Wow! It's been two years since I last posted. I've graduated with my Master's in Teaching and Leadership and am in my 32nd year of teaching children with severe disabilities. The past year and a half have been very challenging. Teaching is more about paperwork, teaching to the test (yes, even with my severely impaired students), and making my classroom look more like a regular ed classroom. It's been a challenge with much frustration with a little success added in. I have four years and 99 student days left (but who's counting?) until I can retire. I never thought I'd start a countdown this far out, but started last year with 6 years to go when the dramatic changes were brought forth by a new and very aggressive administration.

Enough of that, though! I've had the upstairs bathroom gutted and redone. The basement was to get new walls and doors. I ended up separating the stool and shower into a full bath with a beautiful sink/vanity in the basement. The laundry room has lost some space, but is still large. Dan now has a bedroom. It still needs trim and doors down there, but it's very modern looking. No more knotty pine and vinyl tiles! I'm starting to make plans to redo the kitchen, but that will have to wait until I know if we are or are not going on strike in the fall. The changes aren't extreme, but should make for a much better flow through the kitchen.

The pets are doing well. The cats will be 11 years old in March. They are both fat and very sassy. Hogan, the lhasapoo, is 11 years old. He's still crotchety when it comes to being groomed, but has mellowed enough to let me trim him some. Trixie, the yorkie, just turned 3 years old a week ago. She's helping to keep Hogan young. I love to watch them play. She's also the reason for my increasingly gray hair. She's just recovering from severe pancreatitis. I'd feel really sorry for her, but she got in the garbage and ate chicken fat and bones. She's on a bunch of meds and is getting better.

I'll update more often, maybe twice a year. LOL. I live such an interesting life that blogging doesn't take up my time.

Moving forward

I've changed the picture on my blog. It's time to move forward. It's hard to see my Bindi's picture when I log in. I really miss her. If you've ever been owned by a dalmatian you will understand that the incredible silence and lack of mayhem takes awhile to get used to.





I am done with my first semester of grad school. I think I did well. Christmas was wonderful. My mom came up from Florida shortly before Thanksgiving and is still here. She'll probably head back to Florida on Monday. I think she needs to thaw out. We've had a record snowy December with near record low temperatures. While she was here we were really busy. She helped my son dig out his "man cave" in the basement. We went to my nephew's wedding. We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas together for the first time in 23 years. She's at my sister's house right now. We are going to have a second family Christmas celebration on Saturday, so I'll get to see her one more time. The good news is that another nephew is getting married in March, so she'll be back!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Bindi

My 15 year old dal, Bindi, has crossed the rainbow bridge. I took her to the vet yesterday as she was vomiting a lot. She was happy and doing well otherwise. She had an x-ray of her stomach which was inconclusive. We started her on antibiotics and stomach meds. She got worse and worse throughout the day. My son brought home painkillers for her when he came home from working at the vet clinic. They barely touched the pain. She moaned and groaned all day and most of the night last night. So, the kindest thing we could do was have her put to sleep. Luckily, even though the clinic was closed, the vet was there this morning. We got to take her in with no other people around and spend some quiet time with her. I feel sick to my stomach, but I know she's playing with her brother, Murphy, who met her at the bridge and helped her cross.

Where has the last month gone?

We've been in school for almost 4 weeks now. We are finally settling into somewhat of a routine. I have one new student who I thought would really give me a run for my money, but he's not been too bad. I like my new classroom. We've got a ton more storage and the way the room is arranged is really conducive to teaching and learning.

My grad classes are going well. I'm doing well so far, getting A's on all projects/papers. I have 2 projects and 3 papers to write by next Wednesday. I guess I'll be busy this weekend.

