Acquiring a Service Dog: Zeus's Last Days

Originally written December 16, 2010 for my Teachinmama blog, the beginning part of this post is a harbinger of the Dogs of Our Lives series that I write now.

For background, I'd just had my first knee replacement and was home for the month of December recovering. Every day I sent an email to my students to let them know I was thinking of them and missed them. Often that email centered around Zeus's presumed antics while he kept me company as I recovered.

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Hi, Folks!

Another two hour delay?? There isn't as much excitement about a delay or a snow day when you are already home on a 34 DAY delay. But I hope you enjoyed the extra free time, and please, please, PLEASE be careful when waiting for the bus - the roads are slick!

I continue to do well. Today I wrapped Christmas gifts - with 16 Isenbargers, that's a lot of gifts to wrap! Because of the surgery, I am very, very slow at wrapping. Guess I need those 34 days to get it all done!

I could NOT believe Zeus today. He is working very hard to persuade me to just stay home and not go back to work. You know what he did? Look at this!

He knows we do Classics in class, so he is reading one here at home. His choice? The Wonderful Wizard of Oz!  He loves my pop-up version, and the Emerald City page is his favorite. Sorry, puppy, but just because you are a gifted and talented dog and can read, that doesn't mean I want to miss out on my students' classics reports and projects!

But Zeus wasn't done showing me that I need to be with him, and that he is indispensible to me. As I was wrapping those Christmas presents, I happened to look over to where I thought Zeus was napping in his bed. Can you BELIEVE what that crazy dog is doing?

Those are Zach's, Matthew's, Zane's, Nick's, Emma's, and Kamryn's Classics reports. Zeus snagged them off my desk and is trying to grade them for me. Needless to say, I had to explain to him that the "Zeus Pawprint of Approval" is simply NOT the same thing as an A, and besides, how on earth do I average Pawprints of Approval into the gradebook?

Zeus still was not done in trying to be helpful. Knowing that I cannot walk on snow or ice, and so none of our outdoor holiday decorations have been hung, he decided to dig through the storage tubs and see if he could be of assistance.

The first thing he pulled out were my GINORMOUS ornaments that I hang from the shepherds crooks in the yard.

Sounds like a nice thing for him to do, right? But think for a moment. What do dogs do with balls? Yep, you guessed it, they chase them, they chew them, they run around with them....  Zeus could NOT resist playing with them, and so I took them away, thanked him for offering, and suggested he try stringing the outdoor lights for me.

BIG MISTAKE. First Zeus plugged them in to make sure they worked and that none of the bulbs were burnt out. (I thought he looked rather handsome with cheery lights twinkling around him.)

Then he tried to untangle them. The more he worked, the worse the tangle became. Look at him smiling - he thought that was pretty funny! I had to take them away from him, too, and told him we'd let Mr. I. hang them. Zeus pouted a bit, but I gave him a Christmas cookie and that made him feel better. (I ate one, too - yummy!)

Zeus finally gave up on trying to prove how much I needed him. He's snoozing by my bed right now (does he ever SNORE - he snores louder than Mr. I.!!)  and we are both waiting for Lisa to arrive. She just texted me that her flight had landed in Indianapolis and she was on her way to West Lafayette. Hey, maybe SHE will hang those decorations outside! I'll ask her when she gets here.

I sure miss you all, and I wish I could high-five, fist bump, and hug you! I am hoping to come next week for a short visit - it will depend on how far I can walk. I am practicing here at home, so cross your fingers.

Love, 

Mrs. I.

P.S. Zeus says "hi"! Well, actually, he said "ARF" but he MEANT "hi." :D

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Sadly, Zeus passed away just four days later on December 20, 2010. I wrote the following message to my family:

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Having my knee replacement surgery now instead of June provided me with 3 weeks at home with Zeus, time I would not have had had I been teaching. That time is a treasure to me. He was my constant companion - where I was, he was. I even made up funny stories about him for my classroom, and he kept me company as well as made me laugh.

