Five Days Away, No Worries

My son is leaving in the morning to go to Washington, DC.  He's looking forward to going and isn't worried at all.  He and his father packed everything up and tonight, because they were closed today and there's nothing like the last minute, I cut my son's hair before he took a shower to get the hair bits off him. He was naked and it was about the most humorous hair cutting you could imagine because he was trying to dance around naked and I was trying not to hack his hair to bits.  

The Big Boy Update:  My son made things even more laughable because I gave him a makeup large brush that had baby powder on it so he could brush the hair off him that for some reason sticks all over him.  He was dancing around and patting himself with the hairbrush.   I hope his hair isn't too badly cut. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  I got my daughter an entire new wardrobe today at Target.  She had no shorts at all that fit and her pants were far too short as well as the shirts were too tight.  Target had everything she needed, including a bathing suit and some additional bras.   I put so many things away from her room, some of which had been there since she moved out from the shared room with her brother. 

Everything Everywhere All at Once

I saw a movie today.   I don't usually, rarely, hardly ever go to the movies but this one was one that I couldn't pass up.   It was a sci-fi film involving alternate universes and timelines.  It was a comedy.   And it starred Michelle Yeoh.   That was a combination I just couldn't pass up.  

So this evening we went with Uncle Bob, Uncle Brian and my mother-in-law to see the movie.  We ordered food that was brought to us.  Note to self: do not order sampler platters with four dips and four items that you can't see in the dark.   And we watched the movie. 

It was good.  It was crazy.  It was unique.   My mother-in-law said she thought it was a chick flick.  My husband and I weren't so sure.  Uncle Bob thought it was one.  Uncle Brian said he didn't think it really was.   Either way, it was nice to get out.  

The Big Boy Update:  My son took Adderall short acting today against his will, or mostly against it because he didn't want to take it, but we've been having such difficulty getting him to be successful at home we thought we'd try it.  Things went okay.  Neither bad, but maybe not a completely different day.   We may need to do more investigation.  He said he wanted to be able to eat.  He doesn't like losing his appetite.   He did fold his laundry (which took hours but he watched television) and no one yelled at anyone.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter said she was not going to do her laundry.  No way.  She said she was tired (at eleven in the morning). I said if she was tired she didn't need her Alexa because she would be sleeping.   I took it and in a while, she yelled down that she would do the laundry if I gave her her Alexa back.  I said this was not a negotiation.   Then she came downstairs, said I was the worst person in the world, tried (rather feebly) to choke me, and said she wished I was dead.   Things did not get any better for her after that.  I summarised her actions, starting with me politely asking her to do the laundry up until the point where she threatened my life.   All her decision.   She grumbled.  I didn't budge.   She did her laundry and then acted very nice to me for the rest of the day. 

Family Time

It is so nice to have family visiting again.   It seems like such a long time since we regularly had people in the house and visitors from our family come to stay with us.   Some of our favorite visitors are Uncle Bob and Uncle Brian and they are here this weekend, which is just wonderful. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter had such a good time with Bob and Brian today.  She went on a walk with them and then out to Chipoltle with them for lunch.  Then she went to a baseball game and had all sorts of things to eat as well as bought tattoos all by herself.  She came home full of energy—and then fell asleep early tired from all the activity.

The Big Boy Update:  We are trying to be kind to my son and he is trying to do his responsibilities so that he isn't corrected.   He's doing partially well and then sometimes failing at things.  He's not doing well at accepting responsibility for his actions when he does miss things.   It's hard for him.   We're not giving up on him though.

The Sweetest Thing

I have this water bottle that I love.  My husband got them two years ago for giveaways for the neighborhood Halloween contests and he had one left over.  I didn't expect to like it so much, but it is absolutely my favorite.   I thought I had lost it recently, which was distressing.  I take it everywhere.  It turned out I had taken it into the closet in our bathroom likely when I was getting a bandaid or Advil or something and had left it on the shelf.  When I found it a day later I was utterly relieved. 

Today a box came in the mail.  It was heavy and my husband jumped in and said, "I think that's for me."  He came into the room a few minutes later and gave me this.   Best husband ever. 

The Big Boy Update:  My son thinks I'm pretty, but he doesn't like certain things with my clothes and will tell me if he thinks I should change.  He is very opinionated.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter wanted to sleep on an air mattress.   Very badly in fact because she said her bed was terribly uncomfortable (as a ploy to get us to agree to the air mattress.)  She made a fortress around the mattress and is now happily sleeping in the bonus room.  

Well, This Wasn't An Improvement

I thought we were getting better.   But we're not.  It's 3:10am and we're still working on posting the video we made tonight.   We tried to prepare in advance but I was up with my son until midnight with, well we shall say issues.   My daughter and son were home from school sick and my husband has felt lousy.   

We need to be asleep.   We're going shortly.  Uncle Bob and Uncle Brian arrive tomorrow.   And my son has two days off school.  My daughter has one.   I can't wait for some days off.

Typewriter

My daughter wants a typewriter.  Why?  Because she wants to type messages to give to her friends.  Friends who are sighted.   She wasn't happy with the idea of typing something on her computer and sending it to the printer.  She wants an actual typewriter.  

She wants an old one with clacky keys very much like her braillewriter.  She wants to put paper in it, type a message and then give it to people.  It's not a bad idea.  I don't want to get a very old typewriter that doesn't work well and have to deal with maintenance issues though. 

I'm going to look into one.   She will only use it short term I suspect because she's learning more and more about how to use the computer and other devices using the VoiceOver features they provide.  Soon enough she's going to be zipping around the computer faster than the rest of us.  For now though a typewriter might be nice. 

The Big Boy Update:  My son has been doing so well with the "no corrections" plan we have in place.  So far things are all very happy.  I hope it remains that way.  I worry about this weekend when he'll have screens again.  He gets much more grumpy and obstinate when he has screen time. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter wanted to have an air mattress blown up for her tonight because, "my bed isn't comfortable".  She has a very nice mattress.  She had just found the air mattress in the attic and I think wanted a change.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dinner

I got up early and worked today until around 5:30 when I couldn't stay awake at the computer any longer.  I went upstairs, intending on taking the nerve medication I was supposed to take at noon, and promptly fell asleep on the bed with my purse beside me.  

My daughter came by at some point, I was so confused, and handed me a little bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough that was from the batch she was making.  She knows I just love the dough.   So in my nearly asleep state at some time around dinner, I ate that little (small) bowl of cookie dough.  My husband woke me up at 10:30 and now it's two-thirty in the morning and I'm finishing up work.  

It was a terrible dinner health-wise, but boy was it good. 

The Big Boy Update:  My son came home today, came downstairs, and said, "Mom, I like how you vacuumed the car, it looks really nice." then he went on to tell me about the snack I had gotten for him and how he and his friend liked it.  He was happy and saying positive things.   We're all trying really hard to see if we can turn around this behavior thing he has going.  Maybe it will work this time.  I really want it to and I know he does too.

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter has made some delicious chocolate chip cookies again.  Darn her and her wonderful baking.  How am I supposed to eat less and lose a few pounds when she insists on making things I have a terrible time not eating!   She is a great cook.