17 - Puking Kids, Sugar Comebacks, and God Showing Up Anyway

We are back after an unplanned week off and wow, do we have stories!

From a full-on stomach bug takeover at a hotel to finishing 40 days without sugar, this one is a mix of chaos, honesty, and a reminder we all need.

We talk about:

•  What happened when the episode audio failed 
•  A wild weekend involving sick kids, zero sleep, and mom survival mode 
•  What 40 days without sugar actually changed 
•  Easter weekend highs and lows 
•  Kindergarten milestones and the emotions that sneak up on you 
•  And how God really does provide, even in the smallest, most stressful moments

If life has felt a little messy lately, this one will feel very relatable.

Bible Verse:

Matthew 6:26 (NIV) : "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?"

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Welcome back. Welcome back. 27 Good Podcast. I'm Amy. I'm Patty. And we missed you last week.

SPEAKER_00 0:07

We missed you last week. So we have a pretty good system going where we record two episodes at a time. Just easier to do it that way than to find a time every week to get together. And so last week's episode we had recorded two weeks ago. And I do all the editing. I just really love it. I love the editing. And then Amy kind of does a final clean things up and she schedules them to be posted. And so I think it was Tuesday. Maybe I sat down. I just can't not laugh. Sorry. I sat down. Well, was it Tuesday or Wednesday? Maybe it was Wednesday because I texted you Tuesday night and said You texted the word.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

No, I bet it was Tuesday because I I remember I was leaving work and you said emergency. Emergency and all caps. And I am like, oh no, like there's actually an emergency. And then I don't remember what it was.

SPEAKER_00 0:52

I was on spring break, so I had slept in a little, like, I mean, gosh, we sleep in around here. It was probably 9 a.m. You were leaving for work.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

So maybe No, yes. I was almost to work because and I was late for some reason. I forget what I did.

SPEAKER_00 1:04

Maybe 8:30. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

Yeah. And I was like, I'll look at work and I bet I can well say what it is first.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Yeah. So I sat down on the computer, and we use an app called D script, and it shows the words, so it's easy to edit because I can just edit out words that don't work or edit out whole phrases. And I could see all the words, which is what's really funny because Amy was so only my microphone worked, is what ended up happening. But my microphone was picking up Amy, like, but it sounded like she was all the way on the other side of the room. Like as if an you know, if you were talking to somebody on a phone and somebody was like talking also, but you could kind of hear them talking. So it was funny because when I sat down, I could see all the audio typed out. The whole transcript. Yeah. But then when it started playing, it was just me. And it was hilarious because it was me basically talking to myself and then Amy really far away chiming in. So funny. So yeah, I texted Amy emergency in all caps, and I said the audio didn't work. And yeah, you said, well, let me just check when I get to work. Maybe the file didn't upload right. But no.

SPEAKER_01 2:08

And the other funny thing, which wouldn't have mattered, but I've been having some computer issues with my storage. And so luckily I just got a new computer or swapped a computer at work. And so I had recently just deleted all the raw files of our podcast because I was like, we won't need these. Yeah, they're like they're uploaded. So first time and we just could not make it work to re-record like before we and our really loyal followers, which are our family.

SPEAKER_00 2:34

Yeah. And people I'm coworkers, yeah. They did, I think, miss us. We appreciate it. It was so nice.

SPEAKER_01 2:41

It really was. And it always, any anytime I don't know, anyone even mentions the podcast. I'm really just so honored they even listen. I'm like, thanks for listening. I feel the same exact way. I know. So we're here though. We're back. We're back.

SPEAKER_00 2:52

And we have, oh my gosh, so much to catch up on. What's also really funny about that episode, not funny, but maybe we're grateful for. We didn't love it.

