News

Saturday

Saturday, IL6, Aaron, and I went to Olive Garden with my friend Liz. I got lots of reading done. Aaron weeded and dug up some stumps.

Sunday

Sunday I did the school shopping (ok, so I ordered it all for pickup from Target, and let them do the school shopping). IL6 and I worked on an “update” for one of his Scratch games. Aaron did a Home Depot run – which required me having an argument with the furnace which came to physical blows. I took IL6 to swim lessons. Dad took us all to Red Lobster for dinner.

Monday

Monday I started out making Aaron some chickpea curry for his week’s lunches. Then I took M13 to the orthodontist (he didn’t eat for the rest of the day).   I took dad to the gym and had a good workout myself. Then I took D15 to the library and dad to cardiac rehab. Aaron took D15 to rehearsal and I cooked dinner. Aaron and M13 went to M13’s Court of Honor, where M13 was awarded some merit badges. I baked Aaron a strawberry shortcake. IL6 wanted to pretend it was his dad’s 125th birthday, so we sang “Happy Birthday.”

Tuesday

Tuesday was long. First, I took D15 to an appointment. Then I ran an errand, and took M13 to an appointment. Afterwards, I drove him to his mom’s house – during rush hour traffic. She lives practically downtown. So it took an hour to get there and an hour to get back. It was harrowing.

In the evening, Aaron took D15 to rehearsal, mowed the lawn, and played Minecraft with IL6. I paced around and talked with dad.

Wednesday

Wednesday dad had an in-home nurse visit. Then he and I ran errands. I got my new glasses and can finally see. Except my eyes still get tired really fast. I’ve had them checked out – nothing wrong – I put in artificial tears every 2 hours, I don’t stare at a screen for hours at a time (generally). I took  dad to cardiac rehab. Aaron took D15 to rehearsal.

Thursday

Thursday I had a work training right after my shift, so I was at work for an extra 4 hours. It was an only-audio “video” meeting. I got lots of cross-stitch done.

Immediately upon returning home, I took dad to see a doctor, which took a lot longer than it should have. So after picking up Loki and some hot chicken, I only had a half hour before D&D. Then I had a half hour break before going to work.

D15 was at her Newsies rehearsal. IL6 took a nap. Aaron played Diablo.

Friday

Friday I took dad to the gym. I got a good workout in, as well. I took him to a blood draw. D15 had opening night of Newsies.

Reading to myself

• Return of the Dragon Slayers, by Brandon Mull
• A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
• To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, by Moniquil Blackgoose
• Gulag Archipelago, by Aleksandr Solzhenitzyn
• Dreadful, by Caitlin Rozakis

Reading to IL5

• Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers, by Dav Pilkey
• Lair of the Bat Monster, by Ursula Vernon

D14 reading

• The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy, by Anne Ursu

Aaron reading

• Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood

Media Completed

Tippy Tinkletrousers escapes prison and causes chaos. Very fun

This was a well-written history of Cromwell. It balanced between a positive look at him and a negative look. I was a little put off by the subtitle. Does Borman think she’s the first person to tell Cromwell’s story?  I would hope that her perspective was somewhat fresh, or at least the information was presented as a mixture of info from other books on the subject, but I can’t be sure, as it’s the only history of him that I have read.

This collection of short stories was fun, and had one of Holme’s famous lines about ruling out the improbable and accepting the improbable. Holmes was less of a conceited ass in this book than the first two novels I read.

News

Saturday

Saturday, Aaron and I played D&D. Then nothing much happened for the rest of the day.

Sunday

Sunday, D15 and I got haircuts. Then D15 played D&D. IL6 programmed a game and had swim lessons. Aaron mowed the lawn and cooked chili. That makes it sound like I did nothing, lol. I looked after IL6 all day.

Monday

Monday, IL6 woke me early (between 5-6) and wanted to watch TV. So I slept on the couch while he watched. I ended up sleeping till 10:15. Oops. I had several errands I meant to start running at about 10, but I didn’t start till 11:30. I got 3 of them done, and a few phone calls.

