What a week

Monday the kids started second grade. It seems like just yesterday they were in diapers and drinking from bottles-lots of bottles. They seem to like their teachers. All three rooms have working air conditioning-yeah. It's been so miserable.


I had forgotten what a joy (?) it is to get the three of them out the door in the morning. And school starts 30 minutes earlier this year. I only have one kid who will eat peanut butter and jelly! The other two want regular meat, cheese, pickle, lettuce type sandwiches. Well, Kieran would like a bento box. He asked if I could "please put mahi mahi, rice and vegetables in his lunch". Who is this kid?



"What a week" was started on September 3rd. Almost 3 weeks later I'll try to finish it.



So, Monday 3 weeks ago the kids started 2nd grade. That was the high point of the day. And then there was the low-so very low. While the kids were happily eating their first lunch as 2nd graders, I was at the vet's having my sweet, constant companion of 12 years put down. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. Estelle was the first cat I had in the first house I owned. I've had cats since I was in-utero-always. But I was cat less for 4 years while we lived in rentals that wouldn't allow cats. This cat was amazing. Best cat I've ever had. She was a "tuxedo" (black and white) with 1940's movie star eyeliner and a Charlie Chaplin moustache. While I was on bed rest for the last three months of my pregnancy, she was always on the bed with me. Paul would be gone at work for 48 hours at a time so she really was my sanity keeper. There were many wonderful years in between then and Aug. 27. Estelle got sick about two years ago. She was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure and I was told putting her down then would be best thing because the treatment was time consuming and untrained people don't do well. I wasn't ready to give her up so I decided to try to do the treatments. It meant giving her fluids with an iv bag and needle every day forever. I got the hang of it and she did so well the vet was shocked. My wonder cat had "normal" blood work for two years. Then she started to have cardiac problems. It becomes very hard to give fluids and not stress the heart with extra fluid. Big viscious cycle. The fluids were stopped and I had to increase heart meds. She took four pills and one liquid twice a day. It worked for a few months. All the extra fluid that had accumulated went away. But then the renal failure came back with a vengeance. All her kidney values were off the charts. The last weekend in August was bad. I had to syringe feed her all weekend. She was miserable. She wasn't passing any fluid and in the middle of the night on Sunday she started vomiting. I also forgot to mention that the high blood pressure had left her completely blind for the last 4 or 5 months.

I'd known for two years that this day would come. I was hoping her cardiac issues would just take her in her sleep but I couldn't wait any longer.

My sister went with me and my vet was wonderful. I held her while my vet put a needle in her hind leg. It was so quick and so calm. She just let out a last breath and was gone.

I realize this is a long ramble about a pet. I'm one of those people that feel a pet is a family member though. My husband doesn't even understand the grief I have for Estelle. She was my baby when I couldn't have babies. OK-I have to leave this because it makes me too sad.