It was the best of times......It was the worst of times........

Ahhhh... What a week.  Last week my sister and Ellie were here, all the way from Plymouth, MA.  A trip that had been in the works for months.  All of us looking forward to playing hard outside in the warm Texas sun.  Weeks of the kids whining about how slow time was moving, asking me over and over again how many more days until Auntie and Ellie were coming.  Little did we know we were counting down to one of the worst weeks EVER!!!  Just a few days before they arrived Scott came down with a terrible sickness.  He was literally unable to get out of bed for two days, and even then he was in no condition to be in public.  And on Valentine's day morning poor little Ethan started to complain that he too felt "icky".  The next day both of the boys were off to the minute clinic, and home within an hour with a positive test for the flu, and prescriptions for "Tamaflu".  I warned my sister about what she was coming into...but she had committed to the tickets and it was now or never.
So...Meagan and Ellie arrived on a Thursday afternoon.  Ethan was two days into a flu that was not yet done with him, and Scott was weak but functional.  As that first afternoon passed I began to feel "icky".  My sister came with me to the supermarket.  She went ahead and food shopped while I headed into the minute clinic for my prescription of "Tamaflu"...  UGH!  So, from the second she arrived, she began caring for us...  That same evening Scott and I had to face the fact the Zevon was not doing well.  He could barely walk due to the weakness in his back legs, and as of this day his front legs were starting to falter.  In discussing his health we had to acknowledge that we hadn't seen him smile (what most people would think as a dog showing his teeth, but what Zevon did whenever he was happy), he hadn't given us kisses for weeks, he rarely wagged his tail, and never got up in the last few days when we came through the door.   We realized that whether or not it was convenient to us, we needed to let him go.  Zevon was in pain.  There was no denying it.  Friday morning (Meagan and Ellie's first morning in Texas) Scott and I took the dog to the vet, and had him put to sleep.   Again, Meagan AND Ellie were taking care of us.  Scott and I were a mess, and my sister and Ellie took Fiona and Ethan out and about, allowing Scott and  I a day to grieve.  The next day, we were able to get out to enjoy some fresh air and ice creams...but the flu wasn't done with us yet.   After a few days of trying to fight the "icky" I too gave in.  The last few days that my sister was here, I was on the couch with a fever.  And let's not forget... ETHAN'S BIRTHDAY WAS ON THE 21ST!  Yup.  I had to stay home on the couch while my family went to the arcade for Ethan's tenth birthday.  On the final night of Meagan and Ellie's visit Scott was in New Orleans for a business trip.  That evening I was finally able to get up and help out a little.  Meagan had big plans for some homemade veggie burgers, and I was watching T.V. with the kids when she came around the corner holding her finger up and saying she cut herself.   Not just  little cut.  NO.  In a stroke of genius she thought she would save a mili-second of time and clean the beans off the blender blade with her finger...with the blender plugged in...and her other hand on the trigger.  Did you guess what happened yet?  If you said she turned the blade on with her finger in the way you guessed right!  SERIOUSLY...COULD THE WEEK GET ANY WORSE?  Due to my sisters extreme urge to faint at the sight of her own blood, it was challenging to triage the situation.  I too was a bit weak in the stomach, so we asked the kids to decide if she would need to go to the emergency room for a few stitches.  They all thought it was a good idea...however Meagan thought better of it figuring that the doctors would probably want to touch her, and that idea made her faint and barfy.  I managed to soak the wound in hydrogen peroxide and bandage it with gauze and tape.  I cannot tell you how relieved I was to hear from my sister that she had made it safe and sound home the next day.
     The pictures that you see from last week depict happy kids...because they were.  Despite the sorrow over Zevon's loss, recovery from sickness, and ailing and dangerous adults, the kids had a ball.  Meagan and I also got some good visiting time.  Lots of sitting around sipping tea.  I wish I had been able to spend more time with them, but such is life...and death.  We truly have no control.
     On a very happy note!  Ethan had his opening game this past Saturday.  They won 14-6!  He pitched the entire game...76 pitches!

Here's this years banner.  Note the first listed coach!  Ethan picked #4.

Look at that handsome pitcher!!!

Just a sweet little flashback...

Meagan and Ellie at Ethan's party.

Ethan said this was his favorite birthday ever.

Bike ride and roller-blade to the playground.

Yay!  It got nice and hot for a pool day!

Outside the ice cream place.

He STILL won't pull the trigger and buy a cowboy hat.

Monkeys!!

Nice bandage job.  Right?

Looking at pictures of themselves.

Farewell to A True Friend and Family Member.....

Zevon left this world Friday, February 17th around 10:45 am.  Scott and I did the hardest thing we have ever had to do, and brought him to the vet to release his soul.  In looking back we realized just how much a part of this family he has been.  A year before Fiona was born, and immediately following the purchase of our first house Scott and I decided to adopt a shelter dog.  We found a picture of Zevon on a website called "One Tail at A Time Rescue".  The group is formed by volunteers who shuttle animals from "kill" shelters down south to safer shelters and families up north.  It was truly love at first sight.  I have been so proud of him since the first time I held him!  Zevon spent his first year commuting to school with me. I was teaching kindergarten at a private school, which graciously allowed me to keep my puppy in the classroom.  Within a year we had Fiona, and he was so excepting and protective of her.  Zevon was also a great protector of me.  Scott always felt safe leaving me home alone when he went on patrol with the Coast Guard for weeks at a time.  Zevon would never let anyone near the house.  Soon Ethan followed and Zevon just rolled with it.  The kids have never known life without Z...  I have a hard time remembering what it was like before he came into our lives.  The sadness Scott and I feel over this loss has been tremendous, and frankly shocking.  I regret not sympathizing enough for those who have lost pets in the past.  Honestly, this is something that truly took experiencing to grasp the full depth of sorrow.
     We are starting to move through the pain.  I received Zevon's ashes yesterday, and we have set him on the mantel...  As we continue our journey through life we will take our friend with us.  We will sprinkle some of his ashes in the Saco River, in Gammy and Gampy's yard, Lynn Woods, and around Nahant.  I have gathered a few of our favorite photos of our handsome mutt.  R.I.P Zevon