Hello Weekend!!!

If there's one thing I've learned about being a teacher, it's that there is no tired like first week of school tired.  And, praise The Lord that there was only two days this week that we had students.  Because, even though I am absolutely ecstatic about my new class, getting back in to the grind of teaching is EXHAUSTING.  

I'm so glad that it's the weekend.  Two days to rest.  Well, that's what I thought I'd get, but there's never really much time to rest once the school year starts back up.  There's laundry to do, groceries to buy, lesson plans to write, and unit plans to prepare for.  There's not really much time to "rest", but I can at least unwind and recharge.  

Last night, I was in bed by 8PM and slept for 12 full hours.  That's tired.  I don't remember the last time I slept that much... oh, maybe when I was sick.   But, I must have needed the sleep.

The first two days were amazing, though.  My new kiddos are awesome.  They are polite, and sweet, and seem really eager to have a great 4th grade year.  That's always a great sign of how the year will play out.  When they wrote their first journal entry about what they are scared and excited about this upcoming year, almost all of them wrote they weren't scared about much but they were super excited to learn.  Hello?  Music to a teacher's ears!!  

This first coming full week is going to tell me a lot about my students.  We'll do a lot of pretests and placement tests, so I can get a better understanding of the needs they have.  When I told them about the first project we're going to be doing, they were super excited.  We're going to be starting a unit about cultures.  We will read Charlotte's Web as our first novel study, and it really has a great message about accepting others, and being friends with people who are different.  There's a real connection that I can make about different cultures and lifestyles, being friends with people you wouldn't expect to be friends with, and helping each other overcome struggles.  Perfect for a beginning of school year project.

Included in that unit, we'll learn about plant versus animal cells in science - another way of connecting the dots for things that are different, but still share commonalities.  In social studies, we're going to start with Prehistoric Missouri and will be looking at the changes Missouri made over the first few centuries, the cultures of long ago and the cultures of early Missouri.  In math, we'll be starting with place value.  I can even attach that to my culture unit by talking about how numbers have their own individual place, but work together to create bigger numbers.  It's all very exciting.  

Something else that's taking place this weekend that is very exciting is going to pick up Jelly's new kitten.  She quickly decided that she's ready for another kitten.  I don't blame her.  She got so attached to Gizmo being by her side every minute of every day, she feels so lonely.  She doesn't like sleeping in her own bed and even playing in her room feels weird to her, because Gizmo isn't there to keep her company.  Even though she only had Gimzo for a couple of months, it was enough time for her to get used to having that companion with her.  So, one of my friends from high school posted that she has some kittens ready to go - and I've set it up that Jelly will be able to bring him home today.  He's healthy, has been inside since he's been born, and should be a great addition to the family.  But, as Jelly has said...addition, not replacement.  

I am so glad our lives can all start getting back to normal.  It's normal for me to be exhausted and busy.  Butter has already started football practice, so I'm at the school until 5:15 every evening.  It's a great time for me to go through any stacks of paper that's piled up, and stick to my plan of keeping my room decluttered.  I also plan on using that time to grade papers and do anything that minimizes the amount of time I have to spend working on the weekends.  Because, that's another thing I want to try this year...not spending so much time working on the weekends.  We'll see how that goes.

But, if I plan on getting everything done THIS weekend, and still having time to relax, I should probably get to getting.  So much to do, so little time.

Have a great Saturday, everyone!!

Just One More Day....

                               

This is it.  The final day to make all of the last minute preparations for my sweet, new kiddos to enter the classroom tomorrow.  And I'm starting off this school year with not only a new look in the classroom, but also a new look on myself.  I finally decided to chop all of my hair off and I'm so glad I did.  I just love the cut and the color that my amazing hair stylist did for me.  It's easy to fix, it's light, and I LOVE the way it looks.  

Yesterday, I spent the day getting the classroom finished up for Open House.  I had to label EVERYTHING.  Name plates for the desks, name plates for the cubbies, names on the various clips I'll be using for various things.  I now know all the names of my students quite well, after having to write them so many times.  Today, I just need to fill in the birthday chart, and print off the back to school booklet I have my kiddos fill out on their first couple of days and I'll be good to go.  Of course, the printer needs to be working in order for me to do the last thing... it broke yesterday, that's never good. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that it can be fixed today, because I'm not sure what I'll do if I can't use the back to school booklet.  It's one of the gifts I give the kids at the end of the school year to show them how far they've come over the year.  

