My 14yo is perpetually adorable?? And hilarious. Every day she asks me "after I do the 'brushie-outies,' will you re-braid my hair?" (I'm planning to do braiding drill camp over the winter break)

Apparently I can only stand out in the rain if my shoulders are covered 😬 I tried to run out to my kid's bus in my sleep tank top but had to pop back in for a jacket. My legs were okay (maybe due to knee length bike shorts?), head was fine, I just hated my shoulders getting wet 😭

I went extra dessert mode with this afternoon's coffee - hot cocoa mix, crushed peppermint, marshmallows, and some leftover whipped cream from last night. It was pretty and sooo rich and tasty.

You probably aren't thinking to yourself, "how is Diane doing this morning?" but the answer is not great. Mostly physically... I'm tired and my head hurts and fb showed me a picture of my mom snuggling my first kid on her favorite rocking chair

I originally wanted to make a simple dinner - waffles and bacon. But then I decided I wanted them to be yummy waffles, so from scratch, and then strawberry sauce, whipped cream (gotta use up that heavy cream!) and also syrup with maple flavoring. What was I thinking? It was fun... until it wasn't

I guess there's never a good time for your mom to be "declining," but Christmas seems a little extra cruel

I made "pizza beans" for a late lunch and I can't tell if I want more because it's an interesting taste or if I'm actually hungry 🥴 I hate it when my stomach says no but my mouth says yes!

My mom rarely eats and she's often drowsy and hard to understand... 🥲

I tried to bribe my 11yo to go to their taekwondo class by getting coffee first, but they really wanted to go to the far away shop and I didn't remember the class time properly... so we just got coffee and went home. It was fun, but I also wish they got a class in 😅

Maybe a slice of pumpkin pie and an afternoon coffee will fix me

I've been listening to MARINA recently (just a few songs on repeat, honestly) and I'm feeling PUMPED. Time to care for ME!! I can get what I WANT!! (... once I figure out what that is)

Our dishwasher died last week and since we've always hated it, we decided it was time for a new one. It was supposed to be here Monday, but it was delayed until today, and we are SO ready for the new one. I thought surely we could wash the dishes occasionally but uh, we were not good at it

Hah! I forgot my 5yo refused to get ready for school until she made a pitcher of crystal light, and the easiest access to water for her is in the bathroom... So I found the drink mix packet and a whisk on the bathroom counter 😂

I really need to eat but I just went to the grocery store and I don't want to MAKE something 😮‍💨

Current mood

I'm tired and my toes are damp and I can't stop thinking about my mom

I'm just over here slowly spiraling inside, nbd

Today's "countdown to Christmas" treat was a little chocolate truffle. Mmm! I raided winco's bulk bins for like ten of a bunch of treats, and so far they've been pretty good!

Do I cancel all my plans today and hope that will equal "rest," or do I go out and seek rejuvenation outside my house? 😵‍💫 Neither one sounds promising, honestly

I just want to feel happy and safe and loved 🥺

I just love when getting my 5yo dressed completely exhausts me 🥲

Well poo I just realized I lost my first grandparent at age 17, but my kids might lose their first grandparent before my oldest is even in high school. My youngest might not even remember her. That's so sad.

I only have one more trip to Seattle this week, but yikes I am SO tired. We're planning a Portland trip on Saturday, theoretically I have book club on Sunday, and then another Seattle trip Monday, IEP meeting and two concerts on Wednesday......... 🥲🫠💀

My mom celebrated her 2 year stroke-iversary by getting a hospice evaluation 🥲 here's hoping they can help her be in less pain 🙏

It's really too bad my husband has a meeting, I want to pretend I'm taking a nap (without actually disrupting my sleep schedule)

You know how sometimes you miss your exit and there isn't another for like 3 miles? I did that, except I got on going the wrong direction, and it was a toll road 🥲

I'm so tired and I have to drive to Seattle AGAIN tomorrow. And the day after that! 😭

I did manage to take my kids out to the city's holiday shopping event and spend a BUNCH of money, but I'm not sure how much I have left in me for the rest of today. Who needs dinner when you have slime? 🫠

Oof my precarious executive function has been seriously tanked

I would like to feed my family a dinner that I don't have to think about and requires minimal effort. But they haven't eaten cereal for months. Rude, almost a personal attack, really.

It looks like my dad is potentially looking into hospice care for my mom

I didn't realize how nostalgic the smell of turkey would make me... Mmm it smells like my grandma's house 🥹

My MIL asked me to bring 3 dozen rolls. My recipe perplexingly makes 16, so I decided why make less when I can make MORE! So now I'm bringing 4 dozen rolls 😅😬 (but also I might bring my parents some, I didn't think my dad has any Thanksgiving plans right now)

Also I just love when I'm trying to keep my kitchen kind of cozy for rising bread but my 5yo keeps leaving the back door open 🫠

I'm making rolls for tomorrow and decided to make two separate batches (I wasn't sure my mixer could handle a double batch and I don't want to knead by hand), but the first batch I managed to forget to add a whole teaspoon of yeast 😭 the internet said I could still add it, but man I'm worn out now

My brain could NOT with today's Connections 😵‍💫

Several years ago I tried corn pudding for the first time, and I finally made my own yesterday... I have eaten FAR too much of it in the last 24 hours 🥲🤤

Aaah freshly cut hair 😍

I think the time has come.... to chop off all my hair again In the name of mental health

Hey non-local pals, Parents of Special People LLC are doing a gala in February to fundraise for our operating costs next year, and are looking for donations of gifts or sponsorship. .

"maybe I'll try and rest today" - I took a nap but now I'm like "laundry, make cookies, prep dinner so I can enjoy book club in peace!" 🫠 Ok Diane

Goodness I slept from around 9 AM to 1:30 PM today 😴 maybe that's what I should be doing while my kids are at school - sleeping 🥲

It is not my daughter's fault that she couldn't sleep without her toy, it is no one's fault that we are awake before 5, it is NOT my daughter's fault that she was crying about a toy early in the morning, this is no one's fault... 😵‍💫😭😴

Apparently my area of Washington gets a little over 9 hours of sun a day 🥴

Tacos or cheeseburger pie... Choices choices

I actually volunteered to help out at the school today so why do I feel like I'm about to fall asleep ten minutes before I'm supposed to leave 😴

I got some great news about my mom - almost two years post-stroke, she can move her left arm a little without using her entire body! It's incredible, and with my excitement also comes deep sorrow 😭

I took a nap and played some video games and was feeling GREAT but now I feel cold and sad, so maybe it's time to try something productive?

Baby girl lost the tooth! She only panicked for like 10 minutes this time, which is good because it's bedtime 😅 showed her a picture of her 11yo sibling with a wiggly tooth and then a hole, and it was pretty cute how my 5yo went to knock on 11yo's door to see their teeth ❤️

My 5 (approaching 6) year old has a wiggly tooth and is really upset and scared and I'm not really sure what to do about it 😭 (I tried to put on a Storybots segment we used to watch all the time but it uses too many words and not quite enough imagery)