Putting Jonas to sleep???

We're facing the difficult decision of whether or not to put our dear cat Jonas "to sleep".

He's a boy kitty, so it's not a surprise that he'll "mark" his territory. We can live with that - just keep him away from:

• backpacks
• duffle bags/travel bags/suitcases
• piano-book bags
• plastic bags - the kind you bring home from grocery- or discount-store shopping (these are a personal favorite of his)
• winter coats/snowpants/sometimes boots
• gym bags (especially once they've come home from the gym or the ballfield)
• baseball/softball cleats and leather sandals
• a pile of dirty laundry
• anything else that could smell the least bit dirty/musty/earthy
• vinyl bean-bag chairs
• a bin of doll clothes/accessories

We can do that. Mostly we just keep him out of all the bedrooms and vigilantly keep the common areas free from known "incentives". It's a hassle, but do-able.

Well, he's always been a runt... He's so underweight, almost emaciated. We've been encouraged by the vet how to feed him to help him gain weight. The problem is, almost everything we ever feed him just comes back up. A long time ago, we'd found ONE catfood that stayed down most of the time, but then they changed the recipe (new and improved, ya know) and now he keeps it down only sometimes.

He loves people-food - it's amazing how he can hear a crumb fall... I've even caught him licking out the dirty dishes by/in the sink. I shake my head in wonder that he can snatch up a crumb/steal a nibble, get sick all over the house, and come running back for more.

So, because of his need, we've made it a habit to keep the house "Jonas-safe". And we've cleaned up the messes when we've needed to (a few times a week, at least). But this morning was just TOO MUCH! I got up to find that he had left a partial trail of drippy droppings nearby his catbox. I've cleaned up a lot of messes, but this one made me gag - and I had to make a run for the bathroom myself.

Not long afterwards, I heard a squirty sound behind the chair I was lounging in and, once I figured out it was him, promptly moved him to his litterbox. He appeared to be settling in to do his business and I went to clean up the mess he'd left behind. Moments later I discovered a fresh dot-to-dot trail of drips going AWAY FROM the catbox to a squat-spot on the carpet at the bottom of the stairs (not even the same floor, and inches from the linoleum). I had to wake Mark up to help me, it was so bad. (I found out later Mark had taken care of this same problem another time recently too).

So, is he sick? Is this just a one-time happening, or is his body shutting down from some undiagnosed kitty disease? Some pet owners, I know, invest big bucks in the comfort and care for their "babies", but how much do we want to spend on him? And even more than the money - what about the around-the-clock watch-care and continual cleanup - it's wrecking havoc on our house (carpet, furniture...).

We've grown up with pets: cats, dogs, and others. I care about him: we've had him for years, he's got personality, he cuddles on my lap... I get teary-eyed thinking about letting him go - but he is JUST A CAT.

I struggle with the idea of taking the life of an animal, a family pet. And I'm trying to determine if it's for a good reason (Is he sick/suffering?), or if it's just for my convenience (He does make a horrendous mess - life would be much easier without him!)... And do those questions even matter?

Ben asked if we could give him for adoption? I think not. He's so psycho about strangers, he probably wouldn't take to another family. Besides, is it fair to ask others to take on the task of caring for him with all his "special needs", 'cause even informed, I don't think they would realize what they're getting themselves into.

Anyhow, Mark was going to make some phone calls today (Humane Society, etc.), and we'll probably be discussing this some more tonight. We'll see what decision gets made.

Gardening on the deck

Although we live in a townhouse, we have a fair amount of freedom... We put a swingset up when we wanted one (and took it down when we outgrew it). Took a wall down (!!!) to turn a 5-bedroom townhome into a 4-bedroom - with a bigger, more useable dining/living room. Tilled up a patch of lawn for a garden (although the grass still fights to gain back its ground).

Two years ago we droughted here - at least enough to impose a watering ban - and I left the garden to wither and die. And last year I was just unmotivated.

This year, what with "The Economy" and an unemployed husband, my inspiration for gardening has been renewed. Cucumbers, beans, cantaloupe, (cherry) tomatoes, watermelon, peas and some "fun" stuff like mini pumpkins, mammoth sunflowers, and a sprinkling of leftover coleus (from a school plant-growing project) and some wildflowers.

I'm trying something new - and I like it alot: I've got a big dirt-filled Rubbermaid bin on the deck, growing carrots and radishes. After that idea, I put some leaf lettuce in a pot and a baby roma tomato in a planter.

Lunch, right from my deck...

