Weekly: January 15-21

 I don't have any idea how that week went by so fast. Monday - our day off was nice, we just stayed home in pajamas all day, I did some adulting around the house, and let the kids just be free to play and enjoy the day off since they were getting along so nicely. We thought about going to Boise when Todd got home, but decided to just be lazy instead. Frankly, Boise is fun but if we stay home we don't spend any money, being more financially responsible is one of my focuses, and while that may be laughable I do know that practicing being a homebody a bit more will help, even if it just means skipping Target on a Saturday morning. We have to start somewhere.
The kids at home and school were kind of wild during the week, there wasn't a full moon, so I don't know what it was... well it was probably the weird schedule. Because of Monday off and then Thursday and Friday being half-days the schedule of the whole week was off and that creates chaos usually. But the kids got to spend extra time with the grandparents, which is always good.
I decided I wanted some new art on my gallery wall in the living room and decided to try and paint it myself so that I could choose the colors.

 And it actually turned out really cute, and was really fun and therapeutic. I am not an artistic person, never have been, and so when I have to do some kind of art it usually stresses me out because it won't be perfect or exactly what I wanted it to be. I don't know what was different, but I liked it. I bought the kids two little canvases to paint as well and kind of expected that to be a train wreck - especially for Carolina who is more like me - but they really enjoyed it too! This wasn't our family fun night activity, but it would've been a good one. FFN actually didn't quite go as planned this week - the kids picked the dinner (eggs over easy, and some fixings) which I really had to make on my own and then we decided to play Disney Trivial Pursuit - but poor Todd hadn't been feeling well all day and he hit the hay really early, so it was just the kids and I but we still had fun! Todd didn't - he had a stomach bug (or something) and was sick all night. I slept on the couch - or rather didn't sleep - so I moved to Liam's top bunk about 2:30am, just generally not a great night of rest. Liam wasn't feeling well the next day so I was worried it was going to make the rounds but he seemed fine after some Tylenol and so far the rest of us are good... Todd still feels kind of yuck, but he's about over it.
I am worried about influenza for all of us - I get the shot most years but nobody else in the family does (the kids act like someone is about to saw off their arm when they have to get shots - I mean the absolutely lose their minds like they are possessed, and I don't have it in me to fight that battle unless it's 100% non-negotiable). I did call and ask about a way to numb it before the shot, if that is the only way I will get my kids in the door, and they said if we treat it like a doctor's visit instead of just a nurse + injection then they can use the numbing gel first and then the shot. The kids are agreeable to that so I will not complain about paying $40 so they will able to do this without making a scene.
Sunday we decided to go to the Women's March Anniversary Rally (in other words, we didn't march, just stood) at the capitol building. We didn't go with any agenda other than to support fair treatment of women, and really all that are marginalized in some form or another, and to exercise our right to protest peacefully. All of those Martin Luther King Jr. quotes I read last week seem to have new life and meaning to me lately. I certainly wouldn't call myself an activist, I definitely didn't agree with everything every speaker said yesterday, or every protest sign that I read, but "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter," that's one that stood out to me when I was thinking of going to this event. And frankly just being at there was a pitifully small thing to do to support equality - if I couldn't even do this, then what can I do I try to be proactive in bringing about a change for the better?! The sad thing is I was nervous to post about it here, and on Instagram, and I just decided to avoid Facebook altogether, because I don't want to offend anyone, or garner any negativity - because I read peoples responses to the Women's March and a LOT of it was so hateful. I try to be on the side of love - which I think includes respect and justice. So there you have it. I'm not very comfortable on this pedestal so I'm going to just get off it now.
Anyway - Liam turns 9 in one week. Todd gets back from New Orleans (a guys trip with his dad and brother) on Sunday and then we will celebrate the last year of single-digits on Monday (I'm putting celebrate in mental quotes - waaaa!). This will be an interesting week without Todd for half of it and then the general busyness of the week continuing, I hope we get some sunshine to get us through!