News

Saturday

Saturday was a busy day. I got home from work at 9:15 and had to be at the high school from 10-12 for helping out with the costumes while M10 rehearsed for his show. Then, I had to be at the middle school from 1-4 to chaperone and then attend D13’s middle school play. She did a great job! It was a 70’s talk show about Snow White and the 7 dwarves. Then we went out to dinner for my dad’s birthday and dyed D13’s hair red.

Sunday

Sunday I burned out again. I had to rush to Target to get M10 his costume for his dress rehearsal because they gave us the requests on Saturday, and I was busy Saturday. Then M10 had a 4 hour rehearsal, which I chaperoned. I was moving beyond the limits of my people skills by the end of it, and would have liked to turtle, but the kids wanted family day. So we tried watching the first episode of Firefly, but M10 was unimpressed and spent the entire episode getting IL4 all jacked up so that they were both screaming and running around the livingroom for the entire episode, which gave me negative people energy. I sent them all to bed 15 minutes early, before I broke down in tears. Then I tried to get a hyped up Loki to settle down for bed. Once he was sufficiently calm, I read to him, further negating my stores of people energy. Then D13 came upstairs twice to ask me simple questions that gave me a huge headache, whereupon I asked Aaron to finish reading to IL4 and I pulled the blanket over my head. Oh, and IL4 started crying during Firefly because he wanted yelliw hair, so now he has yellow hair.

Monday

Monday should have been recuperating from my over-extended weekend, but it didn’t turn out that way. While D13 and M10 were at school, IL4 ran around like crazy. He flooded the bathroom, ruined his half-price chocolate bunny by soaking it in water, filled the litter box with toys, and then attempted to suck up the litter with a Dirt Devil. I was at my wits’ end by the end of the day.

Then I picked up M10 at school and took him straight to his rehearsal for his show, cooked dinner, and picked up M10 to take him to baseball practice.

Tuesday

Tuesday was a hard day. It started with D13 and I taking Myra to the vet to be euthanized. She had stopped eating, and really was quite sick. We went to Perkins afterwards, and then to an appointment for D13. While she was in there, I called the plumber, electrician, HVAC technician, and sprinkler system person to make appointments with them all.

When we got home, D13 (who was taking a mental health day) started searching for her Snow White shirt for the cast and crew party. She became frantic, and we each searched the drawers of everyone in the house, as well as the dirty laundry to no avail (eventually one of the directors donated his so she could get it signed by everyone.) While we were searching, transportation called to tell me they were trying to put IL4 on the bus, and I’d made a no ride request for him. I told them that yes, I had. He didn’t belong on the bus. Then I called the daycare to ask why they were trying to put him on the bus when I’d told them not to. (His school had said they didn’t want him while he had diarrhea.) They told me that they’d sent him to school, wasn’t he coming back. I’m like “oh, $***. It’s noon. He’s stranded at the school! He’s not at the daycare.” So I rushed over to the school to pick him up. I decided to keep him home because I was in a rush at this point.

I had been supposed to cook a steak for M10’s feeding therapy, but all plans for that were shot. I picked up M10, and he complained that the walnuts didn’t look edible, so I showed him all the nuts I had, and he chose the almonds and cashews. He then complained that he couldn’t eat because he was weak and his throat hurt. He did manage to eat three almonds, though. I took his temperature, and he had a fever. At this point, I texted his mom to say he might not make it to his band concert that night, and he started crying. He had a special part and had been practicing for months.

I then went to pick up the kitten I’d promised D13 (yes, too early). But he needed to go to the vet one last time, so I returned home without him and rushed D13 off to her cast party.

M10 and I watched Shanghai Knights and then D13, Aaron, and I watched X-Files (she’d returned at this point). The foster parent brought the kitten, and D13 was thrilled. It’s a one-eyed cat we named Polyphemus (after Odysseus’ Cyclops).

Wednesday

Wednesday I took my dad to a hearing aid appointment and played D&D. M10 was home from school with a fever (missed a show and baseball practice that night).