In the afternoon, I took dad to his cardiac rehab, where I got some reading done. After Aaron picked up D15 at rehearsal in the evening, the family went to Outback Steakhouse.

Tuesday

Tuesday I took D15 to an appointment, followed by an appointment for M13. Then I took M13 and IL6 to the pool. They both enjoyed themselves, but I burned my feet so bad I got blisters. (It was a heat advisory day, and I made it worse by carrying IL6 to protect his feet.)  In the evening, Liz came over and we finished Obi Wan Kenobi. 

Wednesday

On Wednesday, I took a nap, read, and wrote a letter in the morning. Then I went to the dentist, picked up M12’s trombone at the repair shop, and picked up dad at cardiac rehab. Then Aaron and I chatted for the evening.

Thursday

Thursday I took dad to a couple of appointments then played D&D. D15 had rehearsal for Newsies.

Friday

Reading to myself

• Return of the Dragon Masters, by Brandon Mull
• A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
• I Shall Wear Midnight, by Terry Pratchett
• Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Arthur Conan Doyle
• King Arthur History and Legend, by Dorsey Armstrong
• Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Reading to IL5

• Flight of the Moon Dragon, by Tracey West
• Double Creature Feature, by Andres Miedoso
• Captain Underpants and the Terrifying Return of Tippy Tinkletrousers, by Dav Pilkey

Media Completed

The Dragon Masters run to the rescue of the dragon stone in the land of the pyramids.

Tiffany fights with her feelings for Roland and fights an eyeless menace. This is a funny book, and my favorite of the series because it develops Tiffany’s emotions so much.

Andres and Desmond discover a monster at the movies. Cute, as usual. This is IL6’s favorite series.

As described in the title, these lectures cover the history of King Arthur as well as the development of the legends through history. I really loved these lectures.

News

Saturday

Saturday Aaron, D15, and IL6 and I went to the zoo.  D15 really enjoyed the fish. IL6 walked around with his nose in his phone, so clearly there’s no need to have a zoo membership if he has gotten bored of it. Then Aaron took D15 to her mom’s and picked up M13.

Sunday

Sunday was pretty laid back. Aaron did yardwork. I cooked some baked beans and jambalaya for his next week’s food. Dad took us out to Red Lobster in the evening. At 10:30 at night, I heard that the court date for the subpoena had been moved, so now Monday and Tuesday had been freed up. However, that also means I’m going to have to clear another two days in the future. 

Monday

Monday I used my unexpected time. I ran some errands and did the laundry (which is a massive undertaking when you tend to procrastinate, as I do). In the evening, we ate the cake IL6 and I had baked on Sunday.

Tuesday

Tuesday, I took D15 to an appointment, and then weeded. Last time I weeded, I only pulled the tall weeds, but this time I was thorough, pulling all the low-lying weeds, so my progress was not very impressive. In the evening, I watched a few episodes of Andor with Aaron.

Wednesday

Wednesday I did a little more weeding, then took dad to cardiac rehab.

Thursday

Thursday dad had an in-home nurse visit. Then he and I went to Perkins for breakfast. I took dad to cardiac rehab afterwards. In the evening, I had D&D while Aaron entertained IL6.

Friday

Friday I took IL6 to his speech therapy. I took dad to get a haircut. Then I drove 5 hours roundtrip to pick up M13 from Boy Scout camp. He had a great time, but was really happy to be home. It was time to get IL6 to bed by the time I got back.

Week’s Photos

Reading to myself

• Return of the Dragon Slayers, by Brandon Mull
• Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie
• King Arthur History and Legend, by Dorsey Armstrong 
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
• Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, by Ellen Notbohm
• I Shall Wear Midnight, by Terry Pratchett
• Mr Ballen podcast

Reading to IL5

• Curse of the Were-Wiener, by Ursula Vernon
• Billie B Brown: The Soccer Star, by Sally Rippin

D14 reading

• 13 Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

Media Completed

Wendell is bitten by a were-wiener, and the reptiles must save the school from being overtaken.

