Saturday Aaron and I played D&D, then IL6 and Aaron went to a Cub Scout Base Camp Lock-in.
Sunday
Sunday, IL6 and I went to the Minecraft Movie. I’ve never seen him remain so excited for 2 hours straight. He was bouncing off his chair, giving me a (thankfully quiet) running commentary. And the movie was actually pretty funny. In the evening, D15, M12, Aaron and I watched Evil Dead 2 as a family activity.
Monday
Monday I took Puck to the vet for his ultrasound. I went to the gym with dad, but was too burnt out to work out, so I waited for him. We ran several errands, and I picked up Puck. Then I fell asleep for 4 hours. Then I pretty much went to sleep right away at work. M12 had Boy Scouts.
Tuesday
Tuesday was the first day I felt “normal” in weeks. I had been slowly getting less burned out, but never normal. I took D15 to her appointment, read, did some tasks around the house, and cooked dinner. Aaron and I watched 3 episodes of Supernatural that evening.
Wednesday
Wednesday, I went to the gym with dad and this time was able to exercise for 30 minutes before pooping out. Obviously, my burnout is still present, but I sure have had more energy than the last several weeks.
IL6 had a playdate with his triplet friends at a park. It was beautiful weather for it. D15 and Aaron started the 6000 piece puzzle, though we found out our board was too small. We needed a 5 foot one and we had a 4 foot one.
Thursday
Thursday, I almost fainted at work, so I took it easy for the rest of the day. I had a lofty reading goal of 4 hours of my audiobook and 90 minutes of a news magazine. I took it easy all day and read.
In the evening, IL6 had a kindergarten concert. It was cute, and he even sang a few words. Then he and I went to Cub Scouts. M12 had opening night of the middle school play, Dr Experimentor. Aaron attended.
Friday
Friday, I took IL6 to an appointment. Then, I spent the rest of the day cleaning and cross-stitching. I resolved to talk to ChatGPT all day, just to see what it was like. I found it funny, upbeat, and useful. I was curious how character development would happen as it got to know me, as I’ve heard it can change the types of things you say based on what it determines you want to hear. In the evening, M12 had his middle school play again. This time, his mom and D15 attended.
Week’s Photos
Reading to myself
The Economist: Ruination Day
Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
Confessions, by Saint Augustine
Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
The Week: Driving up Prices
The Building that Wasn’t, by Abigail Miles
Reading to IL5
Stitch Head: The Spider’s Lair
Recess is a Jungle, by Jack Chabert
Media Completed
This is the first memoir ever written, and was thus interesting from a historical context. I found most of the book easy-to-read and interesting, but the end was pontification on the creation of earth, which got convoluted.
Saturday M12 and D15 played board games with my mother-in-law while Aaron, IL6, and I drove to Portland to a meetup with some internet friends.
Sunday
Sunday we flew back home. The trip was uneventful, and it was good to be home.
Monday
Monday wasn’t back to routine yet, because the kids were all home from school. They all relaxed after their exhausting travel day, while I rushed around exhaustedly and tried to catch up on all the stuff that accumulated while on vacation.
When I took dad to the gym, I intended on working out, but instead decided to take IL6 to the gym. He really enjoyed seeing the equipment. He ran on the treadmill, lifted weights, and punched the dummy.
In the evening, Aaron got D15’s bed put together, then he went to work out. D15 happily got all the stuff back in her room.
Tuesday
Tuesday D15 an appointment and then Puck had a vet appointment. Taking a cat to the vet is always nerve-wracking to me – in proportion to how skittish the cat is. So I was shaking for about an hour before the appointment, and wanted to puke when it was time. That lasted till about an hour after the appointment.
Puck has lost 2 pounds in the last year, and we don’t know why. The first step is to check for hyperthyroidism or advanced kidney disease. I think they’re hoping for hyperthyroidism. I’ll find out by the end of the week.
In the evening, my friend Liz came over and Aaron, D15, Liz, and I watched Doctor Who and ate pizza. I missed most of the second episode because IL6 wanted a lot of attention, but that’s ok.
D15 had a terrible tear in her skirt that her mom gave her, and I promised to try to fix it. I’m not good at sewing, though. It’s probably hopeless.
Wednesday
Wednesday was a hard day for me. For some reason, my bipolar disorder was acting up so I was angry and irritable. My personal trainer messed up my schedule, and I sent her proof that she was wrong (she’d messed up a few times in the past, and so this time I decided to text all agreements to each other). But she didn’t answer right away, and when she did, her excuse for messing up seemed a bit odd.