SPEAKER_01 2:59

Oh yeah, that's what we texted was like, thank God it was kind of a dud. So we talked a lot about worry, and I think we'll revisit it. But at the end, we just kind of felt like all we did was vent about it and we didn't We gave some statistics about worrying.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

Yeah. Gave some maybe Bible verses about worrying, but we didn't really come up with any kind of what's an actionable next step for how we can not worry so much. And we aren't there yet, so stay tuned. Because when we have a better grip on what exactly we want to say in that episode, it'll be coming your way.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Yes. Okay, so we are on the other side of Easter. Patty has finished 40 Days Without Sugar. Tell us about it.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

Well, for our loyal listeners, they know that early on it was very hard. My mom actually teases me still that the podcast episode where we talked about idols, we end with Mia basically idolizing sugar. Like I'm talking about Sour Patch kids. Like I love them more than anything in my enlightened entire life. And we'll do anything to get them. But we're like, don't idolize things. So I will say it was really hard to start. And then just all of a sudden it wasn't. It wasn't that hard. It is really makes you aware of at first. I think I was going to do anything with sugar in it at all. But I ended up doing more just things that had added sugar. So if it had natural sugar in it, I mean, like we said before, milk does, fruit all does. You know, there's a lot of things. Even some yogurts have no added sugar, but they have sugar. Like sugar from the milk. From the milk, yeah. And fruit or so that made me really aware of things like that have a lot of added sugar. And there are sneaky things that you don't think of. Like bread, you had said. Bread. My protein bar that I thought was healthy. It was not. It was like having a cupcake every morning. No wonder I loved it.

unknown 4:34

Right.

SPEAKER_00 4:34

So I've since switched protein bars, you know, just like making some healthy switches. The hardest thing was the mornings. Because I think I had a sweet, I was drinking a sweet sugary creamer in my coffee, and then I was drinking or eating this protein bar that was really a cupcake. Do you feel different? Yeah, and then what was really disappointing in the end was that I lost eight pounds and I didn't do anything. Wait, is this a joke? No. You lost how is that disappointing? Because I didn't want it to be like I like sugar too much. So I didn't, you know, like the whole time I feel like people were like, how's your sugar fast going? And I was like, it's stupid, and I'm not even losing any weight.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

Eight pounds, go.

SPEAKER_00 5:08

That's amazing. Eight pounds and I didn't try anything. I just cut sugar. I wasn't even trying to watch anything or so turns out it actually is dead. Turns out, wow. So I think that's amazing. I think that I'll still just be careful. But I had cake and I had cupcakes over the weekend. But then today at school we had rice crispy treats with peanut butter and you know, MMs in them, and I just turned it down. I don't always need because I'd had um a glass of Coca-Cola, like a real Coke, and that's full sugar. So it's like just being, I think, conscious of okay, I don't need all the sugar all the time. Yeah. And then I am adding my sweet creamer into my coffee, but just like the tiniest bit. Not as much as before. And then just milk with it to make it, you know, more creamy. Because I think I like a little bit more cream than just the tiniest bit. Yeah, for sure. It adds like a little bit of flavor. Yeah. So yeah. So You did it. I did it. I do think like you don't realize, and I don't know, teaching probably is a profession that we have a lot of sugar all over. It's they buy cupcakes for us. They somebody does a Dunkin' run, you know, you want to get a sugary drink. There's candy everywhere. And so I think you're really aware when you're giving it up of how much you're normally eating because the amount of times that I had to turn it down, yeah. It was like, oh my gosh, I'm normally eating it all the time. So yeah. Wow. Great.

SPEAKER_01 6:28

Good work. You did it 40 days. I survived. Would you do it again?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Yeah, probably. There's probably things I should do though that would be even harder or something. Yeah, I mean, but I would probably do it again. Maybe I'd lose another eight pounds.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Do you need did you notice anything else, like skin or energy or like anything like that?

