For the past two weeks I’ve had a pinched nerve in my neck/shoulder and the constant pain is dragging me down. I’ve tried: heat/ice/immobilization/exercise/Motrin/Coke (the legal kind)/homeopathy/essential oils/Epsom salt baths/Osteopathy/massage/whining and complaining.
One day I think things are improving — the next I’m back to walking like C3P0.
The only thing I haven’t tried is the Valium that Josh was prescribed for his back pain (it works as a muscle relaxant) because it’s not exactly responsible for me to be blissed out while I’m ensuring the safety of a 3 year old. (And my phobia of taking new medications might also play a tiny part in that decision.)
Meanwhile I’m driving around on a wing and a prayer, hoping that no one sneaks into my extra-large blind spots as I’m changing lanes since I can’t look over my shoulder without turning from my waist.
Everything else here is pretty normal. The dog and cat continue to become better friends by the day, the cat has narrowly escaped being loved to death by Camille several times (including having to explain that the cat’s tail is not a handle for picking him up), and the boys are continuing with Tae Kwon Do, basketball, water polo and Youth Group (and all the required driving that goes along with it). This week the temperatures have moved from 110 and high humidity to high 90s with high humidity. I don’t know if I can really tell the difference. It’s either freezing in the A/C or hot and drippy outside.
School has been fine — no parent/teacher meetings, the kids all seem relatively happy, and everyone has been responsible for their own stuff for the most part (only a few extra runs to school to bring forgotten items). I’d call that a pretty good start. I also decided to try something new this year: Instead of having the kids make their own lunches again this year, I’m buying them all lunch tickets every day. Lunch only costs $2.50/kid and I’m almost positive I spent more than that on groceries for them to make lunches. When granola bars cost 50 cents each, lunchmeat costs $10/lb and string cheese is 60 cents, we’re coming really close without factoring in any of the hassle/time/yelling involved in making sure those lunches get to and from school every day with all children happy with the contents. A month in, and so far so good. Less stress, less mess.
We have friends coming from Oman to visit this weekend. We have a trip to the waterpark planned and I’m hoping the government/my neck/the weather all cooperate.