The Saturday 7 - a roller coaster of emotions (title of my memoir)

 Well, well, well. What should I write about today?

1. Sunday was a beautiful sunny day. We went to Justin's parents' after church, and the kids played outside with Jesse for an hour. When we got in the car, they all thought they were dying of heat stroke, and begging to go to the pool. Niki had opened her pool a week earlier, but I tried to warn them it was coooooold. They didn't care.

The pool was actually about 70 degrees, and they swam for an hour! May 2nd might be the earliest we've ever enjoyed Niki's pool. 

2. On Tuesday, McDonald's was giving out free caramel brownie flurries. I forgot all day until Esther sent me a picture of hers at like 7:30 pm. I told Justin I was leaving, snuck out to the car and went straight to McDonald's. When I sent my sisters a snapchat of the drive-through, Niki asked, "Are you really going to eat it in your car to hide it from your kids?" This was my response:

It was glorious.

And yes, I did stay up until 1:30 a.m. to finish that book. 🤦

3. I've been doing a decent job of avoiding facebook. I tried to avoid scrolling this week. I checked my notifications every once in a while, but stopped myself from getting sucked into the vortex - for the most part. I did end up scrolling a couple times, but it was a definite improvement from my usual habits . . . and it's doing nothing to help my depression. It's really been weighing on me again lately. Blech. I want out of my brain. 

4. Justin and I have been thinking about anniversary plans (even though our anniversary is at the end of July). We usually go away for a night or two to a cheap airbnb on a lake somewhere in Michigan. He fishes. I read. We go out to eat for every meal. But this year, I want to do something. Justin has always been adamant about wanting to go to National Parks - especially out west - but y'all know how I feel about wilderness/nature/bears. I decided I could handle the Grand Canyon. You don't usually hear about too many bears there. But then I realized the Grand Canyon is in the desert. And our anniversary is in July. Mmmm, no thanks. Finally, I decided I can put on my brave pants and attempt the U.P. Justin really wants to see Pictured Rocks/The Porcupine Mountains/Lake of the Clouds. I haven't been to any of those places either (see: aforementioned bear fear). But if we stay in a motel instead of camping, and stick to well-populated trails in broad daylight, and maybe invest in some bear spray I might be able to do it. While we were discussing all this, Justin said, "We don't have to do what I want. What do you want to do? Where would you want to go?" . . . . And I can't think of anything. There is no where I'm dying to go. Sure, I'd love to see Italy, but we can't afford that, I don't have a passport, the idea of that length of a plane ride gives me hives. Same with Hawaii. I also don't want to go to Hawaii unless I lose 30 pounds, and we all know that ain't happening. I tried to think of somewhere in the U.S. I really really want to go, and I've got nothing. How depressing is that??!! I'm bored with the idea of lounging around, but I can't think of anything else I want to do. Is that the depression talking too? Lack of interest in anything? Perpetual restlessness? Ugh. Maybe I need to go back to the doctor and adjust my meds. Think she has anything that will help me lose 30 pounds? 

5. On Thursday when Lucy came home from school, she complained that her throat hurt really bad, and Lena said she actually had to ask for a cough drop because she was coughing so much all day. By that evening I could tell they were both feverish, and the coughing was out of control. They stayed home from school on Friday and literally did not get off the couch all day. Lena's fever broke last night, but Lucy's persisted through most of today. Finally, this evening, they were both up and around, acting normal for the most part - except that they both still have nasty wet coughs. And thus, we will be staying home from church tomorrow, missing two of my nieces being dedicated, skipping the mother's day lunch with my family that took us an hour and multiple texts to plan, and missing out on celebrating Lucy's birthday. Instead, we'll be getting Covid tests - not because I think they actually have Covid, but because this is life now. I'll feel guilty sending them to school without confirmation. If they're negative, then we can celebrate Lucy's birthday on her actual birthday (Tuesday). If they're positive, I'm going to cry that Lucy's birthday is ruined two years in a row by this stupid disease. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Maybe I'll catch the Covid from them and lose those 30 pounds after all. 

6. Well I've written myself into a nice little depressive hole, so let's redeem this post with some memes.

Yep. Definitely did that this week. More than once, actually.

I've probably shared this one before, but it gets me every time. 😂

And now a few in honor of mother's day:

I do have this very thing. Guess I'm officially a mom.

Dream big this Mother's Day, ladies

And my favorite one of all time - which is vaguely inappropriate, so I probably haven't shared it before . . .

Seriously, though, I pushed Lena out in 12 minutes, and Levi in 7. 

7. And now that our spirits are lifted, some more pictures:

I forgot to share these ones last week.

Not gonna lie. It took me a really, really long time to figure out why the first commenter was wrong.

So how are your kids' rooms looking these days? 🤦

💖