Update, June 8 2024

News

Saturday

Saturday M12 went to an 8 hour party. That mom must be a saint – putting up with 6 middle schoolers for 8 hours. He really enjoyed himself, though. Aaron and I played D&D in the afternoon. In the evening, M12 and Aaron went to his birthday surprise (a virtual reality cafe).

Sunday

Sunday I worked my day job – it was a calm workday. D14 had her D&D session in the afternoon. In the evening, M12 and I had his birthday D&D session. M12’s character insisted I was the bad guy, and refused to fight with me. But I guess if that’s the way he wants to play, it was HIS birthday activity.

Monday

Monday, Aaron, IL5, and I awoke early and drove both cars to the mechanic. Then I drove Aaron to work and went to Perkins with dad and IL5. Then dad grabbed a bus to the Mall of America and I took IL5 to the library. He was REALLY excited about the books I got out, so instead of hanging out in the library, we went directly home to read both books immediately. That felt good.

About this time, the mechanic called to say that they didn’t have the parts they needed for the car – they’d ordered it, but the package that arrived was missing some parts. This mechanic has been helpful in the past, so I wasn’t angry.

Then, I worked on my spring cleaning of the livingroom. (The house hasn’t had a good deep clean, clutter removal, since maybe September, when D14, dad, IL5, and I all had major health issues for several months, and my days were packed with 2-3 appointments a day.) I’ve finished my bedroom and IL5’s room (which got messy again), and started with the livingroom. I also did dad’s laundry….so I was productive.

After dropping IL5 at school at 1:20, I picked up Aaron at work, and we went to pick up the car at the mechanic. Then I ran errands.

M12 watched his documentary on the US (he’s into history now). D14 chatted about her field day. When IL5 got home, he wanted to get out a large toy, and I said he had to clean his room first. So he moved the blanket, pillow, and bedroll that we sleep on because he won’t sleep alone in his room yet (we’re working in that.) He put the blanket and pillow on his bed, and dragged the gigantic bedroll into our room. Then he told me his roon was clean. I thought it was a good effort, even if it wasn’t what I was looking for, so I helped him clean the toys off his floor and vaccumed the room. Then I brought out his castle toy.

Shortly after that ordeal, he wanted to play in his sandbox outside, so I got him dressed in his swim suit for lessons, then we went out and played. At swim lessons, I dropped my phone and broke the screen. I chose not to be pissed off and to be excited about buying a phone with a longer-acting battery. I mean, I’m a little pissed at myself. But it was an accident, and I do my best.

After swim lessons, IL5 wanted more time in the sandbox, so Aaron and I weeded while IL5 played in the sandbox for an hour. Then I was done with the day, so I did the minimum for a couple of hours before going to my night job.

Tuesday

Tuesday, after arriving home from my overnight job, I immediately took dad to his doctor appointment. I then ran errands and did some yardwork (slowly preparing some spots for seeding grass in the fall). I was going to remove a shrub stump – I’d cut it down to a nub in early spring, but it has since become a leafy shrub again, so I have to cut it down again before I remove it. Disgusted, I went in the house and amused myself in other ways for my last free half hour.

I picked up IL5 from his water day at school and took him to an appointment. Upon getting home, I hit my productivity limit for the day and, besides making dinner, I was unproductive until I left for my night job. D14 and I watched the first two episodes of Monk and IL5 slept all evening.

Wednesday

Wednesday I took Sake and Freyja to their first vet appointment. They were both negative for feline leukemia and heartworm. Sake is female and Freyja is male. I ran errands after that. And that was pretty much my day. Again, I crashed in productivity towards the end. It was the kids’ last day of school. D14 is now a highschooler and IL5 is a kindergartener. I harvested IL5’s carrots

Thursday

Thursday I worked my day job. On my way home, I picked up IL5 at daycare. At that time, dad texted to ask if I could take him to the ER. He thought he had a broken rib. The day before, he’d been standing on the bus waiting for the bus to stop, when the driver slammed on the brakes and dad went flying forward into the windshield. He hadn’t told me the fall was that bad, or I’d have taken him in right away. After an X-ray, a CT scan, and 5.5 hours in the ER, he was diagnosed with a broken rib.

I missed IL5’s daycare graduation, for which he wore a cap and gown, but Aaron made it. M12 also hit a pitch in baseball, which he was proud of.

Friday

Friday after speech therapy, the family went to Olive Garden for lunch, then Aaron, IL5, and I went camping. It was a relaxing evening…with a little “officer – bad guy” and IL5 calling mommy’s phone, saying he was the mailman. About midnight, I left the tent and sat in a chair, but hid in the tent in fear when a large animal (deer?) started snuffling around several feet from me. I couldn’t tell what it was without my glasses, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a bear. But I’ve never heard a deer snuffle.

Week’s Photos

Letters Written

One letter Pennsylvania
One Letter Maryland

Reading to myself

Dragonwatch, by Brandon Mull
The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth by Thomas Morris
Poor Things, by Alasdair Gray

Reading to IL5

Let’s Get Cracking, by Cyndi Marko
Super Rabbit Boy Blasts Off, by Thomas Flintham
Heroes on the Side, by Cyndi Marko
The Birdy-Snatchers, by Cyndi Marko

D14 reading

The Storm Crow, by Kalyn Joseohson
Exile, by Shannon Messenger (I’m reading this to her)

Media Completed

My 5 year old loved the first book of this series so much that he wanted to rush into getting the next ones. I still haven’t gotten the second book, but this is the third. Kung Pow Chicken and Egg Drop fight zombies. Very cute.

In this fourth installment, Kung Pow Chicken and Egg Drop fight baddies in New Yolk City. Cute.

Sophie’s adventures in the lost cities continue as she is given the job of taking care of an alicorn and helping Alden on an errand. But she has to deal with the black swan. I liked this book better than the first in the series, which was weak on plot. Not that this plot was deep…but it existed.