7QT: Still Shingles, Old Moms, Muffins and a Vandalism

Happy last Friday in January y'all!  I personally can't wait for this month to be over.  February can only go up from here (she types nervously).  Linking up with Kelly and TGIF even if it is 16 degrees and snowy here :)

Declan and Brendan looked the same size here until I realized Brendan is on his tippy toes!

1)

A Hate-Filled Ode to Shingles:

Sleepless nights

Hot and burning

Itchy spots

Nerve damaging

God begging

Low energy

Excruciating discomfort

Soul sucking virus 

It's been three weeks of torture, and I wouldn't wish shingles on my worst enemy.

2)

I can't get the Shingles vaccine until I am 50, but you can bet I'll be first in line when the time comes.  As for the Covid Vaccine, I'm still not sure.  I wanted to wait until a lot of the population gets it to see any side effects that rise up, but I also don't want to get Covid.  I keep hearing horror stories about the vaccine's reactions AND how terrible the coronavirus can be.  What to do, what to do?

3)

Today I woke up and realized that I am exactly my mother's age when she gave birth to me.  

My mom had six children, and I was number five, a happy little surprise I've been told, whom she delivered a month shy of turning 42 years old.  With the fourth child being six years old when I was born, there was a big gap between the oldest four and me, so my mom wanted me to have a playmate.  She was able to have my little sister, baby number six when she was a month shy of 44.  

Here I sit, a month shy of 42, and couldn't imagine starting over with a newborn and then another newborn in two years.  It's not that it couldn't happen.  It most certainly could and the thought of sending my eldest off to college next year and also giving birth is slightly terrifying.  I am no spring chicken, as evidenced by my body's current battle with shingles, yet menopause seems very far away.  These are the dangerous years, the years I always feared.  The years when hormones and cycles change, things get trickier to track, and surprise babies are common.

I guess these thoughts are swirling in my head since today is the March for Life, and Phil and I constantly question and prayerfully try to remain open to life, whether that means new babies (not an announcement!) or focusing on the lives right in front of us.  It's a tricky discernment and honestly, I fret about it too much.  I wish I was more accepting and less worried.  My mom has always said that my little sister and I helped to keep her young, and if you saw how good she looked at 82, you would agree.  Love ya mom!  Thanks for being open to life even when it was hard :)

4)

I baked some pumpkin muffins today using this pumpkin bread recipe, but I added chocolate chips per Declan's request, and they were yummy!

5)

Guys.  

Instagram withdrawal is real.  

I pick up my phone so many times during the day, only to realize I have nothing to look at, and put it back down.  

My mind does already feel freer, with less pressure to scroll and post and the general FOMO that comes with social media.  

6)

There is no fish tank drama to report this week!  The bossy blue fish and the sucker fish are both thriving, and the tank looks clean, and it still sparks joy every time I look over at it, much to Phil's dismay.

7)

But we did have a different drama over here, in the form of a vandalized snowman!  Xander built a cute snowman, and the next day we saw that someone had spraypainted it.  Phil said that he saw another snowman spraypainted in our neighborhood, and it looked like we had a real neighborhood watch type of crime on our hands.  I went out to take a photo of the vandalism, while Xander searched for clues (a big footprint was found).  When I saw the orange and green colors, I thought it looked like something my Irish dad might have done.  Xander went down to search the basement for proof of spraypaint, and who was down there but Grandpa himself.  Xander questioned him before he finally admitted his guilt.  Mystery of the Spraypainted Snowman is solved!

Have a cozy, baking, candle burning snuggly weekend everyone!  Stay Healthy :)