Friday: getting stuff done

I finally managed to get some stuff done this week.  (I know, that's a false statement.  But it's how it feels.  Having a routine colonoscopy doesn't feel like I actually did anything, although maybe I should put it on my to do list next time so that I can cross it off.)  I finished winter prep and got all the stuff to their winter positions.  I did all the laundry.  I finished several small chores.

Isaac had a good time at camp and was rather talkative about it.  That was nice.  He got me a mug as a souvenir.  I teased him that it was a reminder of when he left me and had a good time, but it was still a really nice gesture.  Everyone was rather tired tonight, although I'm not sure why Joshua and I were so tired.

Thursday: pumpkin

Isaac is gone at 6th grade camp today and tomorrow, so Joshua and I decided to carve a pumpkin after school.

Joshua made a cat pumpkin.  I made a small cat on the back, because I didn't really feel like I needed a pumpkin all to myself.  First a drilled a small hole and it went really well!  So I went with a bigger drill bit...and the pumpkin slightly exploded.  Pumpkin pieces went all over the place.  So next time, only small holes.

Wednesday: trunk or treat

We visited trunk or treat at church today.  We went right at the beginning and that was a great idea: when we left a half hour later the line was about ten times longer.  I don't have any pictures of the kids.  Isaac went as a wizard.  He had made a lego wand that lit up with a button.  Joshua was Squirtle again.

One spot was giving out things for the adults: hot chocolate and flowers.

Isaac and Joshua also got this fun picture during kitty play.

 

Tuesday: busy

 It was a busy day.  There was normal work for classes.  The kids had a half day and so I picked them up from school and ate lunch at home.  I picked up Isaac after our classes were done and he said he was disappointed about his quiz grade: 8.5/20.  That really surprised me, but I kept my cool and said that at least he could make corrections.  He told me he elected to not make corrections.  "What?!?  8.5/20 and you're not going to fix it?"  "No, no," he replied.  "18.5/20".  Phew.  I can understand a small disappointment with that number but I was also super excited about it because it wasn't 8.5.

Anyway, we rushed home so I could drop him off and go to parent teacher conferences.  We were a bit worried about Joshua.  He loses recess minutes as part of a group when he's doing the right thing, and it hits him hard.  It's usually the first thing I hear about when we're talking after school, but I also understand that the teacher has limited ways to stop talking.  She made a note.  She did say that he's a sweetheart and he's doing a great job and is on track with everything.  His lack of capitalization and periods is normal for where he is.  It was a glowing report.  (To note, he normally is fine with Ben and I, but we've had some small issues.  They don't seem to be issues at school.)

Isaac's conference was the boring one this year.  Grades are good.  His teacher was trying to tell us that it would have been better to have a higher growth in his standardized math test, but then realized that his test scores are so high it is actually hard to have that growth.  So we chatted a bit more and left early.

There were a ton of things on my to-do list because I didn't do anything yesterday.  I accomplished several of those this evening.  Several of my graders aren't putting in their allotted hours and I'm stressing a little bit about how everything is going to get graded if they don't step up and how I'm going to finish the other stuff I need to finish.  It's happened before and I know the important stuff will get done, but it still takes time.  I'm doing something very different next semester because this happens to some extent every semester and I'm sick of it.

Ben worked late.  Tornado missed him so much that he sat with me for a while.

Monday: colonoscopy

This morning I didn't do much.  A little bit, but I also just sat around a lot.  We finally got to the hospital and things went smoothly.  It turned out that the prep that I did had a high chance of bad side effects, but I luckily didn't have any.

I had a clear colonoscopy with no polyps.  So I get to do it again in five year.  I did wake up at the very end as they were taking the oxygen back off and I jumped when I woke up.  (This is how I normally wake up, honestly.)  They just pushed me back down and laughed a bit.  I don't remember going to the room, but woke up for good when we arrived.  I heard the doctor's report, drank my apple juice, and we got on our way.  They told us it would take a total of about two hours and they were very accurate.

Pat and I picked up the kids after a lunch for me and then I took a nap.  My intestines are still gurgling a bit, but at least I'm able to eat again.

Sunday: hungry

I'm hungry.

I have my recurring colonoscopy tomorrow, so today is the clear liquid diet.  The rest of the family got to eat yummy things like left over pizza and chicken sandwiches and I got Jell-o and chicken broth.

I'm over Jell-o.  Last time I made two different flavors and only ate one.  This time I made one and barely ate half of it.  It looks like it will be solid and delicious and then it really isn't - solid or delicious.  The chicken broth is always the yummiest thing.  I think the salt helps a lot.

The actual prep for the procedure has gone fine.  It doesn't bother me much.  

The procedure isn't until noon tomorrow!  Which means I get to be hungry all morning too.  At least everyone will be gone so I can be grumpy by myself.

Friday: stuff was finally accomplished

Today was the first day that I felt like I actually finished chores this week.  This isn't actually true at all: I got some stuff done on Monday and I worked well Wednesday, but groceries and mid-terms took a lot of time.

O:CtH update: I was hoping to finish the small storage room today, but that didn't quite happen.  I need to dust a crate that I put in it and take care of some things that I took out.  Next up is the basement bathroom.  It's an odd room as there isn't much in it and it should go rather quickly, but at the same time it has some big items that need to be moved out.  This includes Ben's bike.  I haven't been using the indoor bike lately because there's been more karate, so it's time to put the bike back in the garage.  Of course, there really isn't any room in the garage either.  So I need to clean enough of the garage to get the bike in.  I did a little bit of that today.  I found several large kids' toys to donate and a lovely empty box that looked like it was being turned into a castle.  It was taking up a surprising amount of room and I'm wondering how long it's been there.

I also did several outside chores.  I'm slowly bringing in all the summer stuff and I cut down most of a bush that was trying hard to be a tree.