20

 The mud was even worse when we woke up this morning.  Taking Aaron to the bathroom, at points I had to crouch in front of him to pull his wheels forward.

There's a wheelchair accessory called a freewheel that would have been amazing for that.  Not amazing for cramming us all into the tent, but definitely useful outside.

While he was in the bathroom, I cleaned up in there and took his garbage out.  Someone had left us clean bags - I've been just dumping out and reusing the garbage bag that was in there.

While I had the dumpster open, I saw the solution to our sun porch floor problem, and I grabbed it.

I took something right out of the dumpster and scurried it to our site, hoping no one saw me.

No one here knows we're homeless.  I have told no one.  Not sure why, except some fear they'll be all "well, you can't LIVE here, this is a classy joint." I felt like I was blowing our cover!

So I got Aaron home and he was able to roll into the tent without getting stuck or have the mud tip him over.

Also Ser Pounce-a-lot likes having her porch back.

It is a big square of rubber backed vinyl floor.  Maybe a little RV porch thing.  Perfectly whole and clean.

I am sometimes surprised by the just-fine things that get chucked here, but never felt driven by desperation to nick one before.  Need to be able to get the man into his tent-home, though.

That towel is never going to recover from the Muddening.

I managed to get our applications in for the house despite my PDF editors and the online editors constantly crashing for me.  Sounds like it is ours if we pass the background check, which we will.  I still need to give him $150 for the checks (and $2350 for each the deposit and first month's rent), but the money I held back for the background checks was spent on astronaut pants (disposable underpants), food, and kitty supplies.  Eating mostly nonperishables when two of you can't eat beans and your chef is chronically ill and exhausted is far more expensive than I'd hoped for.

We've started treat trancing about what I'll cook when I have a kitchen again.  Swear right now I will make a whole turkey dinner. 

The weather was cool and quiet, such a relief.

Joey hung out online with his friends and Aaron raced cars on my dying Xbox and cuddled his cat.

She really is his baby.

Later Joey had bread dunked in gravy for dinner, and Aaron and I had fire-baked potatoes.  

Our tent is so muddy.

Aaron had "sprinkle cheese" on his - Parmesan/Romano.  He also calls it "stinky cheese" sometimes, and it is shelf stable.

He had a rough night.  He is tired of the tent.  He held my hand and was sad for a while.

Joey had his breakdown moment the day Aaron fell out of his chair.  We are all still hanging tough enough, but I work to make sure the kids have space to feel feelings.

Me, I'll probably cry myself to sleep for a while once we're housed.

It is hard to find the balance between trying to hold everyone up above the water (or mud) and just letting them feel and express all their fear and pain.

Hug your people.  The world and life itself can be such a terrible grind, connection is beauty.

Also!  Rundes started a gofundme for the deposit and first month's rent.  Please, please share it.  I just want together a roof over these vulnerable young people and cats.

And take a bath.  Oh gawd, a bath.