Hibernator (Rachel) the second

Hi! I'm Rachel! 45 year old caregiver, mom of 3, furnom of 5, reader, D&D player, cross-sticher, and pen pal (of 30). My kids are IL6 (son), M12 (stepson), D15 (stepdaughter). I also live with and care for my dad, who is mostly independent, but needs some help due to health issues and dementia. I read just about every type of fiction, though about half of it is fantasy. I read nonfiction - generally with an academic leaning, though some other types, too.

Reading goal - 150 (that will be hard to reach)

In 2024 I read 109 books

January Books
1. Carpe Jugulum, by Terry Pratchett
2. Diary of a Roblox Pro: Monster Escape, by Ari Avatar
3. Never a Doll Moment, by Andres Miedoso
4. The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher, by E. M. Anderson
5. Hold on to Your Heads, by Andres Miedoso
6. The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth, by Thomas Morris
7. Penelope Rex and the Problem with Pets, by Rex T Higgins
8. Golem's Game, by Nick Eliopulos
9. Wee Free Men, by Terry Pratchett
10. Day of the Night Crawlers, by Troy Cummings
11. Frantastic Voyage, by Jim Benton
12. Dog vs. Strawberry, by Nelly Buchet
13. Wrath of the Dragon King, by Brandon Mull

February Books

14. Eggasaurus, by Jennifer Wagh
15. Children of Virtue and Vengeance, by Tomi Adeyemi
16. Hidden Gem, by Linda Liu
17. Mahabharata
18. Here Comes Teacher Cat, by Deborah Underwood
19. We Are Growing, by Laurie Keller
20. Beach Bummer, by Ryan T Higgins
21. The Leaf Thief, by Alice Hemming
22. The Kiss Box, by Bonnie Verburg
23. Jo Bright and the Seven Bots, by Deborah Underwood
24. The Fran With Four Brains, by Jim Benton
25. Attack of the Shadow Smashers, by Troy Cummings
26.Human Acts, by Han Kang
27. March Book One, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
28. The Frandidate, by Jim Benton
29. Time to Clown Around, by Andres Miedoso
30. Pigs Make Me Sneeze, by Mo Willems
31. The Ravenswood Witch, by Jenni Keer
32. The Yellow Bus, by Loren Long
33. The Pirate's Eye, by Guy Bass
34. March Book 2, by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
35. Bad Hair Day, by Jim Benton

March books
36. Chomp of the Meat-Eating Vegetables, by Troy Cummings
37. The Ghost of Grotteskew, by Guy Bass
38. A Hat Full of Sky, by Terry Pratchett
39. The Life of Elizabeth I, by Allison Weir
40. St Augustine's Confessions, by William R Cook and Ronald R Herzman
41. The Sign of Four, by Arthur Conan Doyle
42. Neverseen, by Shannon Messenger
43. Franny K Stein: Recipe For Disaster, by Jim Benton
44. Whack of the P Rex, by Troy Cummings
45. Say Something, by Peter H Reynolds
46. Diary of a young Girl, by Anne Frank
47. Franny K Stein: Mood Science, by Jim Benton
48. Witches of Eastwick, by John Updike
49. Pop of the Bumpy Mummy, by Troy Cummings
50. The Flurry of the Snombies, by Troy Cummings

April books

51. The Locker Ate Lucy, by Jack Chabert
52. Super Rabbit Boy vs The Gigabot, by Thomas Flintham
53. 12 Major World Religions, by Jason Boyett
52. Confessions, by Saint Augustine
53. Recess is a Jungle, by Jack Chabert
54. Bad Guys in the Big Bad Wolf, by Aaron Blabey
55. Saving the Sun Dragon, by Tracey West
56. Stitch Head: The Spider's Lair, by Guy Bass
57. How Dinosaurs Went Extinct, by Ame Dyckman
58. The Building That Wasn't, by Abigail Miles
59. Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets, by Dav Pilkey
60. Night, Night, Sweet Screams, by Andres Miedoso
61. The Bad Guys in Superbad, by Aaron Blabey
62. The Adventures of Captain Underpants, by Dav Pilkey
63. Master of the Phantom Isle, by Brandon Mull
64. So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, by Douglas Adams
65. Secret of the Water Dragon, by Tracy West
66. The Science Fair is Freaky, by Jack Chabert
67. Bad Guys in The Baddest Day Ever, by Aaron Blabey

May books

68. On Human Nature, by Edward O Wilson
69. Charge of the Lightning Bugs, by Troy Cummings
70. Great Workd Religions: Christianity, by Luke Timothy Johnson
71. Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space, by Dav Pilkey
72. Bad Guys in the Dawn of the Underlord, by Aaron Blabey
73.Rumble of the Coaster Ghost, by Troy Cummings
74. Children of Anguish and Anarchy, by Tomi Adeyemi
75. Power of the Fire Dragon, by Tracey West
76. Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, by Dav Pilkey
77. Stitch Head: The Monster Hunter, by Guy Bass
78. School Freezes Over, by Jack Chabert
79. Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman, by Dav Pilkey
80. Great World Religions: Islam, by John L Esposito
81. Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon
82. Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett

June books

83. Great World Religions: Judaism, by Isaiah M Gafni
84. Bad Guys in The One, by Aaron Blabey
85. Snap of the Super Goop, by Troy Cummings
86. Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton
87. Attack of the Ninja Frogs, by Ursula Vernon
88. Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People, by Dav Pilkey
89. Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull

Open after this!

Thursday I had two telehealth appointments (just me). Then I ran errands with my dad. D15 had a show.

Media read from:

On Human Nature, by Edward O Wilson 21 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 21 minutes

The Alice Statue in Central Park I used to go there and so storytelling for kids. Your photos made me think of it

Happy new thread, Rachel!