Thursday

So…weird story. When I first adopted Polyphemus on Tuesday, I was under the understanding that I had adopted a fixed, vaccinated, microchipped cat, who’d been tested for FIV and feline leukemia. And that this was from an established rescue.

On Tuesday, I requested the vet records be sent to my vet. The cat had just had an eye removed two weeks prior, and my vet needed that info along with the vaccination records. The foster mom mentioned the name of her vet, and said she’d requested the recirds sent.

By Thursday, the vet records hadn’t arrived at my vet, but the foster mom had sent me a screenshot of a vaccination record for what was clearly another cat. (It was for a cat that was 2 years older than my cat and weighed a good 5 pounds more than my cat would have weighed as a newborn kitten ~3 months ago, plus was adult vaccines.) I sent a text to the vet saying “Hey, I know Foster Mom has requested these files be sent to my vet, but why don’t you send them to me instead, and I can forward them.” That way, my vet doesn’t get confused by the differently named cat and differently
named owner.

Now, as it turns out, the foster mom asked to pop over at this time to see if she could take Polyphemus to her vet because of the puss in the eye. When she arrived, I mentioned that I’d texted her vet, not to fret about the records anymore.

She looked irate and said “Are you always so high maintenance?” I answered “I’m sorry?” She then started screaming at me how she already sent the records. I answered calmly that she mistakenly sent me the wrong records and I was just trying to sort it out. She yelled “They use the same birthdate for every cat!” I let that drop, despite the fact that the weight was also off, and it was unlikely any vet would vaccinate a newborn kitten with an adult vaccine, and that this newborn kitten wouldn’t be 5 pounds.

Anyway, she then started rant-screaming at me and said she just wanted the cat back if this is the way I was going to be. I calmly told her that I had already given him to my stepdaughter, and I wasn’t giving him back. If she didn’t want to give the records, I’d just start from scratch. She screamed at me that I was crazy, that I would have to pay my own vet bills that way (umm? Of course?) and left.

It was really bizarre, because I had remained calm and polite the whole time – mostly because I was assuming she’d see reason – but my dad suggests she started responding with so much anger because she’s lying and I’m starting to see through the lies. But what would be her purpose in lying? The only thing I really don’t want this to be is for him to have feline leukemia or FIV. I should check if he’s even been neutered. Lol

In the evening M10 had a show, and my dad, friend Liz, and I went. It was really well-done, and M10 was so proud of his performance.

Friday

So I was on poop patrol on Friday, as I decided to go ahead and try a second attempt at evacuating IL4’s bowels. 2.5mL of Senna and 4 capfulls of Miralax later, he hadn’t pooped. Silly me, I decided to go to the library. That went well at first, until he was sitting in front of a computer playing a game and I heard a pooplosion. I told him it was time for a diaper change, and he stood up, spread his legs, and insisted several times to continue playing on the computer.

Eventually, I scooped up all of our books in one arm and him in the other, checked out the books, waddled, overburdened, to the car, dropped off the books, grabbed a diaper (no wipes, OMG!) and carried him back to the bathroom.

2 minutes later, he was covered nape to heel in brown. I stripped off his clothes, and put him on the floor, bare as the day he was born, and tried to clean the brown puddle that had accumulated on the changing station. He pressed the handicap button and the door opened wide to him, filthy and exposed, for about 4 people to see. They could also see the brown puddle.

I snatched him up, cleaned him off with paper towels, and dressed him in his jacket and pants (which were thankfully unscathed). Then, as he repeatedly pressed the handicap button, I cleaned the changing station.

But that wasn’t the end of the adventures IL4 would provide. Later that day, while I was writing letters, he opened the spice cabinet and poured the white pepper all over the place. He got some on his tongue, and I was unsympathetic. D13 came along later and asked why he kept licking his arm, and he told her he’d eaten some pepper, so she gave him some milk. She’s kinder than I.

