Meet Rosy

Alana and I went to the SPCA today to look at cats (Caleb went to the movies with his friend Jake). I never planned to actually get a cat - it took FIVE visits before we could take Roxy home. But this cat was ready to go, so we took her. Maybe the rules are more lax for cats, or maybe they just have so many, they're not being as strict as they used to be. Alana picked out the name, which I think is hilarious. She's a full grown female of unknown age - she was a stray that someone dropped off in August. I hope she's a mouser.



Here Roxy and Rosy are getting acquainted. They don't seem to be bothered by each other at all.

Bad things come in 3s

Of course I think that kind of silly superstition is bunk, but I just hit my three. I felt a nasty sore throat coming on as I drove home from work on Tuesday night. Wednesday the kids had no school so I took the opportunity to stay home - I felt pretty bad. I debated about seeing the doctor and finally decided to go on Thursday just because I know that strep is going around (and I don't want to be miserable over the weekend and wish that I had started on meds). At the appt, the Nurse Practitioner said that they were seeing a lot of virus like this, but that it probably wasn't strep. We were both very surprised when the test came back positive today. So now I'm taking Amoxycillin for 7 days. So that's my third, after losing my wallet and burning my arm. Hopefully I'm done with bad luck for awhile, though I have noticed that I've gotten sick once a month since November. I hope that's done too.

Arm after 3 weeks

Wow!! I continue to be impressed by the healing powers of the body.

Hotel for Dogs

The kids had a snow day today. I could have sent them to the YMCA and gone to work, but I got hit by a nasty cold last night and wanted to stay home anyway. I felt somewhat better by the afternoon and the snow was never as bad as predicted, so we went to see Hotel for Dogs. We had tried to see a couple of weeks ago, but it was sold out. The theater was deserted today, even though all the schools in the area were closed. All three of us liked it very much. I even got choked up several times.

Just like Daddy

When I went to pick up Caleb at the afterschool program, he was playing Restaurant Manager - he a few friends had taken the play food, play money and cash register and set up a restaurant. He gave one of the kids a $100 bonus for being a waiter. And they were serving only healthy food. It was freakin' adorable.

Fashion Statement

Alana's best friend at school and the aftercare program is Emma. Emma, who has an older sister, wears 2 shirts, which is the fashion right now. Well, Alana only wears dresses, so lately she's taken to wearing 2 dresses in order to be like Emma. It's too funny (and kinda weird!)

Birthday party

Alana has been excited all week about her friend Cambrie's 6th BD party today at New Generation Gym (where she took lessons last summer). She had a great time. Here's she's enjoying some cake. (Caleb went to see Inkheart with is friend Jake.)

Pretty nails

I'm too broke to pay for a manicure right now, so I painted Alana's nails with the polish we already have. I thought they came out pretty good. Alana drew the "tattoo" on her hand.

Day 18

It looks like a bad sunburn now (except for the a couple of more severely burned patches, including the spot right on top). It feels FINE.

Larry's BD

Since Larry was working, we took the party to him - road trip up to TRH, Watertown. Dawn came with us and Danny met us there. (I had invited a bunch of other people, who all said "sure," but they blew us off when the day got near. Bummer.) Larry's employees got a kick out of making him sit on the saddle and singing to him, and of course the kids were thrilled.

Musical BD

Larry and Alana are dancing to "Celebration" in the musical BD card that Alana picked out for Larry.

On the road to recovery

Day 14. Last week the doctor said "a week" and she was right! I put away the gauze and ointment and I'm just using shea butter and lanolin moisturizers.

Return to the scene

Roxy and I had another nice walk, though it's a bit colder than it's been the last couple of days. We went by the log where she tussled with something yesterday, and all the snow was dug up - something came by and did a pretty thorough search for whatever was there!

Play date

We planned to see Hotel for Dogs today, but it turns out, so did everyone else with kids out of school. I should have realized the theater would be packed, and gotten the tickets online, but I wasn't thinking. So the friends that we planned to see the movie with came over to the house to play. Caleb's friend Jake was here, and in this photo, Alana and her friend Lily are playing dress up (this is only one of several outfits they donned - Lily is Snow White and Alana has artfully combined a dance costume with a bridal veil).

Still digging

It's been so cold. Roxy and I went on a very quick walk on Friday, but it was so cold, Roxy was back to the car before me, which never happens. But the weekend has been better. Today was especially nice. And it was going great until I heard her yelp. My first thought, out there in the woods, was that she was shot, but then I realized that I hadn't heard a gunshot. Then I thought maybe she got caught in a trap. I ran up the trail and saw her next to a big fallen tree. As soon as I got close enough, I saw that she had a big scratch on her nose and there was blood on the snow. Whoever she had roused had protested! But it didn't stop her - she dug around the tree for at least 10 more minutes!

Sledding

The kids were cranky today and fussing at each other. It was much milder than it's been and we went over to the hill near our house - Clay Park South, but the kids said it was too cold, and we just did a couple of runs and went home.

All new skin

Day 11

Saturday

Caleb spent the afternoon at Phillip's birthday party and Alana and I went to the East Area YMCA to go swimming with Chloe and her mom Melissa. I didn't take any photos though.

New skin emerging

Day 10

Reading night

Every year the kids' elementary school puts on a pajama party, and the principal and others read aloud. It's a nice event. The temperature outside was abou 7 degrees, but we got bundled up and headed over to the school. Here Alana is sitting on the lap of her friend Christina.

Here Alana is cuddling with her friend Emily.

