News at Home: XMAS Break!
Yes! Yes! Whipee! Woo-who! I made it y’all! XMAS Break began Friday at 1:50 p.m. That’s when I loaded the last kid into the car. And boy am I happy.
I didn’t get home until around 3. When I got home I felt tense, so I took a long hot shower. When I got out, I sat down on my bed wrapped in my towel to dry off. Next thing I knew, it was 5:30 and I was waking up from under my covers. This makes twice in two weeks that I’ve fallen asleep unintentionally… I think my body is trying to tell me that I’m in need of some rest, huh?
The rest isn’t coming this weekend, but it is coming this week! Yesterday (Saturday) was my brother’s university graduation. It was a great day and I was so proud of him.
Edit: It dawned on me this morning that people may have no idea what a big deal this is. I mean graduation is always big, but this is bigger than normal. First of all, my brother is epelleptic and that has meant trying to do class work and complete projects despite having just had a seizure, or staying up to get work done despite the fact that sleep deprivation can make seizures more likely. He’s faced discrimination from professors because of his disability, not excusing him from class when he’s having a “twitchy” day – meaning he’s having minor seizures left and right. One professor, when Philip asked him at a break if he could turn in the assignment the next day and go home to take more meds, told him he could but he would take a 50% grade reduction if he wasn’t present for all of class, like everyone else. Still makes my blood boil and part of me wishes he’d has a full blown grand mal seizure in class to show that professor how fucking serious it is to make him stay when he’s having petite seizures.
On top of all that, my brother and I were not raised to go to college. We were raised in a cult. That we escaped that life is a miracle and days like yesterday bring me to tears because we’ve beat the odds. I wasn’t just the first in my family to go to college and him the second, we’re the first to make it out and stay out successfully. It’s meant shunning from our family and childhood friends. To the extent that my dad wasn’t even at graduation yesterday. They have this ritual at his school where you take off your stole and wrap it around the person(s) who you most want to thank for helping you get to this moment. Phil wrapped his stole around me and said “thank you for being brave enough to leave the cult first. I never would have made it out without you.” so yeah, a very emotional day. End of edit.
We went out to eat afterwards, which was unfortunately in a restaurant at the mall and OMG have people not heard of online shopping? WTF are they all doing at the mall? It was horrible trying to park and drive around there. But the meal was great.
Today we’re going to be helping my brother move. He lived in a university apartment and so it’s time to move – and I love his new place. It’s closer to me. Yay!! Thankfully he has free movers for 3 hours – so that will cover the big furniture. But we need to help him with the smaller stuff.
After the moving, I plan to take it extremely easy 🙂 Let’s enjoy break!
Blog News
COYER started yesterday! So excited. I’m working on the list for the first phase – no finished books yet but I expect I’ll have some by next Sunday.
I really hope to do some posts and get ahead over break – but most especially I want to do some visiting. Hopefully I’ll have time!
#FitReaders Update
I’m stuck again and having a hard time finding the energy and motivation to do good. I’ve been between 80 and 85 pounds lost since the start of December and I’m not going to lie. I’m very frustrated. Thankfully I have an appointment on Tuesday (FINALLY!) and I want to get some answers.
Last Week on the Blog
- [11 Dec] Sugar Free by Sawyer Bennett ★★★★★
- [12 Dec] #BookishResolutions Time to make 2018 Goals! Sign Up Now! 🙂
- [13 Dec] Our #2018HW Spring Semester Reading Lists!
- [14 Dec] #BookishResolutions Goal Post
- [17 Dec] Sunday Post with Berls | XMAS Break!
- [17 Dec] Cold, Breakfast and Chaos~ WIR & SP
Coming Next Week From Me
Monday
123 Magic in the Classroom! #AudioReview
Tuesday
AuthorLuv Sign Up
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. This meme started with J Kaye’s Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are!
I just finished…
I finished Accidentally Dead, not my favorite but the series is growing on me.
Reading Now…
I’m on to Accidentally Human and it’s better than the last book! I’m still reading A Christmas to Remember – I finished the first short story and am on to the second one. Enjoying it so far!
Up Next…
Not sure exactly – but I know I’ll be picking from my COYER reading list 🙂
*fist bumps* I hope you and your family have a peaceful, restful, joyful holiday season and Christmas break!! Congrats to your brother – I know how much his success means to you, and you are so proud that you are glowing through the computer screen! So glad he’ll be closer to you – even though you had to help move and weren’t wearing your Fitbit! xo
Thanks Jen, so far I’m staying busy but am also getting more rest than if I were working. Yes, I’m so incredibly proud of him! I hope he finds a job fairly easily – it’ll be super stressful if he doesn’t. I’m thrilled he’s closer – I feel like I can stop by so easily now. Might drop by when I’m done at the doctor today 🙂 hope you’re having a great week!
