Is it Friday? Juneteenth really threw me off and all yesterday I thought it was tomorrow and now it’s Friday and I’m not sure what is going on. I was telling my mom about the first Valencia Entertainment Zone we went to and at first I said “last Thursday” but then I thought no, it had to have been longer ago than that. But it was last Thursday. I’ve packed a lot into a week. Also the kids already being off and in camps last week throws me for a loop. Here are some general updates at this, the end of the first full week of summer break.
Husband
I forgot how the husband gets a little sulky during summer, since he still has to go to work and the rest of us don’t. This week was a particularly in-his-face reminder because the 11yo didn’t have camp so no one was getting up and getting ready except him. I know I would be sulky if I had to work and NO ONE ELSE did, so I get it. I’m also reminding him to verbalize specific things I’m doing that bother him (like disappearing downstairs (to do a little more strength) after a late night at the dojo on Tuesday, instead of participating in kid bedtime. Fair enough!) I’m also going to be busy this weekend, but I keep reminding him that he gets a whole weekend without us (we leave on a red eye next Friday night), and won’t that be divine!? Luckily he had drinks with someone after visiting a different Entertainment Zone yesterday, he’s out with friends tonight and is planning on seeing a friend tomorrow. That makes me very happy.
Kids
The 11yo is hurtling toward tweendom like a hormone seeking missile. He’s always been tall, but now he’s TALL and he’s filling out. He just seems like an older kid. He’s consistently sleeping in until 10am when we let him, and he wants to be alone in his room a lot. He plays a lot of video games and we still need to make him read 30 minutes a day (I’m resigning myself to the fact that this might always be the case). He’s also been in the backyard for 30-60 minutes a day most days, throwing a baseball into a net and catching it to prepare for tryouts at his new middle school in the fall. He only spent one session in Level 6 at swim lessons, and this Saturday he’ll be moved up to “Free Swim” which is when they do little sets to build stamina. It’s the “pre-swim team” level the 15yo wanted to reach so badly right before the pandemic started. He’s clearly a talented swimmer, and of course has no interest in swimming for a team, but we’ll probably make him at least try it out at some point.
Not as much to report on the 15yo; I’m not struck by how much she is changing every time I look at her. BUT! She does love to watch TV and movies now (I’ve mentioned this), while the 11yo, who has been my movie watching buddy since he could watch TV is always prepared to pass on a family movie (did I mention how much he loves to be alone in his room?) It’s weird how they’ve switched on that. I wonder how long until they switch again.
House projects
The decluttering projects continue. All my clothing has been reorganized. I’ve tackled parts of each kid’s room. I took five big bags to the Salvation Army. I cleaned out the shed and put a bunch of stuff on the sidewalk. I cleaned up the garage and scheduled a bulky item pick up for next week. Shit is getting done for sure. I am riding that productivity wave! Just like I hoped to!
I had plans to cut the (VERY!) tall grass in the backyard yesterday, but the wind was crazy (gusts of up to 35mph!) so I tackled the cargo bike instead. I pulled it out from under the laundry accordion, and cleaned it off and took pictures and posted it on Craigslist. A guy responded right away, which was shocking because it’s an OLD bike and there are plenty of other cargo bikes available all over the Bay Area. I had posted it for $1000, when I really wanted $800 and that is exactly what he offered. I was thrilled! Then I went down to plug in the battery so it would be ready for him to test ride it and… it wouldn’t charge. After MUCH googling I figured out it was probably dead, like DEAD dead, so dead that the charger didn’t recognize it as something it could charge, so it just didn’t even try to. After more googling I learned no replacement battery is available, and if I can’t find someone to revive it (probably not possible), I’ll have to get it rebuilt to the tune of $500. I’m so bummed out, not because of the money, but because it’s a good bike that still works fine if it has a battery. I hate the idea that it’s useless now, because I didn’t periodically charge it. I feel awful. And while I did find a place that would look at it (this felt miraculous), they had very little hope in being able to fix it. So now I have to figure out what to do with a cargo bike that is so big and so heavy you can’t really ride it without the electric assist, except the electric assist is missing its battery. The guy who wanted to buy it is interested in rebuilding batteries, and I bet he’d take it from me for free. I’d rather someone have it and try to make it work again than spending a ton of time on it myself. I wish I had known this could happen. I feel so stupid for my negligence.