Billy B Brown is told she can’t play soccer because she’s a girl. She can.

This is either a fantasy or a book by an unreliable narrator. I couldn’t decide which. In it, the protagonist tells the magical story of growing up as one of a few hundred children who were born at the stroke of midnight on the day India was born as a modern country. This book was well-written, and I can see why so many people find it amazing, but it didn’t do it for me. I was never excited to hear what happened next, or to start reading. It did keep me reasonably well-entertained once I began reading, though.

The Bad Guys are split into two groups. Wolf and Fox, aka “The One” battle snake. The other group travels across the universe at light speed.

The S.S.M.P. comes across a beast with 8 noses.

News

Saturday

Saturday Aaron and I played D&D. Then Aaron gamed with some friends while IL6 and I played Minecraft. In the evening, Aaron and D15 worked on a puzzle.

Sunday

Sunday was a relaxing day. Aaron and I both played Minecraft with IL6. D15 had D&D. I took IL6 to swim lessons.

Monday

Monday was busy. It started with me taking dad to get his hearing aid fixed. Then I took him to the gym, where we both worked out. Finally, I took him to cardiac rehab. In the evening, IL6 and M13 both fell asleep, so I relaxed after cooking a quick dinner. Aaron took dad back to the gym.

Tuesday

Tuesday I took D15 to an appointment. Then I picked up IL6 at camp and took him to the pool. They measured him, and he was tall enough to go down the slide, which he really wanted to do. That scared me a little since he can’t swim and you can’t go down together, but I was told the water would be chin-height for him. So I quizzed him on “stand up and move out of the way” and the lifeguard noticed and said they could help him at the bottom. That made me feel better. We went down the slide over and over for at least an hour.

In the evening, my friend Liz came over and we watched Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Wednesday

Wednesday, I got a crown put in on a fractured tooth. That was my first crown, so I didn’t know what to expect. I now have a temporary crown. Afterwards, I ran some errands. In the evening, Aaron and I went out on a dinner date.

Thursday

Thursday started with a trip to Perkins with M13 and dad. It’s nice to get dad out of the house. In the afternoon, dad and I went to cardiac rehab. I was hoping they’d discharge us in two weeks when our appointments ended, but the therapist wanted us to schedule 2 weeks more. I was supposed to play D&D, but the VTT was having technical difficulty, so I hung out with the family instead.

Friday

On Independence Day, my friend Liz came over for grilling, and we all watched Doctor Who. Then D15, IL6, Aaron and I went to a fireworks display. This was the first professional display D15 had seen since she was 7, and IL6’s first-ever. Afterwards, Aaron and D15 set off smaller fireworks in the driveway.

Reading to myself

• Return of the Dragon Slayers, by Brandon Mull
• A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
• Great World Religions: Hinduism, by Mark W Muesse
• Mr Ballen podcast
• King Arthur: History and Legend, by Dorsey Armstrong
• 10 Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew by Ellen Notbohm

Reading to IL5

• Curse of the Were Wiener, by Ursula Vernon
• Sam Battles the Machine, by Jack Chabert

Media Completed

The hall monitors have a bizarre substitute teacher who knows more than he lets on. Cute.

This series of lectures was informative and gave a basic idea that Hinduism is really a way of life rather than a religion in the strict sense of the word. However, I have also been reading Klaus K Klostermaier’s “Survey of Hinduism,” and a lot of the information in these was uncannily similar to the info in the first 10 chapters of Klostermaier’s book, which came out long before these lectures. My guess is that Muesse uses Klostermaier’s book as the textbook for his class.

News

Saturday

Saturday Aaron cooked waffles and I cooked bacon. Then we took IL6 and D15 to the Sustainable Safari, an indoor zoo of rescue animals. The kids got to pet a baby alligator and an 8-year-old alligator. D15 pet a couple of capybaras and IL6 pet some bunnies.