Happy new one, Rachel! Maybe I can keep up better? Not counting on it, though. Lol

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

>10 magicians_nephew: That's a lovely statue Jim! Looks like a great place for stories.

>11 drneutron: >12 alcottacre: >13 figsfromthistle: >14 banjo123: Thanks Jim, Stasia, Anita, and Rhonda!

Friday, as usual, I went immediately from work to IL6's morning appointment and directly from there to his later-in-the-morning appointment. Then, just to spice it up, I took him immediately to a third appointment - a dentist. He wasn't cooperating with the dentist, but we finally got his teeth cleaned and looked at.

Upon getting home, I wanted to relax a bit and eat something, but dad was going to throw a pouting fit if I didn't go to Walmart with him. So I piled IL6 in the car again, and off we went.

In the evening I saw the musical revue that D15 is doing light box for. They did a really good job. There was a lot of talent.

Media read from:

On Human Nature, by Edward O Wilson 22 minutes
Children of Anguish and Anarchy, by Tomi Adeyemi 27 minutes

Media finished:

On Human Nature, by Edward O Wilson

Time reading: 49 minutes

Saturday, M12 had a band concert - they did really well! They've improved a lot over the year. Then Aaron, IL6, and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. We'd been intending on eating on the patio, but they had a bee problem and we ended up inside. :( Aaron went to D15's show in the evening.

Media read from:

Charge of the Lightning Bugs, by Troy Cummings 45 minutes

Media finished:

Charge of the Lightning Bugs, by Troy Cummings

Time reading: 45 minutes

Sunday I took IL6 to the zoo to see the baby farm animals. The tiny piggies were so cute. D15 had another show she was working at.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen podcast 26 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 17 minutes
Stitch Head: The Monster Hunter, by Guy Bass 17 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 60 minutes

Happy new thread, Rachel.

>19 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul!

Monday was busy. I took Polyphemus to his dental appointment. Later I found out he regurgitated when sedated and they turned him upside down, x-rayed him, and put him on antibiotics. Apparently all while sedated, but awake.

Then IL6 had a doctor appointment with a specialist. She made me feel better about some strange urine results, but encouraged me to talk to his PCP.

Then I took M12 to a rather routine appointment. When I got home , dad was mowing the lawn - a week after his heart attack. That forced me to mow the lawn right then. In the afternoon, I got my pots ready for tomatoes.

M12 had Boy Scouts, and D15 had a celebration for her academic letter.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen podcast 66 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 33 minutes
The Week: Getting Results 19 minutes
Children of Anguish and Anarchy, by Tomi Adeyemi 64 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 182 minutes

Tuesday was another busy day. D15 had an appointment. Then I completed a bunch of tasks and errands that were pressing, including seeding grass seed on our bare spots. The kids had nothing special in the evening. Aaron and I had an evening together watching Locke and Key, which IL6 found scary. So we'll move on to Star Wars.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Christianity 60 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 34 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 21 minutes
The Haunted House Next Door, by Andres Miedoso 32 minutes

Media finished:

The Haunted House Next Door, by Andres Miedoso

Time reading: 147 minutes

The dragon masters fight an evil spell. A good addition to the series.

Sam, Lucy, and Antonio battle science projects and a school. Another good book.

In this conclusion to the Marmalade story, the good guys figure out how to fight without their super powers. Very funny.

Wilson explores the idea of how biological group selection develops culture in humans. Wilson’s writing is a bit rambling, without giving a thesis in each chapter, so the meaning has to be gleaned by carefully listening to the audiobook. So it was hard to listen to while driving.

Wednesday was another productive day. I took IL6 to his autism assessment - I will find out the results in June. Then I wrote a letter and watered the grass seed. I ran two errands. I went on a walk with dad. I bought 8 tomato plants and repotted them. I cooked dinner. IL6 played a computer game. D15 and Aaron went to her Newsies audition and then worked on the 6000 piece puzzle.

Media read from:

Children of Anguish and Anarchy, by Tomi Adeyemi

Media finished: none

Time reading: 59 minutes

>23 The_Hibernator: That is an *impressive* puzzle!

Happy New Thread!

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/370684

>29 drneutron: lol Yes, it's 6000 pieces!

>30 SilverWolf28: >31 SilverWolf28: Thanks Silver!

Thursday, I took dad to an appointment and put dandelion killer on the front yard. D15 went to her show, the rest of us went to Red Lobster.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Christianity, by Luke Timothy Johnson 31 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 75 minutes
A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 12 minutes

Media finished:

Great World Religions: Christianity, by Luke Timothy Johnson

Time reading: 118 minutes

Just realized I missed the jump to your new thread -- so, happy new-ish thread!

>34 foggidawn: Thanks foggi!

Friday, IL6's 10am appointment was cancelled, so I had a spare hour to water the grass seed and give Polyphemus his antibiotic. I also got a letter written. Then, I picked IL6 up for his 11:30 appointment, followed by a quick trip to the library and another appointment.

After dropping IL6 off at school, I had a spare hour to get stuff done before he got off the bus from school. However, I had a horrible pain in my jaw. It radiated through my teeth to the left eye tooth, up through the lip and the left nostril, and into the left eye. It was throbbing. So I took an anxiety med and slept, thinking that the pain was from clenching my jaw. When I woke, it was even worse. I finally got it to go away with a mixture of Tylenol and ibuprofen. This is the second time I had that pain this week.

M12, IL6, Aaron, and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. Then Aaron went downstairs for his computer game with his friends, and I sat down to read. But IL6 wanted to watch Star Wars. I tried turning on the Disney app on the TV, but it was a black screen. I went in and out of the app, opening it in different ways. Meanwhile, dad was complaining of being super cold and IL6 wanted me to remove the LEGO head from the LEGO star trooper helmet.

