Week of Money: Where I desperately use activated charcoal to remove smells

Thank you so much for the kind words. I have been trying to stretch these posts because they take quite a while to write, and work has just gone off the rails in my life.

Trying a new format for the next batch of posts because you’re all really only interested in Little Bun (understandable), and a few cool things I saw.

So I am going to just post those portions rather than the mundane nonsense that is my usual week that consists of waking up, eating, laundry, etc. I’ll omit all of that from now on.

DAY ONE

9:32 p.m. — Little Bun bursts into tears. He wanted to watch a few episodes of Bluey (our new favourite TV series, they are so kind and funny, I enjoy watching them as a parent and an adult!). I let him pause in his workbook pages, and he watches until he feels better (he only wanted an hour), then he goes and willingly shuts down the computer on his own without my prompting because he knows he has to get his pages done. I am starting to see glimmers of real independence and sense of responsibility; knowing when to work and when to play, and having a balance of both which is quite difficult. I myself, am more of a worker than someone who lets herself relax, and it is something I battle with, trying to not be productive 100% of the time.

1:07 p.m. — I am watching this documentary – Bee Nation – following students competing in the first-ever First Nations Spelling Bee in Canada. These kids are WONDERFUL. I am tearing up hearing a few of them speak, and of their struggles as First Nations children. They get so much less money per child for education versus provincially to preserve their Cree culture but there is a lot more money given to French schools to preserve their culture. It just isn’t fair.

6:25 p.m. — This is an interesting video – Visualizing the Human brain

DAY TWO

7:30 a.m. — I get really frustrated with something in the kitchen, and Little Bun pipes up: I am sorry!… I am sorry, Mommy!

I reply back: Oh it isn’t your fault, nothing to be sorry about. I am just frustrated at this jar.

He clarifies: When I say I’m sorry I mean I’m sorry you had to experience it, every time I say it! I don’t mean it’s my fault…

Me: Well thank you for empathizing.

8:08 a.m. — Out of the mouth of babes… “She was uglier than even you, Mommy”, he tells me thoughtfully. (I do not even recall what this was in regards to..) I give him a very strange look and I tell him to please never comment on or disparage anyone’s looks in comparison to others. But I died inside a little. LOL

6:25 p.m. — I go into the bedroom to have some Little Bun time, and to give him some attention one-on-one, and ask him if he’d like to read a book. He runs around the room, and then goes and picks out: CHESS FOR BEGINNERS… I groan inside. I am not a fan of chess. I only liked watching The Queen’s Gambit, and I can play, but it really isn’t my interest or forte.

He proceeds to announce that we are teaching the Stuffies chess. Commence an hour, of teaching them how each piece moves. I of course, play my part as a parent (like in the show Bluey!) and pretend that the pieces are funny, and try to ride them (Babiest Stuffie), or to make up silly things about them.

We also get into a deep discussion about why the hell the Queen is the most powerful player on the board but the King who can only move one step is considered the important one to protect. Breaking down patriarchal barriers here, because he can’t understand why they’re not EQUAL. I explain that this game was invented a long time ago under the patriarchy and it would be cool to change it to come up with a new game with new rules. I also tell him it’s kind of a metaphor for life, the invisible work that women have to endure while the guys get all the credit most of the time.

DAY THREE

7:54 a.m. — Little Bun sidles up to me and says: Mommy. Did you know that less computer time can cause less anxiety?

I side eye him, and thank him for the info, considering my work and my play are usually centered around a computer. I am however, trying to work in some sanity walks instead, in recent weeks.

7:15 p.m. — We Facetime with my mother and this happened. So.. it’s a running joke how much my mom hates math and Little Bun has it set that he WANTS to make he learn and love math just as much as him, so he’s giving her math quizzes.

 

8:54 p.m. — At night, we always do questions in the dark before sleeping, and Little Bun turns and asks me: What is our question, what are we talking about tonight? Our question tonight was – Do all children get equal access to education? Why or why not?

Immediately, Little Bun has the answer – NO. Not all children get equal access!

