Monday, March 11, 2:30pm
The offspring is keeping himself busy.
So far, no unusual outbursts or requests to go out.
All is well.
Category Archives: Parenting
One-Liner Wednesday – Waking on the weekend
It was interesting enough waking up to my eldest son’s cat on Saturday morning, since he (the cat) is supposed to stay in the basement,
but it was even more interesting to find out Alex was riding him (the cat).
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As with Stream of Consciousness Saturday (SoCS), if you see a pingback from someone else in my comment section, click and have a read. It’s bound to be short and sweet.
Unlike SoCS, this is not a prompt so there’s no need to stick to the same “theme.”
The rules that I’ve made for myself (but don’t always follow) for “One-Liner Wednesday” are:
1. Make it one sentence.
2. Try to make it either funny or inspirational.
3. Use our unique tag #1linerWeds.
4. Add our lovely badge to your post for extra exposure!
5. Have fun!
My mother, my basement, and my eye – Is 2019 over yet?
So let’s start with my mum. I haven’t written an update on her for a while.
She’s still in the hospital, even though her pneumonia is cleared up. For a while there she was so lethargic and unwilling to move that the doctor told me it was likely her dementia’s progression, and that she’d never get better. So last week, on her 89th birthday in fact, we had a meeting with the hospital’s discharge planner, the head nurse from her retirement home, and myself. My mother refused to get up and walk, so it was decided that I needed to start looking for nursing homes. She wouldn’t even lift her hand to feed herself.
I explained it all to her when the meeting was over, and it was as though a switch flipped. The next day she was up walking.
It took a few days, but I convinced them to go back and reassess. Yay! I thought. She’d be able to go back and live somewhat independently! But no, now her ankle is swollen and she can’t put any weight on it. The x-ray turned up nothing, so gout, maybe? The good news is she’s more alert and less confused than I’ve seen her in a long time, probably due to not smoking for a month.
And even better, she seems to have forgotten that cigarettes exist. She hasn’t asked for one in three weeks.
Fast forward to yesterday morning, I was sitting in the living room with Alex (who was supposed to go to his dad’s this weekend but didn’t–it’ll be at least 2 months again before I have a break), when my eldest son came upstairs and said he thought a pipe had burst. There was water under his desk in his room.
When I got down there, half the basement was flooded. All the cardboard boxes on the floor and everything in them, I figured, was ruined. Turned out it wasn’t the whole basement once we got stuff moved, but the leak had been ongoing for some time. The stuff that was ruined was really bad. The good news is I think we’ve managed to plug up the hole, which is half-way down the wall in the concrete behind an electrical outlet. The bad news is mold.
Fast forward again to this morning. The windy weather made Alex decide he wouldn’t get dressed to go to school. So we did our usual dance when he’s misbehaving, him screaming at me and punching me and me ignoring him the best I can until he complies. Which he always does, eventually, and usually with minimal damage until this morning when he decided to hit me in the side of the head with his sock. It wouldn’t have hurt except he got me in the eye. My only good eye. The other one is legally blind.
So I’m off to the eye doctor today, just to make sure there’s no serious injury. The sock in question was one he’d worn before, and I think he had it on downstairs yesterday. Nothing like an infection to ruin your entire life …
Happy, happy, joy, joy.
The bright side? Alex actually went to school today on the bus, even though there’s snow. Keeping my fingers crossed we’ll finally have a full week of school, the first one this year.
#SoCS – Awkwardly
Verily, I say I really get myself into some messes. Like, I don’t think about what my own Saturday posts are going to look like. If you’re looking at this post and thinking, “Why the hell would I hire an editor who starts a sentence with an adverb … especially one like ‘verily,'” know that the prompt made me do it!
Yes, it’s my prompt.
I blame it on lack of coffee.
So, would you look at that! It’s Saturday already! The plan at this point is to take Alex to a movie today–either “The Kid Who Would Be King” or “A Dog’s Way Home.” I’m waiting for Alex to decide. I don’t particularly want to see either of them, but you do these sorts of things for your kids. Especially when they let you sleep in ’til 9:30. Aside from when they woke you up just to tell you they’re awake. It was still dark. I have no idea what time it was, but I told him to leave me alone and go downstairs, which he did.