Dad took us to Red Lobster, then everyone but D15 watched A Minecraft Movie. D15 joined us, and Aaron left for Mario Movie.

Sunday

Sunday I went to Olive Garden with my friend Liz, her nephew, IL6, and Aaron. Liz and I wanted to discuss our book club book. Then IL6 rode his bike to the library with me running along behind. (He needs to learn better road safety.) After IL6’s swim lessons, he and I played Minecraft while Aaron made chili.

Monday

Monday I ran errands in the morning, then took dad to the gym. He has finally gone back after his heart attack. He enjoyed his workout, and I got a workout on the treadmill while he was lifting weights. It made me feel really good.

In the afternoon, I took dad to cardiac rehab, then dad wanted Chinese food, so I didn’t have ro cook. I got some reading and relaxing done in the evening.

Tuesday

Tuesday I took D15 to an appointment. I went to the gym for a little while. Then I had a dentist appointment. I need to get a crown because I have a fractured tooth. In the evening, Aaron and I watched three episodes of Andor.

Wednesday

Wednesday was frustrating. I discovered I’d locked my keys in the car when attempting to leave work and waited 3 hours for AAA to rescue me. I had to reschedule an appointment. Then, after eating for the first time that day (at 1pm), I dropped dad off at an appointment and went to the music store to get M12’s trombone fixed. After that, I went to pick up a form from M12’s doctor. But because of traffic and pouring rain, and very confusing construction, I missed my exit and misplaced myself trying to get back to where I wanted to be. It added 30ish minutes to my drive. I took the rest of the day off. IL6 played in his sandbox and I chatted with family.

Thursday

Thursday dad had an in-home appointment. Then I took M12 to Target and to the orthodontist. After that, I took dad to cardiac rehab. I was supposed to have D&D after that, but it got cancelled. D15 had rehearsal for her play.

Friday

Friday I took IL6 to two appointments. Then, I dressed him in his swimsuit and dropped him at the park, where his day-camp group was. Then D15 drove me on my errands. For the first bit, it was just easy roads, but then she got to experience one with a 50mph speed limit. She did great. In the end, we went to a restaurant to get a free brownie.

In the evening dad took Aaron and me to a favorite Mongolian grill. Then I played Minecraft with IL6, read to D15, then read to IL6.

Week’s Photos

Reading to myself

• Champion of the Titan Games, Brandon Mull
• Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
• Great World Religions: Hinduism, by Mark W Muesse

Reading to IL5

• Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs, by Ursula Vernon
• Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People, by Dav Pilkey

D14 reading

• Before I Fall, by Lauren Oliver

Media Completed

Danny and Wendell help save a foreign exchange student from ninja frogs.

Seth continues on his quest for self-discovery as Kendra woos the giant queen. This was a good installment of the Dragonwatch books. Interesting and fun.

George and Harold accidentally enter an alternate universe where everything is opposites. Funny and colorful, as usual.

News

Saturday

Saturday Aaron and I had D&D, then Aaron played Minecraft with IL6 while D15 drove with me. She hadn’t driven for a while, and needed to get back into the swing of things, but she finished up the outing in a better place than she finished last time.

Sunday

Sunday Aaron went to board gaming, and I picked up M12 after his camping trip. D15 drove on the side streets for 20 minutes.

Monday

Monday, IL6 had summer school instead of camp. He got to see his old kindergarten teacher, so he was pretty thrilled about that.

I made some taco soup for Aaron’s lunches. Ran errands. Took dad to his appointment.

In the evening, Aaron made burgers and I played Minecraft with IL6. (I built a gigantic house. IL6 was impressed.) M12 had Boy Scouts, and D15 had rehearsal.

