Attack of the Germs

Last night wasn't as bad as I feared. Two of the church staff members who work with kids filled in for the preschool class and one of the moms stayed to help in my class, plus both of my teen helpers, including the one who's been away for knee surgery, showed up. Still, I think my kids sensed fear, so they were utter brats. One girl was openly defiant about everything. The moment she was told not to do something, she did it again, just for the fun of it. The boys were really hyper and wanted to do nothing but run around and try to kill each other, and one little girl was behaving well but screaming everything she said at the top of her lungs. I gave up on lesson plans and just passed out rhythm band instruments. Then it was a lot of fun when it was our turn to go learn about the harps. I should have made a recording of me saying "Don't touch until you're told to do so" so I could have played it on a loop. The defiant girl had to be constantly restrained by one of the teen helpers because the moment she was told not to touch one of the instruments, she reached for it again or reached for another instrument.

However, I have decided that I want a Celtic harp. It's a stringed instrument that I can play even without developing calluses, and I could probably play and sing at the same time. Because I need more hobbies.

Of course, after mentioning my fear of getting sick yesterday, guess who seems to be coming down with a cold. So far, it's just the lurking sense that Something's Not Right, with some sniffles and a foggy head. Therefore, I have made an executive decision to postpone today's planned day of finishing the painting projects. I have to sing in a small ensemble Sunday morning, so I don't want to risk triggering anything. When I already have sniffles, working with paint may not be such a great idea, and when my head is foggy, I don't think climbing on ladders is too smart, either. I'll find something else to work on, like purging my closet and cleaning my office. The deadline for having the house ready hasn't changed. I'm just shuffling when I do which projects.

Yesterday I cleaned off the bathroom countertop and re-caulked the bathtub. It's amazing how big a difference that made. I suspect the old caulk had been there since the house was built, and it had stained in ways that even bleach wouldn't remove. The new caulk is supposedly anti-microbial and mildew-resistant, which probably didn't exist when the house was built in 1984.

I also need to do some writing and work on a marketing plan for this summer's book to share with the publisher marketing team. They're focusing on the teen and school markets, so I think I'm going to focus my marketing on the steampunk community, both teens and adults. It's on the steampunk bestseller lists at Amazon already, which is a good sign. I have high hopes for this book, and I really would like to sell the rest of the planned trilogy.