We got a call about Puck’s blood work and urine sample. His kidney function has continued to decline, but they couldn’t find a reason for the weight loss. They wanted to do another test on the urine to test for reasons why the calcium levels were high. They suggested taking a blood pressure to see if that’s impacting the kidneys. And said they don’t think the kidneys are causing the weight loss, and said an ultrasound for lymphoma or intestinal disease might reveal something. And if we know the cause, we may be able to stop the weight loss.
M12 wanted very much to learn the keyboard, so I found lessons and a keyboard for him, and told them I needed to double check that he really would practice at home (he’d already said he would). I told him he’d have to play the trombone 3 times a week and the keyboard 3 times a week, and he decided he didn’t want to play keyboard after all, though he was disappointed.
IL6 programmed a new game. Then I asked him to read the book the teacher sent home, and he freaked out and started yelling at me.
D15 worked on a hard poetry assignment, but once she understood the assignment, she switched from a very bland poem to a Shel Silverstein poem. Hopefully the teacher doesn’t mind, lol. Technically she did the assignment. They said she could switch poems, but they probably meant for something more sophisticated than Shel Silverstein.
Thursday
Thursday I was feeling burnt out. I went to a brewery for lunch, which was a nice break. I spent an hour there writing a letter. I rested the rest of the day. Aaron cooked tacos, giving me relief from cooking D15 got a reprieve from the poetry analysis assignments since she understands poetry. She can analyze without going through the extra steps that the other kids are going through. That made her feel a lot better.
Friday
Friday, I took IL6 to his normal Friday appointments, but I was super tired and super hungry. It was a hard morning. I took a nap after the appointment. IL6 read to me, so I read to him till midnight as a deal.
Week’s Photos
Our Powell’s haul
Reading to myself
Mr Ballen Podcast
Artifacts: Fall 2021
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
The Economist: Elon Musk’s Efficiency Drive
The Building that Wasn’t, by Abigail Miles
12 Major World Religions, by Jason Boyett
Reading to IL5
Stitchhead: Spider’s Lair, by Guy Badd
Flurry of the Snombies, by Troy Cummings
Super Rabbit Boy vs The Gigabot, by Thomas Flintham
The Locker Ate Lucy, by Jack Chabert
D14 reading
Confessions of a Sociopath, by Patric Gagne
Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger
Media Completed
Alexander, Nikki, and Rip go to summer camp, and battle some zombie snowmen.
When Lucy is eaten by her locker, Sam and Antonio rush into the belly of Eerie Elementary to save her.
Super Rabbit Boy must help King Viking retrieve his new Gigabot.
Twelve religions are summarized very vaguely and sometimes incorrectly in this poorly-written comparative religion book.
Saturday we were traveling. We got up at 6:30 and got to Aaron’s mom’s house at 3, 11 hours later. The kids were thrilled to see their grandparents. We also saw their aunt Eleanor.
Sunday
Sunday IL6 went to the park twice. Once with my mother-in-law and Aaron, and once with my mother-in-law, M12, and myself. I also got a letter written on Sunday.
D15 was feeling a little sick, but she still has a voice, unlike myself. I started to get a crackly voice on Friday night, then had a very gravely voice on Saturday. On Sunday, I was whispering after an initial, fading croak. I was hoping my voice would be back on Monday.
Monday
Monday my sister-in-law Kate came to visit with us. I still had no voice in the morning, so didn’t get much socializing in. My voice came back a little later in the day, so I was able to talk a bit.
Tuesday
Tuesday I spent a lot of time talking, happy to mostly have my voice back. IL6 and I baked a cake for D15’s 700th birthday. It was delicious.
Wednesday
Wednesday I spent 2 hours cross-stitching and finished up the eyes of my creeper. D15 and my mother-in-law went shoe shopping.
Thursday
Thursday, I concentrated on finishing my book this week (because I want to finish one book a week this year). I got a good amount of cross-stitch done as well. IL6 and I played with the toys. Aaron and I went out on a date. I took a nap after the date, and IL6 fell asleep for the night.
Friday
Friday I read a news magazine. Aaron played his online game. M12, my mother-in-law, Aaron, and I played Forbidden Island.
Week’s Photos
Reading to myself
Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
Witches of Eastwick, by John Updike
Thomas Cromwell, the Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman
12 Major World Religions, by Jason Boyett
The Week: Which Way?
Reading to IL5
Mood Science, by Jim Benton
Stitchhead: The Spider’s Lair, by Guy Bass
The Pop of the Bumpy Mummy, by Troy Cummings
D14 reading
A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas
Confessions of a Sociopath, by Patric Gagne
Media Completed
Franny decides her moods get in the way of her science. Her moods teach her a lesson.