Hooray for Christmas break! Color me envious of your time off. Sounds like you truly need it… and not just time off but REST.Big congrats to your brother on his graduation. And to you, too, for obviously being such a support sytem for him. It sounds like you two have truly overcome a lot. Good luck with COYER!
Thanks Tanya! Yeah I definitely need the rest, and I’m starting to get it. I’m so incredibly proud of my brother – I tear up everytime I think about it 🙂 Hope you’re week is off to a great start!
It is so great that your brother got past all those struggles to get his degree, even if it shouldn’t have been so hard for him. I’m glad that he beat those odds. And that you were able to be there for him. I hope you have a great Christmas break and get the rest you need. {{hugs}}
Thanks Melanie. I’m so proud of him and just hope finding a job works out well for him now. Have a great week!! {{Hugs}}
If I don’t have to go anywhere right off, my favorite thing to do after getting out of the shower is sit in the bedroom in my towel, either on the bed or the ottoman at the foot. I used to read, but now I also have a few games on my phone. I don’t know what my issue is, but if I’m rushing trying to get dressed to go somewhere, it doesn’t matter how many times I dry off. It’s like I never did. Sometimes our bodies just need some extra rest. We still have 3 and 3/5 days. The math teacher calculated it. 🙂
I didn’t know you grew up in a cult. I am glad you made the decision to leave and your brother followed. That in addition to his medical disability shouldn’t are even more reason to celebrate his graduation and celebrate loudly! Does he have any solid plans for what he wants to do next?
I like to slowly air dry a bit too, when I have time. I think that was my intention, but bam! I went to sleep. Guess I needed it. Good luck with those last few days. You’re so close! I started to try and calculate where you’d be now, but I’m so not a math teacher 🙂
Yeah, it’s such a relief to be out – it’s frustrating sometimes because we got started in our adult lives at such a disadvantage. I feel like we’re about 10 years behind where we would have been with a “normal” start in life. But it’s better to be behind than to still be stuck!! I’m so proud of him. He’s on the job hunt now – his degree is in Arts and technology and his skills are graphic design and 3D modeling… Just depends what he can find. It’s another hurtle for him since he can’t drive though, interviewing costs him money just to take Uber or lyft to interviews and such :/ I’m super excited for him and am hopeful.
I am so jealous you are on break already! I still have 3 more days. Its going to feel like an eternity! Congrats to your brother! That is an accomplishment for anyone, but with the upbringing you guys had and his seizures, college graduation is monumental!
Have a restful break and a very merry Christmas!
I know, those last few days are sooooo long. You’re almost there!
Thanks, I’m so incredibly proud of my brother – I tear up everytime I think about it.
Have a great week and enjoy your break when it starts 🙂
YAY! Philip! I hope you rubbed his beard for me. I adore your brother and so very proud of him all the way over here in NJ. (Don’t start *points finger*)
I hope you enjoy your time off, I wish I had off. I only took Thursday and Tuesday. I am hoping to make it a nice couple of day.
Miss you very much! ox
Wow! I had no idea you started life off in a cult. What a big deal graduation must of been for you and your brother. Congratulations to him!!!
Glad to hear you are enjoying some time off. I hope you have a great reading week.
Yeah, it’s pretty huge 🙂 I’m so incredibly proud of him. Hope you’re having great week!
Lucky you, Berls! I still have next week to work, but then, I’m off for two glorious weeks. And I can hardly wait!
Tell your brother congrats from me – he looked so dapper in his graduation pictures 🙂
I’ve actually finished my first COYER book – amazing, right? It was Man Hands by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby. It was so much fun! 🙂
Have a wonderful week ahead, enjoy your time off.
Wow! Look at you go! Happy last week of school then. At least you’ll be off two weeks still, and I’ll be going back while you’re still off. I will tell him today. It was such a great day and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t tear up a bit. So proud of him – he’s overcome a lot with his epilepsy and our upbringing to get there. Have a great week Lexxie! {Hugs}
Ohhh lucky you on your break already! I’m on the countdown to next Saturday and can’t wait! I’m so ready to chill! Congrats to your brother.
Thanks Trish! I hope you’re week is going quickly and well. You’re almost there!