Media Completed

Reading to IL4

• Press Start: Super Rabbit Boy Powers Up!, By Thomas Flintham
• Press Start: Super Rabbit Racers, by Thomas Flintham
• Corduroy, by Don Freeman
• Press Start: Super Rabbit Boy vs. Super Rabbit Boss, by Thomas Flintham
• Owl Diaries: A Woodland Wedding, by Rebecca Elliott
• Press Start: Super Rabbit Boy Blasts Off, by Thomas Flintham
• Press Start: The Super Side Quest, by Thomas Flintham
• Press Start: Super Rabbit Boy’s Time Jump, by Thomas Flintham

M10 reading

• School of Fear, by Gitty Daneshvari

D13 reading

• Exile, by Shannon Messenger

Posts

• Simon and Chester series, by Cale Atkinson

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This day started out well enough. We had our first real quest. In the morning with our breakfast served, a rat jumped up on our table. He introduced himself as Simon, owner of The Small Guys Struggle, the nearby tavern with a giant rat problem. He explained that some of his cousins had moved into his basement and were going through all of his food and drink stores. He wanted us to get rid of them.

We accepted this quest, and set off to buy a wheel of cheese and some poison. Personally, I figured these were not monsters and didn’t deserve to die, but the group was eager to get the task done. Ozy gave some of his blood to the woman who sold us the poison, and then promised we’d meet her at midnight to help her gather ingredients in exchange for poison. I tried to convince them to wait a few days so I could come along. Duter was full this and the next two nights, and there’s a double full moon the day after tomorrow. But they didn’t want to wait.

When we got down to the basement of the Small Guys Struggle, we eventually discovered 2 wererats. They refused to leave, and others in my party chose to attack after the rats also refused the poisoned cheese. There were quite a lot of powerful but missed attacks (seemed like overkill to me), and I finally pinned one of them. The others quickly trapped the other rat, and we convinced them to leave.

Afterwards, we explored the basement a little more – looking for more rats. Bizarrely, we discovered what appeared to be a smuggler’s tunnel under the tavern. We followed it for hours. We had to cross several underground waterways, which contained an interesting algae that gave gills to Cassandra (an elf who had been thrown in among our group right before we left on our quest). The Cassandra sneakily bottled some of the algae – I suspect she didn’t know I noticed.

We battled a couple of giant spiders and a troll, but never found the end of the cavern. Avet got a little parasitical friend that is now attached to his shoulder. Creepy. He found it in a corpse of spider-lunch. Eventually we turned around.

Simon suspiciously pretended not to know about the tunnel and cavern under his tavern. But he said we were not allowed back down. I think some of the group would like to get back down – not sure why. I prefer monster-hunting myself.

Upon returning to the guild just in the nick of time before sundown, Avet joined me in my room and put the tiger’s eye amulet around my neck. In the morning he was there to take it off. I think he’ll be discreet.

This was a cute and funny book, appropriate for younger readers. I’d say a 7 or 8 year old could read it, and my 4 year old enjoyed listening to it and seeing the pictures.

Chester is invited to a slumber party. Being a shy introvert, he doesn’t know what to do at the party, but feels he has to go. Meanwhile, his ghost friend Simon has to pass an inspection which grades his ability to haunt. They decide to help each other out by giving rather silly advice.

Simon and Chester start a detective agency and solve their first crime.

Chester just wants to be part of a normal family, but discovers no family is perfect. Simon attends a ghost convention, and discovers bullies’ opinions don’t matter.

News

Saturday

Saturday was a hard day. It started out with an oh, $*** moment when I looked at my schedule for the day. I’d had trouble the day before focusing on tasks, but I wanted nothing to do with my schedule on Saturday.

I woke D13 for her all day dress rehearsal, and then headed off to help with the costume preparation for M10’s musical show. I had to come home early, though, because I was so tired I felt like I was going to faint. Then, I kept falling asleep during D&D, and finally bailed on the game. I say “finally,” but I only made it about a half hour in. It was a hard day to miss, because we almost lost two characters, which may not have happened if I was there.

After that, dad, Aaron, and I tried out a new restaurant – and it was fantastic. Then D13, Aaron, and I watched a couple episodes of X-files.

