The Saturday 7

Well let's see what I can come up with this week. I have three things jotted down. We'll see if I can stretch that to seven . . .

1. Justin's grandpa passed away Sunday evening. All four of his boys were able to say good-bye, and Grandma was with him when he passed. It's sad for those of us left behind, but as Justin said, "he's not in a wheelchair anymore! He has full mind capacity. He's not in pain or confused anymore." We're thankful for the promise of eternal life.

Father's Day 2016

Sadly, Sunday was also Justin's birthday. I lost our second baby on that day 9 years ago, so it's becoming somewhat tainted with death. 😢

2. We managed a little bit of celebration for Justin. We had lunch with my family and a joint celebration for Justin/Lena. Then, while the kids and I stayed to play cards and hang out, Justin went ice fishing for hours - his favorite. 😁 We intend to go out to celebrate at some point, but wanted to wait for restaurants to open back up - hopefully this week!

3. On Tuesday the kids had their first snow day. I was secretly annoyed because Tuesday is one of my rare kid-free days, but I handed Levi my phone when he woke up and went back to sleep 'til . . . too late to admit. The girls were content to sleep in and watch tv on their own. Later on, I made an Instacart order because we had no food and I didn't want to go out in the cold. (#firstworldproblems) Don't worry. I tipped my delivery driver well. And I went out and shoveled the driveway and walk leading to the house so she could carry my groceries to the door. Here's another confession . . . I don't think I've ever shoveled snow. I went straight from living with my dad to living with my husband and they both spoiled me by doing all the snow removal. Fortunately, Tuesday's snow was fairly light and fluffy, even if it was deep. At first, it didn't seem that hard and I was all, "I don't need no man!" But after a while, my back reminded me why I don't perform manual labor. Ugh. I'm a poor old lady who definitely needs a man to do my heavy lifting for me. #delicatesensibilities

4. I got some depressing news about my college career this week. I know I've mentioned before that I did 2-3 years of college before giving up and quitting without a degree. I have 66 credits between Spring Arbor and Cornerstone, but my last classes were in . . . 2008? I don't remember exactly when, but suffice it to say - it was a long time ago. I had my transcripts sent to my current college and was approved as a transfer student. But I didn't actually sit down and look at my transfer credits until this week. Imagine my surprise, when I discovered that none of my 66 credits count toward my current program. 🤦 I started this "back to school" venture with the idea that I'd only have to take the library-specific classes and I'd have my degree in a couple years. Now, however, I have to take 90 credits - including gen. eds like English 101, basic math, Intro to Sociology, Intro to Psychology, etc. I'm certain I could CLEP out of English 101, but I seriously don't think I could pass a math test. And while I took sociology and psychology 12 years ago, not only do I remember very little of it, but I imagine some of the philosophies have changed since then!

If that wasn't enough, through some of my research for one of my classes this week, I discovered that the Michigan Department of Education requires all public school librarians to have a Master's Degree and teaching certification! Say whaaat?? Of course, my ultimate goal is to work in my kids' private school (which doesn't have to adhere to state guidelines since it doesn't receive state funding), but I really can't put all my eggs in that basket. The degree I'm currently pursuing would allow me to be a "paraprofessional librarian" in a school setting, but is it really worth it for me to invest my money and time into so much schooling for such a measly result? Ugh. Decisions. Adulting. Maybe Biden will make college free or keep giving me stimulus money. 🤷

5. Remember last week how I posted that meme about Midwesteners not needing coats this winter? Well that came back to bite me. It's been stupid cold all week, and I'm already over it. It doesn't help that our poor old heater can't keep up. I turn the heat down to 63 at night, and up to 66 during the day. I noticed that it wasn't getting to 66 'til after noon even when I turn it up at 7 a.m., so I started turning it down just to 64 overnight. But it hasn't really helped. The heat runs pretty much non-stop, and usually doesn't hit 66 til midafternoon. It's terrible for my motivation. I'm so cold all the time that I just want to huddle under blankets and not move.

6. Fortunately, we will have a little break from the cold in mid-February. I can't remember if I've mentioned it yet, but we're going to Florida! Woohoo for parents who rent condos in the winter and let us stay with them!! I did my Southwest credit card deal again, so I only paid $56 for round trip flights from GR to Orlando for all 5 of us! We are renting a car this time, so that's an added expense, but it's still nothing compared to what we'd pay for a flight if not for the SW deal. And it's worth it not to drive for 24 hours with 3 kids, 2 of whom are especially prone to car sickness, and 3 of whom are especially prone to whining loudly. (Ok, 4 if you count me. I'm not a fan of road trips.) Lena's terrified of the plane ride already. Has anyone had experience giving xanax to an underweight 8 year old? Probably not a good idea? And Levi is already insisting that he's not wearing a mask on the plane. Fortunately, if I give Levi my phone or his tablet loaded with games, he will be oblivious to the world - and whatever is on his face - until I take it away. Here's hoping that applies to plane travel!!

7. I've hardly taken any pictures lately. So not like me. Here's what I've got: