the wheels on the bus
Oct. 4th, 2026 11:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mickeymI came out of the bathroom this evening and Matthew said, "your ballot got here, Mom." I said, "cool", at the same time Donnie said, "ballot for what?"
Blink. I said for the election next month. I can't stand in line for any length of time, so I do a mail-in ballot. Oh, she says. I didn't realize it was almost time. Most of my family doesn't vote in the elections. I said I knew that.
"I don't vote," she added. I said I knew that, too.
I didn't bother trying to explain the myriad reasons why she SHOULD be voting. We've had the vote/don't vote conversation a couple times before, and I just don't have the energy -- emotional, mental, physical -- to go another round with her.
But, my ballot came in today! So I can vote.
Much of my exhaustion is due to a serious lack of uninterrupted sleep. Donnie won't sleep with her door shut -- she says she gets scared. She also won't sleep with a nightlight or the television on, because she won't be able to sleep. She won't leave her bathroom light on for the same reason. As a result, we can't put her cats in her room with her and shut the door. One of her cats, in particular, has taken to stalking Suli, and attacking her (jumping at her, on her, scratching at her). Megan and I wake up to the sounds of cats skirmishing, she squirts them with a water bottle, then puts Leyland into the kennel in time out. Wash, rinse, repeat.
It's really difficult to get rested when you're waking up every two or three hours.
Eleven days until Donnie moves out.
X-posted to Dreamwidth and Livejournal. Read/comment where you prefer.
Blink. I said for the election next month. I can't stand in line for any length of time, so I do a mail-in ballot. Oh, she says. I didn't realize it was almost time. Most of my family doesn't vote in the elections. I said I knew that.
"I don't vote," she added. I said I knew that, too.
I didn't bother trying to explain the myriad reasons why she SHOULD be voting. We've had the vote/don't vote conversation a couple times before, and I just don't have the energy -- emotional, mental, physical -- to go another round with her.
But, my ballot came in today! So I can vote.
Much of my exhaustion is due to a serious lack of uninterrupted sleep. Donnie won't sleep with her door shut -- she says she gets scared. She also won't sleep with a nightlight or the television on, because she won't be able to sleep. She won't leave her bathroom light on for the same reason. As a result, we can't put her cats in her room with her and shut the door. One of her cats, in particular, has taken to stalking Suli, and attacking her (jumping at her, on her, scratching at her). Megan and I wake up to the sounds of cats skirmishing, she squirts them with a water bottle, then puts Leyland into the kennel in time out. Wash, rinse, repeat.
It's really difficult to get rested when you're waking up every two or three hours.
Eleven days until Donnie moves out.
X-posted to Dreamwidth and Livejournal. Read/comment where you prefer.