(Originally posted February 26, 2009)

I don't have much news to report but I haven't written at all today yet! If I keep this up, I'll lose my readership...

So anyway, I'm getting a lot of questions about how I'm doing. I'm incredibly exhausted and overwhelmed, but otherwise alright. I mean, I have a lot on my plate. To give you an idea, here's what yesterday looked like--and this was probably the most low-key day I've had since this all happened:

5:35: Alarm goes off. Stumble out of bed and immediately inhale Coke Zero waiting on bedside table.

5:40: Go downstairs to remove dry clothes from dryer and put wet clothes from washer into dryer. Snag a protein bar on my way back upstairs.

5:45: Check bank account. Notice J.J.'s student loan payment hasn't gone through for the month. Place call to automated system to find out why (it's paid up through April). Also notice that a service that was canceled three months ago has started auto-billing us again. Write down info, make note to call later. Respond to an email that was several days old (I'm trying to respond to all of them, but bear with me--it might take me a while!).

6:00: Take shower, put in contacts, brush teeth, etc. Blow dry hair to 80% dryness.

6:15: Make sure Eli has turned off alarm, send him downstairs to brush his teeth, feed the cat and get everything together in his backpack that he'll need for school. Listen to brief freak-out when Eli realizes that he left his homework at daycare the day before. Tell him to explain this to his teacher and see what she recommends, but to calm down since there's nothing we can do about it now.

6:30: Get Leah up. Try to put clothes on four year old who is pretending she's a cat. Do hair on four year old who is pretending she's a frog. Turn on TV to Noggin.

6:45: Apply exactly 50% of my makeup, then yell for Leah to come over to use the bathroom, wash her hands and brush her teeth. Apply rest of makeup with audience. Additionally, attempt to straighten hair (which is now completely dry) while chanting, "Hurry up, Leah. Brush your teeth, Leah. Come on, Leah". Finally get Leah finished and send her downstairs to put on her coat while I get dressed. Put on clothes, turn off Leah's TV and lights, head downstairs.

6:55: Everyone is in the car. Drive to daycare. Wish Leah would let me listen to anything other than "Accidentally in Love" by the Counting Crows (from the Shrek soundtrack), which is a fine song but which I don't need to hear 20 times per day.

7:12: At daycare. Grab cell phone from Eli, turn it off, put in his backpack and remind him not to turn it back on until I pick him up. Answer questions about J.J. Kiss children, remind them to be good, get back in car.

7:30: Arrive at work. Answer more questions about J.J. Dig in.

12:30: Look up. Holy cow! Ask coworker/friend Palak to grab Subway sandwich for me for lunch.

1:00: Eat and have brief convo with Palak. Thank her profusely.

1:30: After six hours at work, leave for the day.

1:45: Arrive at rehab. See J.J. finishing PT. Attend psych eval. Have visit with J.J. Hear names, rejoice.

3:00: Leave rehab. Run past store to buy another pair of sweatpants for J.J. Go to daycare to pick up kids. Answer more questions about J.J.

4:00: Back at rehab. J.J. still in speech therapy. Take kids down to J.J.'s room to grab his laundry. Walk back toward lobby. Find J.J. Go sit in lobby to visit for a few.

4:30: Dinner is served at rehab. Fill kids' trays. Fill my tray. Pay for everything. Sit down. Realize forgot forks. Go get forks. Sit down. Realize forgot napkins. Go get napkins. Sit down. Leah is out of drink. Go get drink. Sit down. Eli wants pepper. Go get pepper. Sit down. J.J.'s wheelchair back is leaned back too much. Adjust seat back. Sit down. Eat a small piece of fish and a couple of bites of potato. Everyone else eats well.

5:15: Kids have noticed frozen yogurt machine. Prepare yogurt sundaes, pay for the same. Sit down. Notice Leah has no napkin. Go get napkins. Sit down. Leah drops spoon. Pick up spoon, throw spoon away. Get new spoon. Sit down.

5:30: Everyone done with dinner. Go back to lobby to visit. Kids go into kids' play area. J.J. sits nearby to watch. Run out to car to get J.J.'s glasses. Fairly sure this is illegal. Jog back with tail between legs. Everyone still breathing, no one bleeding. Whew. Gather kids into coats, kiss J.J. Start toward door. Remember J.J.'s laundry which is now in bag hanging from wheelchair. Go back, find J.J., take laundry. Get everyone in car.

6:00: Head toward home to get Leah changed for swimming lessons. Pick up mail, sort into "take care of now", "can wait for later" and "how did I get on this mailing list anyway" categories. Use bathroom for first time since 10:00 a.m. Gather up four year old who is pretending she is a puppy, put her into swimsuit. Go downstairs. Remember beach towel. Go back upstairs. Come down, put kids in car and leave.

6:50: Only five minutes late for lessons this time, yay! Use lesson time to check Eli's homework and provide lecture about not texting on phone. Check Eli's phone usage. Get called in for last five minutes of swimming class. Watch Leah practice her kicks. Talk to teacher. Gather wet four year old still convinced she is puppy, take to locker room. Proceed to chase naked, wet puppy imposter and wrangle into clothes.

7:30: Leave park. Realize car needs gas. Go to gas station. Run car through car wash. Head home.

7:55: Send Eli up to shower, get laundry. Leah has been a decently behaved puppy and gets to pick one piece of leftover Valentine candy. Yell at four year old puppy-preschooler hybrid to take sucker back into kitchen roughly 58,732 times.

8:20: Bathe puppy. Put puppy into pajamas. Tuck puppy into bed.

9:00: Send Eli to bed. Update blog.

9:30: Throw in J.J.'s laundry and Leah's wet clothes from swimming class. Set up work laptop on coffee table and start it booting up. Head upstairs to work on CMAX from home computer since work computer takes so long to boot up.

10:45: Switch laundry around. Wipe off kitchen table, sweep floor. Start working on work laptop.

12:30: Finished with INHP work. Pack up. Switch laundry around. Fold Leah's clothes. Fold J.J.'s clothes. Put away clothes.

1:00: Head upstairs. Realize have forgotten phone downstairs. Retrieve phone. Take pills. Wash face, brush teeth. Read article in Psychology Today about pursuit of happiness. Turn on alarm clock. Set security system. Turn off lights.

1:30: Go to bed.