My week in a nutshell.

The last week or so has been a blur. I had a migraine that refused to consistently respond to medication. I also had a mystery fever that kept popping up. By Thursday I was physically wrung out, but determined, and I ended up going with Mom to work so I could go to my niece's school play in the evening.

My older sisters both have kids, one of them has two grown daughters, technically stepdaughters but we all consider them family. The other has one daughter, and two sons, and this play was that neice's school. She's almost 12, goes to a very nice private school and I was incredibly impressed with the quality of the performance, and quietly jealous of the quality of costuming and sets.

Were it not for the height of the actors I might have assumed I was at a college play, one with a GREAT budget for acting coaches, costuming, and props. The play was Sleeping Beauty and I kept admiring the sets and costuming, and the acting legitimately impressed me. This could have easily been set from a film (High School Musical) where there are clearly professionals doing costumes, makeup, and sets. Prince Phillip's costume was animated film perfect down to the last detail. His and Aurora's dance in the forest was choreographed and they had clearly actually learned how to dance. These kids are 5th and 6th graders, from what my sister told me. It was so surreal. Really cool but also incredibly surreal.

I've missed out on most of the school activities for my nieces and nephews. I've lived out of state for a decade, and when the eldest was born I was living in South Texas rather than North Texas, so I have missed most of their lives to date.

My family had a big combined July Birthdays party for me, eldest sister, and older nephew, and that was the first time I had seen them in three years. I wore my earplugs the whole time and heard everyone just fine because my family is loud. Mom and I used sign because the only remotely quiet one in the family is actually the sister just older than me (with the sons). She had to speak up a bit to be heard but wasn't at all resentful.

It's a little weird being the "quiet one" in the family after always being the loud one. I've found my confidence in myself but I feel so vulnerable around family, now that I am truly myself and there are no secrets. My anxiety has always spiked around winter holidays and it's no different this year.

I am firmly in "depressed" territory and struggling to get up every day and want to do anything. Tomorrow I get to spend some time with my step-brother Logan which will be awesome.

The past few days I sped through the first 5 Percy Jackson books, and I've read 3 of the five from the Roman sequel series. I've started book 4 of that series but I can't focus on it very well. It's interesting but I've been having difficulty focusing on anything. When I finish the Roman series I will go back and read the Kane chronicles which are apparently based on Egyptian theology and mythology. The Norse series is in progress but Mom has the books that have already come out, and I'm looking forward to reading those too.

It's pretty easy reading but I do find it legitimately interesting, but I've always loved Greece and Roman mythology and so even fictional delving into it is interesting. The author has clearly done some solid research which I always appreciate. I'm looking forward to getting through the Roman series and moving onto the Egyptian, then the Norse.

This week I have kind of a full plate. Tomorrow with my brother, Tuesday I will go up to the school to sort out paperwork, and Wednesday I will sit in the living room reading and waiting for the UPS truck since I have a doll coming (not mine) that I need to be able to listen for. Thursday I think is open, and Friday I have plans with Ashbet to hang out and then go to a meetup in the evening, where Mom and Faythe will join us.

Wish me luck.