Finally, I got the app to turn on (though failed at getting the head out of the helmet). I was then supposed to scan a qr code from my phone, and follow the prompts. Meanwhile, dad started gasping for breath and continued feeling cold. As I tried, and failed, to correctly follow the prompts on my phone with one hand, I took dad's temperature with the other hand. He did not have a fever, but was still gasping for breath. I told him if he continued gasping, I'd have to take him to the hospital. I then successfully activated the Disney app on the TV and started Star Wars.

Dad said he thought he needed to go to the hospital, so I told Aaron he'd have to bail on his friends. Aaron began explaining to his friends that he was bailing, but then dad changed his mind about the hospital, so I told Aaron he could go back to his game.

IL6 then asked me to pause the movie so he could get a "movie snack," so we went in the kitchen and got out the Pringles. Then dad wanted to go to the hospital after all, so I told Aaron to bail on his friends. I remembered to turn off the sprinkler outside before I left, so I considered it a successful evening.

At the hospital, we got roomed pretty quickly. Apparently no one wants to go to the ER on a Friday. They ran a bunch of blood tests, many of which were unfamiliar to me, so I was left asking Google AI about them so that I could make a somewhat intelligent question when the doctor came in. And he mostly made me feel better about the results (except one of them, on which he was vague about it not necessarily being an infection), but then new, unfamiliar tests came in after that, so I had to do more research and form more intelligent questions. (I'm writing this from the ER room at 4am, and have still not seen the doctor again.) Dad also got a CT scan looking for a pulmonary embolism. The results, which I have interpreted without the help of a doctor, because he is nowhere to be seen, are that dad doesn't have a pulmonary embolism, but he has a minimal ground-glass opacity indicative of a forming infection. (So...not a full-blown infection that would propel us to the ER to begin with? I know not! Because I don't have a doctor to talk to!)

Media read from:

Children of Anguish and Anarchy, by Tomi Adeyemi 56 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 56 minutes

Saturday, I wrote a letter while IL6 watched "The Empire Strikes Back." Then he and I went to the hospital to visit dad. Afterwards, I slept, trying to make up the sleep lost the night before.

Media read from:

Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds, by Dav Pilkey 41 minutes
The Bad Guys and the Dawn of the Underlord, by Aaron Blabey 28 minutes
Stitch Head: The Monster Hunter, by Guy Bass 29 minutes

Media finished:

Captain Underpants and the Invasion of the Incredibly Naughty Cafeteria Ladies from Outer Space (and the Subsequent Assault of the Equally Evil Lunchroom Zombie Nerds, by Dav Pilkey
The Bad Guys and the Dawn of the Underlord, by Aaron Blabey

Time reading: 98 minutes

I hope your dad is better soon, Rachel, and that you get to relax for Mother's Day!

>38 banjo123: Thanks Rhonda!

Sunday (Mother's Day), I thought dad was going to be discharged, so I rushed over there to get him. After an hour of waiting, we were told he wouldn't be discharged. I came home and mostly relaxed for the rest of the day. Aaron grilled.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Islam 62 minutes
A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 32 minutes
Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger 54 minutes
The Economist: All Grown Up 19 minutes
The Notebook of Doom: Rumble of Coaster Ghost, by Troy Cummings 44 minutes

Media finished:

The Notebook of Doom: Rumble of Coaster Ghost, by Troy Cummings

Time reading: 211 minutes

Monday, after some morning activities (water the grass seed, give Polyphemus his antibiotic, get IL6 to school), I drove to the hospital for dad's discharge. He'd been making a stink trying to get released, so they were ready to get him out of there. A couple hours later, we were on our way.

I then made 6 phone calls to various medical providers to get appointments set up (not just for dad). I ran errands. I prepared dad's med box with the new instructions. Ordered groceries. Then IL6 arrived home. Cooked dinner. Troubleshot IL6's Scratch program. And went to work. It was a successful day.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Islam 61 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 61 minutes

Happy New Thread, Rachel. You are looking pretty serious in your topper. All good? You sure stay busy with the family.

>42 msf59: Lol. Hi Mark! I guess I do look serious. I was just trying to get a picture for the topper, and snapped one. I wasn't spending much time thinking of it.

Alexander, Nikki, and Rip battle bugs. Good book, as usual.

These lectures covered mostly the history of Christianity and the various beliefs of the denominations. He finished with a discussion of where Christianity is headed. Dogma was kept to a minimum. Very informative.

Monday I had an appointment and then I put more dandelion killer down. D15 had a field trip to a river for some survey work. In the evening, my friend Liz came over to watch Dr Who.

Media read from:

Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 28 minutes
Children of Anguish and Anarchy, by Tomi Adeyemi 71 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 39 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 138 minutes

Wednesday, I went to the dentist about my jaw aching. He gave me a TMJ specialist reference, and gave me instructions on how to get rid of the pain. I'm supposed to keep my jaw relaxed, but I already knew that. I have realized it is not natural to relax my jaw. I clench and pull it backwards naturally. I have to consciously think about a relaxed position. I will try following the instructions, including reducing caffeine. I need to do that, anyway.

Then I took dad to see his PCP. Dad has trouble understanding that he's supposed to do cardiovascular work in order to help his heart. He claims he has been doing it, but he hasn't even been walking more than around the block.

I took a walk with dad for an hour (about a mile to the post office and back. I'm going to try to do a better job of getting him out of the house, if I can.

I watered my field of dead dandelions (very ugly) and weeding. The weeding gave me an appreciation for how much work Aaron went through last year when he did most of the weeding (with Deirdre's help). Dad wanted to compose an ode to appreciate them, so I had ChatGPT compose one. It was fantastic.

I tried to cook some Mongolian beef in the instant pot. I tried two troubleshoots after the first "burn food" message, but the rice kept burning.

