Random items

My back is better today. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers (grins). I'm going to take the muscle relaxant tonight when Q goes down. I think perhaps my combo of icing, practically overdoing all manner of herbal anti-inflammatories, and maintaining a tight Valsalva every time I've had to lift Q or his chair, perhaps that combination is somehow magical. Or whatever. It seems to have worked for a quicker than expected recovery.

I got the final installment in The Saga of the IKEA Dresser That Would Not Cooperate all wrapped up today. My mom will have their new dresser at some point. I'm glad not to have to argue with those customer service people anymore. Who knew that two whole separate boxes could be so messed up? Does a dresser need three end pieces? How about two complete sets of drawer bottoms? No? But perhaps it could use some, say, drawers? Yeah. It was that much fun. But! I do seem to get results, yes I do. Got the cable people to knock an extra $60 off my parents' bill, and now the dresser issues are resolved. Maybe I could make a little money playing Consumer Advocate for a couple of hours a week?

The kids aren't home. I don't know when they will be, as they seem to have conflicting versions amongst them. Tomorrow will be a day of rescheduling the children's appointments and lessons and stuff. They were supposed to participate in a local charity soap box derby event this weekend -- driving for SN kids, especially a bunch of kids with autism. We had plans for G's birthday. But hey, this way maybe they'll just get to have more time with their dad.

Deep breath, now find the opportunity in the moment and on we go. Emotion often overwhelms good sense, much to my chagrin. I did apologize for my rather, erm, hasty mouth. And that's pretty much all I want to say about that. Except that I would like to be done apologizing, done with difficulty of any kind in relationships of any kind, and moving on to other, far more rewarding things. I have a sneaking suspicion that this may involve investing in a bale of duct tape for my own silly self. Or seeing a counselor so's I can vent to someone who's under the constraints of privacy laws.

Gah.

Elsewhere in reality... Q's swallow study, which has been on my schedule for more than a month, has not yet been okayed by radiology. Which means that it's anyone's guess as to when it might happen. But he ate some smooshy cauliflower today! I put mashed potatoes in his mouth with the cauliflower so he could figure out what to do with it once he'd mooshed it up. The texture counfounded him a bit. I put a tiny piece of equally soft turkey in his mouth too -- he managed that as well! His Speech Path lady was appropriately impressed. Hurray! And I've discovered that if you puree cherries and heavy whipping cream together they turn into a nice cherry fluff, which, with whey powder and oat cereal, makes Q a nice, nutritionally complete meal.

The maintenance for the van was surprisingly expensive today, even though they took 10% off since I waited nearly an hour past the time they said I'd have to. Q had to be so patient and I was holding off his nap further than he was happy about so he could be all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the airport this evening. But still -- ten percent is not bad. And they washed it -- bonus. (So we're going to push past the fact that there's a small dent in the poor thing. I've no idea from whence it came, but man, I was hoping we could avoid that for at least a little longer.)

Aren't I cheery this evening?

I'll go find other things to sort and dump, I guess. If the kids stay away much longer, they'll come back to find mere palates on the floor and two outfits apiece in their closets. I'm kidding. That would be just mean. But I am going to see what else I can move on out of here. Maybe I can get to the book sorting and selling I'd been hoping to do? I could go through my clothes again and give away something, I'm sure. I need to figure out a different way to store Q's diapers and something to do with G's chemistry set, too. There's plenty to do, if the bored and lonesome Q will let me get to it. I'm just quite disappointed, which seems frankly petty in comparison to the fact that the kids get so little time with their dad anyway...

I think I'll take myself off to try and put the still chipper kid down. Surely by now the meds have kicked in? And I shall collect myself by morning and get on with it already, no more complaining. Promise.

XO. Rest well.