Maybe he’ll sleep through the movie. I might too. We’ll have popcorn, so we’ll be sure to look “into it.”
At the moment I’m dying for my second cup of coffee. The dog is curled up in a ball on the loveseat beside me
and the kid is watching something that’s got him screaming and clapping. His laptop is turned the other way, so I don’t know what it is.
And me? I’m sitting here typing out whatever emerges from my under-caffeinated brain.
Awkwardly.
SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.com/
This thirsty post is brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the link to find all the other awesome posts in the comment section, and join in! It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/02/08/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-9-19/
Day 2
Day 2 is much like Day 1, Day 1 being yesterday, the day of ice.
Except Day 2 doesn’t involve ice falling from the sky. Now, ice is on the ground. Still keeping Alex from going to school.
Alex, who is at the moment gleefully jumping up and down in unison with the contestants on “The Price is Right.” Screaming as if he was just called up onto the stage.
We took down the Christmas tree yesterday. It didn’t help. Cross superstition off the list of causes for this year’s luck.
In other news, my mother has been diagnosed with hypo delirium. She may recover. Good news, though: her lungs are better. So the pneumonia is gone.
Yet, I am stuck at home. Unable to visit the hospital. Unable to escape the screams, joyful as they are.
#SoCS – Affirmative
Yes, I can affirm that today has been a challenging one with the child who is no longer a child but acts like one. I can state that unequivocally.
But is that the way the word “affirm” is really supposed to be used? An affirmation–the word affirmative–means yes. So to state something negative (like saying it’s been a bad day), would be a confirmation, wouldn’t it? Because, like, pros and cons. So is there such a thing as a proffirmation?
Gah! That makes my brain hurt.
Or is it a proclamation? Which would be the opposite of a conclamation. Haha.
I like making up words.
I do like affirming that I CAN do stuff. There are days when that’s easier than others. I can sometimes wake up in the morning and, for no apparent reason, feel like I can do anything.
Then there are days when I just want to throw in the towel because I can’t seem to do anything right.
And I have no idea why either of those things happen.
Except when I get a negative comment or review on my work and then I spend five minutes saying fuck it, I can’t write. What made me think I ever could?
I’m glad it only lasts five minutes. Most of the time.
So yeah, I’m hoping Alex will be able to go to school for a full week next week. I’m sure his behaviours are at least in part due to the fact that he’s getting bored staying home. I think he’s only been to school seven days so far this year.
But with this crazy weather …
Last week it was cold enough the balls off a snowman (the snowballs–get yer mind outta the gutter), and tomorrow we’re supposed to get freezing rain. Monday? Rain.
I may just take Alex to school on skates.
SoCS badge by Pamela, at https://achronicalofhope.com/
This very late, very random, very made-up post was brought to you by Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Click the following link to see how you, too, can join in the fun. And read the other participants’ posts while you’re there! You’ll find all the links in the comments. https://lindaghill.com/2019/02/01/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-feb-2-19/
Cathartic – #JusJoJan 2019 Jot #27
I’ve spent most of the day contemplating, trying to figure out what I do that is cathartic. What helps me purge my negative emotions. And really, I could come up with nothing.
So my next question for myself was how am I coping? Why am I not going off the deep end?
And my answer was that I am generally happy. Content, despite all the stressors in my life. It’s testament to the fact that I don’t set the bar very high when I consider myself happy that my kids are alive and safe. Are they all healthy? Not by a long shot. Do they have everything they want? No. But they generally have a lot to smile about nonetheless.
There’s still all the stress to deal with, but that I do with my little escapes. Writing fiction, plunging headfirst into my editing jobs, taking a walk, and colouring easily help at least give me a break from my worries.
And I suppose when it’s all at its worst, my writing, even when I’m not writing about myself, can indirectly help me to spit out on a page what I’m feeling inside. We can’t, as writers, effectively express emotions we haven’t felt, whether they be joy or grief, well-being or pain.
On the other hand, maybe I’m just lying to myself and I’ll explode when I turn 60.
But at this very moment, I honestly believe I have it pretty good. All things considered.
The prompt word, “cathartic,” for today’s post is brought to you by Enthralling Journey! Thanks, Enthralling Journey! To find her “cathartic” post, click here. And say hi while you’re there!
