I want my puppy home!!!

She has just been very, very sick... and I guess it's something of a miracle that she's still alive. She did finally begin to improve yesterday. Is able to keep a little water down. They will probably offer her food later today... and when she can tolerate that, then she can come home. It has been a lonnnnng week, worrying about the poor baby!

The thing that is most frustrating to me is that our regular vet is gone for a few days, and I don't like the "relief vet" nearly as well. I'll be so glad when the whole ordeal is finally over!

Medieval Life

So I agreed to teach a class on Medieval Life... Then it dawned on me... What do I know about the Middle Ages??? Hmmm... castles, knights, the Black Plague, the Catholic Church... I think that's about it! And all that gleaned from novels!! (See! Reading novels does enrich one's life!) So I went to the library today and checked out a stack of books on the subject as big as I could carry. Some awfully dry-looking tomes, at that! No novels! The first thing I need to figure out is exactly what is considered the Middle Ages. I know it comes between the Fall of Rome and the Renaissance... so what? About 500 to 1500 A.D.? Yep... I just googled it. I was pretty close! Okay, so I know when the Middle Ages were. Now I need to come up with an 8-part outline of what to cover in the 8-week class. I think I want to focus on what life would have been like... so maybe I can cover a different aspect of that each week... types of homes, clothes, religious life, medicine, food, travel... Now we're rolling! There's my rough outline. Now to fit in the research between now and then!

Homeschool Co-op

We are going to participate in a homeschool co-op this coming school year. It meets one day a week for 4 class periods. I have always been reluctant to get too involved (over commit myself) before, but the selling point for me on this one is that one mom is offering to teach a science lab for Apologia General Science... which is the science program I had already decided on for my soon-to-be-7th grader. I had worried that I would never get around to doing the experiments, so I will be very happy to take advantage of the lab class!

There will also be a professional music teacher, offering piano lessons. I have been wanting to get my oldest in that, too, so that will be convenient.

Moms have to agree to teach at least one class a year, and help other times. I told the coordinator that I would just as soon teach as be a helper. She said that was great! Most people would rather help than teach. So I signed up to teach 3 classes for the fall trimester. (8 weeks, so not too bad at all.) I will be teaching Medieval Life, Character Qualities, and Family History. Medieval Life because that's the period we are studying in history. Character Qualities because that's what I've been teaching at Youth Meeting for several months, so I've already done the prep work. And Family History just because I think it would be fun!

Sick Cookie

Cookie is still in the hospital. (See previous post.) She did get to come home Wednesday, but she was sick again with a couple of hours and all through the night. So I took her back to the vet yesterday morning. I called to check on her late yesterday afternoon, and the vet said she was still pretty sick. I'll call again in a bit and hope the report is better. From what I've read about Parvo, if the puppy survives the first 3-4 she should make a rapid recovery and be back on her feet within a week. Today is Day 4, so I am hopeful! I sure hope we get to go get her later today.

Our New Puppy

We got this little bundle of sweetness on Saturday at our family reunion in Missouri. One of my uncle's dogs had puppies this spring. She is a beagle/border collie mix. We traveled home with her Sunday and Monday. Yesterday morning when we got up "Cookie" didn't seem to feel very well. I thought it was strange that she didn't get sick on the trip but did after we got home. So I took her to the vet. The diagnosis was not good. She has Parvo. It's a puppy virus that is often fatal. However, the vet said that with treatment she has a 90% chance of survival. They can't actually treat the virus, but they can give her an IV to keep her hydrated and supplied with nutrients. I guess it's the dehydration that usually kills. So Cookie is in the hospital. The vet said it usually lasts 1-7 days. I am praying she will recover quickly, not only because we want her home and healthy, but because I don't need a big vet bill! I will call in a bit to see how she's doing.

If it doesn't offend you to say a prayer for one of God's little creatures, would you remember our sweet puppy?

Update: Just talked to the vet's office. Cookie is up and barking this morning, which is a good sign because she was so lethargic yesterday. She also was able to eat this morning. Another good sign because she had no appetite yesterday. If she keeps her "breakfast" down she will probably be able to come home today!