In lieu of one normal 9-5 job, I have five little jobs, none of which pay very well, but are flexible and rewarding. I need flexibility to handle never-ending disability crises. Last week, I got in over my head.

A $50 vintage magazine from my Etsy shop got lost somewhere in Los Angeles, which required tons of emails and phone calls to post offices and a sad buyer who bought this very thoughtful gift for her mother-in-law’s birthday party. A freelance article went in a different direction that the original pitch; the new direction was too edgy for the editor. Steve is on jury duty for two months, so after court, he has to do his regular job and can’t help out with dinner or home chores. I’ve got two or three newsletters, a presence on three social media platforms, extended family, and real life friends. There’s the autistic kid, who has absolutely nothing to do after school and on weekends, so I have to plan trips and activities for him. I’m organizing local parents and going to school board meetings and attending superintendent focus groups and watching local debates. Then other, unbloggable things, happened.

On Friday, I couldn’t breath. I felt like a 30-pound weight was perched on my chest. So, I’m giving myself a break from stress. I put myself on low battery mode for work obligations for two weeks. My priority is making sure that I’m around to take care of Ian if his new medication triggers an epilepsy seizure. I’m going for a run every day and reading some books. Everything else doesn’t matter.

Want to see pictures of some fun things that happened in the past two weeks? Lots of fun in the midst of all the craziness.