#14 - My first day off - June 15, 2012

Katrina spent the night with her cousin, as she was planning, so Aria and I got the kids ready for school and out the door.  I dropped Aria off.  Christian had asked that we go to Tymor park to play, so we went to drop Jakers off and then to the park.  But once Jake went into the daycare, he laid down on the couch while I walked to the car.  As I was pulling out, Lori ran out of the day care.  Jakers had just thrown up.

I went in, and he was standing over the garbage can.  I felt his head - feverish.  And he had certainly thrown up.  I knew my work calendar was clear, so I decided to take a day off.

I brought Jake back to the car, and we all went to Tymor park.  It is owned and operated by a little town/community called Union Vale, and is only open to residents of Union Vale.  This is the kind of place you have here because people have to pay town taxes. 

The park is expansive - 2 play areas, picnic areas, and wide-open, well maintained lawn areas everywhwere.  There is a farmer's market here, and some large farm buildings that appear to be rentable for special occasions.

Libby and Jakers mostly were on the play equipment - amazing how that draws kids.  It's like a TV.  If the TV is on, it draws attention, even if it's the Kardashians.  If there is a stream and acres of space to explore and run, the playground equipment draws the kids.

Except for Christian.  He's unique.  He went to the stream to look for turtles, I think.

When it was time to leave for school, the kids all came.  No complaining, didn't have to tell them twice.  I'm so grateful for kids who don't whine much.  "It's time to go?  Oh, ok."  I just told each of them it was time to go, gathered my laptop (I finished a small project for work while they played) and walked to the car.  They all followed.  They take their own meandering paths.  Christian walked slowly along the creek, making the most of his opportunity.  Libby and Jakers had taken off their shoes on the playground, so they had to put them on.  But they came. 

I dropped off 2 kids, and drove us home.  I got to play a game of football, and then I packed up a bunch of stuff and loaded the car.  We're moving out of this hotel soon, so I arranged for a self storage unit while we're between housing situations.  It's complete weirdness, but that's how it is.  We have been working very hard to buy a home here since early March.  Here it is, mid-June, and we're still not done, having to figure out where we live for 3 weeks between leaving the hotel and moving into our house. 

Anyway, after my nice morning break between dropping kids off and needing to pick them up, Jake and I went to pick up Aria.  Then we sat in the car for an hour and I napped while waiting for the other kids to get out.  Good thing it's 80 degrees, hardly any clouds, and no wind.  Perfect day.  I got the other kids, and we headed home.

The evening was filled with getting the keys for the storage unit, moving the stuff from the car to the unit, buying some things for Aria to make a no-bake peanut butter pie with, dinner at Pizza Hut, and swimming.  The younger kids all went to bed, Aria stayed up to finish her pies, and I could not stop my re-read of "The Way of Kings".  I finished it again.  The 2nd time was better than the first. 

Because Jake was home from school and I had the day off, I called Katrina in the morning, thinking she'd like to stay away another night.  I was right.  She's coming back sometime on Saturday, having been able to help someone she loves.  And I got to take my first day of vacation at my new job.  I have been hoarding my vacation days so far, but I'm at nearly 2 weeks now, so I can start to use them a little.

Tomorrow, we plan to clean the hotel room so it can be serviced, I'll try to close on a room I can rent while the family is in Queens in our transition period, and do laundry.  I don't know what else we'll do.  All of the plans we had fell through, so we're unexpectedly free.