@@@@@@ >-----------------------------------------< @@@@@@@@@ | date: Sun 30 Aug 2026 09:58:28 AM PDT | @@@@@@@@@@@ | subj: basic weekend with kids | @@@@@@@@@@@ | auth: bbsing | @@@@@@@@@ | doc#: 0089 ------------------------ | @@@@@@ >-----------------------------------------< ------------------------------------------------------- Saturday: --------- It was a pretty basic weekend. Starting Saturday morning, I woke up at 5AM feeling a bit strange. I went back to bed then woke again around 7AM. I heard the kids making noise, and my wife was in the shower. I looked up at the corner of the ceiling and it kept moving. It was spinning so I kept having to adjust the position of my eyes over and over again. I thought oh no I think I'm not feeling good. So I started to get up out of bed and what I was dreaming about and felt when I was awake at 5AM was real. Before I woke at 5AM, I was dreaming of spinning my son around in some strange box or wooden carriage. He was laughing and thought it was funny, but I was slightly concerned because I thought he was trying to get out of it. In my dream I asked my wife if he was smiling and she said "I'm not sure he is liking it any more." I started to slow down so I could land the carriage. Then I woke up. So strange when I got out of bed that I would feel like I'm spinning after having a dream about it. So with my vertigo, and a slight head ache I was pretty scared. We had plans to go with friends and their son who's a month older than ours to Port Towns End, and find some India food. Again we have to cancel. I stumble around the house, then stumble into the shower to tell my wife, "I'm not doing good. Everything is spinning." She is taken aback and rushes to get out of the shower. I go lay back down in bed, she comes to me in pain herself with her shoulder that's been hurting really bad for over a week now, "This is why older people shouldn't have children. We are both F'd up." Nothing like a bit or reality to slap you in the face to start your day. Living on the edge is what we do. Whats the worst that can happen. We both have to keep it together, keep going, or one of us is going to go down in a hell of misory. Please please let this not be the start of the fall is all I can think about. I'll just get to work. The kids are crying in their room, so I get back out of bed and stumble around trying to do my regular routine. My wife looks up on the internets about my condition. She's probably seen something terrible, and mentions a possible pre heart attack symptom, so she urges me to go to the hospital after a little back and forth of us all going as a family. I tell her better get the kids some breakfast. Frantic she starts working at that, stressed out. I try to stay and help she yells "I can make them breakfast! Go!" I say "OK stay calm." Then I head for the hospital as I walk out the door "I'll see you in a few hours." She responds "Text me when you get there." I say "OK." With my mild vertigo I get in the car and drive to the hospital. In the parking lot as I park the car and start to get out, my vertigo has my brain thinking I'm still supposed to keep falling left out the door. I steady myself and manage to walk over the barrier between parking lots as a test to my condition, not so bad. I check into the hospital, and get rushed back their. I go through all the fun stuff a person goes through, and while I lay on a very expensive uncomfortable bed, where I'm paying lots of dollars by the minute, I hear in the other room people with real problems. The nurse asks me "has anyone told you, you have a low heart rate?" I say "Yes.." I'm scared the room feels pretty strange. The nurse leaves, and I wait. I hear the hear rate monitor alarm go on, beep beep beep beep. I look up at it. I see a light blue 100 with a squiggly line, and a yellow 39. The 39 jumps up to 43. I reach for my phone to try and take a picture, as I hold the phone the number jumps up to 51, then 65. The beeping stops. I lay back down again and wait, again beep beep beep. I think just don't be dying, I rather die at home. Eventually a doctor sees me, asks me a bunch of questions, has me smile big at him, then stick my tongue out at him. He gives me 4 pills, and says I have vertigo, and its undetermined why, thirty minutes later I'm sent home. Of the 4 pills I ate, two were motion sickness pills (Dramamine). I arrived at home to find our friends there. I was glad to see them, Coffee's in hands, I made a bit more, chitchat about stuff, and off to the park we all go with the kids. At the park my kids watched their friend who is a month older, decide to climb up the highest slide of all time. He and his father went down the slide, it was an epic sight to see from my kids perspective. I watched them stare in awe. Then they wanted to get their mom to swing them. Mom swinging daughter, and the boys on the ground, parents wanting to talk to each other, the boys escape. Me feeling about 85 percent decided I wasn't going to run after anyone, but i know where they are going, so I'll mosey over and grab anyone who goes further than the fountain. Just as my son is about to get to the fountain, and my friends son heading past the fountain, his dad runs like a cheetah attacking its pray and scoops him up. I was very impressed how fast he moved. I thought I better try some running again soon. The park was ok, we didn't stay long this time, our friends mom detected it was time for her son to go back because his nap time is approaching. The little guy was up around 4AM. So we all stroller back home and along the way our kids fell asleep. So we said our see your laters, and brought our kids in, gave them milks and sent them to their naps. The kids napping we took naps, and with my body full of meds I was drowsy. One of the best naps I had, about 3.5 hours of us all napping we were too late to get our kids ready to the pool with friends. So we did the basic, kids woke up, mom tried to feed them lunch, daughter wanted