In Slavery

I'm very frustrated, feeling enslaved because of our debt. For about a year now I've been working so diligently at paying down our debt - I was calling it "The 5-Year Plan." Now, with an unemployed husband, we can't pay extra, only the minimum amount due.

Upon opening one of the bills this week, the minimum payment had shot up by $150!!! Why? A promotional rate had expired, but somewhere between it's start and the end, the terms were changed and the now rate was upped by 5%. Oh, I wish I could've said something like, "Okay, then, close the account. Goodbye!" and walk away - but we still owe, so we're still at their mercy.

And now the already tight budget must squeeze out $150 more (or get by on $150 less).

The 100-Deal

Before the summer began, I started talking up the "100-deal" to the kids: 100 miles of walking/biking/scootering, etc. AND 100 hours of reading by the summer's end. That works out to be about 2 each weekday, with a couple extra weeks of wiggle room. Besides the obvious fact that they are good for you, I chose to include both parts - reading and exercise - to challenge both personalities (one's a reader; the other, a run-in-the-yard kind of kid).

We've only done a week so far. And already we've amended our "rules" several times. What it looks like now is this: They can earn (and stock-pile) screen-time by (1) reading, and (2) playing outside. Their weekends are "free", and any "rollover minutes" expire over the weekend, starting them back at zero by Monday morning.

But they're doing it. They're spending time reading every day (they can't use any screen-time minutes until they've accomplished their daily 1-hour of reading). And except for last night, the TV's been more off than on.

This week has gone well because the weather's been nice. Next week will be harder - chance of rain a ways into the week. We'll see...

By the way, I too am trying to walk 100 miles over the summer. I did it a couple summers ago, and kept it up for the schoolyear and into the next summer. But then I just stopped. I'm trying again - I've only put in 2 1/2 miles in 3 days, but it's a start.

The Last Day and the Sleepover

Well, it has been "forever" since I last wrote anything. Maybe having a blog is just not my thing, but I stumbled back across it, and since I have a little free time...

The schoolyear has roared on by. This past week was such a flurry of activity (of course, when is life not a flurry of activity?): summer softball and baseball has started up, we had the school's graduation, and a 10-year-old boy birthday party WITH A SLEEPOVER. Whew!

Leading up to Friday... Spent the week trying to keep 24 kids focused on the last moments of here and now while they're dreaming of (and counting down the minutes until) summer vacation - and 3rd grade boys don't just dream with their minds, their whole bodies live it.

We had evening activities every night: Ben's first baseball practice, the paper route, graduation... Graduation's a whole school event, all the way down to the kindergarteners reciting Scripture (and looking cute). My students were in two parts doing two things in separate clumps on stage: 3rd graders recited Scripture, 4th graders sang - somehow I was able to be two places at once.

So before Friday even hit, I was exhausted. We spent Friday morning doing all that Last Day stuff: cleaning desks, emptying lockers, giving out awards, trying one last time to connect before letting them go...

I was ready, done for the day, by 11:25 - and their parents were waiting, eager to claim them back (how long will it take until the familiar refrain: I'm bored - what can I do?). But they wanted to stay and count down the last seconds: 10-9-8.. 3-2-1-!!!!! I gave out my hugs, shed a couple tears...

The staff raced through a quick lunch to try and fit in 4 hours of CPR training in as little time as possible. My accountant husband was awaiting my arrival to take over our son's birthday party. He grilled. They played. (All but one had arrived before me).

Fortunately we live nearby a recently closed elementary school. After a hotdog supper, presents, and an icecream buffet, Mark walked them over to the school - ballfields, playground... Brought them back in time for parent pickup - for those who were not staying overnight.

My recollection of the rest of the evening is lost in the flurry and smothered my exhaustion: more outdoor play, lots of PlayStation, a movie, junk food...

Mark came to bed once the boys were down - only they weren't. His shift ended at 12:15, and then mine began again. Some of the boys just crashed and fell asleep despite the ruckus around them. Ben tried the couch and his own bed before finally getting to sleep in "Grandma's room" (the guest bedroom).

And we had a hardy twosome who made it past 4 a.m. I'd gone back to bed around 3:30, only to have one of them come knocking on our door at 4:00 - QUOTABLE QUOTE of the night: "We need food." I won't quote what I said to myself, but I sent them on their merry way without any food. Somewhere between then and 5:30, when the first early bird awoke, they found a place to drop.

I don't know where Saturday went. The extra kids were gone by lunch. I lived the day as a lump in the chair. I'm sure we went out for supper (we had a kids-eat-free coupon for OCB). My body went to bed by 8 p.m. - my brain was already there.