SPEAKER_00 6:46

I think maybe my belly probably wasn't as upset. I have a bad belly. Yeah. It gets upset over everything. And it probably wasn't. But I don't think actually that's probably not even true. Was still upset. But I also had like a string of antibiotics during that stretch with my sinus infection, and my belly was upset from that. So I don't know. I don't think so. I wasn't like I don't think I paid that much attention to it though. Maybe I was sleeping better. I don't know. Yeah. Who knows? Beta at the end. I don't think that like my clothes weren't falling off of me or something. You know, sometimes people do these sugar fasts and they're just like immediately their clothes are fitting better. That's why I kept saying like nothing's even happening. It's stupid. And then I I because I never weigh myself. And then I weighed myself at the end. It was probably just like I was dehydrated, dehydrated that day or something. Yeah, sure. I'm sure the blood was just like eight pounds of water weight. It was probably. Oh my gosh, so funny. I still think weighing yourself is stupid.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Tell me what happened with Easter. What did you guys do Easter Day?

SPEAKER_00 7:42

We had a pretty chill day here. We uh just did church and then I cooked here, and Annie came over and just hung like played a board game. Annie hung all day with Pepper, and it was just a really relaxed, chill holiday, I feel like. I love to host. I love to host lots of groups of people, but it was nice that this time we didn't because I did have school the next day. So sometimes it's hard, I think, to have a big group to your house and then turn around and go to school or go to work. And date night before that, right? Anniversary date night. Yes. Saturday night we went to a place in Medina called the Tilted Farmer. It was right up there. Yeah, I looked up your location when I was like, what's happening at date night?

SPEAKER_01 8:21

And I don't think I heard back. I was like, where are they at?

SPEAKER_00 8:23

Coolest thing about there, and I've never been to a place like this, it had a help yourself tap wall. And so you got a card to tap on the and then it was all these different beers and wines, and you could just when you wanted to go up and get more, and then it kept track on your card and charge you per ounce. That was so cool. So you could try different flavors, you could, you know, do whatever it was. I want to say maybe two dozen beers and maybe I don't know, six to eight wine types or something. So it was kind of fun. Yes, so fun. Yeah, always fun. We really like trying new places, and um so yeah, I would go there again. Food was great. Yeah, it was hard. I hate a menu. Brian hates me at a restaurant for this reason. I hate a menu with lots of options. Do I go the burger route? Am I getting a chicken wrap? Am I getting salmon? Yeah, they have every so you know she comes over and says, Are you ready to order? No, I'm not. And he's starting ready to order. He's like, Well, just bring me an apple. She decides. Yeah, well, we always get an app. We got this uh whipped brie cheese. Um delicious. It had honey and some kind of berry preserves on it with pita. Mm-hmm. It was good. The pita and brie ratio wasn't good though. Or no. There was no, there was too much cheese. Yeah, you need more bread. Yeah. Always. But yeah, that was great. It was great to be able to do something because Brian had worked Monday through Thursday of my spring break. I was off the week before Easter. We weren't sure if we would get a chance to celebrate just the two of us. We could celebrate at home, but it was nice.

SPEAKER_01 9:55

Wait, because did you say 18 years, right? 18 years. Oh my gosh, insane.

SPEAKER_00 9:59

I said to Brian, what does is there anything that you've done for more than 18 years? And both of us obviously our jobs, our careers. But other than that, even school.

SPEAKER_01 10:06

Wait, how old were you when you got married? Do you remember? 24. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:10

Mm-hmm. Even school, right? Public education's what 13. Even if you add in four years of college, 18 years.

SPEAKER_01 10:17

18 years. Congrats. It's wonderful. Thanks. Yeah. How was your Easter? My Easter Day was great. We have had, gosh, we just can't wait to tell the story.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

Yeah. So leading up to Easter. So we said we couldn't record the podcast because Amy was going to Spring Show. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

So Spring Show is one of the bigger cows shows in Ohio. Well, it's, I think, national, but in Ohio in the spring. And it's in Columbus, which we're so fortunate to live not that far away from. And so um we haven't done this show, I think, in a c at least two years. Probably three, I bet, because I don't think before Austin was born. And a show is just so much work to get the animals ready, to get like show stuff set up. So Jason, Samantha, and I, and then someone that works for us, went down on Sunday, so a week ago, like before Easter, to set up. And then Jason went down with the animals on Tuesday night. And so then I think it was one, whatever night, that was why we couldn't re-record because I had the kids alone. And yeah. We usually record here.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

And you were getting ready to head down. Trying to package it.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

Yeah. Bummer to miss, but we just can't. And so then Thursday we met. My the kids and I went to Columbus and met my family at the zoo and had the best time. I have, gosh, I three of my sisters went and my mom, and then I was trying to count the kids quick. Seven kids probably. And so they're just fun. The zoo just keeps getting funner every year, I feel like. And I feel like we've got a good system down of like everyone packs snacks and lunch, and my mom usually grabs like uncrustables and we all eat.

