Update August 26, 2023

News

Saturday

Saturday was our newly minted monthly day of cleaning. We’re going to pick one day a month where we focus the whole day on cleaning. We made less progress than I expected when I originally made the plan – I somehow imagined a sparkly clean house – but we worked hard and I got the upstairs more in order and he got the downstairs more in order.

As for dad’s plan to come on the half marathon, he backed off, saying I made it clear I didn’t want him to come. But it was still easier than I expected to talk him out of it. Partly, I think it’s because he timed himself walking 3 miles and discovered it takes him 2 hours. I don’t think he believed me when I said that earlier. I did offer to take him on a 13 mile walk in October where Aaron could pick us up if we needed rescuing. He didn’t seem that interested. 🤷‍♀️

Sunday

Sunday was fun. M11 came back from camp. D13 came back from her mom’s. I worked. We watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, and then D13 and I went to Barbie in the theater. That was bizarre.

Monday

Monday we had two appointments – one for me, one for D13. Then D13 and IL4 made slime and chocolate chip cookies, while I dyed M11’s hair green. IL4 slept through his penultimate soccer game (the one on Wednesday will likely be cancelled due to heat, so it was probably the ultimate soccer game). I coached anyway, and picked up IL4’s participation medal. M11 had Boy Scouts and worked on the Signs and Signals merit badge.

Tuesday

Tuesday was busy. I went directly from work to M11’s band orientation, from there, we went to his middle school orientation. We had a short break (in which we sorted out the school supplies), and then went to an appointment for M11 and an appointment for D13. When IL4 and Aaron got home, we went with dad to Red Lobster.

Wednesday

Wednesday went ok in the end. I went directly from work to work, and was supposed to go directly from there to pick up IL4 for an appointment. But my client’s son came back a half hour late, so Aaron had to pick up IL4 and we met at the doctor’s office with about 10 minutes to spare. M11 later had a rehearsal for his upcoming cabaret.

Thursday

Thursday was tough. IL4 had an appointment with his GI specialist, who says she doesn’t think his impaction is cleared out properly. We now have to check him into the hospital and have a tube down his throat which drips something into his gut to soften his stool.  On average, this takes 1-2 days. This sounds like an ordeal for him. 😭

Friday

Friday, IL4 had feeding and speech therapy. Both therapists said he did great. M11 had tap dance. Then the older kids went to their mom’s for the night, and dad and I sat and watched the entire first season of Stranger Things in one sitting. 😱 That wasn’t in the plan for the evening. Dad just kept watching and I knew he’d stop if I went to sleep. I wanted him to enjoy himself.

Week’s Photos

Letters Written

• 1 letter Michigan
• 1 letter Washington
• 1 letter Georgia
• 1 letter Oklahoma

Reading to myself

• Great Courses: Confessions of Augustine, by William R Cook & Ronald B Herzman
• The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle
• Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari
• Educated, by Tara Westover
• How to Read the Bible, by James Kugel
• Great Mythologies of the World, by Various Professors
• Bible
• Mahabharata

Reading to IL4

• Robo-Rabbit Boy Go!, By Thomas Flintham
• Attack of the 50-ft Cupid, by Jim Benton
• Super Rabbit Boy’s Team-up Trouble, by Thomas Flintham
• Unicorn and Yeti: Friends Rock, by Heather Ayris Burnell

M10

• Working on Signs and Signals Merit Badge

D13 reading

• Skandar and the Phantom Rider, by A F Steadman
• Stellarlune, by Shannon Messenger

Aaron reading

• The Dragon Republic, by R F Kuang

Media Completed

Franny is back, this time trying to make Valentine’s Day cards. Her new dog, Igor, accidentally manifests a gigantic cupid, and they have to team up to get rid of him. Cute and funny.

How bizarre. How bizarre. How bizarre.