Sunday

Sunday I had a bookclub bruch with my friends Liz and Estelle.Then Aaron and I cleared out the room in the basement that has flooding. Afterwards, Aaron, D13, and M10 went to the new Dungeons and Dragons movie.

Monday

Monday we had the asbestos tiles removed from the basement room that has flooding. While that was going on, I ran to the pharmacy to pick up four free COVID tests before insurance stopped paying. I should be able to get them next month, too. Afterwards, IL4 and I poured baking soda in a shot glass of vinegar. D13 had a dress rehearsal for her upcoming play.

Tuesday

Tuesday was a day of delicious nonproductivity. Instead of trying to get everything done that I could, I planned summer (trying to figure out if I’d saved enough money to have fun with the kids – and I have!) Then, I went to the classy new pizzaria and walked a mile each way from there to Joann Fabrics to buy some floss and aida fabric. D13 says she’ll learn to cross-stitch with me. I have a little kit picked out for her to start on, and I’m doing a Baby Groot.

Wednesday

Wednesday was my scheduled day of rest (yes, I rested Tuesday, too. So what?) I took IL4 for an eye appointment – apparently his eyes are 20/30, so, slight prescription, but not enough that they want him to wear glasses.

Then I played D&D. It’s my first in-story day for a full moon, and I’m curious if I’ll get to privacy before I turn into a were-leopard. But it was 2pm (in-story) when we stopped, so I won’t find out till next week.

After that M10 and I went to the Mario movie.

Thursday

Thursday I meant to be a big productivity day. I had plans. Big plans. Great plans. But instead I ate lunch with Aaron. (I mean, I needed to bring him his forgotten phone, right? That was necessary?) Then I took a nap. At least I ran some errands first. A new productivity week starts Saturday. D13 had her opening night of her play, and Aaron and M10 attended.

Friday

Despite the endless potty jokes (dad says I was cleaning the $*** out of IL4, bowel evacuation day went poorly. I tried giving IL4 a quarter-square of exlax, to no avail. He was absolutely not convinced it was chocolate. He did put it in his mouth and pretended to chew when I tried bribing him.

Next, I tried powdering it in the pill crusher and poured it in some chocolate milk, but it just formed a sediment. So I bought an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen – that was me going through the drive through the minute DQ opened – and sprinkled the crushed exlax on the top. He licked around the sprinkles and made the icecream teeter over because he was licking from the bottom.

I decided maybe I’d gotten some into him. Maybe? So I started the 4 capfulls of Miralax. I was supposed to put it in Gatorade, but he doesn’t drink Gatorade, and I decided after the Exlax fiasco, I’d stick to nice familiar apple juice. Not a perfect solution, but whatever.

At this point, my online productivity accountability group made me feel so much better with this conversation:

Me: I’m about to give him 4 caps of Miralax.

George: I hope the 4 cups of Miralax goes better.

Me: OMG! 4 caps! 4 cups would be a $***-ton.

George: Just how much is a $***-ton?

Alex: I believe it’s slightly less than a metric $***-tonne.

Anyway, the evacuation was not complete at the end of the day, so we’ll have to try again Monday. I was happy to go to work at the end of that day.

Week’s Photos

Reading to IL4

• Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos, by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox
• Tiny T-Rex and the Very Dark Dark, by Jonathan Stutzman & Jay Fleck
• Superfly, the World’s Smallest Superhero, by Todd H Doodler
• Pugicorn, by Matilda Rose & Tim Budgen
• The Adventures of Caveboy, by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen & Eric Wight
• Press Start: Game Over, Super Rabbit Boy, by Thomas Flintham

M10 reading

• School of Fear, by Gitty Daneshvari

D13 reading

• The Thing About Jellyfish, by Ali Benjamin
• Exile, by Shannon Messenger

Wrote

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

Media Completed

Posts

• Esmeralda’s Journal 22.2.6828
• Dona Esmeralda Who Ate Everything!, By Melissa de la Cruz & Primo Gallanosa

You know all that food that kids don’t like eating? Well Dona Esmeralda, the tiny woman with a huge bouffant, gobbles it all up. Until she discovers that there exists food that kids actually do like. What do you think happens then? This is a cute, silly book that my 4 year old likes.