Three witchy friends bond quickly with a new man in their town, but he turns out to be more than they can handle. I didn’t really like this book. It was well-written, I’ll grant Updike that, but it was very crude with no reward of an exciting plot to go with it. I found myself bored.
Alexander, Rip, and Nikki find themselves fighting their town’s mummy.
Saturday, IL6 immediately in the morning wanted to bake a cake, so we did that. Then Aaron took IL6 to the Children’s Museum and I took M12 to the Science Museum. They both had fun. We all met at McDonald’s, where the boys played in the Play Place. Afterwards, the boys watched Aaron and me eat at a restaurant we rarely get to go to. IL6 fell asleep on the way home, and slept the rest of the night.
Sunday
Sunday I cooked jambalaya and chicken noodle soup for Aaron’s upcoming weeks of lunches. That, with dinner, meant I spent a lot of time cooking. I also spent a good amount of time reading. M12 had band rehearsal. D15 played D&D. IL6 programmed a computer game.
Monday
Monday after work I tried to take IL6 to his well-child visit, but there was an event in the car on the way, and we had to turn around and go home. I decided to keep him home after that, so rescheduled a vet appointment. Then dad, IL6, and I went to Perkins.
I did a LOT of laundry, and still didn’t finish it all. I wrote a letter, got some reading done, and sat with IL6 while he programmed a game.
In the evening, Aaron disassembled D15’s bed so we could get some work done Tuesday – Thursday. I took M12 to Boy Scouts and sat through a hideously boring parent meeting.
Tuesday
Tuesday after work I took D15 to an appointment. Then I focused on my to-do list for the rest of the day. IL6 wanted to program a game when he got home. M12 had jazz band rehearsal. I read to D15.
Wednesday
Wednesday, during downtime at work, I registered IL6 for summer daycare. It was with the YMCA, which fills up quickly, so I started at 7:25, when half the spots were taken by people who started at 7. The online form was clunky and poorly designed, and took a stressful 25 minutes to fill out. I was a bit frazzled at the end.
After work, I was supposed to take Puck to the vet. But when he saw the carrier, he ran and hid where we couldn’t reach him. He wouldn’t even come out for tuna. So I rescheduled the vet again, and will leave the carrier out all vacation, so I catch him off guard next time.
Finding myself with extra time, Dad and I went to JoAnn Fabric to see what the closing sale looked like in the cross-stitch section. It was EMPTY. We ran to the bank, and then came home, where I half-heartedly attacked my to-do list.
I was getting ready to go to the gym for my personal trainer appointment, when I got a call from the school because IL6 had a stomach ache. So I cancelled my appointment and picked him up.
I got a bit of cross-stitch done, which was nice…I wish I could take it on vacation with me, but I don’t know how to safely pack it. I will try to figure it out. IL6 is eager to get it.
Thursday
Thursday was pretty laid back. I took IL6 to speech therapy. Completed some tasks to prepare for vacation. Read. Cross-stitched. IL6 programmed the computer. D15 did diamond art. M12 had rehearsal for the middle school play.
Friday
Friday after work I took IL6 to an appointment. Then I spent the day preparing for our trip, which was overwhelming, but I made it! I lost my voice at night and was not able to finish IL6’s book. 😦
Week’s Photos
Reading to myself
The Economist: The Revised Economic Outlook
Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Mr Ballen podcast
12 Major World Religions, by Jason Boyett
Confessions, by Saint Augustine
Reading to IL5
Stitch Head: The Spider’s Lair, by Guy Bass
Robo Rabbit Boy Go!, by Thomas Flintham
Mood Science, by Jim Benton
D14 reading
Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger
Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J Maas
Media Completed
A book about not being silent.
This was a hard read. It was my first time reading it, though I saw the play in elementary school. Anne was very cute and independent. Feisty. But I couldn’t help thinking about her ending.
Saturday, I made baked beans for Aaron’s lunches for the week. Then he and I played D&D. IL6 tried programming another game, but started feeling pain. I interpreted it as pain because he was withholding, but when it started to get really bad by 10pm, Aaron and I thought maybe it was constipation pain, and took him to the ER.
Sunday
Sunday morning started in the ER. IL6 was given an enema for his blockage, and when it didn’t come back out, we were sent home (it never ended up removing the blockage). IL6 had slept in the hospital, but Aaron and I were exhausted all day. IL6 was hyperactive all day, as usual. In the evening, I read to D15. Then IL6 fell asleep early, so I was able to sleep at 8:45pm.
Monday
Monday I took dad to the gym, where we worked out for 45 minutes. I ran errands. I wrote letters. I read to D15.
