Sunday Tea – November 13, 2022
So, there’s been this noise behind our dryer for some time. It took several times hearing it before we decided it was a real noise and not our imagination. It was a kind of rustle that you’d hear every now and then. After deciding it was real, we deduced that something had built a nest in the dryer vent. A look outside showed us the protective cover for the vent had blown off. We spent the next few days watching the birds and critters outside an upstairs window. We asked all of them if they were making the noise. None of them answered.
This was a week of saying we were going to do something, forgetting about it, and then saying we were going to do it again the next day. I washed the same load of clothes four times this week because we kept forgetting to dry it. I mean, we could say I was waiting until we made sure the vent was cleared before drying clothes, but let’s be real, that’d be a lie. After the third time washing the same load, I threw Ella’s grey zip up onesie in there because I needed it washed and dried for picture the next day.
Thinking back on this week, all I can remember is washing that damn load of clothes four times. I honestly don’t know how we made it to Sunday. With two tiny humans, our days are often chaotic. The floor goes from clean to “tornado just went through” in about 10 seconds. The dishes pile up and we put off folding laundry.
This week we talked about how we often feel like we’re just surviving. We’re doing what we need to do to get ourselves, two tiny humans, and a couple pets through the day. If I had a dollar for every time we’ve thought if we just had an extra day we would be able to catch up we would be set for life.
But if we had that extra day, what would we actually do with it? We feel like we should say we’d put away the clothes and clean the living room. But honestly, I think we would play with John and try to get Ella to laugh at us instead. It’s easy to measure our productivity by what we can see. It’s easy to look at that pile of clothes in the corner and feel like we’re failing at life. What we often forget however, is how much work, energy, and love we’re pouring into two small children. It is hard to see the tiny changes that are happening in our babies between Monday and Sunday. In reality, we are accomplishing a lot that we can’t see every day and we’ll just keep chipping away at those dishes.
A lack of voice and persistent cough kept us home, or at least away from people, most of this week. John had a blast at his gym class at the YMCA. We enjoyed the beautiful weather early in the week and spent time outside. The kids and I walked to the park a few time to check on the splash pad construction and enjoyed playing in the backyard. We went for a vintage board game this week and pulled out Finish Lines. Since we couldn’t get together with friends, we had fun sending a few questions in the group chat.
We are happy to report that our cat Wicket is continuing to improve! She is acting more normal and has made it back to some of her favorite comfortable spots. Huge shout out to Wyllow Pet Hospital for their assistance!
I was blessed to be able to spend some time with friends this morning while Ben and John hung out. After coffee, I had fun thrifting and found a new bathrobe for John (although he insists it’s a jacket: “it’s a jacket mama, not a robe). I also brought home a new glass Bluebird of Happiness! We finally decided it was time to pull the air conditioner out of the window and thought maybe we should put some effort into this critter in the dryer vent situation. Ben and John headed to the store for a new ladder. John crashed on the way home and is sleeping upstairs, Elliana is talking away and sucking her thumb, Ben headed upstairs with a leaf blower to try to blow out whatever’s in the vent, and I’m sipping my Sunday Tea.