22.2.6828

Today was a productive day. It was my first full day in the city of Bad Luck. I was at the inn run by Outreach Guild – you can’t get jobs around here without being a guild member. I was questioning innkeeper Jills about how to join the guild (there’s a challenge on 27.2 that gets a first-level membership) when suddenly a couple of metal monsters crash into the inn.

I, Aqua Aqua (the innkeeper’s partner) and a bunch of non-guild members – Thibedoux (Tabaxi), Ozymandias (Dhampir), Avet (???), And Caspian (human) – attacked the two metal things. Ozy has an interesting spider gadget that can crawl around and attacks monsters, too. We were victorious in vanquishing the creatures with the help of several spells including one that paralyzed them momentarily and another that grew a thorn barrier between them and us.

Jills explained to us that these attacks have been occurring for 3 days and asked us to question the other patrons of the inn to see if we could find out what was going on. I was unfortunately a bit distracted (my scimitar needed sharpening) so I missed this explanation, but I eventually caught on to what the line of questioning was about.

I questioned Le’ Nalo, Bounty Hunter of the Primal Evils and his companion Swivel. But since I didn’t know what I was supposed to be questioning them about, I just asked if they were looking for a monster-hunting companion. They were jerks.

I then questioned Lia, a woman who, like me, is interested in books. One particular book, in her case. She had taken an arcane book of rituals and was now being chased by machine monsters. Thibedoux (who had helped me question her) and I went to tell Jills, who was quite miffed that Lia hadn’t given this information.

Suddenly, our conversation was interrupted by a clamor in the other room. When Thibedoux and I rushed in, there was a monster in Lia’s place (apparently she’d attempted a ritual, as I discovered later). It was a hideous plant that was viciously attacking the other newly-fledged members. We rushed into action, and a few of us were injured as we defeated yet another monster in one day. I was severely pissed that Aqua Aqua didn’t join in this fight.

Afterwards Jills gave each of us non-members a rank 1 membership in the guild (though I’d still like to participate in the challenge). I went exploring the inn, and discovered a tall woman named Lyra in the garden. I went to buy her a tea and invited Avet to join us. He seems like a trustworthy guy, and I need one of those.

We chatted about the garden and medicine and a gigantic rat problem in a nearby tavern. Avet said nothing at all, but that’s ok. He’s the quiet type. All the better.

The other new guild members and I checked out the quest board and picked out a couple that looked doable. One was to try out some “new remedies” as healthy test subjects. The other to fix the giant rat problem Lyra had told me about.

It turned out Lyra was the person who wanted test subjects. She gave us each a “remedy” it was this weird sparkly color, and I decided not to try it. Ozy’s turned him into a sheep and he also took mine, so he started floating away, baaing like mad. Avet’s did nothing.

After Ozy turned human again, we all took rooms and settled in for the night.

News

Saturday

Saturday I was still feeling pretty burnt out. But I went to Hamilton with D13, and that was a lot of fun.

Sunday

Easter was a beautiful day at first. After getting off work at 8am, I went to church with dad. Then we had my friend Liz, her brother Ben, and her nephew L8 come over to hunt for eggs and play. Aaron helped me cook dinner. I cooked vegetables/sausage/potatoes mix (made them too spicy) & the corn casserole. Aaron cooked the ham and the mashed potatoes. Then we watched Notting Hill.

Monday

Monday started with an appointment for M10. After that, dad, IL4, and I walked to the park. The trip was crazy intense. I forgot how dad is on trips like that. First, I broke the stroller trying to adjust for a bigger child. We took him in the wagon. But the nut was missing on the wagon, and IL4 pulled out the bolt, and dad screamed at IL4 about it. Then, I assembled the kite wrong, so I had to jerry-rig it. By the time that had happened, the wind had dissipated.

We went to the playground, but IL4 ran off because he wanted to go to the gas station. I dropped the kite and chased after him, catching him just before the busy street. I took him to the gas station and got him a sprite, but he also wanted a candy bar and was difficult to get away.