And, Dad and I are very aware that we had a whole extra year with Zeus that we never planned on. He was diagnosed with cancer in November, 2009, and yet he lived another 13 months. Not only did all of you get to see him last Christmas, but you saw him this summer for the weddings and you again saw him at Thanksgiving. What a gift to us all it was to have that extra time with Zeus.

Dad and I are at peace, although we are very sad at the same time. Recently I heard a talk where someone discussed the scripture, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." The point the speaker made, though, was not the usual one. He said that, if you are mourning, then you have loved deeply, and the blessing is that you have had such a great love. 

I think that is applicable here. We loved Zeus deeply, and we are blessed to have had him and that love for him. And most definitely he returned that love. He was quite a dog and part of our family. And while we mourn, we also find joy not only in the memories, but in knowing we will be with him again.

Love you all,

Mom

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Rest in peace, Zeus.

You were some dog!

The Healing Power of Time

I've written before that I began my blog as my journal and that occasionally there are "just journal" things recorded, entries that are about things I never want to forget and that might not appeal to blog readers. This blog entry is one of those.

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Time heals all wounds.

A cliché, but the thing about clichés is that they are often rooted in truth. 

I ran into a former student yesterday and I was blown away by the confident, mature, and happy young woman she had become.

This student had come into my classroom as a highly traumatized child. About a year prior, her mother had been murdered by her boyfriend in a domestic violence incident, and C had been present during that awful moment.

She and her three half siblings were placed into the custody of the father of one of the half-siblings, and soon all of the four children, including C, were legally adopted by that father and his wife into a blended family of seven kids. 

Her adoptive mom brought her into my classroom a few days before school started so she could meet me, and C expressed concerns that she "did not belong" in my classroom, that she wasn't "smart enough." (I taught the gifted kids.)

Having had one of her new sisters in my class before and knowing her adoptive mom well, I trusted her mom when she privately shared with me that, in her opinion, C did belong in my class. And, test scores had placed her with me, so we had the data that said she should be able to handle the academic load.

So, we asked C to give it a try and told her that, if she found my class too difficult, then she could move to a different classroom.

After some thought, C agreed to try, and by the third day of school, she was no longer feeling like she needed a different class placement.

She was a quiet and dedicated student, and she did well in her studies. Still, evidence of the trauma she had been through were evident. I will never, ever forget how she sat at her desk throughout the day, every single day, that she was in my class.

C would draw her knees up to her chest and hug them close to her body, protecting herself. If she needed to write, she'd turn sideways on her chair, still all wrapped and curled up, to free a hand and complete her work like that. 

I never asked her to change her posture like I might have another student; I knew this was rooted in her trauma and that sitting curled up made her feel safer.

I ran into C a year ago at my optometrist's office. I hadn't seen her since she was my student, and she was a little shy, but she warmed up quickly and seemed glad to see me again. We even had a good laugh when we realized that I had picked out the same pair of eyewear that she had!

Yesterday I saw C again. She stood up and came around the desk, greeting me and giving me a big hug, then asked how I was and what I'd been doing. She even asked about Craig and then told me about her schooling, her boyfriend, the house she'd just bought, and more.

This was a very confident and strong young woman, one who sat up straight in her chair as she worked, could lead a conversation and put the customer at ease, and one who was happy and accomplishing the goals she had set for herself in life.

As I finished, she again came around the desk to give me a hug. She wished me well and said she loved me. I hugged that gal right back and said the same, adding that I was very proud of her and the wonderful woman she had become.  

Has time healed all of C's wounds? Probably not, at least not completely. But clearly C is moving forward with her life and the girl who curled up into herself with her arms wrapped protectively around her legs has blossomed and is finding joy and happiness in her life.

I'd worried about C and the trauma load she carried when she was in my classroom and then wondered about her and how she was doing after she moved on in school. To see the confidence and happiness she exuded yesterday made my heart sing.

You've Earned a Pepper Pass!

Every semester Teacher Daughter Lisa meets with each of her students and they set a reading goal together. If the child meets their goal, there is a very desirable prize that is awarded.

A Pepper Pass!

A Pepper Pass enables the winner to spend time with Pepper (translate that as, get out of class, LOL) and "read" to her.

