Highlights in my Hair

 

I went to a real life hairdresser place yesterday and a friend of mine gave me red highlights. This is a big deal for me as I just haven't bothered with such things in decades.  I had kids and I was busy and...

Anyway, I really like it.  I think it looks good.

Joint Interests with the Kids

 One of the oddball things about having SO many children is how they have different interests and I keep having fun when I connect with one of them about something.

The big boys are watching lots of movies now; they are 18 and 19 and mature enough for some heavier stuff.  So far they seem to like the same movies that I like, which is fun.  I am super picky about movies.  I am annoyingly picky about movies. I dislike 10 movies for every one I love. So yeah.

I hope for their sake they aren't quite as picky, but it is fun saying, Hey, how about THAT movie and they watch it and like it.  That has been happening a lot.

A week ago or so Miriam told me she was watching a youtube episode about a scientist who tried to fake finding a high atomic number element. I thought that sounded interesting so, with her help, looked it up and watched it all.  The man making the program calls himself BobbyBroccoli for some reason.

It. Was. Awesome!

https://scontent.fosu2-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/315192508_6006143696103425_3742779650931083566_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_p160x160&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=dbeb18&_nc_ohc=JNjjXsKnSx8AX-LwFTa&_nc_ht=scontent.fosu2-2.fna&oh=00_AfDYQCErXJdBGf3tboAvtFWoaEgbvv_tdq9dcQYgFQmK1A&oe=63701EA8

That's the link, if you care.  It was sciency, but it was also psychological, and historical and WOW!  So so so cool!

BobbyBroccoli also made an elaborate program about a man named Schon who almost won a Nobel Prize on totally faked research!!!!!!!!

Like, recently!  20 years ago!!  WOW!!!!!!!

BobbiBroccoli has a great narrator voice and his images explaining the science are awesome.

It was so fun geeking out, and especially geeking out with Miriam!  I learned quite a bit about nuclear reactions. You would think I would know all that but honestly, I don't; as a materials scientist, I know more than most about the nucleus of atoms, but I know a LOT about electrons and bonding. That's my jam.

Anyway, I have lots in common with the kids, and lots of differences.  I am not an artist, unlike the six girls, but they can, at least, talk to each other!

I can talk about introversion and cats with Naomi, kids and cats and hair dye with Lydia, movies with the boys, and so on and so forth.

It is a blessing!

IM MISLBL

 

We have had yet another illness, which is so so so tedious, and Rose has been, by far, the sickest.

For a few days she was hacking and coughing so badly that she couldn't really talk.  She is now reading and writing (a little) so she took to writing phonetic spelled messages.

Which frankly I think is both brilliant and adorable.

Yesterday she stopped coughing so much and started throwing up.  Joy.  Poor darling; you know she is not feeling well when she lies, half asleep, in a miserable heap on the couch with a bowl in case she throws up again.

Last night she slept pretty well and this morning, while she hasn't been very hungry, she is far livelier and her stomach has settled. She had been drinking a lot so isn't dehydrated. She isn't coughing as much. So I think the worst is over, thankfully!!

Others of us got a little sick but not nearly as badly.  I did test for COVID and it was negative. One would HOPE that after having it a month ago, we wouldn't get it again, but I just wanted to be sure.

So we are on the mend.

This Week

 Last Friday night, I took our four girls still at home to a Women's Event at church.  Monday night, I took the younger six kids to church to participate in our church's Trick or Treat event.  The younger three enjoyed getting candy and playing games, and Joseph, Miriam, Angela, and I handed out candy. This was all happening in our big fellowship hall and it was a big hit in the community, especially because the night was rainy so trick or treating outside was not as fun as it could have been.

Miriam has been working at Burger King for a couple of months now. She really likes it. She doesn't drive yet so I have to drop her off and pick her up. Not a big deal at all, but it does mean the days she works (usually four days a week for 4 hours a day) I have to make a couple of round trips to Burger King.

All of this is to say I've been running around quite a bit. I find it very fatiguing to be away from home a lot.  Many people thrive on being away from home.  It is a personality thing, for sure!

I also find that as I age, I dislike driving at night more and more.  My eyesight is good but my night vision has deteriorated somewhat.  I am still an entirely safe driver, but I just don't enjoy night driving.

