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Sunday, 6/28/2026,

Fed M a breakfast of egg-coated fried bread, yogurt with banana jam and blackberries.

Did the laundry.

Played with M and put him down for a nap.

Cooked lunch. I thought there was still some leftover breakfast bread for M but we actually ate it all. I just gave him some cookies as his carbs instead.

Cleaned the kitchen and dried the clothes.

We went to the park. It was hot outside but M had so much fun. Poor M, he was the only baby dressed for “winter” with a long-sleeve shirt and thick pants. Our house is always cold, so he was fine at home, and I hadn’t thought to change him before leaving. The best moment happened when M took his independent steps toward me and successfully reached me when I wasn’t expecting it. I can’t wait for the day he can walk right next to me.

I cooked again for dinner, mushroom cream noodles with sliced steak. Since I made it from scratch, it took a long time for the food to be ready. S helped by putting the dishes away and feeding M while I was finishing cooking.

I gave M a bath, then S put him to bed.

I put the leftovers in the fridge and threw out the old food. I hate wasting food but it’s better to throw it away when in doubt. It’s usually meal-prep food, which I plan to cook the next day, but then when that day comes, we either still have leftovers or eat out or my mind is so overwhelmed that I completely forget about it.

When I took the trash out to the bin, I took a short break, looked around our house, the yard, the driveway, and our beautiful new vine and imagined what we could do to improve the house’s look. Then, I walked back inside and was so panicked realizing that my pots and pans were still on the burning stove. I had left them to boil to loosen up some stubborn, dried-on food. I got so lucky because nothing bad happened. 🙏🙏🙏

Sitting down for a break now and doing my wrist exercises. The pain hasn’t improved much though I’ve been taking the prescribed anti-inflammatory pain pills.

Anyway, I need to finish cleaning the kitchen.

The end.

Saturday, 6/27/2026

It was a relaxing day. We all woke up late since it was the weekend. I fed M a breakfast of corn pancakes, banana jam, and blackberries. For lunch, he had yogurt with banana jam, stewed pork and carrots, avocado, cheese, small cookies, and a few cherries. We went to a Chinese buffet for dinner. M’s belly was rounded and firm when we left. He had a good time there with plenty of food, lots of people and children around, music, noise, and so many things to watch. It was so great not having to cook, feed him, clean, or give him a bath. I felt so free, and I was enjoying my evening so much.

I thought about the silence of a crowd. It was cruel sometimes. But “c’est la vie”. Sounds cliché, yet it is so true.

I thought about MC’s silence and realized that my passive anger was rising. I wanted to stop. I didn’t want to always be the one reaching out. It was painful.

The end.

Friday, 6/26/2026

I didn’t do much today. Worked on some videos and uploaded them to free up space on my phone.

Fed M, played with him, and put him down for a nap. Repeat the cycle in the afternoon, gave him a bath and took him to Aldi. Repeat the cycle again in the evening.

Put the groceries away, cleaned the kitchen and ran the dishwasher.

Photos of M’s breakfast and S’s dinner:

The end.

Thursday, 6/25/2026

Fed M his breakfast, changed his diaper, watched him play, and put him down for a nap.

Cleaned the kitchen and ran the dishwasher.

Groot is sick with diarrhea and was too tired to walk upstairs, so I had to carry him inside. When he walks, it looks like something is wrong with his back right leg; it seems to have lost power. Checked the leg but didn’t see anything abnormal. He is resting now.

I am feeling sleepy.

Groot had an accident on the carpet, and we didn’t know it until both M and I stepped on it. I spreaded baking soda on it, cleared the mess, scrubbed the stained spots with bleach wipes, and sprayed a pet odor and stain remover. I let it sit for 15 minutes, then vacuumed and hydro-mopped the area and the whole floor. The smell is better now but still strong; I will try using bleach tomorrow.

Sanitized the vacuum.

Cleaned the bathrooms.

Did two loads of laundry and dried them.

Fed M his lunch: shrimp, broccoli, shredded potatoes, and cherries, with a custard bun for dessert. Afterward, I changed his diaper, gave him a bath, watched him play, and put him down for a second nap.

Took the trash out.

Felt stressed because I didn’t know what to cook for dinner; meal planning takes up so much of my time and energy. Right after feeding M, cleaning him, and cleaning the kitchen, it is already time to think about the next meal.

There were shrimp, ground beef, and leftover chicken, as well as some zucchini and bell peppers. Instead of cooking for S and M separately, I decided to make a curry for both of them so I could use up all the ingredients.

Since M’s recommended salt intake should be half of an adult’s amount, I scooped some curry into a small pot, blended it, added milk, and thickened it with wheat flour. I added shredded shrimp on top because M loves textured food.

S took Groot to the vet for an X-ray but they found nothing. He’s having another X-ray again tomorrow and won’t be allowed to eat anything until then.

