Wednesday 23 May 2012

May Day! May Day!

They took me in the car. I love going for car rides! And I love my family!! This time, like many other times, they went away and left me in the car. I sat and waited for as long as I could. I had noticed the roof of the car was open. Ah ha! An invitation to join them! "I will be right there my sweet family!" 

It wasn't easy, but I did it! I knew I shouldn't. It made sense to stay in the car - but my love for my family took over and I just had to go find them!!

So, I carefully jumped on to the head rest, jumped up straight into the air, and presto!! I was free!!

Down the back end of the car I went with great speed, and off I was to find my family....until....SCREEEECH!!! ACK!!! I had been hit by some wreckless crazy stranger driving a car. I hate strangers.
Then the stupid stranger tried to pick me up! I will have none of that!! CHOMP!!! That always stops strangers.

I tried to get away but I couldn't move. Next thing I knew some guy in a brown outfit came along, drowned me in a blanket, and put me in his truck. We were off to the vet. I didn't like those people either. There were two of them. They were egotistical and thought they were oooh sooo clever! They wrestled me down. They even put a muzzle on me!! I put up a good fight though. I even broke a tooth and a dew claw! I wasn't going down without a fight!!

The next thing I knew I was feeling very sleepy....veeery sleepy. They're taking pictures of me. They're giving me needles. They're putting me in a cage....where did I go wrong....I feel terrible!!! I just want my family!!

MEANWHILE:Allen and Jill come out of the Wal-Mart store. No Chico. Hmmm.....where could he be? They searched and searched and came to the conclusion that he must have been dog-napped!

They came home to Grandma's house feeling quite sad. Peirce and I decided we couldn't just sit around and do nothing so we all went back to Wal-mart and continued searching. We had noticed there were in fact little doggyvfoot prints going down the back of the car. We searched for about an hour. Nothing. We finally had to give up and go home. And we all felt just sick about it.

Allen felt sick because he realized he under-estimated that dog again.
Peirce felt sick because his beloved dog was gone.
I felt sick because if someone found him it will probably cost us a bunch of $$.
Jill felt sick because this all looked like she was going to end up late for swim practice back in Calgary.

I posted something on Kijiji.
I posted on a facebook group for pets in Lethbridge.
I called the City and reported a lost dog.

They said that someone had brought in a chihuahua....he had been hit!! Oh dear. The guy on the phone said he was okay. I asked if we could go get him and they said we would have to wait until Tuesday.

"But we're from Calgary, and we have to work tomorrow!"
"The vet is actually closed today." was the response.
"But someone has to be there....you took him there for a reason!"
"Okay, I will see what I can do."

After a while we got another phone call that we could go pick him up and they gave us the address.

Now I was really nervous. I have heard all sorts of stories of vet bills in the thousands of dollars. I wasn't prepared to pay that! Can you just not pay and give your dog up?? Who would ever take the nasty little guy??

So off we went. We were prepared for the lecture about how we should take better care of our dog, how we shouldn't have left him in the car, how he isn't socialized, and on and on. We' have heard it before!

Turned out we didn't get a lecture though. They were very kind. They first took all our information (probably so that they could track us down when we run away screaming when they tell us it will cost $1000 and we decide we don't want him anymore and have to make a quick get-away). They told us that he'd been hit, that he bit someone, that they brought him in, and that they had quite a battle with him to get a muzzle on. He broke a tooth and a dew claw. They had given him something for the pain after he had the x-ray so he was likely a little subdued. It would take 24 hours for that to wear off. They said they had x-rayed him and he didn't have any broken bones, but definitely some muscles damage. And the best part was it only cost $400!! It was about $100 to have the city pick him up, and $100 for the vet to come in, and $80 for the x-ray, and $100 for something else...but they did trim his nails for free! :)

And finally they said we could go see him. They took us all into this back room, and there he was, huddled in the back of the cage, with a big paper on the cage that said "Very Aggressive." I opened the cage and took him out. Poor little guy! He was so happy to see us! He was a big of a mess. He was dirty, I suppose from being tossed by a vehicle and from the wrestling with the bylaw officer and the vet. He had some blood on him, and his tail had poop on it (he tends to poop when he is scared). He certainly looked like he had had a rough day!

We all had a very quiet ride home. I think Chico is much more humble.

I think he really is the devil though. Nothing can kill him!!

I'm wondering if he really learned his lesson though. I'm thinking we might park the car in the mall near our house, with the roof open, to see if he's really learned his lesson (and if not, he can't get that lucky twice in a row, ....can he??)

Chico's update:

I am very sorry for all the trouble. Very sorry. I am a much more humble dog. I will listen better. I do feel pretty good though!! By the next day I was hopping up on the bed so I could sleep...right where I belong!

Who would think this little guy could cause so much trouble!!

Saturday 19 May 2012

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

I started reading this when we went to Fernie. My plan is to do it for a novel study in my Gr. 3 class starting this next week. I couldn't get into it in Fernie and I seriously considered doing a different book for the novel study. But someone already did all the work to set up this novel study. There are lists if questions copied, vocab sheets and more. If I chose something else it would mean a bunch more work for me. But most influential of all, as I carried it around people kept saying, "Oh! Tuck Everlasting! I love that book!" I would just smile and lie through my teeth by saying, "Ya, it is really great." and then I would feel my sciatic pulse. Oh dear. What to do??!

Well, I finally read it cover to cover yesterday....and it IS a great story! Now I can't wait to be reading it with my class!

The story is about a family that has drank some magic water that causes then to live forever. There are si many twists and turns and everything included in the story is very purposeful. It is so well written!!

Hmmm....would you want to drink the water?? You should definitely read the book!

Favorite quotes:

Page 3: The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in it's turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy Spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color.

Page 44: And Winnie, laughing at him, lost the last of her alarm. They were friends, her friends. She was running away after all, but she was not alone. Closing the gate on her oldest fears as she had closed the gate of her own fenced yard, she discovered the wings she'd always wished she had. And all at once she was elated. Where were the terrors she'd been told she should expect? She did not recognize them anywhere.

Page 52: Into it all came Winnie, eyes wide, and very much amazed. It was a whole new idea to her that people could live in such disarray, but at the same time she was charmed. Climbing behind Mae up the stairs to see the loft, she thought to herself: "Maybe it's because they think they have forever to clean it up." And this was followed by another thought, far more revolutionary: "Maybe they just don't care!"

Saturday 5 May 2012

Little Women

Each year I've taught the school has had an auction. Lots of things are offered up - but one of the most popular ideas is the teachers offer something. It might be to be Teacher-For-The-Day, a trip to the zoo with your teacher, a dog walk/hike with your teacher, or dinner at McD's and a movie. I went together with our music teacher and another teacher to have a night at Storybook Theatre. We went to Little Women. It was a great play, and a great night with some great kids!


Wednesday 2 May 2012

I love my job

I stayed late today. As I was about to leave I paused at the doorway and looked around to see if I had forgotten anything. A wave of gratitude swept over me. I'm so grateful to have the job I have!