Tuesday
Tuesday didn’t go as planned. After work, I took D15 to an appointment (so far so good), but then shortly after I got home, I got a call from IL6’s school nurse. He was having stomach aches. I brought him home, worried it would lead to another ER visit, but the pain got better. In the evening, my friend Liz came over and we watched Doctor Who.
Wednesday
Wednesday, I took M12 to his eating disorder appointments, which went really well. Sometimes those appointments are depressing. Then I worked out with dad and wrote a letter. When IL6 got home, he wanted to program a game. Then we went out to Olive Garden. Then we relaxed.
Thursday
Thursday my head was racing. I think my fasting has made my bipolar disorder destabilize because I’m supposed to take 500 calories with a morning and evening dose of my med. So no more fasting.
I took two naps to try to calm my brain down. Communicated with IL6’s gastroenterologist. D15 went to a Christian group after school and says she’s going to read the Bible. I warned her that the Old Testament had some boring bits, and that it didn’t necessarily portray the views Christians are meant (through Jesus’ words) to believe. We tried taking IL6 to Cub Scouts, but he was yelling about being bored, so we took him home. He’s been throwing temper tantrums lately. I read to D15.
Friday
Friday I woke up and my brain was screaming at me. But I went ahead and did my thing. After work, I took IL6 to two appointments, followed by an x-ray for his gut. I got home around 2:30 – in time to take a quick nap before IL6 got home from school. IL6 programmed a new game on my computer, and we sat up till midnight reading (I regretted promising to do that when I got really tired.)
Week’s Photos
Reading to myself
The Sign of Four, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The Witches of Eastwick, by John Updike
The Week: Rescue Mission
The Economist: The Don’s New World Order
12 Major World Religions, by Jason Boyett
Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Reading to IL5
Whack of the P-Rex, by Troy Cummings
Recipe for Disaster, by Jim Benton
D14 reading
Neverseen, by Shannon Messenger
This Book Won’t Burn, by Samira Ahmid
Media Completed
Holmes and Watson help a young woman solve the mystery of her father’s disappearance. Again, I am struck at how unlikable Holmes’ character is. It’s an interesting and well-written mystery, though, as well as a classic, so I will continue with the series.
Sophie and her friends are in hiding from the council, but continue to look for the evil group Neverseen. I didn’t like this series at first, but it’s starting to grow on me, despite some plot holes.
Franny decides to help some friends with their bake sale, but inadvertently creates a monster. IL6 loves this series.
Alexander and his friends battle a gigantic pinata. IL6 is loving this series.
Saturday I went to Olive Garden with Liz, M12, IL6, and Liz’s nephew. Later Aaron went to a board gaming party with his friends. I read to D15, and Aaron made pancakes for dinner (because IL6 wanted something “healthy”).
Sunday
Sunday Deirdre played D&D and made some eggrolls. Malcolm had band rehearsal.
Monday
Monday I ran errands, made calls, and read. I worked out for an hour, too. Aaron had his first day of work. He was hoping that he would be able to work at the office, but it turned out they didn’t have space for him, so he’s going to work from home. (He doesn’t like the distractions at home.) M12 had Boy Scouts in the evening. Aaron went to the gym. I read to D15.
Tuesday
Tuesday I stayed home waiting for the contractor to come to look at D15’s room. He’s going to fix the walls, paint, and put in carpet. While waiting, I cleaned my bedroom and did laundry, but the vacuum kept breaking the circuit, so I had to call an electrician. I made some phone calls, as well. In the evening, we were expecting a blizzard, so I called in to work.
Wednesday
Wednesday was hectic. IL6 woke me up at 5am needing a bath. I went back to sleep after the bath, but then when I got up at 8, I realized I’d have to remove at least 6 inches of snow off the driveway to get my car out. Aaron was going to start the snow blower for me, but the garage wouldn’t open. So I walked to the hardware store to buy a shovel (about a mile each way). I got about a sidewalk’s width of the wake cleared and sat down to rest. The neighbor took pity on me and rescued me with his snow blower.
Almost immediately after that, I went to my physical trainer for 30 minutes, then stayed at the gym for another 40 minutes for dad’s personal trainer appointment. But she noticed how tired I was and showed me the water massage bed when I was done.
While I was gone, IL6 and D15 built a snow fort.
It was Ash Wednesday, a fast day, and I wasn’t going to eat until sundown, but I thought I was going to faint, so I ate an orange and some cashews to hold me over.
Then, I was going nonstop until 4pm with stuff that absolutely needed to be done. (For instance, Wednesday is the day I do dad’s laundry and make his bed.)