Aaron and D15 worked on their 6000 piece puzzle. It was my day to hang out with M12, but he said no for the second week in a row.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen Podcast 81 minutes

A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 6 minutes

Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 26 minutes

The Economist: All Grown Up 67 minutes

Great World Religions: Islam 61 minutes

Children of Anguish and Anarchy, by Tomi Adeyemi 19 minutes

Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 30 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 290 minutes

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/370870

Thanks Silver!

Thursday was another day. I tried to make some chickpea curry, but apparently thought I was going to make some white chili when I shopped, so I made curry-flavored chicken and sweet potato chili, instead.

I mowed over the dead dandelion field, and it looks better. I was expecting to receive some more dandelion killer from Amazon, but instead received a C-section recovery kit. That is being returned, and I will order from Home Depot.

I took M12 to the orthodontist, and bot is his mouth messed up. It will require braces and oral surgery to remove an impacted tooth, plus 4 that are already in. That will cost a fortune.

In the evening, I read to D15 and Aaron played Minecraft with IL6.

Media read from:

Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 21 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 28 minutes
Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger 50 minutes

Media finished:

Children of Anguish and Anarchy, by Tomi Adeyemi

Time reading: 99 minutes

>51 The_Hibernator: Getting shipped the wrong thing is so infuriating. Even if you get the monetary cost refunded, what about the time and effort? As well as the wastefulness of receiving some random item you don't need.

>52 norabelle414: Exactly. I really just wanted my weed killer.

Friday, IL6 had a morning appointment. Then I wrote a letter and relaxed the rest of the day. In the evening, dad, Aaron, IL6, D15, and I went to a restaurant for dinner. But they'd changed since the last time we were there, and none of us were happy with the change. Dad and I watched the first episode of Handmaid's Tale. I thought it was a pretty reasonable rendition of the book (which, granted, I read a long time ago), but dad was displeased by it).

Media read from:

Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett 72 minutes
Power of the Fire Dragon, by Tracey West 52 minutes
The Economist: Crypto Meets the Swamp 28 minutes

Media finished:

Old MacDonald had a Workshop, by Lisa Shulman
Power of the Fire Dragon, by Tracey West

Time reading: 152 minutes

Saturday, Aaron and I played D&D and then I took a long nap because I've been burned out again.

Media read from:

Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 27 minutes
Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 13 minutes
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, by Dav Pilkey 46 minutes
Stitch Head: Monster Hunter, by Guy Bass 23 minutes

Media finished:

Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants, by Dav Pilkey
Stitch Head: Monster Hunter, by Guy Bass

Time reading: 109 minutes

Sunday morning 4am, IL6 woke up crying, clutching his ear. He was inconsolable for a while, and then wanted to be hugged when he went back to sleep. He tried hard, but he was too uncomfortable. So we got up and watched TV.

At a more reasonable time, I was supposed to make a corn casserole, so I ran to the store, and prepared it, while Aaron took IL6 to Urgent Care. IL6 had an ear infection . Unfortunately, they returned with a prescription for liquid amoxicillin, which IL6 won't take. So I called Urgent Care (which isn't easy, as you have to call around to get a message to them) to tell them we needed a capsule (which we would cut open and put in his drink). The nurse called back after an hour and said the doctor didn't want to give a capsule due to dosing issues. I told it simply had to be something tasteless.

Then my friend Liz and I went to a friend's house. We knew this friend online, but hadn't met her in person. We played Cards Against Humanity, then made greeting cards.

While there, the nurse called again and said the doctor was willing to prescribe a pill that wasn't readily available. She said she'd called a few places, and that I would have to call around some more. But Liz called her pharmacy (she's a tech), and they told her where the nearest pharmacy with the dose was. So I called the nurse back, and we got the antibiotic!

Getting it in to IL6 in the evening was a bust at first, because I added a med to the drink that he claimed IL6 could taste but I didn't believe him. (He has phantom bad tastes when he doesn't feel like drinking, so I was skeptical, since he'd taken that med so long without complaint; then suddenly he started complaining.) There were many, many tears. So I made a fresh drink with the antibiotics and the other meds besides the one he can taste, and he drank it up, no problem. I am now a believer.

Media read from:

Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 28 minutes
School Freezes Over, by Jack Chabert 40 minutes

Media finished:

School Freezes Over, by Nick Chabert

Time reading: 68 minutes

Monday, Aaron took the day off to celebrate our anniversary. We ran errands, ate Mexican food, and threw axes. M12's jazz band played at an event, and then he went to Scouts BSA (or whatever they're called now). I read to D15.

Media read from:

Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger 42 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 42 minutes

George and Harold save Mr Krupp from certain death at the hands of evil lunch ladies. Very funny.

Is Snake evil? Also funny.

Alexander, Rip, and Nikki go to a haunted amusement park. Pretty good.

The Magi have been kidnapped by warmongering savages. They must save their country from almost certain destruction.

Honestly, I was starting to get tired of the trilogy by this book. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a great trilogy. But all the emotions that it dredged up with little conclusion at the end of the second book. It was exhausting to me.

Maldred attacks the castle, and the dragon masters must save the day.

That's 75! I'm on-track for my goal of 150.

Congrats! Onward and upwards :)

Tuesday, I took D15 then M12 to appointments. M12 gained 3 pounds! M12 had a concert in the evening.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen podcast 94 minutes
A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 22 minutes
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 28 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 144 minutes

>65 figsfromthistle: Thanks Anita!

Wednesday, I made some chicken stew for Aaron. I wrote a letter. Then I took dad to see his cardiologist. In the evening, D15 had script pick-up for the Newsies show she will be in over the summer. I played Minecraft with IL6.

Media read from:

Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 27 minutes
Great World Religions: Islam 60 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 87 minutes

Here's the Memorial Day readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371148

>6 The_Hibernator: Congratulations on reaching 75 books!

