Sick Days and Small Victories

Well, this week didn’t turn out the way I’d hoped.

A couple of my kids came down with the flu. Instead of the projects I’d planned to tackle, here’s what I actually accomplished:

• Temperature checks (often)

• Handed out meds around the clock

• Doctor appointment and xray to check for pneumonia (thankfully, results all clear)

• School drop-off/pick-up for the still-healthy kids

• General parent taxi service - judo belt promotion for the older son, final piano lessons before summer break

• Conquered laundry mountain—including pairing all the socks (a rare and glorious victory)

• Made a bunch of sub-par dinners with whatever basic ingredients we happened to have on hand after a week of not grocery shopping

• And, in a quiet moment, did a quick portrait sketch of my sick three-year-old, asleep—

Fever Dreams © 2025

This is what I did NOT do (but hoped to):

• Make meaningful progress toward pinning down what exactly my illustrator “style” is

• Begin a new portfolio piece

• Sketch out a social media plan for Instagram (@ashleykozelstudio)

• Add some new listings to my Etsy shop (yellowduckprintables) to capitalize on my Star Seller status while I have it

• Dishes.

Not the most productive week by traditional standards, but full of the small, tender moments that come with parenting through chaos. Hoping for health (and maybe a little creative momentum) next week.