The dogs are doing well. Bindi is looking older every day. Her hearing is not good and her vision is failing. However, she's still got spunk and is a complete love. Hogan was such a grump about having a new "sister" that he had to be medicated. He and Trixie are best buds now and play all the time. Gotta love puppy uppers. Trixie is almost 9 months old. She's a doll. She's playful, funny, cute, and a real cuddler. She's curious about everything. She used to be pretty shy when I first brought her home. Now she'll head out the backyard in the dark with no hesitation. Her potty training is coming along pretty well. She had a setback when I went back to work, but is now able to hold it all day, from about 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. I do put her in a large crate with toys and a bed. She doesn't screech anymore, but gets a stuffed toy and curls up.

I'M A GRADUATE STUDENT!!!!!!!!!

I found out yesterday I'd been officially accepted into the Masters of Arts in Teaching and Leadership through St. Xavier University. It's a good thing, too, as class starts tonight. I'm trying to not dwell on it. I'm nervous and excited. It's been 31 years since I graduated from college.

School starts tomorrow. We have 2 institute days, then students start on Monday. I've moved to a new classroom, so I get to be a bit more creative with the set up. My paras will help me with that tomorrow. I'm on my own on Friday. I've got most of my paperwork set up. I need to make materials for the first couple of weeks. I guess that's what I'll do on Friday.

Where has summer gone?

This has been a very active summer! I went to Florida in June, the Wisconsin Dells over the 4th of July weekend, and to California toward the end of July. I'm finally settling in at home. I go back to work in just a couple of weeks.

Let's see, Florida was fun, except for dislocating my right index finger. I go to the hand specialist in 4 weeks as I still have pain and do not have full range of motion. I did pick up Trixie and bring her home. She has really grown a lot. She's been spayed and had her puppy

teeth pulled. Her personality is the same as my first dalmatian's. We say she's Murphy, an 80 pound dalmatian, stuffed in an 8 pound body.

I went to the Wisconsin Dells over the 4th of July weekend. We had a wonderful time despite the fact that Lake Delton breached and drained into the Wisconsin River. We did go on a Duck ride down the Wisconsin River and did see where it breached. So much silt landed in the river that it was only 7 feet deep at that point so we had to turn around and not go any further up the river.

At the end of July I flew to California with a friend. She and her brother were settling their dad's estate and had to go through his storage unit. We got to do some sightseeing while we were there. We went to Santa Rosa to the Charles Schulz Museum. That was really neat. We also spent a day in Napa Valley, visiting the wineries. I've learned to really appreciate fine wine and did bring some home for a special occasion.

Bindi, the dalmatian is now 15 years old. She's really looking old. She's basically deaf. She can hear high pitched sounds and some really, really loud sounds. She barks when the other dogs bark. She's stopped making her "mooing" sound to get my attention. That makes me sad. She still has hyper dalmatian moments, though, and makes me laugh.

Hogan, the lhasapoo, has loved being with his "mommy" most of the summer. He loved going to Florida, but wasn't happy when we brought Trixie home. He's still trying to sort out his feelings. He'll go outside and hunt bunnies with her, but has no patience for her when she tries to play with him. He still loves to go "Nigh-nigh in da bed under da bankies wid da mommy" and will gallop toward the bedroom when I use those words with him. He's come a long way since I rescued him almost 4 years ago.

Then there's Trixie Jane, the yorkie puppy. She was 5 pounds when I brought her home. She was 8 pounds when I weighed her the other day. She is 7 1/2 months old now and is probably nearly fully grown. She's a character and I love her to death!

Finger update

I went to the doctor today about my poor sore finger. It's still really swollen. The doctor poked and prodded it. It didn't hurt. I told him it really only hurt if I tried to use it to turn a key or a knob. It also hurts when it gets pushed back toward the pinkie finger. X-rays showed no problems, which is good. I have an appointment with a hand specialist, but not until September 3rd. If my finger gets better before then I'll cancel. If the swelling remains, I'll get an MRI before I see the hand specialist. The doctor tried to get me to take a pain prescription, but I have a few pain pills left from my foot surgery, so I'm fine. If it starts hurting, he'll get me a prescription.
Kathy