Open House went well.  I only had about half of my kiddos show up to meet me, but they were excited to see their new classroom and their parents were really nice. In fact, I was shocked at how excited the kids were about being in my class.  Last year, I was met with face after face filled with fear and worry.  So many of my kids, last year, were terrified about being in my class.  Which I don't consider to be a bad thing...even though that sounds bad.  I think a small level of fear makes them a lot more susceptible to the procedures and rules they learn within the first few days.  They quickly understand that as long as they follow the procedures, they have nothing to worry about and life is good.  But, last night, I was met with hugs and cheers of excitement.  I had a few of the kids tell me that they'd hoped I was going to be their teacher.  And, I have to admit, the fear factor is always amusing, but the excited students made me feel really good.  It's a great feeling to hear that kids really want to be in my class.

I am lucky enough to have two students in my class that belong to staff members.  Being that their parents had to be at Open House the entire time, the kids decided they wanted to hang out in my classroom the whole time.  They helped show the other students where their desks and cubbies were, and they chatted about how they are going to get to play Minecraft this year, and how much fun they'll have with me being their teacher.  Some heartwarming sentiments, right there.  It's one thing for me to tell a student that he'll be just fine, but it's a whole other level when I have students in my classroom telling their classmates how lucky they are that I'll be the one teaching them.  

I was already excited about getting this year underway before Open House, but now I'm even more excited for tomorrow to come.  I have a feeling it's going to be a GREAT school year.  

My own children came up to visit me before they went off to meet their own teachers.  Jelly was in much better spirits, and I was happy to see that she was feeling better.  She told me that she went out to visit Gizmo before she'd left the house.  That was heartbreaking and touching at the same time.  I think it's finally sunk in that he's gone, and she's ready to move on and remember him the way he was. She told me that even though she can't take care of Gizmo, anymore, she can still go out and check on him.  She told me she wants to get some flowers to put around his grave.  She is such a sweet kid.  I am completely shocked by her level of maturity and care that she's shown in the past twenty-four hours.  

She told me last night that she wants to get another kitten, not to replace Gizmo, but because she wants another kitten to take care of.  I think that's a pretty good reason for her to get another kitten.  I just need to make sure that I get her one that's healthy.  I really don't want another situation where I'm spending out hundreds of dollars at the vet to make sure it's not infested with fleas and worms, and potentially dangerous to Jelly and Katniss.  That may sound a little selfish, but as much as Jelly loves nurturing and healing, I have to think about her safety and my fur baby's safety.  The reason I keep my cat inside is because I don't like the idea of fleas, ticks, and worms getting ahold of her.  I was very lucky when I got Katniss, because she had been treated for all of those things before coming to me.  I need to make sure I do the same for the new kitten that Jelly gets.  

OK, I think that's enough for today.  Jelly and I both have to get ready.  Jelly is getting to spend the day with her best friend while I'm at work.  It'll be really good for her.  Jelly is nervous about starting school tomorrow, so I think it'll be good for her to spend a day with her friend.  Jelly's friend's parents are so sweet, and I'm so happy that Jelly is best friends with their daughter.  I know I can go off to work and Jelly will be in good hands.  

Alright...this time tomorrow I'll be gearing up for my first day back to school with kids.  T-Minus TWENTY FOUR HOURS...and..... GO!

R.I.P. Sweet Gizmo

                             

Last night was a very tough night for me.  Around 7PM, while I was on my way home from a meeting for Peanut's choir booster club, I got a phone call from Hubby that Gizmo had passed away.  

Little Gizmo had been sick.  We knew that on Sunday.  He was having a really hard time standing, wasn't eating, and was sleeping all of the time.  Hubby was able to get Gizmo to the vet yesterday morning, but the prognosis wasn't great.  We found out that Gizmo had some kind of issue with his spine, either brought on by an injury or some kind of abnormality.  The vet was unable to give a definite answer on what caused the problem, or if it was even fixable.  We do know that Gizmo had not suffered any injury that we were aware of.  Their suggestion was to send him home with some steroids and some pain meds and make him as comfortable as possible.  He would either start to improve, or he wouldn't.  I wasn't really happy with that prognosis, because I didn't want Gizmo suffering.  The vet had said, though, that there was a possibility he could recover... so we just had to take the chance.

Well, he was made very comfortable when they got home, but apparently the problem was far worse than the vet thought, because he wasn't able to make it.  Hubby said all of a sudden he seemed to be having some difficulty breathing, and then he just went.  Quite quickly, and seemingly quite peacefully. 