The reading-to-Pepper aspect was dropped long ago. (Pepper won this battle and actually dragged those boys across the floor. She may be petite, but she is strong.)

I bring some toys and treats and we talk about service animals, Seeing Eye Dogs in particular.

The kids come in at intervals and Pepper plays, gets treats, and I share about service dogs again and again until all the Pepper Pass winners have had their turn with her.

Some of the kids have dogs and some the kids don't. Once in a while a student comes in who has never even touched a dog and is afraid of Pepper.

She's a really good girl for all the students, but she especially shines with those who have never touched one or are afraid of her.

Pepper and I both enjoy those Pepper Pass days. She gets loads of attention, treats, and love, and I get to exercise my teacher chops a bit and see my daughter in her classroom. 

It's an all around win for everyone.

Off to School!

I'm going to school this morning - Teacher Daughter Lisa's school to be specific. I'm not going as a substitute teacher or a volunteer, I'm going as a guest speaker. I bet you can guess what I will be speaking about - the rich history that happened right here in Tippecanoe County on the Wabash River!

I'll be going in period clothing so yesterday I dug out my 18th century riding habit and tried it on to check fit. (I've been maintaining a nearly 100 pound weight loss for four years, but I always worry that clothes might not fit.)

I also tried on my caraco jacket to be sure it, too, was good to go. Since I found a small area needing repair in the riding habit's jacket, I will be wearing the caraco this morning.

I'll be teaching two sessions of 4th graders, each with about 65 kids. I taught 4th grade for years so I'm comfortable with that grade level, and the subject matter is familiar (18th century clothing, traditions and social mores, fan language, and so on) so I'm not nervous.

Lisa is also teaching a seminar simultaneously with me - she's presenting artifacts that were used by the Miami, Wea, and other Indigenous peoples that lived here in Indiana along with the French and English. (King's rope, round stone balls for games, arrowheads, fifes, and so on.) We will teach 45 minutes and then switch groups of kids and teach those students for 45 minutes.

Not only is this preparation for a field trip to The Feast next week, but it's also a broader part of the curriculum for 4th grade Social Studies in Indiana. (In most states, 4th grade is the year state history is taught.) 

Should be a fun morning!

Moving on to horsey things, Breyer continues to churn out the news. BreyerWest 2024 was announced this week and will be held March 15-17 at the Rocky Mountain Horse Expo in Denver, Colorado.

Registration will open in mid November and updates will be posted on the BreyerWest Blog. (If Hawkeye Daughter Sarah was still Denver Daughter, I might go out for this event.)

And a Smile...

This is the topic of an upcoming blog post. Can you guess what I am going to do with it?

Stay 'tooned!

Cheered Up, and a Surprise Ending!

Yesterday I was feeling a little blue and missing teaching, so I opened a video that my last class had made me as a retirement surprise. I had to laugh - I had forgotten the end! (One of their parents had swiped some photos of me with Abby from my personal Facebook page for them to use.)



A few of you have wondered about the teaching side of my life, and this video actually does a pretty good job of showing it. (As a little background, I taught a 4th/5th grade class of Gifted children and I had the kiddos for two years. That's why a few of them mention only having me one year - they were my fourth graders.)

The video is totally kid done, so please excuse the occasional typos. They may be gifted, but they're still kids! And if the video above doesn't work, try going here.

This gift from the kids is one of my teaching treasures and makes me cry every time I watch it. I was really blessed to have class after class, year after year, of wonderful kiddos like these.

Don't believe people who make disparaging remarks about "today's kids." Kids truly are wonderful, and I have twenty years' teaching experience to back up that assertion. Enjoy looking at last year's class of sweeties, and maybe you will see just why I miss being with them so very much.

A Look Back in Indiana History

Yesterday, my daughter invited me to come into her classroom in period clothing and talk to her students about 18th century Indiana history, especially Fort Ouiatenon (here on the Wabash) and The Feast of the Hunter's Moon, an annual festival held to celebrate the French and Indiana time period in our area.

