Sick of being sick

I am so sick. I've been sick for a long time. The nitty details are not only boring, but disgusting, and somewhat private, so I'll spare repeating them. However, after over a week of nausea, and almost 2 weeks of general malaise and stomach cramping, I'm sick of being sick. What a waste of time. And despite some weight loss, I don't recommend this diet to anyone!

New School Year

Yes, they really did bring apples to their teachers on the first day, but I included chocolate cookies to lessen the cheese factor. Taya is in 4th grade, and Levi finally started kindergarten this year! He'll be 6 in 2 weeks, but he's still the smallest kid in class and unfortunately behaves that way as well. He loves school, adores his teacher, and regularly engages in social activities such as pushing, shoving, or hitting friends for no reason. When he's not doing that, he shows affection with crushing hugs or fiddling with their clothes and hair. He's lovely, of course.
They are both still in karate and hating it (don't tell them, I'm trying to brainwash them that it's cool). Taya is really enjoying piano lessons and practices on her own cheerfully.
Somehow the extra time I was hoping to have while they were at school hasn't really materialized as I'd hoped and knew it wouldn't! With 4 kids it'll always be hard. But the school year is still new, and as the routine regularizes I'm finding it's easier to keep the house clean and stay caught up on spending time with my kids and working out. I've lost about 25 pounds since last June, and it feels great!
Of course a new school year brings illness with it. I spent over a week getting to know my toilet better, I even put a little chair in there to hang out just in case. Finally got some Cipro (miracle of miracles), and everyone else seems to be taking turns in the same boat...er, bathroom. Hopefully no one else will have it as long as I did, and hopefully no one else will need extra pharmaceutical help to kick the toilet habit.
With just 2 kids at home this year, Olivia is loving having more mommy time, and she needs it! As a middle child so close in age to her brother, she feels left out a lot. Her mood and attitude have improved, and since she's starting kindergarten in just a year, this year with her at home almost alone will be a special one. Julia is just getting old enough for them to play together a little bit, except for the times when she's screaming about new teeth charging in. She had 6 for quite awhile, and she has 3 new ones with 3 more threatening to ruin our peace for awhile longer yet.
It's amazing how busy we can be yet still be so boring!