Monday at 10 p.m.

• This cold snuck up on me. Sore throat and now stomachache, all day long. Taking care of kids while suffering with a stomachache = torture. Plus I got my period.

• My ankle's all puffy. Even acupuncture makes it swell. What is up with that? I have my second acupuncture appointment tomorrow. Can I do acupuncture and physical therapy on the same day? Will my ankle retaliate against me? Will my checking account balance ever recover?

• We ate McDonald's for dinner. I promised Ben a happy meal if he did what his swimming instructor asked (instead of hanging on the rope the whole time and acting afraid to jump into 3 feet of water while wearing a bubble and holding the instructer's hand). My stomach and I are questioning the wisdom of eating those french fries and Ava's leftover chicken McNuggets. Next week, I'll promise a trip to the dollar store.

• It's 10 pm and Brian's about to rip out the kitchen counter and sink. So tomorrow I'll be doing dishes in the bathtub again.

• We're all grumpy around here. Kitchen Renovitis. I'm off to bed with Advil and a huge mug of ginger tea.