action is giving her potassium gel twice a day and force feeding her 'critical care' food (very soft pate style food that I can squeeze into her mouth) when she doesn't eat (which is often). Today however, we've been lucky-we gave her some catfish and she devoured it! YAH! I'll be making a trip to Kroger again soon to buy more for her!

For my homeschooling friends.....

For my friends that homeschool, I hope you get as big a laugh out of this as I did!!

(you'll have to click the link to really see the tee and read it..sorry this pic is tiny!)

Pritsha

Pritsha has been sick all winter with a bad cold..which made her lose a good deal of weight. I took her in today finally (all winter I've been preoccupied with Reagan who was sick a great deal). Apparently our scale is very off. I thought she had gone from 12 to 8-9 lbs. At her last appointment she was 14 pounds however, and she has dropped to 6 lbs 6 oz. We're waiting on blood work to come back tomorrow but our vet seems to think it's probably kidney disease.

Today is not a good day in our house. This has been my baby for 12 years and I'm very worried about her. Please keep her in your thoughts if you can spare a few.

Southern Hummingbird Cake

I haven't had Hummingbird Cake in years, but I see one in our future soon! Sigh...seriously, if you didn't grow up as a southern child, you have no idea what you're missing!

And it's not just food that brings those waves of nostalgia washing over me---but memories of pure and simple innocent childhood that remind me of why I was so lucky to grow up southern--sipping honeysuckle juice straight out of the honeysuckle vine, catching lightening bugs on warm summer evenings, letting them light up your room long afterwards, catching rolly pollies (I never knew there was another name for them til just this year!), heaping up huge piles of pine straw to make pretend homes, spending all day outside running around like wild heathens terrorizing the neighborhood--stopping only for a sticky Popsicle at home..the juice dripping down your chin and leaving little splotches all over dirty white eyelet shirts, hearing the screen door slam behind you as you ran quickly in and out..no time to let it close slowly.

Sweet southern memories.....

Heart wrenching...

One dog's loyalty to his friend..... (Click to read article with translation or watch video below).

Here's the video clip:



UPDATE: CNN and the UK Telegraph have both reported that the dogs have been rescued since the footage aired, and are both receiving veterinary care; the more seriously wounded dog is at a clinic in the city of Mito, while the protective spaniel-type dog is receiving care at a shelter in the same town.

Giveaway!!

on my homeschooling blog...come register to win!!

Happy Anniversary

8 years! I love you Josh!

A huge favor from my followers!

Hi everyone! If you follow my blog, I need a huge favor! Please click the link to your right to head on over to my homeschooling blog. I'm applying to be a member of the Old Schoolhouse Crew for the 2011-2012 school year (so I can earn free curriculum while I review them-yah!!!!) and I need at least 25 subscribers...so pretty please? And if you're not a follower here, please link over and follow there anyway (that is, if you're so inclined!)

Just click the link on the right or click HERE to head over to the homeschooling blog. Scroll down just a bit and click on the "follow with google friend connect" button!

THANKS!

No where else to vent

Well...since I gave up Facebook for Lent and my membership with FF is finally done (and I am not going to renew...I am NOT going to renew-or so I keep telling myself), the only place I have left to vent is here.

Why...ON EARTH...did they schedule our mandatory adoptive parent training seminar for the weekend of MOTHER'S DAY!?! That is a very special weekend in our home..a Girls's Gardening Weekend with Grandma (also her birthday weekend), Mommy and Reagan. I'm VERY frustrated. I know we have to go and get it out of the way (they only hold them every six months) but GRRRR..I'm really not pleased about the timing!!!

Obama makes ME sick...

Really? It'd be so much easier to be "president" of China??? (The fact that China has a "president" is a laugh in and of itself.) Because you know, MR. Obama, I'd be more than happy if you'd take your pathetic low life morals and views of my country off to China. And yes, I know that's not nice to say but really...this is the United States--we don't bow down and believe something just because YOU say it's true and we are NOT, you get this "MR PRESIDENT" ..we are NOT going to let you destroy this country.

