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[altarflame]

I have 4 different drafts of entries in progress, one of which is 3 weeks old. And probably 40 pictures to post, some of which are a month old. There is just so much, though, so good much, so hard much, so much.

Today, I already snuck money and fairy dust under two pillows, picked Annie up from a sleepover and took her to her new cello mentoring program, studied for one of my online classes, and set up a ride for her to this mentoring program another week when I can't do it. I have a date with Jake to help plan his birthday party invites. Right now Grant is taking Annie to GMYS and derby, picking Aaron up from a (different) sleepover and taking him to the movies (while they wait for her). I have TONS of online schoolwork to do. I'm also hoping to at least finish editing pictures and post them, along with one half-done entry, after dinner... And, I'm emailing the Psychology Honor Society (which I've been invited to join) and scheduling a practice GRE for a couple of weeks from now.

Tomorrow:

-everybody's chores
-A&A revising papers from last week
-moving on to new math with them
-Annie practicing cello from her mentor sheet
-Jake and Elise continuing sentences, as well as multiplication for him, clocks for her
-reading those two the classic Hansel and Gretel
-printing out Halloween dover pages for them to color
-getting Isaac to and from school (in pajamas, with $1 for "pajama day") with cheerleading uniform in tow, and picking him up late from cheerleading practice
-get Isaac a new reed (clarinet)
-pay the electric bill
-loan payment if G doesn't do that
-get a notarized letter I need for Gloria, who's staying with everyone during an upcoming trip, for medical care
-get invitations for Jake's party done/sent
-taking Aaron to and from 3 hours of dance, during which I'll
-go to counseling
-help Isaac with his homework
-take an online test (then, after dance block)
-make dinner
-read to everyone
-start on a paper that's due Tuesday by midnight
-reserve my tickets online for this play I have to see for my theater class

Tuesday:

-chores
-get Isaac and I ready for school, with lists and activities for other kids in place (G working from home)
-go to my 3 classes; buy Jake's "big" birthday present from B&N at FIU while I'm there (Nook)
-meet with theater group about project
-post contest winner
-come home, immediately turn around and carpool Aaron and another kid to dance
-come home again, love on everyone, check on their work progress, talk to them in general - tea time
-make Annie, Isaac, Jake and Elise practice their instruments
-dinner
-read to everyone
-finish paper due by midnight
-make meal lists and print out chores, for Gloria to have while we're gone

Wednesday:

-chores
-Isaac to and from school + his homework; cheerleading day again
-schoolwork for other kids, including science experiments for Jake and Elise and SciShow for A&A
-Annie cello practice during the day
-talking about our PATH presentation choices for upcoming events; write progress goal dates on calendar together
-start on my online school work for the week; try to knock out one class
-post office
-to-do list for horror story reading on YouTube; check in with Memo about pdf dl cover art
-Annie's derby and Aaron's dance carpool in the evening (I just drive them there)
-make Isaac, Jake and Elise practice instruments
-dinner
-online class work for the week
-write out alarm system instructions for Gloria
-and emergency contacts
-get bags of bathingsuits and towels ready, with floats, for Gloria
-serious bathroom scrubbing

Thursday:

-chores
-Isaac and I to school
-their lists need to include new papers for A&A
-Annie practicing
-me in 3 classes
-stats tutoring in the lab
-Isaac, Jake and Elise at GMYS (I have to move between their classes taking notes so that I can facilitate their practice through the week)
-make sure the cooler is clean for Gloria
-BJ's run, including her requested secret chocolate stash
-list of activity times and places for her
-go see play

Friday:

-chores
-Isaac's school/homework - $1/crazy hat/hair day
-everybody else's school, including research for PATH presentations
-more cross stitching with Jake and Elise
-Make sure I have Gloria's payment money and "play" money, and LJ's gas/snack money for driving Annie, all ready and set aside
-insurance cards/AAA card/gas card with money
-tooth fairy small bills/dust just in case
-van full of gas
-kitchen and bathrooms clean
-all online schoolwork done
-paper about the play written
-tea outside with all 5
-at least an hour totally focused on them, no distractions, hanging out
-big together breakfast planned for Saturday
-uh, PACK

And then Saturday, after breakfast - Gloria and LJ take my kids to a farm with a Groupon reservation that involves fruit baskets and tours, and generally take over/move in while Grant and I FLY TO BOSTON FOR FOUR DAYS AND 3 NIGHTS FOR OUR JOINT BIRTHDAY PRESENT!!! In case you haven't been paying attention, we both turn 32 in October. 32!

We'll be eating and staying with Nancy that first night, which none of us can wait for - seriously I feel like I should be writing her name like !!!♥~*~♥Nancy♥~*~♥!!! So much love. *sigh* Since she's coming to Florida in November instead of February, we'll be seeing her AGAIN so soon, too - it will almost be like we don't live 1500 miles apart this fall :)

We will probably be meeting up with the artist formerly known as Julierocket the next day, and possibly calling on a certain idiolecto as well, before Monday night, when we crash this fucking fabulous looking combination ART PARTY AND DRESDEN DOLLS REUNION, featuring Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman as MCs...Read All About It Here, if you feel like it. Ananda is sending along a shirt she wants autographed by everyone there :D Excited, psyched, words do not convey.

Tuesday we will sleep in, eat something somewhere, and then fly home. We'll get in kind of late. Grant has that whole week off, and Jake's birthday is Friday, and his party Sunday. Jakey will be 8 - 8, I tell you! My fourth child will be 8 years old. He's having a pajama party and a bed cake (all his idea).

And our very first day back will hit the ground running...Wednesday will arrive with me slightly behind on schoolwork, with an appt for Annie to go get spacers put between her teeth (she gets braces on the 14th...which reminds me she needs a new special mouth guard for derby before that...), and a dance carpool thing...

So I am REALLY swamped. The terrible triggered PTSD feeling I referenced on 9/11 has been over for awhile...that was a shit week, but research and counseling are helping. Not long after that eased up, my pain suddenly came back big time...I'm still feeling the end of some serious week+ long pain that has me making a new doctor's appt for me (I haven't been back since I cut gluten and felt mostly better, back in...late February). I feel good, though. Achey and somewhat low energy at times, but also... Really good. Trepidacious that I don't want the pain to ramp back up and it could at any time, almost euphoric that it's gone - and kind of heavy when I think about where I'm at in counseling (surgery and medical traumas...it's the first time I've actually been directly tackling it in counseling as the main topic we're working through. I always wuss out and quit before it can get this far). I left after my hour of sobbing and talking last week feeling exhilarated and lighter, though. And I'm SO excited, about October in general! Our trip, Jake's birthday/party, All Hallow's Read, everybody's Halloween plans, the weather getting cooler...I love October.


The days before our Maryland trip were a total avalanche of responsibilities, similar to this one... it was between semesters, but I was putting the kids' homeschooling portfolios together and getting their evaluations done, and Isaac was going back to charter school so all of his uniforms, supplies, lunches, snacks and fees had to be ready to go, in addition to cleaning/stocking the house, prepping my mother in law with lists and info, trying to charge everyone up with lots of extra love and affection...I got there riding on almost zero sleep, and had to cry my eyes out in the hotel room before I could take a deep breath and relax. The trip, though, was amazing and worth it, blah blah blah :)



So yeah if I can get my homework done in time and dinner knocked out in an efficient manner, I'll be back with pictures, and more...