Tuesday

Tuesday I took D15 to the library and to an appointment. Then I dropped her off at her mom’s house. I took M12 to an appointment. (he’s gained another 3 pounds, despite his problem with not being able to eat for several days due to the braces!) In the evening, my friend Liz came over and we watched a couple episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Wednesday

Wednesday I ran errands with dad and then dropped him off at cardiac rehab. Usually I stay, but today he was picked up by my sister, so I used the extra time to drive to the BSA store to buy a Cub Scout shirt for IL6.

In the evening, M12, IL6, Aaron, and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. Then dad joined us for a walk to the park. IL6 and M12 rode their bikes.

Thursday

Thursday was Juneteenth, and Aaron had the day off. He and I had lunch together, then I took dad to his cardiac rehab. In the evening, I played D&D. I discovered there was an error in the cross-stitch pattern I’m using, where 3 rows are completely missing from the pattern. Not knowing what to do, I decided to continue my work, just fudging the cross-over between page 1 and page 2 of the pattern. Hopefully it looks ok.

Friday

Friday was difficult. I woke with a migraine, but still had to work and then drive IL6 to his appointment. On the way home, before picking up IL6, I got caught behind a train that had stopped on the tracks. That, plus a couple other things, made me 15 minutes late to the appointment.

IL6’s therapist shared the news with him that she was leaving the organization, but that we could potentially follow her once she found a new place. IL6 really likes her a lot, and will be disappointed to lose her, but it depends on how fast she finds a place and where it’s located if we can follow her. I’m surprised this organization doesn’t have a non-compete clause.

By the time I got home, my headache was fully gone, but my head felt heavy and foggy. I ended up sleeping all day. In the evening, I read to D15 and then to IL6.

Week’s Photos

Reading to myself

• Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull
• Mr Ballen podcast
• A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
• Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie
• Great World Religions: Buddhism, by Malcolm David Eckel
• Great World Religions: Hinduism, by Mark W Muesse

Reading to IL5

• Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 2: Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers, by Dave Pilkey
• Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs, by Ursula Vernon

D14 reading

• Mort, by Terry Pratchett

Aaron reading

• Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood

Media Completed

Captain Underpants, George, and Harold save the world from robo-boogers. Funny, as usual.

Dr Eckel covers the history and beliefs of Buddhism in a clear an concise manner.

News

Saturday

Saturday we slept in. After breakfast, we headed to the playground (IL6 rode his bike). He played for a couple of hours, then we all went back to the tent, exhausted by the heat. The tent didn’t help much with the exhaustion.

When IL6 wanted out of the tent again, we went to the beach. That cooled us down – in fact IL6 was so cooled off his teeth were chattering the whole 1.5 hours we were there. When it started to thunder, we went back to the tent, but the storm was only a few minutes long.

After dinner (hamburgers) we played a game of freeze flashlight monster tag in the dark. I also got a lot of reading done.

Sunday

Sunday morning, we packed up camp and headed home. In the afternoon, IL6 had swim lessons. Then in the evening, Aaron took D15 to her mom’s and picked up M13.

Monday

Monday I made gumbo for Aaron’s lunches. I took dad to an appointment with his PCP, then we went to Perkins. After that, we went to dad’s cardiac rehab. I picked up IL6 at his YMCA “camp.” D15 had rehearsal for Newsies.

Tuesday

Tuesday, I took D15 to an appointment, then dropped her off at her mom’s. I then kept busy catching up on stuff that I should have done the day before, but was to busy to do. In the evening, I played Kirby with IL6, then watched Solo with dad and Aaron.

Wednesday

Wednesday I took M13 to get his braces. They immediately caused him pain rubbing against his tongue, so he wouldn’t eat all day. Then I took dad to cardiac rehab, cooked dinner, and played Diablo with Aaron and IL6.

Thursday

Thursday  I went to Walmart (somewhere I passionately hate going) to buy a bunch of stuff, one of which I could only get there. I had a pretty bad anxiety attack, but I got what I needed.

