Remembering Our Sweet Girl

Shortly after Sage came to live with us.

In August of 2013 we lost our sweet girl Sage after about 18 months of deterioration.  I realized I never shared about her here and she was a special girl worth sharing.

Always being mauled by her brother

Sage came to us from under a porch at about six weeks old when Joe and I were in grad school out in Pullman, WA.  She was an angry little white puff ball and spent her first three days behind our couch hissing and spitting when we came near.  I had not been around cats since I was a child and honestly thought of myself as a dog person until then.  I had never seen a cat spit before and she was feisty.  Eventually she tired herself out and I was able to scoop her up and set her down out in the living room.  

Aslan, our other kitten the same age from another litter, immediately took her under his wing and showed her the food and litter box.  After that he was always in her space, much to her dismay, crawling into the cat bucket with her/on her for naps.  Joe and I laugh now as we watch our new kitten Lilah do the same thing to Aslan that he did to Sage all those years ago.  But without that little guy with the huge ears we would have had a tough time with little Sagie.

She didn't warm up to us until my folks came out to Washington to visit for a week.  My mom was determined that Sage just needed some extra love and she sat with Sage on her lap for what seemed like an hour one day and that seemed to break away the last of the nervous stray in her.  She was a mamas girl but she was always shy around others and VERY leery when we added the dogs to our family.

Her princess pose

As a blue eyed chocolate point Siamese Sage was always a beauty and would strike poses that said look at me.  She has the most amazing soft fur and I loved snuggling with her and listening to her sweet purr.  When I was pregnant with our first child she would curl up with a paw on my belly at night and purr me to sleep.

Little sage loved the outdoors and while she and her brother are indoor kitties they always had a big window to sit in and watch the birds.  She loved chirping back at them when they came into view.  Occasionally we did let them out to explore while supervised and Sage always pushed the limits of gravity jumping to the top of a six foot fence or wiggling away under things.  She loved to just sit in the grass and enjoy a sunny day.

Sunny outside time

Into tight spaces

Her last big contribution.  Helping Abby with a science project.

Sagie was always a very athletic kitty and seemed to constantly find ways to get herself into trouble.  She loved to play but always on her own terms and would pounce on anything moving under blankets.   Her dad was always teasing her that way.  Even though she was petite compared to her 15 lb brother she could jump higher and father than any other cat I have known.  

One day when we were in grad school still I had a couple girl friends over to make candles and Sage and her curiousity got the best of her.  She jumped up onto the counter where things were drying and knocked over a votive.  I was pulling wax out of her fir for days.

One of my favorite pics of Sage
and Aslan at about a year old.

She was quite curious and would constantly open cabinets and pull drawers out so you could tell where she had been in a day.   I remember one very early morning about 4-5 months before she passed we had her in the bathroom because her bowel control was diminished.  Joe was up early to head to the gym and woke me with cussing because Sage had locked herself in the bathroom by pulling out some drawers.  Having had this happen before I got up and got the drawer back in but that was a rude awakening.

She was also a master hider and with her petite size she could make herself pretty small.  She was able to miss out on a vet appointment because we couldn't find her one day.  

Sage, Sagie Pooh, Poo, Princess Sage... our sweet girl.  It was hard to watch her decline in the end but I would not trade the time we had with her for anything.

Race Report - Hope Run for Hospice

This is the second year we have done this run as a family and is my first “race” of 2014.  Last year Joe ran alone and I ran with the kids.   Abigail imploded in the heat and humidity, and I lost my patience and spent the whole race running in circles back to get her..  This year we decided we would run pretty much as a family.  It was perfect sunny spring morning and not too hot or humid.  Abby and I decided we would run together and Joe would push the bike buggy with Joshua inside as he was going to take it easy due to a leg muscle strain.  

We love this race because Mary Greeley Hospital helps sponsor Mileage Club at the elementary schools in town.  The kids who participate have a chance to earn a free admission to the event by putting in 25 miles at lunch recess over several weeks at school.  Abby set her goal early and even though we knew months beforehand she had a soccer tournament that weekend I told her if she got in we would run.  Her final tally was 32 miles in the end.  The is a great run also because it helps to raise funds for the Ames Hospice House which is in our neighborhood.  They do wonderful end of life work and even supported my neighbor’s family this year when her mother passed.  

Run for Hospice is a timed race and has two distances 2.5k and 5k.  I love this race because there are hundreds of families running and being active together.  As I pulled our times from the website I couldn't help but notice family after family coming across the line with the same times.