Health
I’m still getting hot flashes, but less frequently. Maybe 5-10 times a day? Actually, at least half of those are at night. I hate them and they make me crazy, but I’m trying to prepare myself for the possibility that they are here to stay. Lately I’ve just tried to breath through them, after I take off any outer layers of course, and even count to remind myself that they don’t linger long. My heart rate is also still high. When I ran last Friday it hit 200bpm! On the bike it’s frequently 175, and right now, while I’m doing a very light elliptical workout, it’s 150! I don’t understand why the medication isn’t working this time like it did the first time. I’m certainly gaining weight so it’s doing something! Just not enough? I don’t know. If I think about it too long I get really bummed out, so I try not to. I get my blood drawn on Monday, and I’ll have more information then, even if I don’t have any real answers.
I am working out a lot, and while my heart rate is high, I feel stronger than I did before my diagnosis. I really hope I can keep up my strength work while I travel, because I like feeling strong despite all the uncertainty around my Grave’s Disease.
Coming up
Tomorrow I teach Teens, then I’m assisting the lower belt test at the dojo. I should be home by 3pm, when I plan to finish cleaning up downstairs to host book club on Sunday afternoon. Sunday I take the 11yo to swim (we’re trying to decide if we should sign him up for the next level even though we’ll miss like half the lessons so he keeps up his stamina, since he’s getting moved to the next level). Then I’m hosting book club and finally attending the high belt test review, where we watch the video of the parts of the test, and share observations and tips for growth. It’s a packed weekend, but I think it will be good.
And of course next week I’ll be preparing for our trip to St. Louis. The weather there is hellacious right now (like so hot it conjures visions of hell), but I’m hoping it will come down a little by the week we get there (hoping is a strong word, it’s still going to be awful). We never wear the shorts and tank tops we pack for St. Louis here at home, so I can do our foundational packing early and just add underwear and socks as we get closer. The husband is staying behind for a few days so I don’t have to the house totally ready, though I will be doing some picking up that I’ll expect he doesn’t undo before he goes. The 11yo has camp next week, so I will have some solo hours to get all this done.
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Quick extra thing (should have made this a Six on Saturday post)… Today I took the kids to the coast with my parents (I missed Mother’s AND Father’s Day with them) and got some pretty pictures so I’ll post them here. We had a lot of fun, despite the crazy wind whipping dust all around us everywhere we went. (I wasn’t planning to work out today, but I felt so dusty that I needed to shower and I really struggle to shower without working out. Does anyone else feel that way?)
But anyway, pictures of this beautiful state that we live in!
Those photos really are beautiful. It’s making me think I should get to the beach- but our weather is also hellacious here (and will be until November, SIGH.)
So- I’m the only one in my family working in the summer, since my husband is a teacher. Let me tell you- if my husband were doing as much work around the house as you are, I would be THRILLED. Our garage needs to be cleaned desperately, and we need a major decluttering. You’re doing well- I hope you don’t feel guilty about not having school right now!
I basically spent my teen years in my room, and my daughter is doing the same. Sounds like your son is getting ready to be a teenager.
The pictures of the coast are beautiful.
Thank you for the coast pictures. As I wonder if we are in WW3 they help ground me in today and the present and remind me to appreciate today while it is here.
Your husband is lucky to have time to himself and I remind myself, hard, that entertainment zones are work for him. Hope he appreciates the work you do on the house and wardrobes and packing and donating.
Sounds like your children are really growing up … 3 more years til your daughter is gone to college or at least out of high school. Scary how fast that happens. Really your kids should be only about 5 years old … both of them. Remember when you had babies……. a long time ago for me with mine. You are and deserve to be proud of them.
Am certain your parents understood mother’s day and father’s day events and enjoyed the coast even in the high winds. So glorious. Thank you again.
drat! I am in moderation because mis-spelt my name! Plse find it there.