In the afternoon, I finally heard the results of IL6’s neurobehavioral assessment. He was diagnosed with autism, and they kept his speech delay and ADHD diagnoses.

Later, a home care company came to talk to dad for their intake.

In the evening, Aaron, Dad, IL6 and M13 went to Red Lobster while I played my new Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It was fun. I was worried about the amount of time it took out of my schedule, but hopefully it will work.

Friday

Friday I went to Perkins with dad and M13, then we went to the mall to buy him some Crocs for his upcoming canoe trip. I had been going to take the day off, as I’ve been so busy lately, but that wasn’t going to happen. So instead I took a 2 hour nap, which was a really nice consolation prize.

In the afternoon, I dropped M13 off for his canoe trip with the Boy Scouts and picked up IL6 from camp. He’d gone to Crayola Experience as a field trip, and really enjoyed himself.

In the evening, I made spaghetti, since IL6 had really wanted some (though he’d never eaten it before). When it was in front of him, he didn’t “like the red.” Then D13 bought a new diamond art, and IL6 worked on programming a computer game. I read to D13, then IL6 fell asleep even though we’d been planning on staying up till midnight reading.

Week’s Photos

Reading to myself

• The Economist: Phew! It’s a girl!
• The Week: Crashing Out
• Champion of the Titan Games
• Mr Ballen podcast
• A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier

Reading to IL5

• Snap of the Super Goop, by Troy Cummings

D14 reading

• Keepers of the Lost Cities, by Shannon Messenger

Media Completed

Alexander, Rip, and Nikki invite a new person to join the SSMP, and then battle a monster who comes from an unexpected place.

When ST the crow’s human turns into a zombie, he takes the dog and runs. The apocalypse is told through his eyes. This book was hilarious. It was a bit WTF at the end, but that only added to the humor.

News

Saturday

Sunday, IL6 rode his bike to the park. Later he had swim lessons. Then he and D15 taught me to play Diablo.

Sunday

I kept busy Monday. In the morning, I took Polyphemus to the vet to get his teeth cleaned. I spent 1.5 hours weeding the backyard – I got all the big weeds out (we had a thistle infestation, and those get big). However, I noticed there were bushes under the sump pump outlet and the downspout. Which are both horrible places for a bush, so I now need to dig them out.

In the afternoon I took dad to two appointments. And after that, I took D15 to rehearsal for Newsies. I had to take IL6 along, so he and I went to the library near the rehearsal location. Finally, I played Kirby with IL6.

Monday

I kept busy Monday. In the morning, I took Polyphemus to the vet to get his teeth cleaned. I spent 1.5 hours weeding the backyard – I got all the big weeds out (we had a thistle infestation, and those get big). However, I noticed there were bushes under the sump pump outlet and the downspout. Which are both horrible places for a bush, so I now need to dig them out.

In the afternoon I took dad to two appointments. And after that, I took D15 to rehearsal for Newsies. I had to take IL6 along, so he and I went to the library near the rehearsal location. Finally, I played Kirby with IL6.

Tuesday

Tuesday I took D15 to an appointment. Then I took Freyja and Sake to the vet.

I ran by the pharmacy to pick up a med for IL6, but they said they had nothing. I couldn’t remember which med I’d had filled, so I went home. Later, I realized what med I had wanted to pick up. I called the pharmacy. Apparently the prescription was sent to the store 20 minutes away because we had his antibiotic prescription sent there a couple weeks ago. I was so frustrated.

Then, this guy rang the doorbell. I answered and he said “Rachel … i assume?” I’m like “Yeah.” He handed me an envelope, then said “I think it’s a subpoena.” Yup. I was subpoenaed. Remember that incident with my day job where the mom was taken away from her adult sons because of abuse and negligence charges? They were cleared of abuse. But now they’re fighting the negligence charges. So I’m a witness.

Then Aaron and I watched Revenge of the Sith. I had to stop 30 minutes from the end to start bedtime routine for IL6, so I’ll need to catch up on my own.