I was delighted to come - I love teaching and I love re-enacting, a hobby I rarely do anymore. (It took me a while to dig out all my period clothing!)

I greeted the kids in French, and ended up speaking French most of the time. Using hand and body language plus some verbal translations works well when speaking French to children who do not understand it. Even acting out what was said helps a bit, too!

Letting a student try on my panniers (side hoops which were used to extend the skirt's width while keeping the front flat.)

My horsey side surfaced immediately, though, when one of the girls told me her name.

It was "Amy," the name of my very first horse. I just couldn't resist sharing that I loved her name and had named a horse that. (I did some of that acting out a bit, here, too!)

My sister, Leslie, is a horsewoman and also the director of The Feast. That's her leading the procession in the opening ceremonies last year when all the militia units, Native peoples, voyageurs, and other participants are welcomed to Fort Ouiatenon for weekend.

She is wearing an 18th century riding habit, reflecting her own horseyness, and it is so beautiful.

 A better photo of the habit. (Pictures are from The Feast web site.)

Lisa will be taking her class to The Feast of the Hunter's Moon tomorrow. I hope they have fun, and I think they now know a little bit more about the history they will see being re-enacted tomorrow, too. Plus, it was absolutely wonderful to be with students and teaching again, even if it was only for an hour!

A Gold Tooth and Some Retail Therapy

As I thought, yesterday was hard for me. And I was right, the dentist appointment sure proved to be a distraction!

I never, ever thought I would see the day when I would hear too much horse talk. But I reached my limit yesterday. The dental hygienist was new, and she was a horse lover. She was also one of those people who keep up a constant patter with very few breaks in her side of the conversation.

She caught sight of my horsey tee and the chattering began. Going into full chat mode, she cleaned my teeth, stopping to sit back, talk some more, and then getting back to work with her tools. It took forever for her to finish.

I needed x-rays, too, and the talking continued through that process. She took one x-ray, then sat back and chatted for a while, then took another... and on and on. I'm usually pretty easy going, but it was a little too much. (I doubt she will be there very long if she is that slow and bends patients' ears as she did mine.)

When she finally finished, my dentist came in and advised me that I had a broken filling, a cavity, and that the tooth with the broken filling needed a crown. Not just a porcelain crown, but a GOLD crown! (I suddenly had visions of myself as a pirate.) It was not welcome news, but I trust my dentist, and am now scheduled for the two step process of getting a crown and having that cavity filled.

While the dental appointment had certainly been distracting (and even disconcerting), I still was feeling sad knowing that my teacher friends and counterparts were all in meetings discussing the upcoming school year, having lunch, and going on without me. A heavy cloudburst as I exited the dentist's building did NOT make me feel any better.

The rain was a problem. I had planned to go visit Abby, and I did not want to stand out in the rain with her. (During the hot summer, the horses do not mind a refreshing rain and often continue grazing out in the pasture instead of coming into the barn. Me? I prefer to stay dry!) So, I decided to go to a nearby antique shop while I was on that side of town.

Retail therapy is always a good idea.

The first thing I saw as I walked into the shop was a red transferware plate. My daughter, Lisa, (who was off with the other teachers that morning) has been looking for four dinner plates in that color. She had found two, but we looked together all summer and only found blue, green, brown, purple, and black plates. (Apparently red is the hardest color to find.)

A flurry of texts back and forth confirmed that Lisa wanted the plate, so it came home with me. I also found a vintage book about Helen Keller that I bought as a gift for my friend Kathy Nimmer (she has a machine that reads books aloud to her), and then two huge Melbaware drafters in harness! (Pictures coming.) That successful trip sure took my mind off of what I was missing at school!

I had been practicing retail therapy for a few days via eBay, too, and when I got home, I had some boxes to open. After BreyerFest, most people do not have much money to spend, and so it is a good time to shop eBay and look for models that people are selling in order to recoup what they spent at BreyerFest. There are lots of good deals to be had.

 I got a Diamond Jubilee 60th Anniversary Horse for a terrific price.

And this early Western Horse in alabaster with snap saddle! Both pieces were in excellent shape and very affordable. (Both photos are by the sellers and from the eBay auctions.)