SPEAKER_00 11:49

Wild is I just hate the zoo. Oh my gosh, funny. Why? We never had this conversation. So you love the zoo, and I know that. And your family does. And you guys go multiple times in the summer, and it just blows my mind.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

Well, we all mooch off Sarah's pass. I love it. So Sarah gets my. Well, it was a gift for my mom. And they go, it I That's what I mean, because they love it. Yeah, they love it. They live closer.

SPEAKER_00 12:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

And I think also that she can use it other places.

SPEAKER_00 12:17

I guess I wouldn't say I hate it, but I just Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

I would never get a pass, but fortunately we can just use hers. But I think next I mean I love that. You love it. Don't you don't have to defend yourself. I think it's just this fun thing that we've started doing because yeah, it has been a few years, and it's we usually go over spring break because um all my family are teachers, and so they're always off, which is nice, except Emily unfortunately had to work on that Thursday. So she did not get to go, but hopefully next year. So went to the zoo, had a great time. We then leave to go to the hotel that Jason's staying at. So we go there.

SPEAKER_00 12:51

What time do you think you got headed to the hotel?

SPEAKER_01 12:53

Like four. Okay. Four or four thirty.

SPEAKER_00 12:54

So you didn't stay at the hotel.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Also I think that's what like makes it is like not trying to oh I do have a fun story though. Samantha has been saving her money for ever, like months, to pay for face painting. Did I send you the picture?

SPEAKER_00 13:05

You sent me the picture, yeah. So we What was really funny is I asked you to send me pictures from the zoo. I texted you like, how's the zoo? Send me some pics. And you only sent me two pictures of Samantha. I was like, did the boys kill?

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Well, you are still like I'm always high alerting those places. Yeah, like where's the kids?

SPEAKER_00 13:20

Or have a chance for send Patty a picture for the zoo?

SPEAKER_01 13:23

It's so funny. When I probably had a chance for the face painting because it was just Samantha and I waiting for a half hour for her to do it. Cute. But yeah, she had been saving up her money, and so that was a super fun thing because I was so nervous they wouldn't be there. I didn't know if it was a regular thing or just for an event. Anyways, we go to the hotel and then we just like change, unpack. I'd wanted to shower because it got pretty hot on Thursday. And then we go to the sh to the fairgrounds where the show is, and Jason's having some problems with the cows and they're not eating the hay. And he's like, I think I want to run home and get other hay. And I was like, is there anyone who can grab it? And even Lindsay, who they're tied with, was like, Could Kevin run and get it? Kevin and Lindsay live by us. Yeah. Uh because it's an hour and a half, like one way back, and this is at like 7 p.m. And he was just said it's kind of all over. It's like pieces here that I want and this, and I just want to see it and pick what I want. So I was like, sounds great. August, I'm just the chipper bush chill wife, being like, This is gonna be awesome. So would love to drive at nighttime.

SPEAKER_00 14:27

Would love to drive.

SPEAKER_01 14:28

So he had been having like a little bit of fun drinking, and he was like, I'm probably fine, but always just like best air on side of caution. And the other thing is he just doesn't get any sleep during shows. You're just like up so early, they're at the fairgrounds before, maybe. I don't know. He doesn't get any sleep anyways, but just even less, it feels like. So we go home, come back.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

We're well, I checked her location.

SPEAKER_01 14:49

Oh, yeah. So you checked.

