Me : I will be so careful in the sun on vacation. I wish I could always remember to put on sunscreen in the morning.

Monkey's Paw: Ahahaha. <finger curls> 

Me: Oh no.

Monkey's Paw: It will last for months after the last time you use a sunscreen with a sensitizer!

Me: I'll try some steroids?

Monkey's Paw: They're photosensitizers.

Me: I'll stop going out in the sun.

Monkey's Paw: The walk to the car gives you face blisters that last for a week. Have fun! 

(It has been nine weeks. I curse my Ashkenazi ancestors for this.)

More Five Minute Blogging

•  The company I work for just got acquired
• Significant chaos has ensued 
• I arrived back from vacation to find I had a different job (that I wanted)
• I have already been sent on a business trip to Europe 
• Next month I have another business trip
• My dear spouse is having some New Life Experiences of being the primary parent as a result
• The baby now wears a women's size 7.5 shoe
• The biggest kid has been working at the grocery store this summer
• The middle kid has been enjoying himself and doing house chores for cash (his idea)
• The garden is overrun with cucumbers
• Squirrels ate my pumpkin vine 

Five minute blogging: Travel

 We just took the kids off on a Big Adventure Trip. Things I learned:

• I am not taking the 16 year old on any more trips for at least 4 years
• Travel clothesline and power banks were the two most useful things 
• Honorable mention to fast dry travel towels in a moderately priced four-pack
• The little one rises to the occasion on adventures, but also wears out well before her siblings
• They will eat pretty much anything 
• I am the only person in the family who sleeps on planes

ADHD Part 2

Having now accessed legal drugs for this,  it is absolutely WILD to take controlled substances that are stimulants and feel calm and a little sleepy.

Children

Child #2 just got a cellphone because I'm tired of managing all the things and I don't want to deal with it. Like music from his sax teacher and soccer messages and texting his friends to get together and looking up recipes. This is how parents just give up as they work through the children. 

(The usual draconian parental controls have been applied. It's fine.  He goes away for soccer games and legit needs to get in touch with us. Also, he's 13.)

ADHD

I have an evaluation on Monday.  I'm not that kind of doctor,  but I feel like the normal number of times per month to set your smoke alarm off at 3 AM because you forgot something on the stove is probably  ZERO. 

Important Note To Self

When you can't walk up all ten stairs without pausing, and/or when you spend two days in bed because you can't breathe,  it is time for MEDICAL ATTENTION and LOTS OF DRUGS,  dumbass (and somewhat short of breath) self. (My baseline is I lift weights and do vigorous exercise 3-5 days a week.)

Cue my favorite neurologist saying "my patients often accept as routine a level of pain and disability that other people would find completely unacceptable."