Reginald - He's good!

I kindof forgot to update on Mr. Reg.  He's great.  Turned out he had a bacterial staph and strep skin infection that caused all those problems...

He looks a little funky, but is expected to make a full recovery.  He's back to begging for food all day when we're home...:)

Reginald Martin Fry

Those of you who have met our boxer, Reginald, know that he's a real tender heart.  He is such a tender heart that each arrival of a new family member has been like a sharp knife to his heart when he doesn't get any attention for an extended period of time.  Well, when Reginald started acting really strange last week, I figured he was just depressed.  He started limping and we figured it was his recurring injury from years ago and figured we'd just see how he did for the next few days and then take him in - he started walking better.  But, last week when Amy pet him and he yelped, I discovered some large, swollen areas of his body with some oozing business.  Ken took him to the Emergency vet that night, he stayed over and needed antibiotics and it sounded really bleak - the vet there thought it was a terrible flesh eating fascheitis (sp?) that spreads quickly, etc.  So, in the morning, we moved him to our vet, Inver Grove Heights Animal Hospital.  They figured it was one of 3 things - none great, but one treatable, so he's been there since Thursday morning.  I got to go see him last night and today.  He's eating, drinking, and acting normal again - and if he's acting normal after being in a small kennel, in a room by himself for a few days, I've decided I'm going to pray and go with the best scenario for him, which involves bringing him home when they get the biopsy test.  We were supposed to hear Friday night or this morning, but the biopsies are sent to California and they haven't processed them.  Without knowing what was causing the problem, we can't bring him home with our kiddos until they know that it's not a contagious bacteria...So, our poor old man is hanging out at the Vet tonight.  I'll go see him a couple times tomorrow - luckily, we have the best vet clinic and when the techs come to let the dogs out, they'll allow me to come hang with Reg as long as I want until they have to leave.  I'm sure they giggle about what a gomer I am after I leave, but I just miss his craziness around the house.  Sometimes I get so annoyed with him following me everywhere I go, staring at me and just waiting for that one little bit of petting I can give him...staring me down every time I'm in the kitchen to see if he can get a crumb of something on the floor...like he's starving!  But, I miss all of that and just want him back home.  If he gets to come home on Monday, I'm going to make a very conscious effort to let him stalk me for a crumb of food because it must just be that important to him to get a snack at that time.  He's 8 years old and doesn't get a ton of attention, so he can stalk us for snacks all he wants.  He just won't get it.  :)  I hope I can give you good news on Monday.  Pray for Reg until then.  If I have to give you sad news on Monday, then pray for our fam...we'll miss our old man.  Here he is with his cow that was just delivered to him tonight.  Hopefully, he'll be a little more comfortable in his kennel with Mr. Cow.  

Reginald - March 2011

Pics with me

Well, there are very few pics with mom.  So many pics with Dad.
Many with me just don't turn out and the girls never smile/look at the camera at the same time.
So, this time, I made a silly face, figuring one of them would do the same...

and, it would have been the most beautiful picture of my kiddos and Reg...but I look like a dork.

Jumpin' Jamboree!

This weekend held a wonderous - yes, wonderous (don't ask me where that word just came from) Spring Jamboree at Macy and Jorey's Daycare. Saturday morning, we got up and got the house cleaned up, finally put some shorts on for the first time this year, and went over to Leaps & Bounds daycare center in Rosemount. At arrival, we noticed they had a concussion machine - you know - one of those jumpers that all the kids get in and jump and get really tired until they jump the wrong way once and then bang their heads on each others? - ya, one of those - They had a giraffe jumper! Wow, was there a lot of jumping and laughing, and CRYING, but mostly laughing in the jumper. It was so cute to see so many of the kids really breaking out of their shells and trying to be brave - every one of them kept looking around to make sure Mom or Dad was watching. One little guy was actually convulsing from the fear of possibly getting in the jumper - others went in with smiles and came out with smiles...then, there were the fateful few who came out with fits, screams, and bumps on their heads.

Macy and her friend Makenna spent much of the day fighting over our wagon, but when they weren't doing that, they did have fun jumping, crafting and then...well, fighting over babies -- what else?! After some tears and a mini tantrum, we escaped unscathed.

[side note: Macy just now asked me, "Would you like to see my comb?" (because she's combing my hair in an abusive fashion right now.) I said, "Sure". She replied, "Well, you can't see it right now because I'm using it." --demon seed...

I thought this photo of her was fitting for that caption - this is her after a cookie when Makenna sat in the wagon without her approval - it's hard to see in this picture, but she does have chocolate all over her face.

Anyways, back to our Saturday. Following the Jamboree, we came home and enjoyed some Mr. Freezies in the front yard. They were both hot and sticky with mud caked to the sticky spots, but we just hosed ourselves down and went in the house for some naps. I had some prep work to do for my jewelry party I hosted - had I known I would have only 3 guests, I may have prepped a bit less! :) But, the house needed work and everyone loves snacks...so, why not. We thought the house was possibly going to blow away in the storm, but after about 5 minutes, the sun came back out and we were safe. My hostas are spotted and suffered a brutal attack of hail but, hey, I was bound to kill most of my plants/flowers anyways - now I'm using that as the excuse regardless when it happens.

Aunties Nad and Kenz moved into an apartment together on Sunday. Lucky for us, Nad had this car at her pad and didn't want it in her apartment. Score one for Macy - she was riding in style before she decided to help water plants [to help avoid their pending death] and to hook Reginald up with some fresh water from the hose. It's his favorite thing!

Yellow Granny (Fry) was really trying to get our little pork chop walking, but she just isn't quite there - she'll take a couple steps and when she realizes she's alone in her quest, she crumbles. Yesterday, she did take a couple steps in the grass - unfortunately, she had to do her straight-leg-zombie-walk and then toppled over and did a summersault down the grass. That may be affecting her negatively...maybe.