At 4 I left with IL6 to tour the Delta hangar with a small group of Cub Scouts. The GPS took us to the wrong building, so we walked around until we found a worker who pointed us to the right building. It was a quarter mile walk from where we parked.
IL6 loved the hangar. He got to see a huge 250 seat plane. The first class was crazy. It had little private pods, and the chairs changed to beds. He also got to sit in a pilot’s seat. On the way back to the car, I was carrying him and slipped on ice and fell, dropping him. I thought he hit his head hard, so I tore off his hat and looked. He had been about to cry, but was startled by my intense questioning about his head. Apparently he hit his butt and elbow. A nice man pulled over to ask if we were ok, but I had already ascertained that he was fine, and I wasn’t even bruised.
I was thrilled to eat when I got home. M12 was on his bed playing D&D, and promised to make the bed after D&D. I’m not sure I believe he’ll really do that. (I clean his bedding weekly because he’s allergic to dust. I throw it in with dad’s laundry.)
I went to work early to relieve the coworker who had been there for the last 36 hours.
Thursday
Thursday I ran errands after work, got an oil change, and went to the gym. When IL6 got home, we had a snowball fight and built a snowman. D15 continued work on her fort. I cooked dinner and then sat with IL6 in his room. I read to D15 and chatted with Aaron the rest of the evening.
Keeping my diet was really easy today, and I wonder if it’s due to the hormone changes from the fast the day before. I may try a light intermittent fast where on MWF I eat only a light amount of fruits, veggies, and nuts till dinner (except on days where I have a social reason to eat otherwise), and see if the decreased calories make me feel more satiated the next day. It possibly won’t last like all my other diet change attempts, but I commit to trying it out for a from Friday through next Friday.
Friday
Friday I went immediately from work to an appointment for IL6, followed by another appointment for IL6. The electrician popped by to tell us we needed a new vacuum. I tried an Alfredo recipe which, while quite edible, was a complete failure. Apparently Alfredo sauce takes talent, and I am not a chef. I was tired and didn’t do much for the rest of the day. M12 went to his mom’s, and Aaron played a computer game with his friends.
Week’s Photos
Reading to myself
The Week: MAGA Military
Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
A Hat Full of Sky, by Terry Pratchett
The Economist: The Would-be King
The Life of Elizabeth I, by Allison Weir
The Economist: The Don’s New World Order
The Week: Tasting Victory 28 minutes
The Sign of Four, by Arthur Conan Doyle
Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Confessions of Saint Augustine, by William R Cook and Ronald R Herman
Reading to IL5
Chomp of the Meat-Eating Vegetables, by Troy Cummings
The Ghost of Grotteskew, by Guy Bass
D14 reading
Neverseen, by Shannon Messenger
This Book Won’t Burn, by Samira Ahmed
Media Completed
Andrew and his friends are faced with gigantic man-eating vegetables. IL6 is enjoying this series.
Tiffany goes to be an assistant witch, but has to deal with something weird chasing her. I enjoyed the book, though again it didn’t have as many jokes (or I missed them) than adult Discworld books.
This history of Elizabeth I of England is well-written and easy to read. It focused a lot on her flirting with various men and her refusal to name a successor. Some things that I was specifically interested in – her treatment of Catholics among her subjects was not covered. It was referred to in passing, saying she executed fewer Catholics than Mary I killed protestants. In fact, I feel that, other than some personality comments, she was painted in a positive light. I am also wondering about the politics of the time and what she accomplished in her youth other than flirting.
In this set of lectures Saint Augustine’s Confessions is explained in a way that is clear and concise. It is not a replacement for reading the book, however. It’s meant to supplement the book. I chose to listen to it in advance of reading Confessions.
Stitch Head meets the ghost of a terrible man Mauly Crackbone. IL6 loved this one.
Saturday Aaron and I played D&D, then we played Luigi’s Mansion with IL6.
Sunday
Sunday I cooked a turkey dinner for Aaron’s birthday. (It had been intended to be cooked on Thursday, but I made a mistake ordering the brine, so we cooked it on Sunday, instead.) My friend Liz came over for dinner to celebrate. I invite my friends over for Aaron’s birthday. That’s how I roll.
Monday
Monday I took M12 to an appointment, and then took IL6 to an appointment. After that, I let D15 drive. She got on the streets for the first time today, and didn’t run any stop signs. I was still feeling the never-ending tiredness I’ve felt since being sick two weeks ago, so I rested for a while, then read to D15. Then I talked to Aaron till it was time to go to work.
Tuesday
Tuesday after work, I almost immediately took D15 to her appointment. Then I ran some errands, worked on my to-do list, and read. In the evening, Liz came over and the family ate pizza and watched Doctor Who.
