1) On Friday, I had my mole removal appointment at my dermatologist. Once they numbed me up, it was pretty easy! I just laid on my stomach with a pillow under my head and chatted with the dermatologist and her assistant about weekend plans. When my mom changed my bandage the next night, we were a little shocked to find out that I had seven stitches from the procedure! I had a mole removed last year and only had to get two stitches, so seven feels like a lot! I haven’t exercised much since the mole removal because I’m a little scared about popping a stitch since it’s in a bit of a precarious area of my back (a place where the muscles pull a lot). I’m going to attempt some low-intensity cycle classes this weekend and see how it feels, but I’m going to stay away from any strength classes until the stitches are out (next Friday!).
2) During my mole removal procedure, we got to talking about game nights and trying to find games like a 3 player card games that would interest a wide range of ages (we usually have an 8-year-old, a 14-year-old, and three adults). The assistant told me about this game called Fishbowl that sounded really fun. We played it on Saturday night and really enjoyed ourselves! Here’s how it works: everyone writes down 5 different words on five sheets of paper, folds up the paper, and puts them in a bowl. The game is then played in three rounds and on teams (our teams were my brother and my youngest nephew, and my mom and me). During the first round, you pick out a folded piece of paper from the bowl and play like Taboo. You’re able to give clues about what the word is and give as many clues as you want (without, of course, giving away the word). Once all folded papers have been played, they all go back into the bowl for round two. During round two, it’s charades. You have to act out the word on the piece of paper. Same as before, when all folded papers have been played, they go back into the bowl for round three. During round three, you can only give one word to describe the word on your piece of paper. The genius of this game is that, after the first round, you will know all of the words being played (if you have a good memory). So guessing the word can get easier as the rounds go on. Let me know if you play this with your family!
3) Eloise now believes that the best place to sleep during the day is on my laptop keyboard. And I probably created a monster because I let her stay there all day Wednesday since it wasn’t messing up what I was doing. Since I have a wireless keyboard that I use, her being there didn’t cause my computer to act all weird, even though she was literally holding down a bunch of keys at one time. But on Thursday, it did cause some issues. She started adding “jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj” to documents, highlighting a bunch of text at one time that I didn’t want highlighted, and once even almost reported one of my emails as phishing. So, I had to move her off the keyboard all day long on Thursday. I even tried to create a cozy nest on the other side of my desk with a blanket and she wasn’t having it at all. I don’t know why a bumpy laptop keyboard is more comfortable than a cozy blanket, but cats are weird. It’s my own fault for letting her sleep there on Wednesday but look at how cute she was:
4) I have developed the most painful pimple on my right cheekbone. Did I think I was still going to be dealing with hormonal pimples in my mid-thirties? No, no I did not. But here I am, and every time my period is about to come, something erupts on my face and it is super unpleasant. And this pimple hurts. It hurts to sleep with the right side of my face on my pillow, it hurts to wash my face, it hurts to smile. I’ve been applying my little pimple reducer gel to it daily, and even that is so, so painful that I can’t do it more than once a day. Ugh. Hormones suck.
5) It’s a three-day weekend around here! Yay! I have a lunch date with my girlfriend this afternoon and then book club this evening (we’re doing Greek food and shuffleboard, with possibly dessert afterward). Saturday, all I have going on is my writing date with Mikaela, which we’ll be doing later in the day. And Sunday – who knows! Originally, it was going to be booked with podcast stuffs (recording two episodes), but Bri isn’t feeling great so we may have to cancel. If so, that frees up a day to spend with my girlfriend, so I’m not too mad about it, ha. I’d love to do some sort of pool day/cookout at my mom’s on Monday—just have to get her and my stepdad on board, which I think I can do. 😉
What are your weekend plans?
I am guessing the cat likes the keyboard because it is warm. I used to use my laptop on my lap (it is called a “lap”top after all!) but it would get to hot and I would have to move it to a table or something. Now I have a lap desk which helps a lot, but I am sure it is like a heating blanket if you are a cat!
That makes a lot of sense! But it also makes me wonder if the reason Eloise also likes sleeping next to me on my office chair isn’t because she wants to snuggle with me but she’s stealing my body heat! How rude. 😉
The kitty and the puppy are beautiful. We have a cat-Athena- loves to sleep on my pillow, right on top of my head.
Weekend… We have FIVE days off! (thanks, public school teaching <3) and the weather in NJ is delicious at the moment – sunny and a bit cool. Will do lots of gardening and friend get-togethers. Just sit and read or write. And breathe 🙂
Aww, a kitty that loves sleeping on your head! That’s sweet, if a little annoying for you, haha. I am someone who moves around a lot at night – from my tummy to my side to my back – so the cats usually stick to other parts of the bed!
Good for you for getting the mole removal taken care of. I’ve been lucky and haven’t had to get any removed (yet), although I get mine checked regularly.
I second that Kyra said: I am guessing the laptop is warm and Ellie loves it as a heating pillow. Good lucky deterring her to use this as her sleeping spot 😉
She has not been deterred from using the laptop! But thankfully, aside from that one day, she’s able to sleep on it without any issues so I’m letting her do it. It’s actually kinda nice to have her sleeping right next to me for easy pets. Hehe.