Fed M his dinner, then S played with him for a while, changed his diaper, put him in his pajamas, and put him to bed.

I had the curry too, and it was so good! Afterward, I cleaned the kitchen, put the dishes away, loaded the dishwasher, and ran it again.

The end.

Wednesday, 6/24/2026

Cleared out all the junk/old emails.

Checked my writing.

Fed M his breakfast, changed his diaper, and gave him a bath.

Cleaned the kitchen and ran the dishwasher.

Cooked lunch for S: stir-fried spinach, tender-stirred shredded potatoes, air-fried BBQ chicken and cherries.

Took M to an Asian grocery store. Arrived but stayed in the car so that his nap would be long enough (1hr). We both had lunch in the food court. I ordered shrimp dumplings, which turned out salty for him, a custard bun, which I realized was too sweet for him. I gave him some anyway. Chicken curry was salty as well but at least I could tone it down by mixing just a little bit of the sauce with some rice. He enjoyed it and ate a lot.

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I used the stroller instead of the store’s cart. It might’ve been because I subconsciously assumed I’d only buy the ingredients for tomorrow’s potluck coleslaw. Boy, I was wrong. I wanted a lot of things and of course, the stroller didn’t have enough room. I even couldn’t load 3 cabbages as they were too heavy. Ended up making 2 trips between the parking lot and the store to haul all the stuff I bought.

Happy about buying hot peppers and lime leaves. I can stock them in the freezer and they can last for months.

Saw a pack of 3 passion fruits for over $20. Such a ridiculously crazy price! Or maybe I’m just poor. But I remember back when I was a teenager in VN, I paid less than $1 for over 1kg (>2lbs) of this fruit.

I wasn’t patient enough to look for apple cider vinegar since the store is super large. I just left and stopped by Publix instead. But I walked out with more than what I planned. I bought several bottles of olive oil because they were on a BOGO program—buy one get one free.

Felt sleepy by the time I got home but I needed to put the groceries away and prepared dinner for S and M. S had BBQ chicken sandwich, boiled edamame and yogurt while M got boiled chicken topped with cheese, broccoli, spaghetti, and cherries. He ate a lot and had a lot of milk as well.

Changed his diaper and put him to bed.

He doesn’t cooperate sometimes when I change his diaper. He wriggles a lot. Frustrating, especially when I’m tired.

S helped me clean the kitchen. He’s still dealing with the digestive issue but he skipped his planned urgent care visit. He said it seemed a bit better and he wanted to wait for one more day…

I found out the potluck party isn’t until next week. What’s on earth is wrong with my brain? What am I supposed to do with 3 whole cabbages now?!

The end.

Tuesday, 6/23/2026

Woke up late. Actually, woke up at a normal time, but went back to bed and slept a bit longer next to M. Always treasure the moments when I sleep beside my baby.

Fed M breakfast and changed his diaper.

Packed spaghetti and mandarins for S’s lunch.

Folded clothes while M was playing on the floor.

Cleaned the kitchen and ran the dishwasher.

Got so mad at Groot because he chewed up the internet cable. He’s too wild. An internet guy will come over and fix it again.

M took six independent steps several times today. He was so excited when he found out he was able to walk. However, he still prefers crawling. He finds it more convenient and faster.

Did wrist exercises for 10 mins.

Fed M spaghetti, shrimp, kiwi, and yogurt.

Had a lot of stuff in the fridge but didn’t know what to cook for dinner. Took M to Publix. Got back home and served him Panera chicken soup, sourdough bread with avocado oil, and cherries. Since the soup is salty for him, mainly fed him the solid ingredients and a little broth mixed with milk.

S is going to urgent care tomorrow. Was so worried about his ongoing digestive issue. Feel calmer now; hope and pray it’s nothing serious.

9:55 PM: Took a pain pill and cleaned the kitchen. Emptied the dishwasher and loaded it back up.

The end.

Monday, 6/22/2026

Placed an order from Walmart.

Fed M breakfast: frittata (egg, potato, cheese, and green onions) and kiwi.

Changed his diaper, and watched him play on the floor. We spent some time in the backyard too.

Prepared lunch for S. I didn’t cook anything; simply packed the leftovers into containers and added some kiwi.

Ran the dishwasher and cleaned the kitchen.

Washed my face and got changed before the internet technician came over to fix the cable.

Fed M lunch: buttered shrimp, boiled corn, fried potatoes, and stewed carrots.

Let him play while folding laundry.

Happy about the magnetic board for the fridge I received today—both the price (~$2) and its look. It’s small, but it’s all I need.

We went to the auto repair shop to pick up S’s Honda. When we got back home, I cooked spaghetti for S and fried breaded chicken for M along with corn, stewed carrots, and kiwi.

Stir-fried the remaining chicken and stored it for later.

Emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, then cleaned the kitchen.

