Scattered Sundays

Well, Bennett’s run of three-year hide and seek Covid champ has come to an end. We never thought he’d go this long, so it was a good streak while it lasted!

He started exhibiting some of his normal monthly cold symptoms on Thursday morning. After what felt like a very long and whiny morning, Troy stuck a test swab in his nose while I packed him in the car for school.

With his PFAFA, he isn’t contagious to anyone else, so as long as he doesn’t have a fever, he can be at school. We have to drive him to school because he is open enrolled, so I knew that we’d have the results of the test before he was getting out of the car.

We were four cars from the front of the drop off line when Troy called to say B’s test was VERY positive. That was one very dark line! I barely rolled down the window, told his principal we would not be dropping him off that day (or for awhile) and then went on home.

He’s feeling snarfy but is mostly full of energy. Which is always hard when you have to stay home and stay occupied. The weather didn’t help either with an atmospheric river settling over the region starting on Thursday. First world problems though!

He can go back on Wednesday with a mask, or Tuesday if his symptoms are improving and/or he tests negative. I know there were some other positive tests in that classroom on the same day, so it’s just a case of “it is what it is”.

To round out the health news, I got my once-a-year cold/maybe it’s a cold/maybe it is something else. Last week I started feeling sinus pressure and figured a sinus infection was on the way. I never take anything for them because they get better in the same amount of time whether I am medicated or not.

But I was sitting in a soccer board meeting on Sunday and my left ear sloooooowly started to close up and ache. Like really ache! I leaned over to my friend and whispered “I think I’m getting an ear infection because apparently, I’m a toddler”.

That night, my ear hurt so freaking much. If I hadn’t destroyed all the pain meds from my surgery, I might have been tempted to pop one into my mouth for 15 seconds before spitting it out.

I got an urgent care appointment Monday morning and when the doctor looked in my ear she said “holy smokes, that’s really infected. I wish I could take a picture to show you how gross this is right now”. I was somewhat relieved that I hadn’t been making up all that pain and pressure.

I’ve been lucky in life to almost never need antibiotics, but I gladly accepted the prescription for amoxicillin that she gave me. I’m not a candidate for creating antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and for reals my ear HURT.

Even with the meds, for most of the week, my left ear was 100% closed. My right ear started closing up on Tuesday night and boy, howdy, was that frustrating. I have a new sense of empathy for people with hearing loss. Having people repeat themselves multiple times was an exercise in patience for both parties.

I also have profound empathy for people with sensory issues. A friend of mine constantly has ringing in her ears from an autoimmune disease, and even with only dealing with that for a week, I was very much ready to be done.

Loud sounds were very disconcerting, and things like using my Sonicare felt like I had bees in my head while swimming underwater. No fun for sure. The relief when my ears pops will be very welcome indeed.

It hasn’t all been infected ears and boogers around here though! A big step forward in our laundry room/basement restoration happened on Monday. Our contractor removed the stupid pointless shower from the laundry/bathroom and ohhhhh my gosh there is so much more room for activities now!

Growing up, our basement was a big ol’ daylight basement that had a huge rec room, a small bedroom (my sister’s) and a bathroom/laundry room combo. The shower made sense then as it was my sister’s.

But since we did the addition on the house in 2014-2015 to build the inlaw suite for my parents, the tiny shower no longer made any sense. Our part of the once giant rec room is now about 100 sq feet, and my dad has a giant ADA capable shower in his apartment.

I’ve long wanted that shower gone because other than using it for storage, it’s pointless. And it makes the space so crowded that the dryer door hits the door of the shower. It’s beetleheaded.

This week I was listening to a podcast and one of the guests said something that really stuck with me. She said when bad things in life happen, you basically have two choices: bitter or better.

Having the washing machine flood the basement sucked. For sure. Zero question. But, what’s done is done, and I’m using it as an opportunity to make the place better.

Our neighbor is doing the drywall and he started that process on Wednesday. It’s amazing what plain drywall can do for a space! I can’t believe this is even the same room.

Eventually, the toilet will be back in here, as well as the vanity, and there will be some sort of IKEA storage cabinet-thingy in the corner where the shower was. But for now, it’s just so open and lovely.

The flooring also arrived for my dad’s bedroom and the part of his living room that was damaged. Things feel like they’re finally starting to come together and the chips are starting to fall into place.

For now the boxes of flooring is just hanging out in a nice little pile amongst all the other nice little piles we are living with. But again, it’s a first world problem and we are heading forward to great things. Onward!

READER SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK

Long-time reader, Terry, left this five-star review on our Boursin Pasta {Pin this recipe}:

Made this tonight for a potluck. As we do not “imbibe”, I used some fresh lemon juice and extra chicken broth in place of the wine. The dish received rave reviews and the bowl was scraped clean! This is definitely a winner! Thanks for a great recipe that is also very easy.

ON SUSTAINABLE COOKS THIS WEEK

Air Fryer Meatballs – These juicy Air Fryer Meatballs are so easy to make and are packed with tons of flavor. Baked, not fried, they are perfect for fast dinners and cook in only 10 minutes! No air fryer? You’ll also find oven-baking methods in the post. {Pin this recipe}

Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup – Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup is the perfect meal for when you need an easy, and hearty dinner that the whole family will love. This cozy bowl of yum is a game-changer for weeknight dinners. {Pin this recipe}

Air Fryer Cookies – Soft and delicious Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies are an easy dessert that won’t require heating up your kitchen. Make the perfect cookie in the air fryer for fast treats that your family will love. {Pin this recipe}

Meal Plan

Monday:: TBD – depends on how sick of my kids I am after quarantine and a three-day weekend.

Tuesday:: Troy is making something for dinner and we will be excited to eat it.

Wednesday:: I’m retesting a new recipe that should be on the blog soon.

Thursday:: Soup! Not sure what kind yet, but I have soup veggies prepped and frozen in our basement, so it will be something delicious and healthy. With equally tasty carbs on the side.

Friday:: Popcorn, leftovers, and movie night.

Saturday:: I’m retesting a new recipe that should be on the blog soon.

Sunday:: TBD, but probably take out.

What are you having this week?