Wednesday
Wednesday Dad and I both had a personal trainer appointment at the gym. I let D15 drive again – she successfully backed out of the driveway, drove around the side-roads, and pulled back in the driveway. Speed while turning needs a lot of work. After dinner, I read to D15, then went in early to work.
Thursday
Thursday I relaxed. I took a nap, went to lunch with Aaron, and even watched a little TV. Aaron took D15 to get a henna tattoo. IL6 programmed the computer and then went to Cub Scouts. M12 played a computer game online with a friend.
Friday
Friday, I went directly from work to two appointments for IL6. Then Aaron and I ran some errands (our last weekday of running errands before he starts his new job). In the evening, dad treated us to Outback Steakhouse.
Week’s Photos
Reading to myself
12 World Religions, by Jason Boyett
New Scientist: Our Quantum Future
The Economist: The Would-be King
A Hat Full of Sky, by Terry Pratchett
The Life of Elizabeth I, by Allison Weir
March: Book Two, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
The Week: Maga Military
Reading to IL5
The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long
The Bubble Gum Blob, by Andres Miedoso
The Pirate’s Eye, by Guy Bass
Bad Hair Day, by Jim Benton
D14 reading
I Am Malala, by Malala Yousafzai
Neverseen, by Shannon Messenger
Media Completed
A yellow bus lives its life.
Stitch Head decides it’s time to leave Castle Grotteskew when his master leaves permanently. This book was very enjoyable, and IL6 enjoyed it, but it was a little long for him. I will split the third book into pieces of once a week.
In this second book in John Lewis’ graphic memoir he goes on Freedom Rides. It was heartbreaking. Very good drawings.
Saturday had a slow beginning, but I perked up towards the end. IL6 wrote another program on my computer, and played a bit of LEGO. D15 relaxed, as did Aaron.
Sunday
Sunday was productive. I got lots done on my to-do list, read a lot, and took D15 driving in a parking lot. Much to her chagrin, she missed two stop signs, so I wouldn’t take her on the roads.
Monday
Monday was another productive day – the second really good day in a row. In fact, I feel like since I started taking 90 minutes to read a news magazine daily I have actually become more, rather than less, productive.
The kids had the day off school. IL6 programmed a new game and played LEGOs. D15 and M12 watched videos. Aaron, dad, and I went to the gym for an hour, then Aaron and I ran a couple of errands. I also got a bunch of reading and some cross-stitch in.
Tuesday
Monday was exhausting. Immediately after returning from work, we jumped one of the cars. Then I woke M12 and D15 to eat and get ready, respectively. I took care of some stuff with IL6. D15 and I went to her appointment. Immediately following that, I took M12 and IL6 to the library because M12 needed to do his homework from all the school he missed last week. I played with IL6 for about an hour before he picked books. He ran in the library repeatedly, and I didn’t stop him.
Then I went to the pharmacy to pick up dad’s meds, and ended up stuck in the line for 20 minutes because the pharmacist was at lunch. I loaded dad, M12, and my pill minders, only I was missing two meds, and I thought I’d ordered them last week, but apparently I didn’t confirm. Then M12 wanted McDonald’s, and I felt that I should get it for him because D15 had had a Jersey Mike’s sandwich earlier.
Finally, at 3:30, I had a break and was able to look at my personal goals, which had been ignored all day. But I was too stressed to do them, so I wrote a letter, cooked dinner, and played LEGO with IL6 for 35 minutes while the food was in the oven. I was beat at the end of all that, so spent the rest of the evening talking to Aaron before going to work again.
Aaron, did entertain IL6 for about an hour on his computer game, which gave me time for the pill boxes, but mainly because I reminded IL6 that he hadn’t played on dad’s computer for a while.
Wednesday
Wednesday was a great day it was Aaron’s 50th birthday. After an hour at the gym, he and I had a date. While on our date, he got a job offer! And a good one, too. 😊
I spent a good chunk of time reading in the afternoon, and then when IL6 got home, we all went out to family dinner for Aaron’s birthday. Then Aaron and I chatted while the kids played on screens. M12 was actually playing with a friend on a computer game, which is a new activity for him. I like the social aspect of that.
Thursday
Thursday I woke a little light-headed. I don’t think I was sick, I think I was just burnt out from trying to catch up after getting behind while I was sick the week before. But because I couldn’t stand very long at a time, I just spent the whole day reading and doing just the basic things that needed to get done. IL6 programed my computer with me for a while in the afternoon.
