Update March 4, 2023

News

Saturday

Saturday my voice was pretty much gone for the first half of the day. I figured I had caught strep from IL4, but when I went to urgent care, I tested negative. I took the day off – asking Aaron to do things I normally would have done like run to the library. He also went to the Little Women play D13 and I had planned on going to. D13 really enjoyed the play. 😊

Sunday

Sunday I was still feeling a bit sick, but quite a bit better than Saturday. M10 had rehearsal for his dance/singing show that he’s in, and D13 and I watched a couple of movies while M10 and Aaron made his Pinewood Derby car for Cub Scouts.

Monday

Monday was a productive day. I tried out getting up at 4:30 to go to the gym, but I’ve now decided that if I go to bed too early, I can’t read to IL4, and that’s important too. I’m still struggling to find a time to exercise. I think I’ll try 7am next. Problem is, my dad wants me to walk with him, too, and that’ll all take up a good chunk of my morning. I feel like I should, because he keeps falling down on his walks. But it’s not much of a workout. I have a weighted vest for such walks, so hopefully that’ll help.

M10 and D13 both had an appointment Monday morning, D13 had rehearsal for the middle school play in the afternoon, and M10 and she had rehearsal for Willy Wonka in the evening. Getting IL4 to bed was a pain. But after 4 pieces of bacon he settled down enough to at least sit in bed.

I found a mole on my face that seems to be growing, but nothing too worrysome – if anything it’s only a basal cell carcinoma, and I may just be paranoid. I got a dermatology appointment next Tuesday due to a cancellation – they’re booking out to September.

Tuesday

Tuesday I was feeling mostly better. I had taken off productivity goals for the rest of February (just did what I felt like doing) due to feeling sick, but given a downturn on Wednesday morning, I decided to go through goalless till Friday.

M10 had two appointments, D13 had rehearsal for the middle school play, and IL4 had swim lessons. M10 is up to 66 lbs (his goal weight), and D13 chose to make her play character into a 6 year old girl. She has a lot of artistic freedom with her role as “applause girl.”

Wednesday

Wednesday I went downhill again in health. Not horribly bad, just feeling lightheaded and tired. After IL4’s special education, my dad, IL4, and I went to Perkins and grocery shopping. I took IL4 to the dentist. He was reluctant to sit in the chair, but finally agreed and got his teeth cleaned. Then the older kids had rehearsal for Willy Wonka. While they were doing that, I planned out the family’s summer activities. D13 will take a cooking class and a water safety assistant class, M10 will take swim lessons and an archery camp. They’ll both audition for a part in a Little Mermaid production. And IL4 will have an art class. I am considering a mud run and walking half-marathon, but want to train a little first to gauge my readiness.

Thursday

Thursday started out with my client desperately asking if I could work for her in the evening because she had COVID and had exhausted her resources. (She knows I don’t like evening shifts because I lose family time, and that I’m sick.) I picked up the shift, and spent the entire day either sleeping or resting so I’d have energy when I went in. I didn’t see D13 all day, and barely glimpsed IL4 and M10.

Friday

Friday was a full day. I got up early to talk to D13 because I hadn’t seen her the day before, then took M10 to school with his trombone. On our way home, IL4 and I stopped by the library, then went to speech therapy. Not long after that, we picked up M10 from school for an appointment. I had about an hour break after that, followed by an overnight shift with my client. I barely glimpsed D13 coming home from middle school play rehearsal.

Week’s Photos

Reading to IL4

• Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos, by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox
• The Invisible Boy, by Trudy Ludwig & Patrice Barton
• Tiny T Rex and the Impossible Hug, by Jonathan Stutzman and Jay Fleck
• We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, by Ryan T Higgins
• Chicken Squad, by Doreen Cronin & Kevin Cornell
• Eva’s Treetop Festival, by Rebecca Elliott

M10 reading

• Fuzz, by Mary Roach

D13 reading

• Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, by A. F. Steadman
• The Tail of Emily Windsnap, by Liz Kessler

Media Partaken In

Wrote

• 1 letter Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
• 1 letter Virginia Department of Corrections
• 1 letter Maine Department of Corrections
• 1 letter Michigan Department of Corrections

Posts

• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by mo willems
• Knight Owl, by Christopher Denise

Productivity

I have separated my productivity time into life, body, spirit and mind. My goal is for the month of March is 60 hours mind, 12 hours body, 80 hours spirit. I don’t have a life goal, because the purpose of this exercise is to spend less time on life, and more time on personal development. I consider all structured necessary productivity to be life.

Below is this week’s productivity stats, which isn’t bad since I was sick all week.

Weight loss journey