Giving up on the notebook.

If I happen to stumble across it in the next few days before I'm finished with the insurance claims, I'll gladly use it, but I'm done actively looking for it. I'm happy with the paperwork I got done while looking for it. That's going to have to be enough for now.

About 2 years ago, I was diagnosed with a severe allergy to dogs, and we had to get rid of our critters. I can tell that there is still dog dander in the heat ducts and in the paperwork I've been going through. I've had to up my allergy medicines to be able to handle the last few days.

I've also run the canister vac while doing the paperwork to limit my exposure to the dander, but in spite of that and the fact I've used a face mask, I'm still struggling with the allergies. I'll be glad when I'm done in this room and can mark it off the master list. (It's amazing how dusty paperwork can be!) At that point, everything will be wiped down, washed or dusted in one way or the other, and I shouldn't have a problem in there. I am really looking forward to having the duct work cleaned thoroughly before next Fall. We're close enough to not needing the furnace that we probably won't have them professionally cleaned before then.

I'm really hoping I can be productive this weekend. It might be difficult. Both of the girls are feverish again. This year has been the worst on record for illnesses. It seems that they get well enough to go back to school only to end up catching something from their classmates and miss even more school.

Had a fun moment earlier with our middle daughter. The youngest thought it was pretty funny, too. Our middle daughter has an obsession with sunlight. Any time there's sunlight streaming through the little holes in the window blinds, it makes larger circles of light on the counter top. She just can't seem to get enough of it. She'll put her hand on the spots only to have the spots then creep onto the back of her hands. She finds it totally fascinating.

Tonight, there were several such circles of sunlight on the counter. Being in a goofy mood, I started singing John Denver's Sunshine On My Shoulders to her. But I changed things a little...

"Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy."
"Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry."
"Sunshine on the counter makes me angry..."

She cracked up laughing. There's just nothing better than the sound of a child's laughter.

It makes everything worthwhile!