SPEAKER_00 14:50

I don't know why. I think I was just curious, like, where are they staying? What hotel are they in? Specifically, was checking your location. Sometimes I'm checking my mom's or my dad's or somebody's. You see us driving back. Yeah, and I thought, uh, did I have this plan messed up that you weren't staying in Columbus the whole weekend? So I texted Amy and said, I thought you were going to staying in Columbus all weekend. And she's like, Yes, we had to come get more hay. Funny story, yeah. Funny story. Hilarious story. Coolest best wife ever. Coolest best wife. Driving home to get the hay.

SPEAKER_01 15:17

Ugh, so we get home. We oh wait, we get back to the fairgrounds, and then Jason wanted to walk one of the heifers because he just didn't get to earlier that day. So we're doing that, and then Emily calls me, and it's like 12:30. Maybe. And she had stayed with the kids. Oh, yeah. So Emily, thank God, had come and she was helping, she was gonna help show day. There's just so much to do. And so she was staying with us. So she stayed at the hotel with the kids, and it was just the nicest hotel. They were gonna turn on a movie, they had snacks, and I was kind of jealous that now I'm like driving back home. How annoying to have this four-hour adventure. But just kidding, because I'm just like happy. Which really it was fine. Yeah, I really was. Wise mostly sometimes am, but I really was. And so she calls and she's like, Andrew just threw up. And you're, you know, awesome. It's like a great. Wow, this is just great. Now I'm gonna get zero sleep. So we finish up, go back to the hotel. We I get new sheets at the front desk. I also had to go wake up the front desk lady. I was like, hello, is anyone here? And I find the manager like in a chair across with a blank.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

So funny. She was like, it's all quiet in the hotel, now I can take a nap.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

Yeah, midnight shift.

SPEAKER_00 16:28

I was at that point, you were a little bit hoping maybe just he'd ate too much. Yeah. Of course I asked AI, and it's like, he probably just ate too much, stayed up too late. Well, first chat GPT's like, Oh, I'm so glad you asked me this. I'm so sorry you're going through this. I'll be so brave. You're so brave. Your hand's on this like a rock star.

SPEAKER_01 16:45

So we get some sheets, moved over, move Andrew. Jason went and his mom also had a room, and we had gotten two rooms with two double beds just because we didn't know who was gonna end up sleeping where. So I set him in the other room so he could get like one hour of sleep before he had to go back. And Emily stayed with me, and she is just the best. So we get situated. Andrew's puking again and again every 30 minutes, as they do for a little while. And then when he finally stops at like 3:30 a.m. is when Samantha starts, and that girl just did not stop. And to the point, so that's all happening, puking kids. We really did great. We didn't get any on the floor. It was we're we have Emily's like gone back to the front desk, was like, we need more towels, we need more trash can liners to like grow up in these. And has Emily gotten sick? No rock star. I know. Well, she gets like sleep probably and just feels good. Right, has a healthy yeah, health well healthy body. She's a teach a teacher, healthy immune system, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 17:42

Yeah, we really do, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

So get it all. I had packed like five diapers for Austin, just not knowing what I would need for like his naps, where he would nap, driving there and back. I went in a diaper. I never won a car seat accident. And I used all of them then on because then so then came diapers. Yes, for these poor kids. And so Jason's two cousins, Leah and Hallie, live in Columbus, and they were going to go help at the show on Friday as well. And so they did. And I just was like, oh my gosh, what am I gonna do? I'm out of diapers. And so I asked them to bring me some, and I went through those, which thank God, because then when we were about finally packed to leave at like 8 30 in the morning, because we just hung at the hotel till it had been at least 45 minutes or an hour till the last puke. Which at that point I was kind of like, is this ever going to end? Will we ever even get home? Right. And I will give some of the props. That girl's the best puker. She never misses the bucket. She just is like Of course. She's just the best. Yeah, of course she is. I had there was a couple times. Yeah. So I like got the cup. I was a little, I do feel like I thrive in a situation like this. I'm just like, what's the next thing? Yeah. Moms just like know what to do. Yes. So I was like, Emily, I can't, I have to be with the kids. We're in Columbus. I'm not putting them in the car and running back up for stuff. So can you take everything out except for what I can carry? Like these last three bags, I'll take. So she did all that, which was awesome. I took a cup that I took all of the cups from the room for the extra puke spots if like we needed it in the car. Kid, oh, so we're about to leave, finally. And then Andrew's like, oh no, it pooped my pants. And I'm just like, we're never getting out of here. So let's get a new diaper, let's get a diaper on you. I don't even have a diaper on you because I didn't know you were having this problem. So Samantha puked once in the car in the cup, and then we get home, and the two big kids are fine. And they're just like, we feel better. I was like, great, let's just watch a movie. Also add to this, my washer has been out for like a week.