Thanks Silver and ocgreg!

Thursday I killed the last of our dandelions in our back yard. I took dad to his cardiac rehab intake. We have 24 sessions scheduled. Dad took us all out to eat. IL6 showed dad how to play Minecraft.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Islam, by John L Esposito 122 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 79 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 30 minutes

Media finished:

Great World Religions: Islam, by John L Esposito

Time reading: 231 minutes

I rushed around a lot on Friday. I took IL6 to three appointments, including a blood draw - which is always very stressful since he kicks and screams and yells "Please help me!" Then, after popping in to the library, I took the car to get the belt tightened. The evening was bustling too, with all sorts of little tasks I wanted done. D15 went to her mom's. IL6 wrote a game in Scratch. M12 relaxed.

Media read from:

Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett 110 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 41 minutes
Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman, by Dav Pilkey 69 minutes

Media finished:

Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman, by Dav Pilkey

Time reading: 220 minutes

Saturday, I played Minecraft with IL6 then in the afternoon, we went to a military cemetery to place flags for his Cub Scouts service project. We drove to the place the instructions told us we should sign in. They told us to go to a tent down the road. We drove quite a way down the road till it was blocked off, walked all the way back up looking for a tent. Got all the way back to where we first tried signing in. Gave up and walked all the way back to our car. Dad took us to Outback Steakhouse for dinner.

Media read from:

Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 30 minutes
A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 33 minutes
Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon 12 minutes
Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett 39 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 114 minutes

Sunday was relaxing. I played Minecraft with IL6 (as did D15, Aaron, and M12). IL6 also wrote a Scratch game. I read. Aaron had a board gaming meeting.

Media read from:

A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 23 minutes
Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett 71 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 28 minutes
Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon 59 minutes

Media finished:

Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon

Time reading: 181 minutes

Monday was another beautiful day. Aaron got a lot of work done outdoors. I took a walk with D15 and dad to the library, then post office. IL6 played Minecraft with Aaron, then me, and also wrote a Scratch game. I made Jambalaya and chicken noodle soup for Aaron's lunches. I read to D15.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen podcast 30 minutes
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 30 minutes
Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett 35 minutes
Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger 44 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 27 minutes
Great World Religions: Judaism, by Isaiah M Gafni 32 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 198 minutes

Captain Underpants uses his new superpowers to fight a gigantic gerbil jogger.

Stitch head needs to rescue Creature and Castle Groteskew from a persistent monster hunter.

The hall monitors deal with Orson Eerie’s reincarnation in a frozen school.

When Ms Ribble transforms into a supervillain, Captain Underpants, George, and Harold need to save the day.

This set of lectures teaches about the history, future, and beliefs of Islam. I found the information interesting, if a little condensed (necessarily). I’m interested in reading Esposito’s book “Everything You Need to Know About Islam” as a result of listening to these lectures.

Tuesday, I took D15 to an appointment in the morning. I relaxed a bit in the evening, except for a run for groceries with dad. When IL6 got home, the kids all went outside to ride their bikes. I went in to cook dinner, and after I'd started, Liz arrived. Oops! We'd made plans and I forgot. So I put my chicken in the fridge and ordered a pizza. We watched some Doctor Who.

Media read from:

Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett 21 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 36 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 57 minutes

Wednesday was relaxed at the beginning of the day. I went to a brewery to get away from the house. I wrote two letters. I took dad to his cardiac rehab appointment. Drove home in rush hour. Then IL6 wanted to ride his bike to the park, so D15 and dad joined us. Then they rode to Culver's, where D16 locked the bikes up with her lock. Then she didn't remember her combination, so Aaron and dad drove to home Depot and bought a bolt cutter to get the bikes.

Media read from:

Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett 55 minutes
Midnight’s Children, by Salman Rushdie 105 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 160 minutes

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371287

Thursday, dad and I ran errands, one of which was to buy M12 and D15 adult bikes. We went to a good bike shop and got the only two used bikes they had (but still need to pick them up). I later took dad to cardiac rehab.

In the evening, we went to Perkins for M12's birthday. Then he opened presents (Manga, bluetooth headphones, axis and Allies, and Loki's alarm clock). We had a cake with a dragon on it.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Judaism, by Isaiah M Gafni 30 minutes
Mr Ballen 80 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 117 minutes

Friday I took IL6 to two appointments. Then dad and I went to pick up the new bikes. Unfortunately, it's too big for M13, but he can use his dad's bike and Aaron can use the new one. D15 hasn't tried sitting on her bike yet. In the evening, dad, IL6, and I went to the park - IL6 rode his bike.

Media read from:

Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 32 minutes
Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett 13 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 71 minutes
Great World Religions: Judaism 120 minutes
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets, by Dav Pilkey Dav Pilkey 46 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 282 minutes

Saturday Aaron and I played D&D.

Media read from:

Champion of the Titan Games , by Brandon Mull 26 minutes
Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 30 minutes
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets, by Dav Pilkey 13 minutes
Song of the Poison Dragon, by Tracey West 41 minutes
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton

Media finished:

Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 1: The Night of the Nasty Nostril Nuggets, by Dav Pilkey
Song of the Poison Dragon, by Tracey West 24 minutes

Time reading: 134 minutes

Happy birthday to M! Sounds like a good celebration :)

>88 bell7: Thanks Mary!

Sunday, IL6 rode his bike to the park. Later he had swim lessons. Then he and D15 taught me to play Diablo.

Media read from:

Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 28 minutes
A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 23 minutes
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton 63 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 114 minutes

Dragonbreath & Wendell dive down deep to finish Dragonbreath’s report on the ocean. Very cute and funny.

When Tiffany dances with the Wintersmith, the world is threatened by eternal winter. Like all Terry Pratchett books, this is funny and delightful.

