Erev Shabbat was fairly non-eventful–cleaning, baking, cooking, a couple of extreme kid meltdowns–just the usual routine.

The meltdowns disrupt Avdi’s work day, because he has to take time out with S or Y until they can calm down and re-adjust their expectations.  He has a better understanding of the underlying issues causing their acting out, while I’ve only been with them a short time, and sometimes only see the combative surface manifestations.  It has to be dealt with appropriately to each situation, not simply harshly brushed aside or ignored until the pressure cooker explodes or implodes.

The pressure of juggling distressed kids, long hours of work required to pay the bills, and all the other responsibilities, with little opportunity to balance that with personal time out, builds up.  Sometimes I feel helpless and inadequate to share more of the heavy lifting.  No one should have to do it all alone, but in reality, one often has no choice.

So I just try to find as many jobs to do around the house as I can, and spend time with S, who gets bored and agitated easily.  It helps that we’ve developed mutual trust and affection.  Y, on the other hand, is more complicated.  Sometimes she’s sociable and affectionate, when it serves her need to be the center of attention, but often she’s angry, demanding, mean, willful, and withdrawn.  I haven’t figured that one out yet, so I mostly just stay out of her way for now.

Which is more challenging with the extreme climate meltdown going on outside–it’s difficult to just go outside, let alone play or garden.  Heat indices have been like 110 to 114.  The high humidity encourages more mosquitoes.  People here are more used to it, but I can’t handle it well.  Being confined to indoors with temperamental kids gets old fast, even with AC.  Without it, I can’t even imagine how people cope.

So, on that cheery, apocalyptic note, here are bread and flowers of the more indoor type.  No shortage of those.