Oct. 12, 2008 - Dumb-Dumb, Give me Gum-Gum..
Seems like there has been an awful lot to chew on lately.
This week my family had to say good-bye to our Fat-Cat-Otis. He started breathing very poorly over the 
weekend. I thought it might just be due to the forest fires in the area and brought him indoors to keep an eye on him but he was not getting better so, even though there is no wiggle-room for vet bills right now, I had my mom take him in for me on Tuesday. My oldest daughter wanted to go too but I had to explain to her that it was not the best time for an educational outing since there was a good chance that Otis would not be coming home. By the time my mom came he was in very poor shape and later we got a call that confirmed our suspicions. I told the girls and my big-girl went off by herself and cried a little. My youngest daughter, who was born only two weeks after Kitten Otis came to live with us, did not cry, but did procede with random comments throughout the morning. At one point she stated that she wished it were Otis' sister, Abby instead. I don't wish my other pet ill, but I totaly got the sentiment. 'Sister Abby' can be a bit of a snot and Otis is, well, he's just Otis.
So we were sad, but we were resolved. For a diversion we decided to meet Daddy for lunch somewhere. While we were waiting for Dad I started a silly story and we each took turns filling in the missing pieces. By the time we were done, Dad's motorcyle was part air-craft and he was grumpy that he was pressed for time, but could not find a fly-thru anywhere. They were giggling and I was pretty encouraged by the time the story ended that my girls were gonna make it.
We went inside, and somewhere between inhaling french-fries and removing the two year-old from the one year-old's high chair, I recieved another call. It was my mom. This time calling from the vet 's to let me know that they had given Otie a shot and a prescription to clear his lungs, and that he would be home by two.
Umm... sorry. Last my kids knew, the cat was dead?!? The eight year-old JUST stopped crying.
So, I guess it wasn't the best idea to put my VERY-sensitive-cat-loving-mother into a place where she had to make a life-or-death decision for the guy. She heard 'bring him home,' and Otis came home.
The very next day though I have to pack up my four kids, my expanding belly, and my twenty-pound Lazerus and head back to the vet because A: Otis wanted nothing to do with the medicine, B: they never did give him that shot that they had charged us for the day before, and C: the 'treatment plan' established in my mom's presence, I discovered, was really just a band-aid. They don't really know what is wrong without doing hundreds of dollars in diagnostics and they don't think he'd make it anyway.
Okay. Pardon me, while I explain this to my kids, thanks.
So yeah, Otis is still with us until he takes a major down-turn again. My kids know we are on borrowed time and that at some point we will have to say 'good-bye' to him for real.
Sigh.
It is their first clear illustration that there is no guarantees for tomorrow, and that God really does wish us to accept each day as a gift. As homeschoolers we plan what we would like to teach or shape into our children, but man, it sure can catch you off guard to see them have to grow up into life's own lessons.
Comments
Oct. 12, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Oh my goodness! That reminds me of a song we used to sing at camp: "The cat came back, the very next day..." and it goes on for 9 verses....
Oct. 12, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Sorry, that was from me!
Sarah at smallworldathome.blogspot.com
Oct. 15, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by cammiemelisabray
Wow! Life really teaches us far more than any curriculum. Good to see a post from you. Are you online again?
Oct. 21, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by sagerats
Congratulations on your plus sign! Sorry to hear about your cat. I don't like going to the vet. Nowadays they expect you to treat your pet as if you had actually given birth to it yourself. That's nuts.
Abidinging in the Vine!
Nov. 6, 2008 - Free E-book Giveaway
Posted by thewoons
Check out this free e-book giveaway.
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/hstv/615379
(BTW, any updates on Otis? Being a mom during "life lessons" is tough, but I sure am glad we have a God who is our strength.)
Have a great homeschooling day!
Charity Woon
Nov. 12, 2008 - Untitled Comment
Posted by JenIG
cat drama can be exhausting. : )
hope you are doing well!
PS we love that movie
jen ~ http://Jeneralities.com