I kept busy Monday. In the morning, I took Polyphemus to the vet to get his teeth cleaned. I spent 1.5 hours weeding the backyard - I got all the big weeds out (we had a thistle infestation, and those get big). However, I noticed there were bushes under the sump pump outlet and the downspout. Which are both horrible places for a bush, so I now need to dig them out.

In the afternoon I took dad to two appointments. And after that, I took D15 to rehearsal for Newsies. I had to take IL6 along, so he and I went to the library near the rehearsal location. Finally, I played Kirby with IL6.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Judaism, by Isaiah M Gafni 96 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 20 minutes
Mr Ballen Podcast 25 minutes
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 34 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 175 miutes

Tuesday I took D15 to an appointment. Then I took Freyja and Sake to the vet.

I ran by the pharmacy to pick up a med for IL6, but they said they had nothing. I couldn't remember which med I'd had filled, so I went home. Later, I realized what med I had wanted to pick up. I called the pharmacy. Apparently the prescription was sent to the store 20 minutes away because we had his antibiotic prescription sent there a couple weeks ago. I was so frustrated.

Then, this guy rang the doorbell. I answered and he said "Rachel ... i assume?" I'm like "Yeah." He handed me an envelope, then said "I think it's a subpoena." Yup. I was subpoenaed. Remember that incident with my day job where the mom was taken away from her adult sons because of abuse and negligence charges? They were cleared of abuse. But now they're fighting the negligence charges. So I'm a witness.

Then Aaron and I watched Revenge of the Sith. I had to stop 30 minutes from the end to start bedtime routine for IL6, so I'll need to catch up on my own.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen Podcast 56 minutes
Great World Religions: Judaism, by Isaiah M Gafni 49 minutes
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 43 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 35 minutes
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton 45 min

Media finished: none

Time reading: 228 minutes

Wednesday, I took M13 to the orthodontist and D15 to the dentist. Aaron and D15 worked on their 6000 piece puzzle.

Media read from:

The Week: Primed to Explode 42 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 30 minutes
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton 21 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 93 minutes

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371431

Thanks Silver!

Thursday I ran quite a few errands in the morning, then I took dad to cardiac rehab. In the evening, IL6 ranked up from Lion to Tiger in Cub Scouts.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Buddhism, by Malcolm David Eckel 74 minutes
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton 110 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 184 minutes

Friday I took IL6 to his two Friday appointments, then we played Kirby while Aaron mowed the lawn. Next, Aaron, IL6, and I went camping. M13 went to his mom's, and D15 stayed home.

Media read from:

The Economist: Phew! It’s a Girl 67 minutes
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton 86 minutes
Mr Ballen Podcast 40 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 36 minutes
Bad Guys in the One, by Aaron Blabey 34 minutes

Media finished:

Bad Guys in The One, by Aaron Blabey

Time reading: 263 minutes

In this interesting set of lectures Isaiah M Gafni describes the history, beliefs, and philosophies of Judaism. I found the lectures easy to follow and enjoyable.

When the Evil Overlord threatens to take over the universe, The One must save the world.

Saturday we slept in. After breakfast, we headed to the playground (IL6 rode his bike). He played for a couple of hours, then we all went back to the tent, exhausted by the heat. The tent didn't help much with the exhaustion.

When IL6 wanted out of the tent again, we went to the beach. That cooled us down - in fact IL6 was so cooled off his teeth were chattering the whole 1.5 hours we were there. When it started to thunder, we went back to the tent, but the storm was only a few minutes long.

After dinner (hamburgers) we played a game of freeze flashlight monster tag in the dark. I also got a lot of reading done.

Media read from:

The Economist: Phew! It’s a Girl 50 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 27 minutes
A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 30 minutes
The Week: Crashing Out 28 minutes
Snap of the Super Goop, by Troy Cummings 48 minutes

Media finished:

Snap of the Super Goop, by Troy Cummings

Time reading: 183 minutes

Sunday morning, we packed up camp and headed home. In the afternoon, IL6 had swim lessons. Then in the evening, Aaron took D15 to her mom's and picked up M13.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen Podcast 58 minutes
Great World Religions: Buddhism 25 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 86 minutes

Monday I made gumbo for Aaron's lunches. I took dad to an appointment with his PCP, then we went to Perkins. After that, we went to dad's cardiac rehab. I picked up IL6 at his YMCA "camp." D15 had rehearsal for Newsies.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen Podcast 29 minutes
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton 34 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 63 minutes

Tuesday, I took D15 to an appointment, then dropped her off at her mom's. I then kept busy catching up on stuff that I should have done the day before, but was to busy to do. In the evening, I played Kirby with IL6, then watched Solo with dad and Aaron.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Buddhism, by Malcolm David Eckle 55 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 32 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 87 minutes

Wednesday I took M13 to get his braces. They immediately caused him pain rubbing against his tongue, so he wouldn't eat all day. Then I took dad to cardiac rehab, cooked dinner, and played Diablo with Aaron and IL6.

Media read from:

A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 26 minutes
Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton 126 minutes
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 23 minutes

Media finished:

Hollow Kingdom, by Kira Jane Buxton

Time reading: 175 minutes

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371538

Nice to see all the family photos. Looks like your summer is busy, Rachel.

>112 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! Yeah, my summer's busy. But I'm always busy, it's a permanent state. 😊 This was supposed to be my day off, and instead I'm buying Crocs with M13 at the Mall of America - a place I don't particularly like going. But maybe I'll get some time to myself.

>111 SilverWolf28: Thanks Silver!

Thursday I went to Walmart (somewhere I passionately hate going) to buy a bunch of stuff, one of which I could only get there. I had a pretty bad anxiety attack, but I got what I needed.