I have played that game before although the party hosts called it ‘celebrity’ which makes NO sense. I have strong memories of playing it because it was my first time meeting a bunch of Phil’s friends when we first started dating! It was super fun. I love how into games your family is. We would fit right in! I can’t wait for Paul to be old enough to understand more games. Some kid games are just awful, like candy loans and chutes and ladders. He learned how to play uno last summer and I can’t wait for him to be old enough to grasp more games.
We don’t have much planned for the weekend which is nice. Tomorrow the boys and I will walk/scoot to get donuts + Starbucks (there is a grocery store with great donuts next to Starbucks – win win!) and then we will head to the library. Sunday we are going to my MIL’s to celebrate her bday. I am most excited about going to a local ice cream place called ‘cup n cone’. We haven’t been there since the summer after Paul turned 1. It’s a total townie kind of spot but I’m excited for some yummy car cream! We don’t have plans on Monday but might go to the zoo to see baby farm animals. The weather forecast is awesome!
My younger nephew is finally at a great age to play lots of fun games with us. He even does pretty well at Scattegories! He didn’t come to game night until last year when he was finally at an age where he could handle most of our games. So maybe just another year or so for Paul! Have you tried Sorry! or Trouble? If he can grasp numbers/counting, that might be a good option for him! (And Sorry! is fun because he can knock your pieces out, which I’m sure he would love, haha.)
Ugh, I developed cystic acne in my thirties – I think I was about 37 – and it was just dreadful. So painful!
I have never played that game before, but our favourite game – that could include the kids – is Mexican train dominoes. It’s such a fun game!
My son had his graduation ceremony yesterday and one of the moms organized this luncheon for all the families to go to, and it was so lovely. He’s got a really solid group of about 10, and they have been friends for years and years – some of them since kindergarten. The mom had created a slideshow of photos over the years, and it was just so sweet.
Today I have a (very belated) birthday lunch with a girlfriend and then I’m going to dinner theatre with a group of neighbourhood mom friends! So it’s a very social and fun weekend for me. Tomorrow, I think I’ll just chill.
That’s amazing that your son has such a core group of friends and some have been friends since kindergarten! Wow!! I moved around so much as a kid that I had to find a new friend group almost every year. How sweet. <3
My husband had a cyst removed on his back and it was So Hard to keep it closed because he leans against everything! It was when he was driving and had to brake suddenly when someone cut him off that was the final straw. The cyst has grown back (heavy sigh), but he’s resistant to getting it removed again because the healing was so annoying! I do hope yours heal faster (I’m sure they will – you’re so young!).
We had a big Saturday planned it was great fun, but Sunday and Monday are empty days on our calendar. Maybe I’ll try to schedule a visit with Humphrey the Puppy!
Ugh, that must be so annoying for your husband! They had to put in some deep stitches because of the area of the back it’s in, but it seems to heal well and I got the stitches out yesterday. Wahoo!
I’ve played Fishbowl, although I don’t think we called it that. It’s really fun.
Cats are SO strange. Both my cats love to sleep on the welcome mat right inside our front door. It’s a hard, bristle-y surface, plus anytime someone goes out or comes in we have to step over them. Could there be a less comfortable spot???
Enjoy your weekend! i have to work tomorrow (sigh) but to make up for it, my son is making dinner. So it’s kind of like a day off? Hmmm.
The first bed I got for the cats (that they still use) is this super scratchy material. I’ve always gotten cozy beds for dogs, so I was confused. What is it about cats and loving weird surfaces to sleep on? Lila will sometimes sleep on my stinky running shoes!
I love this fishbowl idea! I’m going to save it as an option to play during my daughter’s birthday party.
Your weekend sounds fun and full! I hope Bri feels better, but also that you get some time with your girlfriend.
It was such a fun, easy game! Let me know if you play it at your daughter’s birthday party and how the kids like it!
Oh wow! 7 stitches! That does seem like a lot! I hope you were able to move a bit this weekend!
OMG Eloise. Ha! I will forever wonder why lying on something bumpy (my legs) is better than the blanket right next to me!
Sounds like plans for a great weekend! I was in Iowa with family from Fri-Sun then worked and chilled Monday!
Doesn’t 7 stitches seem like so many stitches for a mole removal? Eeks!
I have no idea why cats are such weirdos about their sleeping spots. Sometimes I’ll find Lila leaning against my spin bike. Like what?! GIRL.
Duuuuude, I am in the midst of (hopefully on the tail end of?) one of the worst breakouts I’ve had in, like, my entire life, and that includes my preteen and teen years. HOW IS THIS STILL HAPPENING?! We were promised clear skin in adulthood!
YES! How are we still dealing with these crazy breakouts in our 30s? Not okay!
I would not fit in in your family – I truly, honestly, hate most games. I know. I do like some – and this one might be one that I could be convinced to try. But most card games are a hard no, and do not get me started on complex games that require role playing, complex stories/backgrounds, etc. (Yes, I am a total game curdmudgeon…)
Adult acne sucks. That is all.
And good on you for getting the mole taken care of. I imagine that they did seven stitches due to the location – less likelihood of stretching in between them. Plus you get a nicer scar. 🙂