Friday
Friday, I took IL6 to two appointments, then drove dad to the gym and picked up my niece and nephew from school. Later, dad took IL6, Aaron, and me to Red Lobster. Afterwards IL6 and I played Luigi’s Mansion and Aaron gamed with his friends. M12 was at scout camp, and D15 was with her mom.
Week’s Photos
I can see a face!
Reading to myself
New Scientist: Dark Side of the Microbiome
The Economist: Battle for the Pentagon
The Ravenswood Witch, by Jenni Keer
Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
Diary of A Young Girl, by Anne Frank
The Week: Collision Course
Mr Ballen podcast
New Scientist: Our Quantum Future
Reading to IL5
Time to Clown Around, by Andres Miedoso
The Pirate’s Eye, by Guy Bass
D14 reading
Neverseen, by Shannon Messenger
Media Completed
IL6 was so excited when we found out we missed a Desmond Cole book when we read them all. In this one, Andres is afraid of clowns.
Gerald starts sneezing and thinks it’s Piggy making him sneeze.
When a young woman is running away from the law, she stumbles into a mysterious man who pretends she is his wife to keep her safe. This book was great with a bit of a surprise, though the big reveal was obvious from the beginning.
Saturday IL6 and Aaron were supposed to go to Cub Scout Polar camp, but he had forgotten his snowpants at school, and we didn’t have a spare. Not only was it snowing, but it was in the single digits temperature. So he stayed home. 😭 Aaron and I played Dungeons and Dragons, then I dyed D15’s hair blue.
Sunday
Sunday….well…apparently I remember nothing about Sunday. Maybe something happened? I slept poorly due to nausea and M12 sicker than me.
Monday
Sunday night, both M12 and I were nauseated – and M12 was repeatedly vomiting. In the morning, he felt fine, but I was groggy and had awful body aches. I slept all day. In the afternoon, Aaron was supposed to take D15 to her permit test, but he had misplaced her (and M12’s) birth certificate. D15 was so disappointed. 😭Then M12 became short of breath, so I dragged myself to the thermometer and took his temperature. It was 104.5. I slept the rest of the evening/night till 1am.
Tuesday
Tuesday was a disaster at first. I had stayed home from work because I was sick, so I was there to be awakened when D15 started throwing up and got diarrhea. Then she let me know we had a leak in the basement. It was a failed pipe.
Aaron turned off the water, but then I had to take D15 to the toilet at Perkins and the gas station (2 times), and Aaron took her to the toilet at our grocery store. She threw up most of the day, and ran a 103.4 fever. M12 was also home because of his fever on Monday, and had another low-grade fever on Tuesday.
Good news: the pipe was fixed by about 11am. Plus Aaron got a copy of the older kids’ birth certificates. I set up an appointment for D15 to take the permit test on Wednesday at a 48 minute drive away. It’s the closest we could get. We figured she couldn’t be at school, but would probably be ok for taking the test.
IL5 worked on coding a new game on my computer with my help. He’s getting really good at it, considering he can’t read. He learns so fast. The teacher did say he learns visually. He threw up rather dramatically at the end of the day.
Wednesday
Wednesday, all three kids were home sick, and dad was pretty darned sick, too. I went to the gym, but started feeling lightheaded, so I came home.
I was trying to take it easy and get the basic tasks done for the day and get a lot of reading in. But IL6 wanted to program his game on the computer, and we spent 2 hours doing that.
D15, who wasn’t actually sick (she just had to stay out of school because she’d vomited within 24 hours), took the permit test in a city 48 minutes away (because that was the closest next-day appointment) and passed. Aaron took her out driving in the parking lot, but wouldn’t let her drive faster than 5 mph, which I think is excessively slow, but I guess I didn’t see if she was doing poorly with her breaking and steering.
Thursday
Thursday, I had a lot of unexpected housework to do, and felt very overwhelmed. But Aaron did the dishes when I said I was overwhelmed, so that was nice.
When IL6 got home, he wanted to play the computer game he had coded. It was 3-person, so at first M12 joined us, then Aaron joined us. After that, IL6 coded a 1-person game. All these games are pretty much identical in function, but not in appearance, so I really need to help him branch out. Not sure how to do that, though, because he is very strong-willed. On the other hand, he actually knows how to code that game with minimal assistance from me.
In the evening, I read while IL6 was at Cub Scouts, and then again in IL6’s room for a quarter hour before the older kids decided to come in and either have an anxiety attack (D15), or make lots of noise (M12 with IL6)..
Friday
Friday, IL6 had two appointments in the morning. Then, after dropping him off at school, I only managed to finish a little housework before he arrived home again. He programmed a computer game for a while, then Aaron and I went out for a Valentine’s Day date. I was a little concerned it would be crowded, but we went somewhere that didn’t seem like it would be a popular Valentine’s Day destination, and scored – we were seated right away.