SPEAKER_00 19:38

Oh, yeah. That's insane.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

So thank God for my in-laws, but also I have puke clothes from like it just is okay. And so my father-in-law happens to call and he's like, Do you need anything? I was like, Yes, Joe, I do. Can you come get this disgusting laundry? Which it probably could have sat, but just gross. And start a load because I'm gonna have so much more coming for you. Yeah. And so, anyways, that was the whole thing. So I thought we were in the clear, everyone's happy and healthy. We had fun day Saturday. I don't know what we did, just to chill. I think everyone's recovering. You're just chilling, but nice that everyone's healthy. And then Sunday night, we did Easter Sunday. We went to church, which I was worried about because I just I we didn't go last year, I think, because of sickness or something. And I just wanted to go and just was looking forward to that. And so we got to do that, which was just wonderful. And then Sunday night, I'm waking up with a my belly hurts so bad, and then I threw up and just felt terrible, which fortunately my mom was here Monday to watch the kids. My sitter takes the first Monday of the month off, and so she was there, and so it was just so nice to walk out and was like, Can you watch them and I'll try to sleep more? But here we are. Good thing about stomach bug is it does go fast. So that's joking.

SPEAKER_00 20:50

Amy came over here today and now I'll be puking.

SPEAKER_01 20:51

Now you'll be puking, I know. A few days a little cleanse. Well, what's so funny too? I told you this at work last week. I was joking about my computer because I told my boss it was like, Gosh, I was like, my now that I got a better computer, what excuse am I gonna use next week to get out of work? And then I was sick, and then today my sitter was sick and I had to leave early, and it's just the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 21:10

I used to think when my kids were little that anytime I joked I could really use a day off work or something, then somebody came down. I'll never say that. I'll never say it again. It's like here you go. Except for one time, it was May, and you know, May and for teachers, because we're off at the end of May, we just power through. So you're not taking any mental health days, you're not taking we don't even have personal days usually left. We don't have days off on the calendar. There's no snow days. And I remember Charlie was in kindergarten and I was in a coworker's room and I said I could just use like a mild sickness, like something that's just I gotta stay home with him, but he's gonna recover really fast. And he walked in. He it was when he used to ride the bus over to the middle school, and he walked into my classroom and he had this like nasty case of pink eye. Oh, like just the gunkiest, nastiest sign. I was like, There it is. Cause I'll just we're gonna get drops. Gotta go. He's gonna be fine, but I can't be at school tomorrow. Right. Day off. And I was like, Thank you, Charlie. Thank you for this. And I also remember thinking, how did no one call me all day? Because his eye was just disgusting. Yeah. How did no one give me a heads up? They're like, it's May. You might want to take Minter. Yeah, they were they were probably the same. The teachers were like, we're just counting down for that. We just got came came back from spring break, and my students, you know, are saying there's only seven and a half weeks of school left. Our last week is the week after Memorial Day, which I always think is so terrible to go back after Memorial Day. No, I can't just be done. And it's only three days with kids. Well, we're really two and a half because we have a two-hour early release the last day. But what do we do those two and you know, you wrap up basically the week before Memorial Day. Yeah. We take them to the Akron Rubber Ducks game one of the days, but still, what are we gonna do? So we come back from spring break and they just keep saying, Oh my gosh, we're almost done. We are not almost done.

SPEAKER_01 22:48

Like we have another week and a half.

