Not the Way I Planned This Day …

As soon as I got the automated call from the school system informing me of the snow cancellation, I pictured a certain kind of day.

A work-filled day. A productive day. A get-caught-up-and-maybe-a-little-ahead day.

I had just finished a massive and wonderful edit job for a client and was looking forward to moving on to a nice, short job for my next client. I might have even finished it. Once I made at least good progress, the house needed a nice thorough cleaning after a little rearranging and a two-year old’s presence.

Yes, a two-year old is living with us once again. Sweet “Tyler” is back for a week. When the case worker brought him, he was asleep. I’m pretty sure waking up in the bed he slept in from the beginning of April until the end of August felt like he’d been in a time machine. He’s been so loving and sweet, exclaiming over each person and toy he remembers and showing off his new, yet only occasional, ability to use the potty.

I had just suited up the older three kids for sledding on the tiny inch of snow, showered, made lunch, put the baby to bed, and gotten really into work when … Tyler woke up, walked to the kitchen, and tossed his lunch.

Are you kidding me?!? This is the kid that had the horrible flu when he first came, even ending up at the ER because of how long he’d vomited. He sure loves me, but he might just be allergic.

Then the heat in my half of the house went out and I was trying to work on the computer wrapped in blankets, but my hands were turning numb. There was a way to heat the house, though. A simple procedure of

1) turning the thermostat off
2) taking the furnace cover off
3) reaching my hand into the dark crevice and manually starting the fan blades spinning
4) quickly replacing the cover
5) running to turn the heat pump on before the fan stopped turning
6) enjoying warmth for a time
7) remembering to turn the thermostat back to off once the desired temp was achieved so the fan wouldn’t overheat

Blessedly, my landlord/father 😉 got a replacement part for $5 and the heat is back on. Which I guess leads me to counting other blessings. My mother felt sorry for me and cooked us all dinner. I didn’t lose a finger when starting the heater before it’ repair. No one else has tossed their animal cookies yet. All my blankets are clean, my bathtub is scrubbed, the floor is mopped–all to clean up the germs.

Even on your craziest days, you can probably find something to be thankful for!