So, I ended up getting through the day with only a few more moments of sadness. I have to admit, it was nice not to feel the stress and pressure that going back to school brings, and to have the freedom to go shopping when I wished instead of having to wait until I was off work.

It was a day of baby steps as I adjust to my new normal.

Black Beauty in Art

Each semester, my students must read a book from classic literature and then present a paper and a project on it. As you might imagine, I love it when Black Beauty or other horsey classics are chosen!

Friday, TM did a wonderful paper on Black Beauty. I was thrilled that one of the things he discussed in his paper was that this book changed the world for the better - as a direct result of Anna Sewell's story of equine abuse, The Humane Society was formed and millions of animals have benefitted as a result. Talk about the power of the pen and how, with our writing, we can make a difference in this world!

TM's project was really cool, too

Black Beauty done in string art!

TM explained that he'd found a picture of a horse that he liked, put it on the board, and then used a Sharpie to place dots around the outline. Nails were pounded in at those spots, and then he wound black string around the nails for the body. There is white string for the sock and blaze.

As one of his classmates said (and I agree), "I think you should hang that up at home and keep it forever."

"If These Walls Could Talk"

Mike Pinto, principal of Cole Elementary School, sends out a Morning Message every weekday to his staff and friends. Although on staff at another school, I am lucky enough to be on his mailing list and often find him insightful and uplifting.

Today to my surprise, the first thing I saw was a picture of an old barn. With Mike's permission, I share his Morning Message below. Thanks, Mike!

If Those Walls Could Talk

I like cool old barns because they are a dying breed but also because they house the character of the workmen who crafted them with their own hands and with their own brawn. I also like them because they store within them a rich history. Over the years an old barn saw many livestock and lots of manual labor. An old barn also saw triumphs, tragedies, and most likely was a spot where people gathered to laugh and to chew the fat. For a farmer, a barn is like a second home. It’s where he spends many long hours toiling in the heat or freezing in the cold. Over time the barn stands and it takes in all the stories deep into the grains of its hand-hewn beams.  I always marvel at these old barns and would love to tap those stories and memories from deep within.  The walls of a school are like the siding on an old barn.  They too soak in the triumphs, tragedies, and conversations that happen within. They too soak in the stories and the laughter. A school, like an old barn, holds within its walls something magical. It holds the possibilities of childhood and innocence of youth.  Fifty years from now someone will look back on the walls of this school and think, “I wish those walls could talk”.  It’s ironic to think that today we are adding another chapter to the story of our school.  We will have triumphs and failures in this chapter. We will also have many moments of laughter and joy.  But we will also be building something incredible for ourselves and for our students: Memories. And if you take a moment to recognize this, the memory will be richer and deeper down the road of life when someday you strive once again to relive a time where you were surrounded by people you liked, doing something you were put on this earth to do.  So take a moment today to look around and to capture in your hearts and minds the nuances of your space, the sounds of your colleagues and students, and smells of fresh crayons and endless possibilities.  Because in many ways this is the best of times and we are so fortunate to not only be living it but also fortunate to recognize its worth.  Have a great school year.

Michael R. Pinto

Principal, James Cole Elementary School  

A Reproachful Abby

It has been a busy summer, the busiest I can remember in years. All six of our kids and their families came home to visit, I attended two teaching/education conferences, we made several trips to Indianapolis for the Indianapolis Temple open house, Craig's mom was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and working to clean out my mother's home and disperse her possessions has meant there has been little barn time.

I have been making flying visits to see Abby (usually while on my way to someplace else), hastily shoving a few candy canes or carrots at her, doing a quick visual check for bumps, cuts, or scrapes, and then hopping back in my car and zooming off.

Abby seemed rather reproachful tonight when I went out to see her.

"Where have you been recently??"

"You think a few candy canes are going to make up for ignoring me??"

"Well.... maybe they will. I forgive you. I sure hope the start of the new school year gets you back into a more normal visiting schedule!"

So do I, Abby!! School starts Monday; surely that will help life to settle down for me.