Since this wasn't a run where I cared about time Abby and I decided we would walk once a mile when she needed it.  She did great however and I think we walked for a block each mile including the water stop in mile two.  Joe caught up with us at the water stop and all four of us ran together since by then Joshua was tired of riding along.  I am guessing next year he will be running with us.

We all crossed the finish line within 25 seconds of each other with Abby taking the lead due to her last second burst of speed.  Final times 34:36, 34:37 and the guys at 34:51.  We saw lots of friends at the finish and Joshua did the 50 meter little guy run with the biggest grin on his face.  I am pretty blessed and we hope to continue this family tradition for years to come.

30 Day Challenge - Day 17

•Day 17 — An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)

OK, so I am now five days behind so I decided to skip a couple of days and jump to some I could knock out quickly. So I have different kinds of art in my life. I love to create things with my hands but I will get more to that on hobbies. I do plan to share a couple of quilt photos when I update this post later today, but I wanted to share some special art from two very important artists in my life.

First my 7 year old who has a passion for horses.

The next one is my first set of abstract art from my little guy who just turned 2 this weekend.

I promise to add a couple pieces of my own 'art' to the blog in the next day or two. :)

30 Day Challenge - Day 12

•Day 12 — Whatever tickles your fancy - running a day behind now.

Ode to kiddos

First of all I want to share this fantastic link. It is of a pair of Eagles sitting on three eggs. The DNR expects they will start hatching around April 1st, but until then they are taking turns keeping their eggs warm through a range of temperatures, winds, snow and rain, etc. Makes you think of the dedication it takes to continue their species.
http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/decorah_eagle_xcel.html&medium=3064708

Fascinating Eagle Facts... maybe we as parents need to look at them as an example for rearing our young when they are small....
http://www.baldeagleinfo.com/eagle/eagle-facts.html

Now to segway into my thoughts on my own kiddos. My two kids are just over five years apart and I am slowly rounding up memories from the first time around as I watch my youngest navigate the waters of walking (running really), talking, gravity, giving lovies to his family, potty train and entertaining himself with his imagination.

I can remember with my oldest thinking she was my little social science experiment. I encouraged her to walk, talk, use a potty, explore and play independently and then was sad when she grew more independent and wasn't as interested in hanging out with mommy.

It is a lot harder with two especially so far apart because I don't always have the time and energy to encourage my youngest the same way I did with my older child. It doesn't help that my older child is jealous of her little brother so it is hard to balance the needs of both of them.

Well, this blog has taken a different path than I anticipated, but I do love learning with my kids and adjusting and looking for that balance even on the days when they are both driving me crazy picking on each other or ignoring my requests. I wouldn't change any of it though. Children really are little blessings.

Off to the looney bin

Otherwise known as parenting. I don't always make good decisions in life... like today at work I was so intent on what I was working on that I came to the sudden realization that the 20 oz. of water I chugged in the last hour had created an urgent situation... TWICE. Or that eating chocolate in angst to start the work day does wonders for a blood sugar crash late in the morning.

So when it comes to my kids one should note that while in my head I think it would be so cool to be SUPER MOM (hear the music and see the cape flap) I am alas only human and sometimes I don't make good decisions.

I am envious of a few of my friends who always seem to come across as being in a mommy bliss so full of love for their children that they always seem happy and unflappable. I am sure anyone that sees me with my kids thinks what does that woman take because she is like the energizer bunny... maybe she should slow down and actually finished getting dressed before she runs out the door. I love my kids, really I do, but sometimes I just need to catch my breath.

So this morning I get up with high expectations of a great day leading into a weekend filled with travel, family and what is sure to be a beautiful wedding. But oh it wasn't to be. What is it about six-year-olds that makes them so much harder to deal with than 18-month-olds. Give JJ a banana and a room with a cat and he is in bliss and can keep himself entertained for at least a few minutes while I fold a weeks worth of laundry. I know I can tackle him, get him dressed and groomed in under five minutes to leave the house on time.

His older sister Abigail is a whole 'nother story. She had brought some potato heads (read 7 or 8 not sure why we have so many) up to hear room last night. Mind you she hasn't played with these in months so maybe that was the fascination. But after dragging her out of bed she proceeded to sit down on the floor and start to play. I am thinking it is 6:30 and I still have to put the clothes away and really we don't need to leave the house until 7:20 so I ask her to get dressed and I leave the room. I come back in 10 or 15 minutes after finishing my chores and she is still sitting on the floor playing with the potato heads. Still not dressed or groomed. So I ask her nicely for the third time to please get dressed and groom herself or perhaps the potato heads will be no longer once I get out of the shower.

