This about sums up 2020 so far, wouldn’t you say?

Thursdays aren’t the most exciting day of the week to have a birthday but Christopher and Annabelle made it festive for me. Annabelle drew me this picture with the following note which translates (I’ve been told) to “Happy birthday! Yum yum we’re making strawberry shortcake! Snuggle contest!”

Normally I go to the florist and pick out my own birthday bouquet, but this year I sent Christopher a list of flowers I wanted to be included or left out along with the number to the florist and he got them for me. Linus has since eaten half a rose and several hydrangea flowers.

It’s only Monday but this has not been a great week for homeownership. One of the lights and fan in the kitchen went out several weeks ago and we haven’t gotten it fixed. The dishwasher is on its last legs and when I went to unload it, most of the dishes were still dirty so I unloaded it and washed everything by hand. Annabelle washed her hands in the bathroom and says she only touched the light fixture (“I promise I didn’t swing on it!”), but the bathroom light, the remaining kitchen light, washing machine and dryer, as well as the dishwasher all stopped working. I didn’t know the dishwasher had stopped working until I loaded it all with the supper dishes. I had to unload and handwash all the dishes I had just put in. The circuit panel was installed upside down and it’s unclear whether the paper labeling which switches goes with which room is also upside down. The handle on the door to the backyard that we use dozens of times a day fell off in my hand. It wouldn’t open from the inside but would from the outside so it became a oneway door. Christopher got the handle to go back on but it’s hanging on by the metal equivalent of a thread. 

Actual footage of money leaving our bank account to pay for these repairs.