S spotted a snake under the deck. I’m scared. Not sure how to keep Groot safe. He spends most of the day in the backyard, so it won’t be safe for him. Don’t know what S is going to do about the snake.

The end.

Sunday, 6/21/2026

Made coffee, changed M’s diaper, and fed him breakfast: eggs, bananas, and Auntie Anne’s bread. He loves all kinds of bread. This type is a bit too salty for him, so I washed it quickly with water, then microwaved it to soften it up.

Bought a mug, some bar soap, and a Buddhist book as gifts for S on Father’s Day. I was so happy to find the mug; we had literally been looking for it for years since Wawa stopped selling their travel mugs.

Things have changed. People use stainless steel cups now rather than plastic cups, but S is still stubbornly loyal to plastic. It is light and microwavable, which are the features he needs.

There are other plastic mugs available; however, some are too small or have undesirable lids that require you to take them apart to wash them thoroughly. Others aren’t designed for travel or driving because their bottoms don’t fit in the cup holder. So, I’m happy I found this one for S.

Emptied the dishwasher, cleaned the microwave, and wiped the countertop and the fridge.

Watched M play on the floor.

Ordered from Walmart, which took so long to finish because the internet was so slow. I was so sleepy, too.

Cooked tenderloin, NY strip steaks, potato wedges, and salad to celebrate Father’s Day.

Folded clothes and changed the bed sheets. Just because the bed is going to get messed up after one night, it doesn’t mean making it is pointless.

Talked to T; she just returned from a vacation in Europe. That’s wonderful. I’m very impressed by her success after her divorce a few years ago.

The Walmart chatbot assistant is stupid and annoying. It kept saying my missing items weren’t eligible for a refund or replacement. Finally, I connected with a human agent and got a refund. It will take 10 days for the money to appear back in my account, though. I also have to order the items again; once missing items are marked as delivered, Walmart can’t reship them.

We went to the car repair shop to drop off S’s Honda. It will take a few days to get it fixed.

Fed M dinner, gave him a bath, and put him to bed at 8:30 pm. Oh, I forgot—M had gifts for his Dad too: three diapers full of poo poo. 🙂

Now, going to take a pain pill for my wrists.

The end.

Saturday,6/20/2026

Did the laundry and ran the dryer.

Changed M’s diaper multiple times and fed him.

Put dishes away and loaded the dishwasher.

Boiled chicken drumsticks for M with celery, lime leaves, and white onions.

We went to Lowe’s to buy wire to protect our plants from Groot.

Cleaned the kitchen.

Cooked ground pork and beef for meal prep because I was too tired to cook a full dish.

Stored food in containers and froze portions to avoid waste.

Ran a second load in the dryer.

Took a break, ate blackberries, and felt bad that my hair was very frizzy. Still not motivated enough to take care of it.

So sad. DR broke his left shoulder, which will add another challenge to his recovery after his stroke.

A moment of fear and anxiety arose. How weak! Turned to the universe for guidance and help.

The end.

I need to write something before I go to bed. I want to resume my writing habit—it helps me take care of my mental health. Looking back over the last few months, the only word I can use to describe my life is tight. Just tight. Tight, tight, tight. Most of the time, I feel like a string that’s been pulled to its absolute limit.

I live with fear and anxiety. They don’t show up all the time, but I know they’re always there, just waiting for the right moment to surface. I prayed and placed myself in the care of the universe, the Buddha, the deities and my ancestors. Still… it’s so hard to find peace and balance. Fear and anxiety never really go away. They get triggered so easily, and when they do, they take over. They drain me. They leave me exhausted.

When I think about what happened between them, it hurts so badly inside me—none of them sees it or even cares. I keep all of that pain to myself.

I told myself to focus on my life, to practice more gratitude, compassion, and understanding. I tried to understand why things ended up this way, their decisions, their motives, and tried to accept reality.

But even so, I was still frustrated. When SB tried to manipulate me, when SB tried to fill me with hatred, revenge, and fear, when she believed she had done nothing wrong and chose right and wrong over compassion and love in dealing with the situation, anger boiled inside me. I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t help feeling furious at such blindness.

I feel her pain, but the way she acts is so destructive and negative. It doesn’t have to be this extreme—it’s just not worth it. I can tell she doesn’t actually want to end this relationship, but what she’s doing leads nowhere and only escalates everything. He thinks she’s playing games, which is why he doesn’t want to get involved. That might be true but she may not even realize she’s doing it. It’s probably just a pattern that she falls into whenever she feels hurt. The situation itself isn’t even that big, yet it’s being treated like something extreme. It feels like bringing a knife to a situation that doesn’t need one—turning something small into something much bigger than it is, and then feeling bitter about the outcome.

In short, everything is black and white to her, so once he’s terrible, he can’t be good in any way.

Time flies. Wars rage. So many people are struggling just to survive. This silence is absurd. Who’s right or wrong in a relationship becomes meaningless.