Dead -Not Dead

My Mom's sweet dog Molly, a beautiful Golden Retriever, has been on canine hospice since September. Although the Vet warned us that she would only have weeks to perhaps a few months, she has defied the odds. Yesterday, we thought that her luck had run out. I received a call from my Mom in the morning, informing me that she was en route to the Vet with Molly. My niece and nephews had said their goodbyes, and that it was time for Molly to be at peace.

My heart lurched with the news. Not only was I grieving Molly, but I knew the pain that my Mom was feeling. It is so hard to be away during difficult times, and I wanted nothing more than to just give her a hug. Instead, I told her that I loved her, asked her to kiss Molly for us, and I went to prepare my boys for the bad news.  

I have been setting the stage for Molly's death for awhile. Timmy is familiar with the Rainbow Bridge and the idea that pets leave this life to go play in fields with their puppy parents and cousins. He knows that Lizzie, my Mom's other dog who passed a few years ago, is already on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge and that she is very happy.  

Knowing that he was going to be heartbroken, I took a deep breathe and told Timmy that Molly was crossing the Rainbow Bridge. My stoic little boy dissolved in front of my eyes. His eyes swelled with tears and he was at a loss for words. He simultaneously became overwhelmed with anger and grief.  After holding him, rocking him and soothing him with the beautiful scene that was meeting Molly, he finally pulled himself together. Well, as "together" as a six year old can be after learning of the death of a beloved canine friend.  

When the phone rang a few minutes later, I thought it was my Mom letting me know that Molly was gone. Instead, I was met with my Mom's cheerful voice. In fact, she was nearly giddy. Apparently the Vet did not feel that it was time to put Molly out of her misery. It turns out she wasn't dying, she is just fat.  (I guess her hospice diet added nearly 30 pounds to her frame, making it increasingly difficult to breath and move.) 

I was relieved that Molly was not gone, but I knew that relaying the news to Timmy was going to cause confusion. He was delighted that Molly was not dead, and after some discussion he rationalized that she was too afraid to go to the top of the Rainbow Bridge. I was just happy that he wasn't crying, so I decided to agree with his rationale and try to move on.

Game Board

I am by no means a crafty person. While I enjoy going to craft fairs and shopping artisan shops, my talents and patience are limited. During the quarantine, I've been looking for activities to do with the kids while supporting local businesses. Robby's former art teacher started selling do-it-yourself wood painting kits, and I decided it would be a fun family activity.

As soon as I unpacked the kit I realized that it was not family friendly. Between the sticky stencils and the highly pigmented real paint (as opposed to the temper paints we usually use), bringing the kids into this activity was going to be a disaster. I put the kit to the side and figured I would give it to my niece.  

Yesterday, out of pure boredom, I decided to break my "no craft" resolution by tackling the kit by myself. I was surprised by how much fun I actually had crafting. Perhaps going into the challenge knowing that I lacked the talent and holding no expectations for creating a masterpiece are the keys for me to enjoy creating art.  

My color blocks are sloppy and the pattern is somehow wrong (although I still can't figure out how I managed to mess that up), but I had a really good time working on my little project. I know that it isn't perfect, but neither are we. Somehow this little game board perfectly reflects our family during quarantine. We are messy, somewhat off yet still trying to remain fun. 

Tired

Bleh.  Yesterday was dreary, cold and miserable. Timmy seemed content to stay under the covers, watching cartoons and playing on his little phone for most of the afternoon. I took the quiet opportunity to get a lot of work done, allowing me to actually get ahead of schedule. Dark and rainy days can feel miserable, but at least I was productive!

Today the sun is supposed to shine and the temperatures are forecast to warm. I'm looking forward to playing outside, getting some fresh air and enjoying the time out of the house. I've been holed up inside for so long I am going stir-crazy.  

Although I know that I'm not the only one feeling this way, it is worth repeating. Quarantine is becoming difficult. I want to be able to go to the park and to visit my Mom. I miss going to stores and eating in restaurants. While I know that normal will return, sometimes it feels like an eternity.  

Stay safe, and keep on social distancing.  This too shall pass, and we will all be able to talk about this with future generations. 

Caterpillar Love

Yesterday's excitement was courtesy of a caterpillar delivery. I had ordered a caterpillar to butterfly kit for Timmy's birthday, but it didn't arrive in time due to the cold weather. (The company needed to wait until the base temperature was warmer before sending the caterpillars so they wouldn't freeze in transit.) To the delight of my little explorer, the caterpillars arrived safe and sound yesterday afternoon.

Timmy was beyond ecstatic with his new wiggly friends. He immediately placed them in a warm location and pulled up a chair to sit next to them. When I heard him say, "I'm so glad that you are here caterpillars," my heart smiled. All day he was running back to the kitchen to visit with his new pets. I hoped that he would enjoy watching the caterpillars morph into butterflies, but I underestimated his enthusiasm for our project.  

According to the instructions included with our caterpillar kit, the little crawlers will soon make their way to the top of the container and begin to form a chrysalis. About a week later, a beautiful butterfly should emerge. Fingers crossed our caterpillars are healthy enough to turn into butterflies!

Birthday Wrap-Up

Timmy's sixth birthday was rather uneventful but fun. He enjoyed being doted upon throughout the day. Although the celebration was low-key, he knew that he was loved and he was full of giggles and smiles. He was over-the-moon when he unwrapped his new lighted scooter and claimed that he was going to ride all the way to his Nana's house.  

Saturday we spent playing outside, mostly on the new scooter and swing set. I'm not sure where he learned how to ride a push scooter, but he took to it as if he was a seasoned pro. The difference in agility and balance between Robby and Timmy is amazing. They both have such unique skill sets with few crossovers. Being raised in the same house with the same parents, I am surprised that they don't have more common traits.  

Sunday was boring. The weather was dreary, forcing us to stay inside. Timmy played with his toys, Robby spent the most of his time on his VR with friends while Scott watched movies. I worked and tried to clean the house.  By mid-afternoon I became frustrated with being the only person not relaxing so I decided to log off, sit down and relax. I spent the rest of the day binge watching 90 Day Fiance.