Sunday Get-Shit-Done-Day

We got home at 1:30am on Friday morning, after over 13 hours of flying and 17 hours of traveling. My husband and kids slept some on the second flight from New York to San Francisco. I did not. We all slept relatively well at home and got up early. Friday we didn’t do much: we unpacked; my son went to martial arts; my daughter got to see two friends.

Friday night everyone went to bed really early except me. While I slept pretty consistently in London, I always felt really tired during the days there. It was like my body always knew that something was off, and it wasn’t a fan. It seems to have taken me no time readjust to Pacific Daylight Savings Time – my body is relieved to be back to it’s regularly scheduled sleep patterns. My family has returned not to our time zone so easily. I hope they all feel better soon, especially my husband.

Saturday was also pretty low key. Everyone was up before 8am, except for me. I went to martial arts in the morning. (We all tested before returning being around other people; so far we’re all negative). Then I planned to walk with my kids to get a sweet treat, but my son wasn’t feeling so great so we scratched that. Instead I bought my son some shoes (thanks for the reco SHU), and my daughter a new backpack (both online). I also designed and ordered a mug and wooden desk plaque for my parents with pictures of our London trip, as a thank you (from Shutterfly). I cut my son’s hair and he took a long bath. Then he and I went grocery shopping before watching Jurassic Park (the original 1993 movie).

My son clearly has something… I hoped it was allergies, but now I think it’s at least a cold. I hope it’s not Covid. My mom had a cold at the tail end of our trip in London, so I’m assuming he got what she had (she had Covid right before our London trip so it’s unlikely she had it again there, and she has tested negative multiple times since she got back). My son tested negative before going to martial arts on Friday afternoon. I’m going to test him again today to manage my own anxiety and then again on Monday before we leave for the KOA. He’ll be devastated to miss the KOA because his best friend is coming for a few days this year. His best friend also just had Covid in June, so hopefully they won’t be too stressed out by my son having a bit of a cold. We shall see… We managed to get through two vacations without Covid ruining things, but who knows how long our luck will last, especially with a new variant making the rounds (it seems unlikely we got BA.4 or BA.5 back in mid-May but who knows).

My throat has also been twitchy, but I can’t tell if it’s allergies or a cold or psychosomatic. I’m so tired of wondering about every little symptom or hint of a symptom. I’m so tired of paying for rapid tests.

Today I’m buying something off Craigslist and taking the kids to ride their bikes by my work (they’ve barely been on their bikes this year and they want to ride them at the KOA so I’m making them reacquaint themselves with them in a big open space). We’re also grabbing some essentials for the KOA, like sunscreen and Dramamine (for the boat on Clear Lake).

Today I’m also packing us for the KOA. We leave tomorrow (assuming my son and I keep testing negative). The KOA is generally a very low key time. The kids just run around and swim and bike and play together. There isn’t a ton to do, so it’s not very stressful, especially at the beginning of the trip. Next weekend it will be crazier, when all the moms are up there and we spend a day on Clear Lake. But during the week it shouldn’t be too much. I’m very glad that the last two trips are the most low key tips. I need some down time.

{Yes, I know how obnoxious that sounds. I apologize.}

And then Hawaii and then it’s the new school year! Which I’m finally starting to think about! I honestly have hardly thought about work for a full month and it’s been glorious. But suddenly it’s the end of summer and I need to start thinking about it again. The kids start on Wednesday, August 17 and my district starts a week later on the 24th. I was really annoyed when our union voted for that later start date, but Hawaii wouldn’t have been possible if we’d started on the 17th (we get home from Hawaii on the 15th), so I’m having to change my tune on that. I believe my first staff work day is Thursday the 18th, but I’m honestly not sure. I really have not thought about work at all this summer (I had to check our calendar today to be sure I had our official start date right).

I do want to talk more about the London trip soon. Hopefully before we leave on Monday. We shall see.