This post brought to you by DayQuil and a Federal Holiday

It's been a week of highs and lows, sometimes at the exact same time, and I'm not sure how to sum it up, though I think this picture of Maggie captures my inner being pretty well.

It was a big week. There were some big work deadlines made and triumphs felt.

Along the way I was also stressed, exhausted, isolated, and not my best self with the highly tolerant people I live with.

I didn't work on Saturday, which was lovely.

The big kids were in our local neighborhood parade and Cora watched from the sidelines and collected candy with neighbor friends.

Maggie also got to hang out with her very best doggie friends and had the very best time. Everyone who rode by on floats complimented her dress and everyone who walked by asked to give her a pet. The 4th might be her favorite day.

Also on Saturday, the first day in months that I didn't wake up and immediately check email, I immediately started feeling sick. It was just sinus congestion from my non-allergy allergies, but there was far more of it than normal and the bones inside my face hurt. It's like my body hangs on just long enough for me to get a break and then falls apart.

I stayed in denial, even heading out on an impromptu date night with James - leveraging our big kids in all ways, sending Landon and Claire to the local grocery store on their bikes to pick up frozen pizzas for the minors and then heading out to new a local spot for food and drinks while Landon babysat. There was live music and fresh air and a brisket grilled cheese to die for.

The company was pretty great too. On busy weeks (or months/a year) I am often reminded that he is so much kinder and more patient than I am and he loves me so much even when I am borderline (and sometimes over the line) unlovable.

We got back from our date and I felt worse. So I crawled into bed and immediately fell asleep while James watched Tomorrow War with the teenager, the perfect ending to any romantic night.

On Sunday I took Sudafed and thought I was doing better, so we kept our long-planned bowling and brunch date.

And it was so very fun.

In our 20 years together James and I had never bowled. The big kids had gone with friends, but it was a first for Cora and a first for us as a family.

It will definitely not be the last.

Landon talked a big game about his bowling prowess, even asking me if I needed bumpers, so it's important that I beat him in two of our games (WITHOUT bumpers). James got an annoying number of strikes, despite never bowling, and we've all decided we need more bowling in our lives.

We also ate brunch and it was just lovely. My Grandma Jo and Grandpa Jim had gifted us with a surprise Christmas gift this year and I'd told her we'd use it for some special experiences with the kids. This was one of them. My Grandma Jo was an amazing bowler and I wish I could have told her about our day.

When we got back I completely crashed- went to our bedroom and fell half-asleep while re-read Throne of Glass Book 8 for the third time. James made dinner, I moved to the couch, and then James took the kids to watch the fireworks while I had weird half-dreams on the couch about someone drilling a hole in my sinuses. I was sad to wake up and realize no one had.

Today is my federal holiday, the first one on which I haven't had to work in quite some time and I kicked it off with an urgent care appointment. I do not have a sinus infection, the flu, or anything else with a more impressive name. I just have really stuffed up sinuses and a body that is very angry with my work, stress, and sleep schedule. Sigh.

I spent the rest of the day setting alarms for my Mucinex and Sudafed pills and watching the kids live their lives around me. We've banned electronics, which turned out rather poorly timed, but there's been a lot of Lego building and game playing, which is nice. I spent a lot of the day hiding in my room and pretending I couldn't hear them yell for me to referee something.

Tomorrow is my skin cancer excision surgery on my forehead, and I can't even pretend I'm not just completely bummed about it. It's fine, I'll be fine, but ugh. I don't want layers of stitches in my head and I'm SO allergic to adhesives at this point that I can't even have steri-strips so it's just ointment and linen strips like it's the olden days. Except I'll be at my desk answering emails and the lack of email was perhaps one of the few good things about the olden days...

In closing, because I'm on a lot of cold meds and am not at all sure where I'm going with this, here is my favorite picture and snippet from the kids' swim meet last week. It involves Cora, our hyper-focused, very driven, and also completely spacey third child.

James, yelling to Cora on the blocks: Cora! Don't forget to do your no-breather!
Cora: Got it dad!!
[Swims her 25 free; takes 2 breaths]
James: Cora! 2 breaths!
Cora, shocked face: Oh! I forgot!

I love them both so much!