News
Saturday
Saturday Aaron and I played D&D. Aaron’s character died. We still have a chance to revivify him, but we may not be able to, because we’re in the middle of a battle which may take a while, and revivify has to be used in a certain amount of time.
After D&D, Aaron grilled, and then IL5, Aaron, and I hung out in the car, which is something IL5 had been begging me to do all day. He likes being able to sit in the passenger seat. I got to read to IL5 in the evening, which is something I missed doing on Friday night because my brain was broken.
Sunday
Sunday I worked. I was in a mood, so we didn’t have family day, nor did I manage to read to IL5. 😒
Monday
Monday was productive. I went to breakfast with dad and IL5, then we all went to a small playground afterwards. It was a beautiful day, and dad and I took turns playing with him on the structure.
Then I took D14 to an appointment, and IL5 to school. I ran to the bakery and picked up a cake for teachers and staff of all 3 schools the kids are in, then drove to the schools to drop the cakes off. I made phone calls, and planted the carrots.
In the evening, Aaron took IL5 to swim lessons and I took M11 to Boy Scouts. M11 ran the mile in 10 minutes 55 seconds, which is a huge improvement, but since he hasn’t actually tried to improve by working out, it didn’t count towards earning his Tenderfoot rank. He also improved on the stretch, sit-ups, and push-ups. He asked me to remind him to exercise this month so he can rank up.
Before work, I got some reading done.
Tuesday
Tuesday I took Polyphemus to the vet. She said that Polyphemus may have a loose tooth, and she wanted to clean the teeth under anesthesia to check it out. At first I refused, but later in the day, I thought about how bad Polyphemus’ breath is, and that may be an indication of rot or decay. I discussed it with Aaron, and we decided that it may be better to take care of the tooth than to let Polyphemus get sick.
Then, I started looking at 2-month-old kittens from the rescue. I was torn between getting two and getting one, because I don’t want 5 cats, but I feel like a kitten that young needs another kitten that young. I don’t know…I am still strongly ambivalent. I asked Aaron, and he was strongly ambivalent, too. I had to make the decision quickly because I had already contacted the rescue, and they were waiting for my answer. I drafted an email saying that I wanted two kittens. Then I drafted an email saying I wanted only one kitten, and ended up sending the one saying two. Aaron subsequently told me that one kitten gave him fewer heart palpitations, and that Hero was going to be very upset by the new cats. He had a point, but it was too late. I’d already gotten two cats on hold.
IL5 had an appointment Tuesday, followed by baseball for M11 and T-ball for IL5. IL5 was with me, and I had a hard time not bursting on to the field to tell him to stop running around in circles and actually listen. The good thing is that he was excited by the T-ball the whole time. Then he played at the playground for a while. M11 was thrilled because he hit a ball during his practice.
Wednesday
Wednesday we decided that perhaps the best solution to Hero being bullied by four cats (if we end up getting two more) is just keeping her in our bedroom all the time. If she doesn’t cooperate, that’s her problem. But we’ll give it a try. I have to rearrange and declutter the room before we can do that, though.
Then I went to therapy. I am not certain about my therapist, but I’ll give her a bit longer of a try. I feel like she validates me so profusely that it feels fake. I know she’s not trying to be fake, so I’ve been tolerating it.
After therapy, I went to lunch with dad and then we went to a sporting-goods store to buy him some weights. He wants to get back to using his arm at full mobility, which takes a long time after a shoulder break.
The stumps were removed from our back yard while we were gone – there are now two big grass-free areas. My neighbor told me that grass won’t grow there unless I fertilize the area with nitrogen. Good to know!
In the evening, D14 had her audition for a community play (Frozen Jr) and M11 had a swim test for the Boy Scouts.
Thursday
Thursday I worked my day job and played D&D. Aaron took IL5 to T-ball, and I took M11 to baseball. In the evening, I read to D14.
Friday
Friday after IL5’s speech therapy we were supposed to go to the park. He loves “the big playground,” but for some reason wanted to go to the McDonald’s Playplace. So I read while he ate and played for over an hour. Then we went to the library, where he played with the toys/computer/chessboard and picked out books for over an hour.
In the evening, Aaron and I watched Supernatural until it was time for him to game with his friends. D14, M11, and I drove out of the suburbs at 10pm to see the Northern Lights, but all we saw are streaks in the sky without color.
Letters Written
- One letter Louisiana
- One letter Pennsylvania
Reading to myself
- Mr Ballen podcast
- Maid, by Stephanie Land
- Eye of the World, by Robert Jordan
- Bluebeard, by Kurt Vonnegut
- The Selfish Gene, by Richard Dawkins
- Bible
- Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett
- Unspeakable Mind, by Shaili Jain
Reading to IL5
- Stinky Cecil and Mudslide Mayhem, by Paige Braddock
- Billy and the Mini Monsters: Monsters on the Loose, by Zanna Davidson
D14 reading
- The Princess Curse, by Merrie Haskell
- Stepsister, by Jennifer Donnelly
- Exile, by Shannon Messenger – I’m reading this to her
Media Completed
Cecil’s house floods, and he and his friends need to find out why the pond water is rising. Like the first two books in the series, this is a cute graphic novel and my 5-year-old had lots of questions about the animals in it.
Rabo Karabekian is a washed up artist when he meets a widow who convinces him to write his autobiography. In a very non-romantic way, she breathes life into him. This book wasn’t as funny as I’d expected. I’d remembered finding another of Vonnegut’s books funny (I forget which one), and expected the same from this one. It did have a little dry situational humor, but wasn’t a satire. Regardless, the story kept me coming back for more, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I was curious what he had locked in that potato barn.
Billy’s mini-monster friends want to come to school with him, but Billy is reluctant. They come anyway. Cute, colorful, funny. Definitely a good addition to the series.
This is Land’s story of raising her young daughter in poverty while slaving away at a thankless job that didn’t pay the rent. It’s about being a woman in recovery from domestic violence. And about the way the middle class judge the poverty-stricken.
This was interesting, heartbreaking, and real. The prose flowed easily and the story progressed naturally. Land is a very articulate woman, which is fortunate since not all people in difficult situations are able to tell their story in an engaging way.
I did have a couple of qualms about the book, but they were all quibbles. Like, why is she pointing out that her child’s father can’t swim, as if that somehow provides further proof he was a bad dad? Didn’t we have enough evidence of that? It seemed a little vindictive to bring it up.
Overall, though, I thought Maid was an excellent view of what many women must be experiencing.
Hibernator's Library 