Wednesday

Wednesday, I took M13 to the orthodontist and D15 to the dentist. Aaron and D15 worked on their 6000 piece puzzle.

Thursday

Thursday I ran quite a few errands in the morning, then I took dad to cardiac rehab. In the evening, IL6 ranked up from Lion to Tiger in Cub Scouts.

Friday

Friday I took IL6 to his two Friday appointments, then we played Kirby while Aaron mowed the lawn. Next, Aaron, IL6, and I went camping. M13 went to his mom’s, and D15 stayed home.

Week’s Photos

Reading to myself

• Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
• A Survey of Hinduism by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Champion of the Titan Games by Brandon Mull
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
• Great World Religions: Judaism, by Isaiah M Gafni
• Mr Ballen podcast
• The Economist: Phew! It’s a girl

Reading to IL5

• The Bad Guys in the One, by Aaron Blabey

Aaron Reading

• Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood

Media Completed

In this interesting set of lectures Isaiah M Gafni describes the history, beliefs, and philosophies of Judaism. I found the lectures easy to follow and enjoyable.

When the Evil Overlord threatens to take over the universe, The One must save the world.

News

Saturday

Saturday, I played Minecraft with IL6 then in the afternoon, we went to a military cemetery to place flags for his Cub Scouts service project. We drove to the place the instructions told us we should sign in. They told us to go to a tent down the road. We drove quite a way down the road till it was blocked off, walked all the way back up looking for a tent. Got all the way back to where we first tried signing in. Gave up and walked all the way back to our car. Dad took us to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.

Sunday

Sunday was relaxing. I played Minecraft with IL6 (as did D15, Aaron, and M12). IL6 also wrote a Scratch game. I read. Aaron had a board gaming meeting.

Monday

Monday was another beautiful day. Aaron got a lot of work done outdoors. I took a walk with D15 and dad to the library, then post office. IL6 played Minecraft with Aaron, then me, and also wrote a Scratch game. I made Jambalaya and chicken noodle soup for Aaron’s lunches. I read to D15.

Tuesday

Tuesday, I took D15 to an appointment in the morning. I relaxed a bit in the evening, except for a run for groceries with dad. When IL6 got home, the kids all went outside to ride their bikes. I went in to cook dinner, and after I’d started, Liz arrived. Oops! We’d made plans and I forgot. So I put my chicken in the fridge and ordered a pizza. We watched some Doctor Who.

Wednesday

Wednesday was relaxed at the beginning of the day. I went to a brewery to get away from the house. I wrote two letters. I took dad to his cardiac rehab appointment. Drove home in rush hour. Then IL6 wanted to ride his bike to the park, so D15 and dad joined us. Then they rode to Culver’s, where D16 locked the bikes up with her lock. Then she didn’t remember her combination, so Aaron and dad drove to home Depot and bought a bolt cutter to get the bikes.

Thursday

Thursday, dad and I ran errands, one of which was to buy M12 and D15 adult bikes. We went to a good bike shop and got the only two used bikes they had (but still need to pick them up). I later took dad to cardiac rehab.

In the evening, we went to Perkins for M12’s birthday. Then he opened presents (Manga, bluetooth headphones, axis and Allies, and Loki’s alarm clock). We had a cake with a dragon on it.

Friday

Friday I took IL6 to two appointments. Then dad and I went to pick up the new bikes. Unfortunately, it’s too big for M13, but he can use his dad’s bike and Aaron can use the new one. D15 hasn’t tried sitting on her bike yet. In the evening, dad, IL6, and I went to the park – IL6 rode his bike.

Reading to myself

• A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett
• Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull
• Great World Religions: Judaism by Isaiah M Gafni
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
• Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie

Reading to IL5

• Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon
• Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 1 The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets

D14 reading

• Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger

Media Completed

Dragonbreath & Wendell dive down deep to finish Dragonbreath’s report on the ocean. Very cute and funny.