It’s never too late to participate in Just Jot it January! Click the following link to find out how, and see all the other participants’ links in the comment section. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/27/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-27th/
Zoomie – #JusJoJan 2019 Jot #24
When I posted the prompt last night for “zoomie,” brought to us by the lovely Bee (click here for her zoomie post), I did an obligatory check in the dictionary. It was as I thought — not there.
So I checked Google and discovered it’s the most awesome and appropriate word for what a dog does when it zooms around with excitement. I think the only dog I’ve ever had who didn’t do it indoors (thank goodness) was my Saint Bernard, George.
I was a bit zoomie myself as a child. I loved running. I wish I still loved it, but years of childhood exposure to second-hand smoke finished my lungs off. I have no doubt I’d be a runner otherwise.
Today, I’ve been zooming here and there for Alex’s sake. Yet another snow day. I’m hoping to be able to visit my mother in the hospital tomorrow. If it’s another snow day, I may just run away from home.
… okay, walk away from home. Semantics.
This Just Jot it January post was fun to write. Would you like to try? It’s never too late! Click on the following link to find out how, and to read all the other “zoomie” posts! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/24/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-24th/
Curiosity – #JusJoJan 2019 Jot #22
Well, for a birthday, it’s been one unexpected thing after another. Let me tell you about it.
It started out with the school buses not running, but I knew that ahead of time. Because Alex was starting to go stir crazy yesterday, and because he had an appointment with a speech and language pathologist at lunch time at the school, I’d decided to drive him in anyway. So I began my day by shoveling my car out of the driveway. Turned out I didn’t need to do it first thing, because my best friend, John, came to my rescue and took Alex to school.
I still needed to be there for the appointment, however, so I had a shower–my birthday present to me–and drove to the school where I met the speech pathologist. Lo and behold, she’s fluent in sign language. Wonderful! What a lovely surprise that was!
After that, I came home and tried to get as caught up on my social media and all the kind birthday wishes, as well as try to promote my book sale. Then I had to drive back to the school to get Alex, because no buses.
I got home and we had pizza for dinner–no cooking!–and I got back to my laptop for some more catching up. Then my mother called to say she spent the day in bed, she was very sweaty, and the nurse had been talking about sending her to the hospital today. But my mum had no idea why. So I put in a call to the nurse at the retirement home. Apparently–wait for it–a few of the residents have had pneumonia, and my mother hasn’t been doing so well. They’ll keep an eye on her tonight, and if they have to send her by ambulance, they will. I explained I can’t get away–I have Alex to look after.
Just as I was putting Alex to bed, I got a call from his brother. His bus didn’t show up. So off I went to drive him to work for 11pm.
Meanwhile, we’re expecting freezing rain tomorrow, so probably no buses. And I doubt I’ll want to drive either. There’s about six inches of snow on my street, and if that freezes over, it’s going to be an ice rink out there.
What does all this have to do with curiosity?
I’m not the slightest bit curious about how my day tomorrow is going to go.
I’m happy and content to spend the rest of my birthday oblivious to what might await me.
Just livin’ in the moment.
Thank you so much to everyone for their wonderful birthday wishes today! They really helped me get through what was an otherwise trying day. And it’s entirely possible that they kept it from being worse! ❤
“Curiosity” is the prompt word for today, brought to us by Pamela. Thanks, Pamela! Click here to find her signature daily quip post for today. And say hi while you’re there!
It’s never too late to participate in Just Jot it January! Click the following link to find out how, and see all the other participants’ links in the comment section. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/22/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-22nd/
Companionship – #JusJoJan Jot #18
It’s been a long day. My companion for the day was Alex–he didn’t go to school. His cough was bad enough this morning that I decided to wait and see if sitting up would help. It did, but then he slept most of the morning.
He lazed around for most of the rest of the day, only really getting up to build some Lego with my best friend, John.
He’s sleeping again now–the worry isn’t over.
I look forward to going back to this not being the only thing on my mind.
“Companionship” is the prompt word for today, brought to us by Di. Thanks, Di! Click here to find her JusJoJan post for today. And say hi while you’re there!
It’s never too late to participate in Just Jot it January! Click the following link to find out how, and see all the other participants’ links in the comment section. It’s fun! https://lindaghill.com/2019/01/18/jusjojan-2019-daily-prompt-jan-18th/
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