Then dad walked to the hardware store and bought a nut, but he stabbed himself really deeply trying to get it put together, swear-yelling in front of all the kids in the playground.

IL4 then peed behind a tree (with my permission), and after hanging out for a while, we left. I had taken 4 books from the little free library, but lost two on the walk home.

Later we went to Outback in order to get an extra steak for M10’s feeding therapy appointment the next day.

Tuesday

Tuesday started out with M10’s appointment being cancelled – so now I have an extra steak lying around. It won’t last two weeks, so we’ll have to go get another steak then. Yes, I COULD cook one, but I figured I was better off making sure it’s a well-cooked steak rather than my rather amateur attempts. D13 had an appointment, and after that, I took a nice long nap. I’m burnt out from these 60 hour work weeks.

Wednesday

Wednesday I spent the day rushing around in an unstructured manner. I got to play D&D, but in a distracted sort of way, as I was multitasking. Then I went to work.

Thursday

Thursday D13 had 2 appointments, so we spent the whole day together – having lunch with her dad and running some errands. We all played family D&D in the evening.

Friday

Friday started with a GI appointment for IL4. The doctor decided that IL4 had a classic case of fecal impaction, where he’s so constipated that a rock solid stool has collected in his gut, leading to all the GI problems, stool withholding,  and lack of appetite. She says it’ll take months of household poop obsession to clear him out and get him pooping normally. Yay. I’ll find out more about what that entails when I get my detailed instructions. Later, he had speech therapy. Then we went to the park and had icecream after some running around.

In the evening Aaron grilled, and then D13 and I watched Heathers. She’d been really wanting to watch it for a long time and I finally succumbed. It was even worse than I remembered it being. Disgustingly rapey and homophobic. It made me feel sick that this was ok movie material in the ’80s. I mean, I guess you can’t expect much from a movie where the plot is two teens killing their classmates and making it appear like suicide.

Week’s Photos

Reading to IL4

• The Legend of Spookley, the Square Pumpkin, by Joe Troiano & Susan Banta
• PJ Masks: Operation Easter Egg
• Owl Diaries: Eva Sees a Ghost, by Rebecca Elliott
• Nelly Gnu and Daddy too, by Anna Dewdney
• Berenstain Bears and the Truth, by Stan Berenstain
• When You Give a Mouse a Cookie, by Laura Numeroff & Felecia Bond
• Llama Destroys the World, by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox
• Llama Unleashes the Alpacalypse, by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox
• Llama Rocks the Cradle of Chaos, by Jonathan Stutzman & Heather Fox

M10 reading

• My Teacher is an Alien, by Bruce Coville
• School of Fear, by Gitty Daneshvari

D13 reading

• When You Trap a Tiger, by Tae Keller
• The Thing About Jellyfish, by Ali Benjamin

Wrote

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

Media Completed

Posts

• Pebbles and the Biggest Number, by Joey Benun & Laura Watson

Weight loss journey

Pebbles the butterfly decides he wants to find the biggest number. So he flies around the world asking various animals what the biggest number they know is. This is an educational book with fun facts and big numbers. It has great illustrations. Suggested age 4-8.

News

Saturday

The thunder-blizzard snowpacalypse dropped 6 inches of snow and blew down some branches. When I got up in the morning (at work) there was a snowdrift in front of the door so I had to exit through the garage when I left. Luckily, the people who clear the driveway had gotten most of it – except the stuff surrounding my car, so I only had to dig out immediately around my car. But as I was driving out, the street snowplow went by and left a huge berm blocking the end of my driveway. However, the person who had cleared the driveway was across the street with her tractor snowblower, and she came back and rescued me. But when I got to my street, I couldn’t turn in because it hadn’t been plowed yet and my car is tiny. So I parked at the park / city hall a mile down the street and trudged back through the snow.

I missed D13 and M10’s production of Wizard of Oz, which I hear was excellent. M10 forgot his jacket at the middle school where the play was, and I’m hoping it’ll still be there on Monday.