Days like this...

are hard to be a mom. When your child is so sick, you can barely keep on top of anything. When your child is screaming in pain and she has vomit shooting out one end and poop shooting out the other and you can barely stem the flow long enough to think straight, much less clean it all up..and it's been going on for days. When you're gagging yourself but you still have to get her clean and calm and TRY to get some fluid down her stomach, even when she's screaming and fighting you. When there is little you can do to alleviate the illness. When you accidentally give her a second dose of Tylenol too close to the first because you have had so little sleep that you can't remember the time you gave her the dose before..even though you TRIED to force your tired brain to write it down. When your child screams at you that you're a bad mommy because you lost your temper and snapped and screamed at her to give you just ONE MINUTE because you can't do everything at once. When your nerves are frayed from worry and whining and lack of good sleep.

These are days that it's hard to be a mom.

But I know there will be days in the future where we'll have a Mommy and Reagan day and I'll get to take her to lunch and listen to her ramble on about whatever is in that pretty head of hers and watch her splash in the fountain at the zoo...and the thought that THOSE days are just down the road--those days help me get through days like this.

Time 4 Learning Review

Over the past 30 days, I've had the privilege of using the Time 4 Learning program in our homeschool. This has been such a blessing to us, as I was having a very hard time getting Reagan excited about the reading and math aspects of school (she is very much a strictly science oriented girl!).

In fact, Reagan enjoyed the program so much that she begged to do it every day and completed almost all two levels of preschool in the 30 days we were given to review it! Some days she would spend an hour or two just playing and redoing lessons she had already done FOR FUN! I can't tell you how excited and happy I was to find something that engaged her and that she enjoyed doing. In fact, I've just now bumped her up to Kindergarten level math, in the hopes that Time 4 Learning has given her the incentive and confidence to tackle a non-science subject!

What is Time 4 Learning exactly?

According to the Time 4 Learning website, they are a technology based program that teaches preschool through 8th grade using a combination of animated lessons, interactive activities and reinforcing worksheets.

Not only is the Time 4 Learning program great for homeschoolers, but students needing a little extra reinforcement outside of school can use it as well.

For a low monthly fee, you have access to Language Arts, Phonics, Grammar, Science, Social Studies and Math. (Science and Social Studies are available in 1st and 2nd grades respectively).

A typical lesson on the preschool side included a short story or video to introduce the lesson and then several activities to reinforce the lesson-ranging from sequencing, to playing the syllable drum, putting together puzzles or Reagan's favorite, playing a game with Brainy Bot. Some lessons even include an idea notebook filled with activities to reinforce the lesson outside of the computer.

I was impressed not only with the fact that Reagan was learning, but she was amassing amazing computer skills. In 30 days she moved from barely being able to use the computer at all, to spending an hour or two on her own manipulating the program. And how many preschoolers are introduced to the concept of syllables? Not many I'll wager..but Reagan got it!

Some great items to note about this program:
-There is no contact, you use it on a monthly basis and cancel at any time.
-There's a two week money back guarantee.
-For all levels (except preschool) there are parent progress reports that you can log in and check at any time to see your student's progress.
-You can review lesson plans ahead of time to mesh with what you're currently learning.

For more information, please visit Time 4 Learning. You can click here to check out a free lesson demo or here to check out a preschool demo, and here to check out Time 4 Learning's Lesson Plans and Scope and Sequence.

Disclosure: Please note that I received a free 30 day Trial for review on my blog. However, the opinions expressed therein are mine alone and were not written by Time 4 Learning.

HI-YA!

I took Reagan in for her first Karate "lesson" today (it was really a consult). She was so adorably shy and whisphered all of her responses to the teacher. (Funny, she's loud, talkative and obnoxious at home ;) love that kid!) After we completed some paperwork and the teacher spoke with Reagan, he had her practice some basic movies..one of which included using a heel slap to break a board.

She was so proud of that broken board! She showed it to everyone-her best friend, her best friend's mommy, and, of course, Daddy! Yes, the board was very lightweight and fribrous, and he probably helped it just it bit to break when she hit it, but she was so proud of herself nonetheless!

He even put her name on it and gave it to her to take home! My little girl is so excited about learning Karate! I'm excited too! I think I may join up for myself!