Week’s Photos
Making progress
Reading to myself
The Economist: Scam Inc
The Ravenswood Witch, by Jenni Keer
March Book 1, by John Lewis, Andrew Ayden, and Nate Powel
The Week: Musk’s Rampage
The Life of Elizabeth I, by Allison Weir
New Scientist: The Dark Side of Your Microbiome
12 World Religions, by Jason Boyett
Reading to IL5
Stitch Head: The Pirate’s Eye, by Guy Bass
The Frandidate, by Jim Benton
D14 reading
Crazy Wanda, by Terry Goodkind
Neverseen, by Shannon Messenger
Media Completed
John Lewis tells a couple of kids about his youth and organizing sit-ins in Nashville. This graphic novel is drawn well, and holds the reader’s interests.
Fran wants to run for president of her class, but has difficulty appealing as a candidate. So she creates a skin which changes into (and says) whatever each voter wants. Funny and cute.
Saturday IL6 had a birthday party to go for his triplet friends. It was at a kids’ gymnastics gymnasium. He loved it for the first hour, but then they decided to make it structured, and he got bored and came back to me. (I think the gymnasium was trying to drum up interest in their gymnastics classes by having a “lesson.”)
After the party, I wrote a letter, then Aaron and I went to D15’s play. There were two 45 minute plays, and she was very proud of being able to bow twice.
Sunday
Sunday we all relaxed. M12 went to band. In the evening, we played D&D as a family.
Monday
Monday was pretty productive. I dived into my to-do list, took dad to an appointment, the bank, and a nail salon. Since I had finished a good chunk of stuff by then, I read The Economist until IL6 got home. When M12 got home from auditions for the middle school play, I started cooking meatloaf. M12 then went to Boy Scouts and I finally programmed in Scratch with IL6 again. He learned a lesson on saving when he accidentally deleted something that we couldn’t get back, and we had to go back to a previous save. He lost some work, but he survived.
Tuesday
Tuesday Aaron and I took D15 to an appointment, and then we exercised. D15 did tech crew work after school. M12 had jazz band rehearsal.
When IL6 got home, he wanted to program the computer more (he’s really catching on), but what he wanted to do wasn’t possible, and he wouldn’t believe me. Then M12 tried to do it, and he said it was impossible, and IL6 believed him.
Wednesday
Wednesday started with me taking dad to the gym – we were both going to work out. But then I discovered that the wheel had fallen off his walker, so I told dad that we needed to look for the nut and bolt. It had fallen out somewhere. Dad said “Oh! Do you need me to come along?” Like, umm. Well it IS your walker. But, whatever. I left him there and went searching for the bolt. I didn’t find it. I returned 30 minutes later for my workout with my personal trainer.
Then Aaron and I went to a pub while waiting for our car to get an oil change.
Later, we went to parent-teacher conferences for the boys. They are both doing well. All teachers gave glowing reviews.
Thursday
Thursday was a relaxing day. The boys had no school, so dad took us all to Perkins. Then we relaxed at home. I read to D15 in the evening.
Friday
On Friday, I took IL6 to an appointment and then tried to take him to a second appointment, but it was cancelled. Then I took him for a haircut. Following that, I took IL6 and M12 to the library, and then D15 to a doctor’s appointment. In the evening, dad took us out to dinner.
Reading to myself
The Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank
Human Acts, by Han Kang
12 Major World Religions, by Jason Boyett
Mr Ballen Podcast
The Life of Elizabeth I, by Allison Weir
The Economist: Revolt Against Regulation
The Week: Immigration Offensive
Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
Ravenswood Witch, by Jenni Keer
Reading to IL5
Attack of the Shadow Smashers, by Troy Cummings
Jo Bright and the Seven Bots, by Deborah Underwood and Meg Hunter
The Kiss Box, by Bonny Verburg and Henry Cole
The Fran With Four Brains, by Jim Benton
D14 reading
Neverseen, by Shannon Messenger
The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak
Aaron reading
Fury of the Gods, by John Gwynne
Media Completed
A young bear learns to separate temporarily from his mom.
Retelling of Snow White
Alexander and his team fight shadow monsters. IL6 loved it.
Fran builds some bots to help her get stuff done.
In this heartbreaking novel, Han Kang explores how people must have felt in the aftermath of the Gwangju uprising (where about 2000 people were massacred for protesting). I had not heard about this real event in 1980, and it was terrible to behold in this novel. Human Acts was eloquently written – I see why Han Kang won the Nobel Prize.
Hibernator's Library 