Gizmo was such a great little kitten, and I am just heartbroken.  But, my heartbreak is nothing compared to Jelly's.  As soon as I got home last night, Jelly rushed to in to my arms and sobbed.  Jelly had requested that Gizmo stay in his cat bed until I got home, and he did look peaceful laying there.  Of course, when I saw him, my own tears couldn't be contained and Jelly and I sobbed together.  We decided to bury Gizmo at the very end of our yard under a shade tree.  I wrapped Gizmo up in the towel he used to sleep on, and Hubby dug the hole.  While we stood there, poor Jelly was just a mess.  I can't even imagine how hard it is on her.  This is her first loss.  I mean, her guinea pig died when she was younger, but she wasn't near as attached to the guinea pig as she was to Gizmo.  Once Gizmo was laid to rest, Hubby covered him over and Jelly went about circling the little grave with rocks.  She wanted it to look special, be special.  Not just a dirt pile that would slowly get lost over time.  That cat sure did capture Jelly's heart.

And that's what made him such a great kitty.  When we first got him, he was so little, so weak, and in pretty bad shape, but Jelly nursed him back to full health.  He slept with her every night, and she spent all day carrying him around like a baby or playing with him like one.  They would chase balls together, he would sit and watch her color, and they would snuggle together for hours on the couch watching TV.  Even though we only had him for a few months, he had become a part of our family.  He was her fur baby, and Jelly truly loved him.  And to see the heartbreak in her eyes was devastating.

She ended up crying herself to sleep in my arms, last night.  I let her sleep in my bed, with me, because her bed was too empty without Gizmo.  

Someone else in our house is also feeling the loss, and that would be Katniss.  My fur baby.  She has been by my side since I got home last night, and I can tell she is missing Gizmo.  She snuggled with me in bed last night, but kept getting up and wandering around...almost as if she was looking for Gizmo. Katniss had spent a lot of time being very motherly to Gizmo, bathing him, snuggling with him, following him around to make sure he didn't get in to any trouble.  I can only imagine that Katniss is also hurting from the blow of losing him.  

I am thankful the kids still have a couple of days before they have to go back to school, so Jada has some time to grieve and get over her loss.  Going back to school will also help keep her mind off of him.  She asked me last night if we were going to get a new kitten, which I had expected.  What I didn't expect was her response when I told her she could have another kitten if she wanted one.  She told me she needed to wait a while, that she didn't want to forget Gizmo or replace him.  How heartbreaking is that?  I don't know many 6 year olds that have such a mature mentality when it comes to the loss of a pet.  But, that only further shows how truly loved Gizmo was and how much he meant to her. 

I know that eventually, Jelly will want another kitten.  And we will get her one.  Of course, we will be a little more selective and try and find one that is much healthier than Gizmo was when we first got him.  But, I know that Gizmo will never be forgotten and can never be replaced.  I hate that Jelly had to face this kind of loss at such a young age, but I know that she will remember him and cherish the time that they got to spend together.  She will forever know that Gizmo loved her just as much as she loved him, that she took him in when someone else threw him away, that she never gave up on him despite how sick he first was, and that he spent his final days being loved and cared for in the best possible way.  

So, in closing, I just want to say Rest in Peace, sweet Gizmo.  I am thankful you are no longer suffering, that your pain is now gone.  And while we go through the pain of losing you, we will go on knowing that we loved you and you loved us.  You will always hold a special place in Jelly's heart, in all of our hearts... and you will never be forgotten.

Meet Gizmo

This is Gizmo.  The new addition to our family.  And what an addition he is!  I found him through a posting on Facebook.  A local woman posted that she'd found this little thing wandering outside her house.  She posted that the kitten was a female, and needed a good home.  She stated that she had dogs, so this little kitten needed somewhere that was safe to live.  My heartstrings plucked, and I just knew I had to have her.

I've been wanting another kitten for a long time.  Not for me, but for Jelly.  I absolutely love my cat, Katniss. She is my fur baby.  But, recently, Katniss has been taking a strong liking for Jelly.  She would sleep with Jelly, lay with her on the couch, and follow her around the house.  And, I'll admit, it was making me kinda jealous.  Katniss is MY cat.  It was already bad enough that I had to compete with Hubby for her attention, but now Jelly was being thrown in to the mix for me to get some snuggle time with my own cat.  So, I figured it would be good for Jelly to have her own cat to take care of.

So, when I saw the posting, I jumped on it.  I spoke with the lady that posted the pics, and she told me that the kitten looked to be in good shape.  She didn't see any signs of injury or mange or even a flea problem.  However, on the night we picked her up, the lady's sister was delivering the kitten, and we both realized that the lady hadn't really had a chance to give the kitten a full inspection.  As soon as I took her in my arms, I noticed the fleas.  Crawling all over her.  Then, there were the little scratches (probably self inflicted) all over her little body.  Finally, there was a giant bump on the top of her head that concerned me.  But, I'm not a person to turn away a cat that needs some TLC, so I took on the challenge.