So I go shower and come back to her still sitting on the floor... dressed this time and looking mighty proud of herself. At this point it is 7:10 and I am thinking S$%^ no way we are going to make it out of the house on time if she doesn't get a move on. I am by now more than a little annoyed she is still sitting quietly in her room playing (why can't she do that when we want a few minutes of peace???) So I scoop up her brother and race downstairs all the while hollering at her to get her butt moving. So after two trips up the stairs she finally wanders down (with all the potato heads wrapped up in her blanket... she thinks I don't know) and I hustle her towards the bathroom.

She is in there while I am loading the car and getting her brother ready and I am thinking OK we are getting somewhere. I go in to the bathroom and I haven't a clue what she had been doing for five minutes but she hadn't brushed her hair or teeth. So I ask her what she was doing and she says 'mommy my tummy hurts so I can't brush my teeth'. This is Abby code for 'I am hungry so I refuse to function like a normal human'.

By then I am ready to strangle her because this will be the fourth day out of five that I am running late for work (at least two of these days were because of Abby getting stuck in neutral... one because we overslept and one because well it was Monday). So screechy bird mommy with flapping swirling motions comes out... I am pissed at this point and she is crying and JJ is standing there looking absolutely baffled. God help us please I am thinking... so she did brush her teeth 'just super fast mommy' and we get to the car where I toss her a brush, a breakfast bar and her lunch and we are off for another day with the episode soon to be forgotten.

How it makes my heart ache to start the day like this... usually happens once a week so I vow to change MY behavior, and to talk to Abby, AGAIN about HER behavior and how it makes us both feel, and we live to love another day.

Ode to Little Humans - 2010

Last year I talked about my two beautiful intelligent little humans and what a blessing they are to have in my life. Generally they are a joy to have around and they help me remember how to love unconditionally, how to teach/mediate, and how to bring out my inner child to play and giggle and explore with them.

It is hard though when working full-time, with busy schedules, and personal goals for Joe and I not to struggle with how we interact with them when their behaviors are less than ideal. June was a very full month with traveling and racing and 1/2 birthday parties. Every weekend was busy and Joe was traveling some so it is easy to get worn down and for the kids to get off schedule and for us all to get cranky.

Needless to say rolling into July we had two more weekends away from home scheduled with visits and family. We were all wearing a little thin the last couple of weeks. Last night I sat down with Abigail who hadn't had a decent/smooth night of going to sleep in a couple of weeks and asked her what was going on. She said sometimes her room is hot (south facing), she's hungry, or afraid and that she worries that if she isn't sleeping that she is afraid of getting in trouble from mommy and daddy. It nearly broke my heart.

In my last ode to little humans I talked about how my kids help me smooth my rough edges, and little JJ is great at that with lots of hugs and silliness. Big sister Abby gets lost in the shuffle sometimes and she is such a good helper especially with her brother. She told me a couple of weeks ago that JJ is the peach and that she is the pit... I don't know where she got that but it makes me sad that she thinks that.

Anyway... I am learning... when she wanders into my room at 2:30am telling me she can't sleep, I don't always operate out of my rational brain... usually it is dino brain telling me to get this kid back to bed and resume much needed precious sleep and my rough edges are out. So Joe and I talked and both vowed to come to her level and talk things out with her before we end up with the whole house awake at 2:30.

So I talked with Abby and we came up with a plan to talk each day after dinner time and come up with a sleep plan. Last night she wanted to sleep on the couch in the basement with the dogs (pick your battles right... sleep is sleep). I told her it was ok if she decided she didn't want to stay down there, and sure enough about 30 minutes after I left her she was back up stairs. She asked nicely if she could sleep on the floor in our room and since it was 8:45pm I was still using my rational brain and said it was ok.... obviously not for the long-term, but it about building a relationship... even with your child and learning for both of us as we go. We all got a good night sleep last night and so we progress and see what another day brings.

I look forward to heading home at noon today and picking up my kids. We plan to work on our scrap-book from our vacation, play the WII and go to the library. Tomorrow Miss Abigail will get to spend 24 hours with just Daddy and they have a date planned. These days when they are little and look up to us are numbered so I keep working along on my quest for more smooth edges, hugs, giggles and wonderful memories with my kids.