Meeting

I had my Sisterhood officers meeting tonight and the kids were great - here they're gathered around the personal DVD player.

P.S. Happy BD to my brother Leo.

One week later

I think I'm through the worst of it. I don't think that the skin that hasn't come off yet is covering such deep wounds. I hope the rest of the healing will be less painful.

Bunny visit

Last year, we often had bunny prints in our driveway and yard, but never on our front porch. I get a huge kick out of imagining this bunny hopping up and looking in the window.

Raw meat anyone?

24 hours after the previous photo, this is what it looks like (this picture does not convey the full oozy cratered experience - like Mars, only wetter). The blisters are starting to open and expose the new skin underneath. Anyone I talked to on Friday or over the weekend heard me say "It doesn't hurt." Well, that phase is over. I'm taking tons of Advil, but without it, I'd say it hurts about as much as it did the day it happened. Bad. I bought more Bacitracin, and got some with aloe in it. It does feel soothing, for about 3 minutes after I apply it. When I change the dressing, I have to soak my arm in water to remove the gauze because it sticks to the new skin. I went to the burn clinic this morning for my followup appointment and they thought it looked good. The doc said it should be healed in about a week (not back to normal, but the sores should be healed). I can handle a week. The silver lining is that I'm getting pretty good at brushing my teeth with my left hand.

Yummy

I went to a potluck dinner this weekend and someone had made really delicious white chili, which I discovered I like a lot better than the tomato-y variety. He didn't have a recipe, so I went online to find one, and then modified it to include what I wanted. It came out really well and was easy to do - definitely something I'll make again, maybe even my own potluck standard dish.

Burning up

It's day 5 and my arm looks a bit better, but I'm already sick of dealing with this - the ointment, the lack of mobility, and now the itching is starting. I'm grossed out every time I look at it. I just want it to be healed and done, and of course I've got at least a couple of weeks to go. Poor me!! Poor stupid careless me!

Swimming

We schlepped all the way across town to the other YMCA, because they have the greatest kiddie pool, and when we got there, it was closed for maintenance. The kids had fun playing in the big pool, but we have one of those in the Y that's 3 minutes from our house!

Sleepy dog

Matt took this adorable photo of Roxy on the bed so he could take it with him back to college - Larry drove him back to West Chester this morning.

Breakfast boy

The cub scout manual lists a bunch of stuff that the kids are supposed to do, not badges, but tasks. One is prepare a meal for the family. Caleb wanted to make breakfast, so this morning he made sausage omelets for everyone - all 5 of us (Mommy contributed the hash browns). He did a great job and everyone agreed that the food was delicious.

Bowling

Larry was off today - a rare Saturday. We planned to go tubing but it's too darn cold (and it's getting colder), so we went bowling instead.

Tot shabbat

Terrible photo of the kids during the rabbi's final tot shabbat (he's retiring).

Burn baby burn

I've been making tea every day in my hot pot at work for at least 4 years, but today, I spilled boiling water all down my arm. Gross. This is what 2nd degree burns look like. The human skin is not a fan of boiling water, and it looks like acrylic is a good heat conductor (I was wearing a sweater). The ER doctor said it should heal just fine with no scarring, but I have to change the dressing twice a day - smear the whole mess with bacitracin and wrap it in gauze. It hurt like hell yesterday, but it's fine today (I hope that's not temporary). I have a follow up appt with the burn clinic next week. The only glitch - I took the vicodin they prescribed (half a tablet) and promptly threw it up, so I don't think that's gonna work for me. But thankfully it doesn't hurt and if it does, I'm going with Advil. The ER nurse said I'm not to make tea without supervision!

ADDENDUM 1/9/09

Alana was upset this morning because she thought I had changed the dressing before she got a chance to see it (I hadn't!) But Caleb was completely freaked out, and wouldn't even come in the room while the dressing was off. He's such a sensitive little soul!!

Back in the day

Today Alana reminded me that I told her how to make jello when she was a "little kid," a "long, long, long, long, long time ago" - when she was 3.

Pretty green wallet

I was so disappointed this weekend - I dropped my wallet when I was watching Doubt, but no one turned it in at the movie theater. I just can't believe that anyone seeing that movie would keep a wallet that they found - I'm convinced it must have been an usher (I'm sure they think of it as a perk of a crappy job). So I have to go to DMV and the bank and replace all my cards, including library, insurance, and zoo membership. What a hassle!! But I got myself this pretty green wallet and somehow that made me feel better.

Sledding

Had a good time sledding at Centerville Park off South Bay Rd. This is Mommy and Alana on the sled while Caleb looks on.


Matt and Alana.


Matt airborn.


Alana.


You can just see Caleb's arm and hat behind Matt.

Alana sliding down the hill just on her snow pants!

McDonald's playland

After sledding we had lunch at McDonald's. Caleb and Matt played on the new air hockey table (they used to have Dance Dance Revolution).

Alana pressed animal sound buttons. She's wearing my fleece.

Movie-going kids

My kids did really well this holiday at the Cineplex. Larry took them to Bolt and Despereaux and Caleb saw Bedtime Stories with a friend. Then we all went to see Yes Man on New Years Day. Next up, they're excited to see Hotel for Dogs.

Dashing dog

While taking a terrific walk in the snowy park, I happened to catch this great action shot of Roxy tearing through the snow.

Sparkle snow

The SUN was shining - unheard of during the winter in central NY - and the snow was so gorgeous and sparkly.

Funny conversation

Caleb: Do they make movies like that?

Me: Like what?

Caleb: Just for boys or just for girls.

Alana: Or just for dogs.