So all this is to say that I am a little tired now.  Yesterday I mostly stayed home though I did take the three youngest ones to the library.  Did you see how I called them "the youngest ones"?  I used to call them "the three little ones" but Sarah is no longer little.  She is, in fact, over 5 ft 6 inches tall.  She is not yet 12 years old!  I think she'll be my tallest daughter unless Rose sprouts a lot in a few years!

Our new book, "The Peacocks of Pemberley" is doing very well on Amazon. It is my longest book yet which means we make more money per book when people read it using Kindle Unlimited.  We get paid by page reads, you see.  It has been well received which is always a relief. By the time I am done with a story, I am totally sick of it and inclined to view it with weary irritation, so it is a relief that it IS a good book and people like it!

53!

 I had a birthday this month.  I am now 53 years old!

My birthday dinner was hamburgers.  I love hamburgers!  Without the bun.

Angela very kindly made me low carb brownies. We also made a cake for everyone else.

Rose is cute with her little hat, which is why I included this picture!  She is now reading quite well.  I have taught 9 kids to read.  I am proud.  I am done!

Kevin bought me a Pride and Prejudice game and a set of really good headphones. The kids gave me cards and homemade plushies.  I went to lunch with Lydia on my birthday. It was very pleasant.

I haven't been feeling great the last month; first COVID and also that stupid plantar fasciitis, plus some other mild issues.  It has been irritating but all in all, I am in good shape for my age.  I have friends my age and younger who are doing much worse so yes, I am thankful!

Our latest book launches on Kindle Unlimited on Thursday So that is exciting.  I am always worn out when I finish a book but within a week, my brain is buzzing again and I want to write. It has been a busy week so I haven't done much but I feel a strong desire to sit in front of the computer and hammer out some prose.

It has been warm this week for late October. Tomorrow a front goes through and it will cool off.

So yeah, life is just life I guess.  We are doing pretty well and I am thankful.

Autumn and I am Tired

 

I do love autumn.  When I was younger, I always felt sad when autumn came because after autumn is winter and I used to really dislike winter.

Now I don't.  I rather like winter. Because winter means NO BUGS!

Also life is easier. We aren't keeping the pool in order and running around to parks and stuff.  We stay home more and it is relaxing.

Anyway, so it is cool and crisp and the leaves are lovely.

Also, I am COVID negative. Hooray!  It took awhile.  But yes, I am now officially not spewing out noxious viruses!

However, I am still extra tired, and so is Kevin. This is not unusual post COVID, apparently.  Given that Kevin is working a new job (with lots of extra stuff) and we are together caring for seven children, and we are finishing a book, it isn't a marvelous time to be extra tired but oh well.

Also, we are going through winter stuff to see what we have, what we need, and what we can give away.

Our church has a clothes closet and they need coats and snowpants and stuff so yes, I am figuring out what we will use and what we can pass on.

End of this Round of COVID

 Whew!

We are all almost better.

That is inspiring, I know, but almost better is good!

When we got COVID back in late 2020, I was seriously alarmed.  While we are moderately young to have major COVID complications, I was 50, diabetic, and asthmatic.  I remember lying on the bed pleading with God that He would keep me safe from breathing problems.

And He did.  I had aches and pains and frozen feet and headaches and total exhaustion, but my lungs were great.

This time, I was pretty blase about getting COVID.  I mean, yeah, inconvenient, but I am fully vaxed with two boosters, albeit 2 years older than last time, still diabetic of course, still asthmatic.

And wham, breathing was an issue!

Not a scary, COVID pneumonia issue, but I should have prayed about that this time as well!

My asthma is triggered only by viruses.  When I was a kid, I had allergy and exercise induced asthma, but my only problems in the last couple of decades were when I got sick.

So I got COVID a couple of weeks ago and I was tired, and had headaches, and then asthma smacked me.  My blood oximeter levels were great all the time, but I was panting when I walked up stairs, and one day I couldn't even talk without gasping for oxygen. NOT IDEAL.

However, I am surrounded by competent people and Kevin carried the load (he got COVID, and got over it, before I did) and here we are, 95% better.

We have been flaunting our great wealth by buying copious COVID tests.  (That is a joke.  Like we WANT to spend lots of money on COVID tests!)  As of yesterday, everyone is testing negative except for me, and my last test was super super super light.  So probably today it is negative but I am not going anywhere today. So I will test again tomorrow.

Anyway, we are thankful that we are almost all better and getting back into the swing of normal things.