When Tiffany dances with the Wintersmith, the world is threatened by eternal winter. Like all Terry Pratchett books, this is funny and delightful.

News

Saturday

Saturday, Aaron and I played D&D and then I took a long nap because I’ve been burned out again.

Sunday

Sunday morning 4am, IL6 woke up crying, clutching his ear. He was inconsolable for a while, and then wanted to be hugged when he went back to sleep. He tried hard, but he was too uncomfortable. So we got up and watched TV.

At a more reasonable time, I was supposed to make a corn casserole, so I ran to the store, and prepared it, while Aaron took IL6 to Urgent Care. IL6 had an ear infection . Unfortunately, they returned with a prescription for liquid amoxicillin, which IL6 won’t take. So I called Urgent Care (which isn’t easy, as you have to call around to get a message to them) to tell them we needed a capsule (which we would cut open and put in his drink). The nurse called back after an hour and said the doctor didn’t want to give a capsule due to dosing issues. I told it simply had to be something tasteless.

Then my friend Liz and I went to a friend’s house. We knew this friend online, but hadn’t met her in person. We played Cards Against Humanity, then made greeting cards.

While there, the nurse called again and said the doctor was willing to prescribe a pill that wasn’t readily available. She said she’d called a few places, and that I would have to call around some more. But Liz called her pharmacy (she’s a tech), and they told her where the nearest pharmacy with the dose was. So I called the nurse back, and we got the antibiotic!

Getting it in to IL6 in the evening was a bust at first, because I added a med to the drink that he claimed IL6 could taste but I didn’t believe him. (He has phantom bad tastes when he doesn’t feel like drinking, so I was skeptical, since he’d taken that med so long without complaint; then suddenly he started complaining.) There were many, many tears. So I made a fresh drink with the antibiotics and the other meds besides the one he can taste, and he drank it up, no problem. I am now a believer.

Monday

Monday, Aaron took the day off to celebrate our anniversary. We ran errands, ate Mexican food, and threw axes. M12’s jazz band played at an event, and then he went to Scouts BSA (or whatever they’re called now). I read to D15.

Tuesday

Tuesday, I took D15 then M12 to appointments. M12 gained 3 pounds! M12 had a concert in the evening.

Wednesday

Wednesday, I made some chicken stew for Aaron. I wrote a letter. Then I took dad to see his cardiologist. In the evening, D15 had script pick-up for the Newsies show she will be in over the summer. I played Minecraft with IL6.

Thursday

Thursday I killed the last of our dandelions in our back yard. I took dad to his cardiac rehab intake. We have 24 sessions scheduled. Dad took us all out to eat. IL6 showed dad how to play Minecraft.

Friday

I rushed around a lot on Friday. I took IL6 to three appointments, including a blood draw – which is always very stressful since he kicks and screams and yells “Please help me!” Then, after popping in to the library, I took the car to get the belt tightened. The evening was bustling too, with all sorts of little tasks I wanted done. D15 went to her mom’s. IL6 wrote a game in Scratch. M12 relaxed.

Reading to myself

• Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull
• A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier
• Mr Ballen podcast
• Great World Religions: Islam, by John L Esposito
• Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman

Reading to IL5

• Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, by Dav Pilkey
• Stitch Head: Monster Hunter
• School Freezes Over, by Jack Chabert
• Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman, by Dav Pilkey

D14 reading

• Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare
• Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger

Media Completed

Captain Underpants uses his new superpowers to fight a gigantic gerbil jogger.

Stitch head needs to rescue Creature and Castle Groteskew from a persistent monster hunter.

The hall monitors deal with Orson Eerie’s reincarnation in a frozen school.

This set of lectures teaches about the history, future, and beliefs of Islam. I found the information interesting, if a little condensed (necessarily). I’m interested in reading Esposito’s book “Everything You Need to Know About Islam” as a result of listening to these lectures.

When Ms Ribble transforms into a supervillain, Captain Underpants, George, and Harold need to save the day.