I ask him to elaborate. He proceeds to do me proud, and explain that in the world, not all girls get to go to school like the boys. The boys get to go, but it is their mommies who have to stay home and take care of the babies and girls, but they weren’t educated either, so how can a mommy who has to educate the children for the first few years of her life and is one of the determining factors in their success (a study we discussed earlier in the day – Mother’s Education Level At Time of Birth Determines Her Child’s Achievement), be uneducated and have to educate the children? “IT MAKES NO SENSE“, he bursts out.

I nod in the dark. I ask him what other factors, maybe, in this country would also be considered unequal access to education? He pauses, stumped. He only had one answer and it was the lack of education for girls so far, as we had discussed it earlier.

I explain to him that it could also be income and social status factors, a parent who is a single parent, may have to work multiple jobs and won’t have as much time to spend with their children as a two-parent, high-income household. Or even being able to pay for tutors, or get to school in a car or a school bus rather than walking. Or even being able to afford a bus pass which can be expensive as well.

I also mention food insecurity. His grandmother grew up with no food at all. Very, very, very poor.. and it affected her ability to grow properly with enough nutrition as she went from baby (with no milk) to a teenager. She also had anxiety and constant stress about food, and how their things and home would be taken away from them to be thrown on the streets to sleep. She also just was damn hungry, like a wolf eating at her insides.. how can you concentrate in school on ABCs when you are so hungry at a young age?

He absorbs all of it, and then we fall asleep.

DAY FOUR

8:08 a.m. — Overheard while colouring:

Little Bun looking at the pencil crayons: “Now I need Plum. Which suits “plum”? “… he muses to himself

(Can you even. “Which one SUITS .. “….)

6:25 p.m. — We are talking to my father on the phone, and he mentions that he was making little vegetable balls today with his father.

My father:

How many did you make?

Little Bun:
I don’t know! I didn’t count because I don’t count unless you tell me to!!

Me:

5. He made 5.

My father:

So you can only eat 5

Little Bun:

…. How many did YOU make?

Father:

… Zero

Little Bun:

👀 Well. 

DAY FIVE

8:08 a.m. — Little Bun has started a snail mail “group chat” with my mother. He writes a message and we take a picture and email the paper to her. She writes back (and dates the back like in a messaging convo), then emails the photo of it back. It is as if they’re texting but with written words and colours email. I’m apparently now part of this group chat now….

Little Bun wrote: “Mommy joins the chat.”, at the top of the page and then asked me to write a message to my mother.

It is the most adorable thing ever.

6:25 p.m. — Little Bun is watching something with his father then I hear him fling the door open and run into the room:

He comes up to my face where I am reading and says:

Mommy, I’m in here because the screen said “your eyes deserve a well timed rest!” So I’m resting my eyes and reminding you to rest them too 

Me: Aren’t you the cutest… 

(HE IS.)

4:25 p.m. —I soak my clothes in activated charcoal (yes it stains but at this point I do not care), and my loungewear is smelling of this very strange, oily, sticky scent which I suspect is coming from the dryer, but it is making me nauseous. I also go online and order some activated charcoal sachets to put in my clothing. The scent of charcoal is very fresh and clean, and frankly, much better than perfumes and fragrances which now make me ill.

DAY SIX

Life of a Parent:

??:?? — Little Bun: Time to wake up Mommy. *snuggle snuggle*

Me: *bleary-eyed* what? Are you sure? I see the sun rising .. are you sure it’s 6 a.m.? (Typically our AGREED UPON, ACCEPTABLE wake-up time)

Little Bun: *bouncing out* YUP!

Me: OMG LITTLE BUN. IT IS 5 AM!!!! 😭😭😭😭

Little Bun: Oh. Sorry. But I’m awake anyway.

Me: 😭 IT IS MY DAY OFF 😭

DAY SEVEN

8:25 a.m. — Little Bun is so excited the basil plants are flowering (not good), so we take a picture before we lop their heads off, and he labels it:

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Want more? Read all of my previous Week of Money Diaries.