We brought the cat home, and Jelly was absolutely ECSTATIC.  She thought it was the greatest thing to have her very own baby to take care of.  The first stop?  Bathroom to get some idea on how bad the flea problem was.  I picked up some flea spray and started to give her a bath, and OH EM GEE.  The fleas were coming off of her in hoards.  They were EVERYWHERE.  I was quickly wondering what I'd gotten myself in to.  I take pride in the fact that Katniss is almost 2 years old and hasn't had a SINGLE problem with fleas.  Sure, she's gotten a few on her, but I've kept the situation contained with a flea collar and nipped in the butt before it got out of hand.  This time, I didn't know if I had the ability to take care of it.  The kitten was way too young for a flea collar, and I wasn't even supposed to be using the flea spray I was using.  But, then, everything took a turn for the worse while I was cleaning her.  The knot on the top of her head popped.  Yes, you heard me right.  Popped.  As in (hold back your dry heaves), "stuff" started coming out of it.

I immediately decided this was WAY beyond my expertise and got my vet on the phone PRONTO.  She told me to take the kitten up there for them to take care of.  So, Jelly jumped in the car with me and off to the vet we went.

We found out several "surprises" once we arrived.  The first being that she was in fact a HE.  Not a female kitten at all.  Which is OK, because Katniss is spayed.  But, it's still taking some getting used to calling him by boy pronouns.  The vet took him back to give him an exam, and came back to report that he was INFESTED with fleas.  So much so, that he was showing signs of anemia from the flea bites.  The knot on his head was an abscess that required a draining tube being placed to ensure proper healing.  He also had roundworms and was severely malnourished and dehydrated.

That poor baby wouldn't have lasted a few more days without some immediate care.  Thank goodness we got him when we did.

The vet took quick action treating the abscess, the fleas, the worms, the anemia, and being malnourished.  She packed me up with antibiotics, special food, and instructions on what to do.  The first 48 hours were going to be critical to ensure survival.

I left the vet a nervous wreck.  When I said I wanted Jelly to take care of a new kitten, I didn't mean having a hand in bringing him back from the brink of death.  All I kept worrying about was Gizmo dying.  What kind of impact that would have on Jelly?  Would I be giving her a new kitty only to have it ripped from her by something as traumatic as death?

We got him home, gave him the bath the vet recommended, gave him some food, and just waited.  Jelly got him all wrapped up in one of her blankets, and all cozy in Katniss's cat bed (that she has NEVER used).  And the kitten didn't move for the rest of the evening.  I decided to sleep in the living room, so I could keep an eye on him.  He slept so soundly I had to keep getting up to make sure he was still breathing.

The next morning, I woke up on the couch to find Jelly holding Gizmo in her arms.  At first I panicked, thinking she had discovered he'd passed in the night.  But, when I heard his small meow, I relaxed.  I busied myself with getting him some food and his medicine, and he ate very well.  Jelly didn't want to leave him to go to summer school, but her dad reassured her that he'd take good care of Gizmo.

Here are two pics that Hubby sent me during the first day...

Sitting on Hubby's leg

Curled up in Hubby's blanket on his footrest

As soon as we got home that evening, Jelly was right by his side taking over the care duties.  Gizmo ate more food, took his medicine, and even played with Jelly.  She even decided that she was going to skip going to softball practice with us so that she could care for her baby.  In fact, before I left, this was taking place...

Jelly showing Gizmo how to put puzzles together

That night, Jelly decided that she should sleep in the living room with Gizmo, and Gizmo couldn't have been happier.  He hadn't really walked around a whole lot since he'd come home, so Jelly decided he should be close to her in case he needed anything...

Gizmo all snuggled up on a sleeping Jelly

We have, now, successfully made it past the 48 hour "critical time", and I'm happy to report that Gizmo is healthy, happy, and on the road to a full recovery.  He's eating, playing, following us all over the house, and is constant need of some attention.  He's already spoiled rotten.

This weekend, Butter and Jelly went to P-Momma's for a weekend with their Grammy.  Jelly wasn't so sure about leaving Gizmo so quickly, but Peanut is currently babysitting.  Gizmo has been in Peanut's room all morning, snuggled up with her on her bed.

Katniss still isn't sure about him.  She hisses when he comes within 10 feet of her, but I'm hoping they will soon become fine with one another.  Even though Katniss is spayed, I know that she can be a good momma.  We've been there, done that before.  I'm sure that once she realizes that Gizmo isn't a threat, she'll take over the duties of bathing and keeping him inline.

Before I go, I'll share a two more photos.. cause who can't get enough cute kitten photos?

A much healthier Gizmo exploring her new home

Snuggled up in his bed with a toy to keep him company

I hope everyone has a great Saturday!!