Manic Monday Musings

by Author's husband

Sunday nights and Mondays are just rough times. I used to have sleepless Sunday nights from my preteens to early twenties. Sunday nights are better now that I am not in school fulltime. I also take a sleeping pill. That probably makes a difference.

Homework Woes

My boys sometimes have rough Mondays or rough weeks. My teenager with anxiety struggles the most. He shuts down mentally and emotionally when he feels overwhelmed. Currently, school and homework present the largest challenges. He is failing in many of his classes because he has missed a lot of school days and he prefers to finish only his favorite classes first. He stated that he had finished homework each day. We discovered he had not finished all of his homework when staying at home. I kept him home for several days because he was sick. Other days, he had a case of nerves with stomachaches and headaches. My son’s anxiety can cause him to vomit. So it’s confusing to know when he is really sick.

My son is a video game addict. He obsesses about one game and moves onto another. His favorite games are on the PC. Sometimes he switches to multiple games within a day as a result of his limited attention span. Gaming probably contributes to that hyperactivity.

Today he stayed home with a headache, stomachache, and leg pain. I believe his leg pain is growing pain. He shoots up like a weed before his muscles and fat can catch up. His lanky body concerns me that he isn’t eating enough.

My son completed several of his computer class assignments without my assistance, but I helped him with English homework. I sat next to him so he stayed on task. I encouraged him to finish. I felt like I had to hold his hand through the entire process. We completed four or five assignments together over four-and-a-half hours.

Today he has had several meltdowns. He is worried he will fail all his classes and not be able to finish his homework. I suggested a father’s blessing and he said yes. My husband performed a blessing of comfort for him. I hope it helps my firstborn.

Monday has been hectic because my third son is at home too. I helped him with his homework for one-and-a-half hours. I really do have to “hold his hand” through homework since he has a specific learning disability.

Hanging Curtains

We have been hanging curtains in our basement over the weekend and today. We have twelve windows down there. It is nice to have so much light, but also a pain to hang curtains so we have some privacy. The TV Room has four five-foot by five-foot windows. All that light glares on the TV. We hung blackout curtains so we can watch movies during the day.

The curtains in my second son’s room were too sheer, so I had to buy more curtains to replace those. I needed to exchange another set of curtains because they didn’t have grommets like I thought they did. We only buy curtains with grommets so we can slide open the curtains. My husband and I switched around curtains this evening. Now no one can see my second son in his bedroom. Privacy is nice.

Counseling Appointment

I visited with my counselor tonight. We discussed ways to help my son complete his homework. She suggested making gaming his reward instead of him just expecting it every day. This has been a challenge and a blessing that all his homework is online. He can easily do it at home, but he is often tempted and distracted by games. I have to monitor his homework time. Sometimes I am just too busy or tired.

I expect some flak for changing his computer access because he has had issues since being a toddler. We have off times and on times of limiting his access. It was especially difficult last spring when school was online, he couldn’t visit friends, and the playgrounds were closed.

Smoke-filled Sinuses

Over the last four or five days, my sinuses have hurt due to the smoke particles collecting in them. Thank you wildfires. I irrigate my sinuses every day, take ibuprofen, and an expectorant/decongestant. That has helped to a degree. Finally today, my sinuses have cleared some. I am waiting for them to clear more. Unfortunately, post-nasal drip irritates my throat. My throat hurt terribly yesterday. I drank warm honey and lemon water to soothe my throat, which helped significantly. With all the congestion, I am coughing too. With COVID-19 in the air, I am concerned people will think I have it. But I don’t.

Saturday night, my husband gave me a blessing of healing. Heavenly Father promised to reduce the pain as I do my part to clear my sinuses. I hope this is true. I have had some epiphanies like drinking lemon juice and honey to ease my throat pain.

End of the Day

I am writing this entry to process my day. In a way, it is my journal since I have neglected regular journal writing. I used to write every day as a preteen and teenager. I wrote the most boring details, but I recognize now that the mundane moments shape us the most.

I plan to read some, play a mobile game, listen to music, and fall asleep.

Just relax. Just breathe.

How was your Monday?