The Mundane

I promised a weekly update and I've come up with nothing particularly interesting or profound to write about, so you get the mundane of every day life.

After a relatively short Christmas break, Hilary headed back to RIT on Monday.  She left sunny skies and 75 degree weather and now finds herself in 20 degrees and snow, snow and more snow.  She doesn't seem to mind though. Fortunately, she didn't have any flight delays on the way back to school.  Southwest has a direct flight to Buffalo and then I have a taxi service pick her up and drive her the hour or so to Rochester. She's a bit spoiled getting door to door service, but what the heck, you only get to spoil your kids for so long and then the real world steps in and socks it to 'em. Besides, it cuts down on the parent being 2000 miles away worry factor too.

Mary started back to school on Tuesday and then proceeded to be out Wednesday and today because she was sick. I'm not sure what it was (mainly just a fever), but she appears to be better today and will now have to play catch-up over the weekend.  Her hours have been cut significantly at Target now that the holiday season is over and I'm happy about that because school comes first.

Jack made his first visit in over a year to the pediatrician's office last week for an ear infection. Jack has chronic yucky drainage from his ears and I'm never too alarmed by it, but last week he was crying when we touched his ear.  If there is one thing  -- and it's about the only thing -- that will persuade me to take Jack to a doctor, it's pain.  When he's in pain, I react.  He had both an outer and an inner ear infection, but after a week of antibiotics he's feeling much better and is back to his happy self.

After being remiss about Jack's wheelchair for too long, I finally had someone to come to the house today to talk about some modifications we need.  The guy had some good ideas and in a few months Jack will be sporting a much more comfortable wheelchair.  He'll have the same chair, but with some modifications.  He's getting lambswool pads for his foot rests and his arm rests, a new headrest and a nicer, thicker seat.  A couple modifications are for me -- a higher handlebar so I don't look like the Hunchback of Notre Dame when I take him for walks and also a tray for his vent.  I'm excited for the new and improved chair.  It really is the little things, eh?

Eric likewise started back to school this week and the complaining has begun.  The kid complains that I wake him up too early in the morning and he complains that he has to go to bed too early at night.  He's not getting the connection! The homework challenge is also back in full force.  He can take a 15 minute homework project and turn it into a 2 hour project.  He pushes the patience button to the limit and beyond. We are seriously considering hiring a high school kid to come to the house a few days a week to work with Eric on his homework. I think 99.9% of Eric's issue with homework is a child-(attempting) parent control thing. If we bring in a third party to just get the job done, it might prevent bloodshed at the Schrooten house.  We'll see.

I didn't remember that Eric had running club today, so he didn't dress for the occasion. Mark sent me a text to let me know that Eric had running club and that he was running in his crocs.  Picture in your mind a kid running around a track in green crocs and no socks.  Nice. "Yes, that's my kid. Why do you ask?"

In other mundane news, after living in this house for over 6 years, I've decided it's finally time to get some window coverings up.  My sister Maureen was the one in our family who was born with the home decorating gene, so she's helping me put something together.  I bought the fabric last weekend. If all goes well, I'll have some color added to my windows by the end of the weekend.  If not by this weekend ... next.

Well, friends .... that's all I've got! Have a great weekend y'all.