In the afternoon, I finally heard the results of IL6's neurobehavioral assessment. He was diagnosed with autism, and they kept his speech delay and ADHD diagnoses.

Later, a home care company came to talk to dad for their intake.

In the evening, Aaron, Dad, IL6 and M13 went to Red Lobster while I played my new Dungeons and Dragons campaign. It was fun. I was worried about the amount of time it took out of my schedule, but hopefully it will work.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Buddhism, by Malcolm David Eckle 74 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 74 minutes

Friday I went to Perkins with dad and M13, then we went to the mall to buy him some Crocs for his upcoming canoe trip. I had been going to take the day off, as I've been so busy lately, but that wasn't going to happen. So instead I took a 2 hour nap, which was a really nice consolation prize.

In the afternoon, I dropped M13 off for his canoe trip with the Boy Scouts and picked up IL6 from camp. He'd gone to Crayola Experience as a field trip, and really enjoyed himself.

In the evening, I made spaghetti, since IL6 had really wanted some (though he'd never eaten it before). When it was in front of him, he didn't "like the red." Then D13 bought a new diamond art, and IL6 worked on programming a computer game. I read to D13, then IL6 fell asleep even though we'd been planning on staying up till midnight reading.

Media read from:

Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger 41 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 41 minutes

Saturday Aaron and I had D&D, then Aaron played Minecraft with IL6 while D15 drove with me. She hadn't driven for a while, and needed to get back into the swing of things, but she finished up the outing in a better place than she finished last time.

Media read from:

Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 26 minutes
Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs, by Ursula Vernon 27 minutes
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 2: Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers, by Dav Pilkey 40 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 93 minutes

Sunday Aaron went to board gaming, and I picked up M12 after his camping trip. D15 drove on the side streets for 20 minutes.

Media read from:

A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 34 minutes
The Week: Show of Force 32 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 39 minutes
Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers, by Dav Pilkey 28 minutes

Media finished:

Captain Underpants and the Big, Bad Battle of the Bionic Booger Boy Part 2: The Revenge of the Ridiculous Robo-Boogers, by Dav Pilkey

Time reading: 133 minutes

Alexander, Rip, and Nikki invite a new person to join the SSMP, and then battle a monster who comes from an unexpected place.

When ST the crow’s human turns into a zombie, he takes the dog and runs. The apocalypse is told through his eyes. This book was hilarious. It was a bit WTF at the end, but that only added to the humor.

Monday, IL6 had summer school instead of camp. He got to see his old kindergarten teacher, so he was pretty thrilled about that.

I made some taco soup for Aaron's lunches. Ran errands. Took dad to his appointment.

In the evening, Aaron made burgers and I played Minecraft with IL6. (I built a gigantic house. IL6 was impressed.) M12 had Boy Scouts, and D15 had rehearsal.

Media read from:

A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 9 minutes
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 19
Mr Ballen podcast 29 minutes
Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie 99 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 156 minutes

Tuesday I took D15 to the library and to an appointment. Then I dropped her off at her mom's house. I took M12 to an appointment. (he's gained another 3 pounds, despite his problem with not being able to eat for several days due to the braces!) In the evening, my friend Liz came over and we watched a couple episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Buddhism, by Malcolm David Eckel 74 minutes
Great World Religions: Hinduism, by Mark W Muesse 49 minutes
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 36 minutes
Mr Ballen podcast 33 minutes

Media finished:

Great World Religions: Buddhism, by Malcolm David Eckel

Time reading: 192 minutes

Wednesday I ran errands with dad and then dropped him off at cardiac rehab. Usually I stay, but today he was picked up by my sister, so I used the extra time to drive to the BSA store to buy a Cub Scout shirt for IL6.

In the evening, M12, IL6, Aaron, and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. Then dad joined us for a walk to the park. IL6 and M12 rode their bikes.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen Podcast 28 minutes
Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie 92 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 120 minutes

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371693

Thursday was Juneteenth, and Aaron had the day off. He and I had lunch together, then I took dad to his cardiac rehab. In the evening, I played D&D. I discovered there was an error in the cross-stitch pattern I'm using, where 3 rows are completely missing from the pattern. Not knowing what to do, I decided to continue my work, just fudging the cross-over between page 1 and page 2 of the pattern. Hopefully it looks ok.

Media read from:

Mr Ballen Podcast 25 minutes
Great World Religions: Hinduism, by Mark W Muesse 71 minutes
Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie 83 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 179 minutes

Friday was difficult. I woke with a migraine, but still had to work and then drive IL6 to his appointment. On the way home, before picking up IL6, I got caught behind a train that had stopped on the tracks. That, plus a couple other things, made me 15 minutes late to the appointment.

IL6's therapist shared the news with him that she was leaving the organization, but that we could potentially follow her once she found a new place. IL6 really likes her a lot, and will be disappointed to lose her, but it depends on how fast she finds a place and where it's located if we can follow her. I'm surprised this organization doesn't have a non-compete clause.

By the time I got home, my headache was fully gone, but my head felt heavy and foggy. I ended up sleeping all day. In the evening, I read to D15 and then to IL6.

Media read from:

Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger 39 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 16 minutes
Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs, by Ursula Vernon 47 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 102 minutes

Saturday Aaron cooked waffles and I cooked bacon. Then we took IL6 and D15 to the Sustainable Safari, an indoor zoo of rescue animals. The kids got to pet a baby alligator and an 8-year-old alligator. D15 pet a couple of capybaras and IL6 pet some bunnies.

Dad took us to Red Lobster, then everyone but D15 watched A Minecraft Movie. D15 joined us, and Aaron left for Mario Movie.

