Update October 21, 2023

News

Saturday

Saturday was fun. After D13 got her COVID shot, we all went to a fall festival for the day. It was a lot more expensive than the last time we went, and I blew my entire fun budget on it. It’ll take months to save up that much money again. Regardless, the kids had a blast. There was a gigantic potato sack slide, camel rides, a corn pit, a corn maze, a zipline, pumpkin cannons, and a bouncy house.

After all that, Aaron, dad, IL4 and I had dinner out.

Sunday

Sunday after work I took IL4 and to a McDonald’s Playplace for a playdate with his friend L4. M11 came along because he’s grounded and he had been busy reading all day. He wanted a change of scenery.

I really like L4’s mom. She isn’t head of the PTO, cub scout master, girl scout leader, perfectly -clean-homed mom. She’s real.

The playdate ended abruptly when IL4 pooped himself. And I had wipes and a change of shirts, but not pants and underwear because I’d used my spare on another day and forgot to replace them. So he went home commando in wet pants. 🤦‍♀️

That evening, I read to M11 and D13, and then I read to IL4.

Monday

Monday morning I had to scrape the frost off the car windows. Yuck. I took D13 to her appointment, and then took IL4 to get a scan of his gut to check for anatomical abnormality. They said they didn’t see anything obvious at a quick glance, but the final results were not immediately released. In the evening, I read to D13 and then to IL4.

Tuesday

Tuesday was awful. I had to leave work an hour early to go to a 6 hour training. It was pure listening, with 2 5 minute breaks and no lunch break. In case you don’t know, I have ADHD. By 3.5 hours in, I was literally shaking with the effort of listening. I had to take my highest dose of anxiety meds to try to allieve the shaking, but it didn’t help.

By the time I got home, my brain was fried. But the M11 was crying because of an unresolved argument about whose turn it was on the TV. I just needed a break, but IL4 wanted to bake a cake with 2 pieces of bread, an apple, some peanut butter, and the ketchup. He wouldn’t take no for an answer, so I hid in the bathroom and tried not to cry while Aaron took over.

In the evening, I read to D13, and then started reading to IL4 before petering out and taking a nap before leaving for work at 9:30.

Wednesday

Wednesday I went to Perkins with my dad, and then to the mall. He bought shoes and a Nook (the Barnes and Noble tablet). He wants to read books again, but his eyesight isn’t good enough for normal print.

The results to IL4’s scan came back. It said there were no anatomical abnormalities, but that his tortuous intestines explained the fecal loading, and that he had mild fecal loading at the time of the scan. So, I guess that at least suggests that the GI specialist isn’t full of poop, even if IL4 is. (Both Aaron and I were seperately wondering whether the GI specialist didn’t know what she was talking about, but I had already convinced myself that she probably did. Aaron needed some reassurance, though.)

Thursday

Thursday I took M11 to his dietician. She set his goal weight (he needs to gain 5 pounds). Then I just did my own thing for the rest of the day – and by that I mean I went through my to-do list to my heart’s content, not being interrupted by other people wanting me to do stuff. It was glorious. I went out to lunch with Aaron, and dad took us out to dinner while D13 was at rehearsal.

Friday

Friday, I took M11 to Historic Fort Snelling. He really loved all the history. I hadn’t known Dred Scott lived at Fort Snelling, so there were some things I learned too.

D13 went to see her mom in the evening. While M11 was at rehearsal, my nephew J19 came over. He is currently homeless, and is going to stay at our house a couple of days. We all had a lovely dinner once M11 was back.

Week’s Photos

Reading to myself

Beloved, by Toni Morrison
How to Read the Bible, by James Kugel
Bible
Great Courses: St Augustine’s Confessions, by William R Cook and Ronald B Herzman
Eye of the World, by Robert Jordon
Run, Hide, Repeat, by Pauline Dakin
Great Courses St Augustine’s Confessions, by William R Cook and Ronald B Herzman
Great Mythologies of the World, by Various Professors

Reading to IL4

Sydney and Taylor Explore the Whole Wide World, by Jacqueline Davies
Inspector Flytrap, by Tom Angleberger
The Invisible Fran, by Jim Benton

M10 reading

The Keeper of Night, by Kylie Lee Baker (I’m reading this to him)
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, by T Kingfisher
Zombies vs Unicorns by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier (I’m listening with him)

D13 reading

The Akhenaten Adventure, by P B Kerr
Exile, by Shannon Messenger (I’m reading this to her)

Media Completed

Sydney and Taylor decide to go on an expedition but find that it’s hard being out in the wild. This was a cute early chapter book with wonderful pictures.