We played D&D, where my character did something very naive and foolish, but it was in-character to be naive. Anyway, she got herself captured.

After that D13 and M10 had a production of Willy Wonka, and Aaron and my mother-in-law attended.

Sunday

Sunday we played Uno and Ticket to Ride. Then we colored eggs.

Monday

Monday started out with dropping my mother-in-law at the airport. I went to the grocery store 3 times, took D13 to an appointment, went to an appointment for myself, and ran some errands. I should have worked out, but instead I made a new D&D character so I could have it ready for a new campaign that I have no time for on Wednesday. I really wanted to do it, though.  I see I’m going to feel guilty about spending this me-time. In the evening, I started another 60 hour work-week.

Tuesday

Tuesday was a productive day. I cleaned up the house of my friend’s hoarder mom for a while, took M10 to an appointment, and went to work. D13, as usual, had play rehearsal for the middle school play, and both kids had a cast party for Willy Wonka. Apparently everyone brought cupcakes.

Wednesday

Wednesday, after an appointment for M10, I played D&D for my new Wednesday campaign. IL4 pulled some withholding poop stuff on me, but luckily didn’t poop his pants till after the game was over. There was just a lot of trips to the bathroom and “My tummy hurts!” “My butt hurts! I need cream!” He thinks aquaphor is the solution to constipation apparently. Anyway, as I was picking the poop out of his undies, I noticed blood. I knew it wasn’t a  big deal – constipation can do that, but I took him to urgent care since I got yelled at when I didn’t immediately respond to the blood when M10 had the same problem. Then I went to work.

Thursday

Thursday I helped the Easter Bunny make baskets. One for each kid and one for 3 adults to share. Each person gets a book from the Easter Bunny. That was very thoughtful of her. Then I went out to dinner with Aaron and IL4 (M10 rejected us, and D13 was at rehearsal). Afterwards, Aaron and I headed out to a concert – a string group playing theme songs from fantasy and science fiction movies. Then Aaron and I dropped the car off at home and walked to a bar for a little drink.

Friday

Friday IL4 had speech therapy. Then we tried to go to the Mario movie, but he didn’t want to stay. I was feeling pretty burnt out from working so much.

Week’s Photos

Reading to IL4

• Pebbles and the Biggest Number, by Joey Benun

M10 reading

• My Teacher is an Alien, by Bruce Coville

D13 reading

• When You Trap a Tiger, by Tae Keller

Wrote

• 1 letter Virginia
• 1 letter Main Department of Corrections
• 1 letter Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
• 1 letter Virginia Department of Corrections

Media Partaken In

Posts

• We Don’t Eat Our Classmates, by Ryan T Higgins

Games Played

Weight loss journey

In the morning, we decided to check out the city hall, to see if we could figure out how to get blueprints to the Blackwater estate in order to rescue the lady. While Adalene and Zepher were checking out the bathrooms (gross), and Grok and Raazmi were chatting up a rather boring civil servant, I walked upstairs to scope it out.

I saw a board with the same jobs and wanted posters I had seen before. I decided to ask a passing guard about Giovanni. He didn’t give me any new information, and I basically told him I knew all that already, and suddenly he decided he needed to take me into a private room.

You know who walked in? Sharzar Blackwater! He seemed rather nice (and handsome!), so I chatted him up thinking maybe he would eventually see reason and release his prisoner. But he didn’t like me nearly as much as I liked him, and he had a guard escort me to his estate and into a locked bedroom. The beds were delightfully soft, but I didn’t like being locked in.

On the way to this room, I met a lovely, and very sexy, woman with 5 dragon heads named Mother Ish. She suggested she could do me a favor if I converted to the cult of Tiamat. I think I’ll convert. I mean, what can I lose now? She told me to meet her in the East wing, but I’m locked in this room.

She also told me that Bouncy Inferno used to be owned by the Blackwaters. Bouncy seems pretty worried right now. We couldn’t find any vents for him to escape, but there are some loose bricks in the ceiling. I will try breaking out through there.