Media read from:

Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs, by Ursula Vernon 30 minutes

Media finished:

Dragonbreath: Attack of the Ninja Frogs, by Ursula Vernon

Time reading: 30 minutes

Sunday I went to Olive Garden with my friend Liz, her nephew, IL6, and Aaron. Liz and I wanted to discuss our book club book. Then IL6 rode his bike to the library with me running along behind. (He needs to learn better road safety.) After IL6's swim lessons, he and I played Minecraft while Aaron made chili.

Media read from:

Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People, by Dav Pilkey 30 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 30 minutes

Monday I ran errands in the morning, then took dad to the gym. He has finally gone back after his heart attack. He enjoyed his workout, and I got a workout on the treadmill while he was lifting weights. It made me feel really good.

In the afternoon, I took dad to cardiac rehab, then dad wanted Chinese food, so I didn't have ro cook. I got some reading and relaxing done in the evening.

Media read from:

Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie 142 minutes
A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 28 minutes
Champion of the Titan Games, by Brandon Mull 67 minutes

Media finished:

Champion of the Titan Games, by Ursula Vernon

Time reading: 237 minutes

Having a nice time at the gym then getting chinese food and reading sounds like a great day!

Are you guys having a heatwave there like we are here?

>132 norabelle414: Hi Nora! We had a heatwave, but it was much better yesterday. It only got in the mid-90's, though, and I have seen it above 100 in the past. So there's that.

Yes, it was a nice day. I want to try to work out again today, as I think that really improved my mood by the end of the day. But I have 2 appointments, with not much time in between. So the gym is out, but maybe I can fit in the exercise bike downstairs.

Captain Underpants, George, and Harold save the world from robo-boogers. Funny, as usual.

Dr Eckel covers the history and beliefs of Buddhism in a clear an concise manner.

Tuesday I took D15 to an appointment. I went to the gym for a little while. Then I had a dentist appointment. I need to get a crown because I have a fractured tooth. In the evening, Aaron and I watched three episodes of Andor.

Media read from:

Great World Religions: Hinduism 150 minutes
Mr Ballen Podcast 33 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 183 minutes

Wednesday was frustrating. I discovered I'd locked my keys in the car when attempting to leave work and waited 3 hours for AAA to rescue me. I had to reschedule an appointment. Then, after eating for the first time that day (at 1pm), I dropped dad off at an appointment and went to the music store to get M12's trombone fixed. After that, I went to pick up a form from M12's doctor. But because of traffic and pouring rain, and very confusing construction, I missed my exit and misplaced myself trying to get back to where I wanted to be. It added 30ish minutes to my drive. I took the rest of the day off. IL6 played in his sandbox and I chatted with family.

Very little reading

Here's the next readathon: https://www.librarything.com/topic/371899

Thanks Silver!

Thursday dad had an in-home appointment. Then I took M12 to Target and to the orthodontist. After that, I took dad to cardiac rehab. I was supposed to have D&D after that, but it got cancelled. D15 had rehearsal for her play.

Media read from:

Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie 152 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 152 minutes

Friday I took IL6 to two appointments. Then, I dressed him in his swimsuit and dropped him at the park, where his day-camp group was. Then D15 drove me on my errands. For the first bit, it was just easy roads, but then she got to experience one with a 50mph speed limit. She did great. In the end, we went to a restaurant to get a free brownie.

In the evening dad took Aaron and me to a favorite Mongolian grill. Then I played Minecraft with IL6, read to D15, then read to IL6.

Media read from:

Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie 75 minutes
Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 36 minutes
Lodestar, by Shannon Messenger 47 minutes
Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People, by Dav Pilkey 41 minutes

Media finished:

Captain Underpants and the Preposterous Plight of the Purple Potty People, by Dav Pilkey

Time reading: 199 minutes

Saturday Aaron and I played D&D. Then Aaron gamed with some friends while IL6 and I played Minecraft. In the evening, Aaron and D15 worked on a puzzle.

Media read from:

Return of the Dragon Slayers, by Brandon Mull 46 minutes
A Survey of Hinduism, by Klaus K Klostermaier 31 minutes
Sam Battles the Machine, by Jack Chabert 38 minutes
Curse of the Were-Wiener, but Ursula Vernon 11 minutes

Media finished:

Sam Battles the Machine, by Jack Chabert

Time reading: 126 minutes

Sunday was a relaxing day. Aaron and I both played Minecraft with IL6. D15 had D&D. I took IL6 to swim lessons.

Media read from:

Return of the Dragon Slayers, by Brandon Mull 29 minutes
Curse of the Were-Wiener, by Ursula Vernon 13 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading:42 minutes

Danny and Wendell help save a foreign exchange student from ninja frogs.

George and Harold accidentally enter an alternate universe where everything is opposites. Funny and colorful, as usual.

Seth continues on his quest for self-discovery as Kendra woos the giant queen. This was a good installment of the Dragonwatch books. Interesting and fun.

Interesting people and animal photos, Rachel, but I'm not sure what some of the animals are. Was it a wild life place or are they domesticated animals? >120 The_Hibernator: You reminded me how much I enjoyed Hollow Kingdom.

>157 Familyhistorian: Hi Meg! The large rodents are capybaras. The small reptile was a baby alligator. The large reptile was a you adult alligator.

The animals were all rescues, generally rescued drom someone who thought they could raise the animal as a pet.

Monday was busy. It started with me taking dad to get his hearing aid fixed. Then I took him to the gym, where we both worked out. Finally, I took him to cardiac rehab. In the evening, IL6 and M13 both fell asleep, so I relaxed after cooking a quick dinner. Aaron took dad back to the gym.

Media read from:

Thomas Cromwell The Untold Story of Henry VIII's Most Faithful Servant, by Tracy Borman 23 minutes
Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie 143 minutes
Return of the Dragon Slayers, by Brandon Mull 60 minutes

Media finished: none

Time reading: 226 minutes