her hands full with chicken chunks, so she could throw some on the floor. Our son wanted to swipe his like a windshield wiper on to the floor, and I cleaned up. The day went by so fast. -------------------------------------- Sunday: ------- I woke up normally, with 6 hours of sleep. I couldn't fall asleep last night. I think the nap and a small sip of coffee keep me from falling asleep. I've got to get better about sleep!. I made the family breakfast. The kids slept a bit later than normal, but they were cranky do to being hungry. Mom tried to entertain them while I made everyone breakfast. Scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and apple slices for the kids. For mom, scrambled eggs, toast with jam, walnuts, coffee, and fish-oil pill. I went big, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, toast with jam, yogurt, and coffee. All the food held the babes for awhile, but then the fuss got them. So time to go to the park. Mom told them about the park and our son was excited. I got the stroller ready and mom helped with the kids. I loaded them and we all strolled to the park. Our usual route, we collected some rosemary for the bread we make on Sunday after the park. The stroll was fine up until we got to the park. At the park the kids remembered what they saw their little friend do the day before. Our daughter went straight for the latter on the big slide. She isn't ready to climb the steep slide latter, but she doesn't know this. She attempts it and mom gets behind her to make sure she doesn't fall back, and help her with the climb. Our daughter can't seem to go very far, but she doesn't know or care. Then mom decides its enough for now. Our son is right behind them. They step off the latter and our daughter isn't happy she cries and fusses, and has an epic tantrum right there. Throws herself on to the wood chips, kicks her feet out, wood chips fly back like a propellent leaving a rocket engine, and her face goes directly onto the wood chips. Mom and I are in awe of our daughter's great effort in tantrum, and we laugh at the incredible of our daughter's tantrum. Our son doesn't even look he is to busy with his turn on the latter to the slide. Trying up the slide I stand behind and try to help him with is hands, but he isn't liking that much, and he isn't understanding the steepness of these steps. He slides himself down a couple steps, and complains a bit. I tell him enough, remove him from the latter and direct him to the front of the slide where our kids usually like to throw wood chips on, and then bang on the slide so the vibrations make the wood chips dance. This however is only OK. For now its good enough for our son, but our daughter is pretty upset about not getting her way today. She goes to mom and demands she be picked up for the swing. Then our son tries it. Our daughter still upset wont stop tantrums. I have to pick her up and put her in a safe place. I strap her back into the stroller, and put the shade down. It takes a minute or two for her to calm down. She feels safe and she sits there looking at the inside of the sun shield. Away from all the distressed her, she once again has her peace. A group of mothers and their kids make their way to the park, and begin to play on the dome. My son watches for a bit. Moms help their kids inside the dome. Some of the kids ask for help even though they could do what they're asking help for. The mom's try to encourage their kids "You're big enough to get yourself up there you can get yourself down." The child relents and requires mom to come into the dome and assist. For us its time to let these bigger kids have the park. Time for the best place of all at the park, the Water Fountain! I see the time getting close to 12 PM, I say "we usually go to the water fountain." Mom strolls daughter to the fountain, and my son and I find a path down the steep part of the grass. He loves the fountain, and his determination sends him through a steeper route. I try to grab his hand to help him, and he pulls it away for a moment thinking I'm taking him anywhere but the fountain, then he realizes we are heading to the fountain. Down he goes and too the fountain. Our daughter is happy for the moment to watch from the stroller. My son and I play at the fountain. I turn the water on and he puts his hands in it. He puts his hands in the bowl, and then in the water squirting out of the fountain. He really likes the button she he gets up from his squat and presses the button. From his height he doesn't have the leverage required to make the water come out, but I help him and he sees the water appear. He doesn't realize yet that the button must be pressed for the water to come out. He thinks its an on off switch usually because I'm standing there pressing the button while the kids play in the water. This time I squat down as low as I can so I can drink from the fountain, while pressing the button. This is the lowest fountain usually for pets to drink from. My son sees me slurping the water dramatically, he laughs. I tell him "Get a drink like this." As I slurp slurp slurp. He laughs and then decides to squat down low and open his mouth to the stream of water. He is happy and his face is a huge smile with water going into his mouth. Our daughter sees all the fun and decides she is ready to join in. Our two kids playing in the water, mom and I roll up their sleeves so they don't get completely soaked. They play for awhile while I operate the button for the water. As noon approaches it becomes time to load up kids in the stroller so they can get back in time for the regular nap schedule. We stroll the long way so mom and I can get a bit more exercise. The kids almost make it home without falling asleep, but its OK. At home on the porch I remove their shoes and socks, shack them out, and unload each kid, first our daughter handed off to mom, then our son. Time for milks and a nap. Basic weekend. ------------- Love you family! :) <3 <3 :) doc 0089 EOF