SPEAKER_00 22:50

We well, no, I mean the rest of the school year now. They keep saying now that spring break's been like final push. I just feel like April and May are such long months. We have state testing, which is so stressful and so much for the kids. And I think when the days are gorgeous, it's so hard to keep a kid focused and trying to stay. So I yeah, we're we are in the final push, but I do feel like this. You do have then like a whole quarter left, right? Yeah, we had started the quarter before spring break, but yeah, seven and a half is what but some teachers are counting down. I always say we don't count down until the state test is over, but because that gets me to May. Because I think once you start counting down, it's easy to be like, we're checking out. We can't check out yet.

SPEAKER_01 23:26

Now we've got work to do. Five-day countdown last week.

SPEAKER_00 23:29

Yeah, and one of my students just asked why we even still do schoolwork after the state tests. And I was like, You're going to eighth grade math. I still need to prepare you for next year, even though you're done, you know, with the the state tests. But we do get a little bit more lax after the state test, I think. Yeah, of course. Yeah. You can just rest a little. Do like a fun project or something. Come up with reasons to go outside. Take a breather.

SPEAKER_01 23:49

Yes. Yeah. That's a good idea. The other thing then that I missed talking about school was Samantha's kindergarten signing, which is so cute. I feel like nor the school Patty teaches at, they do this, like maybe all schools do it. They just had this photo booth.

SPEAKER_00 24:03

They didn't do this when my kids were in school. Yeah. So I actually think that I just think social media has become such a bigger thing. So I think photo booths and things like that are so much bigger than when my kids went to school. So it is cute that they do it.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

Yeah, they like sit there with this big pencil and get to like sign their name. Like they're signing to go to a college or something. How they do those. They've set them up on this at this table and the mascot is a husky, and there's like husky puppies all over the place via the picture I saw from Jason because I didn't go. Yeah, because you were so sad. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:31

You really ghosted me yesterday because you were sick.

SPEAKER_01 24:33

I couldn't find my phone. And so I my computer.

SPEAKER_00 24:36

I knew you were sick because I just knew you were at home, you weren't at work, and I was like, What's she doing? Why's she not replying to me?

SPEAKER_01 24:42

Yeah, what did you say? Something. You're like, Oh, you must have just left your phone at home.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

I was like, Why can't you find my phone?

SPEAKER_01 24:49

I have the worst headache.

SPEAKER_00 24:50

Yeah, because that dehydrated. Yeah, I think it was. It was terrible. So Jason took her and she had all good things to say.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

Yeah, she's just my brave little girl. She'll be fine. She'll be like a little shy, probably, but all kids play. She's gonna make so many good friends and just have the best time.

SPEAKER_00 25:03

How do you feel about it?

SPEAKER_01 25:05

I feel okay, so I really feel fine. I think it is so awesome to see your kids like grow up and like you're like obviously mom first, but such good friends with the boys and to see. And it's fun to begin that with Samantha. But when I was looking through the package Jason at home and I'm looking at the calendar, trying to follow it, I just was like, oh my gosh. I know. It's just like the tiniest, not tiny, it's just a little overwhelm of learning new school. You know what I mean? And it's just different from her preschool and like the new apps. You're like, oh my gosh, do this final forms and parents square. And it's just different. And so I'll get all of it. You will, but it's just it's like just all new stuff. A little overwhelming. But you don't feel emotional, you're okay. Not yet. Yeah. I'm sure I will, but she's so excited, and I think that makes it easier. Yeah. Maybe.

SPEAKER_00 25:53

Yeah, it does.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 25:54

If your kids like treading it. Just as much as a stage being hard. Yeah. Of just or bittersweet. I think I was really sad in that sense that they were growing up and it was the sadness of that. Uh just as much as it is sad, it's so happy because what a blessing for her to be healthy and older and going to the next stage. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

I think two, we're like what, three months out?

SPEAKER_00 26:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

In August, I'll be like, oh my gosh. You know. And it'll be more sad and like bittersweet, what you just said. Yeah, four months out, I think, really. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:27

If we get to next school year already, gosh. Can't drive through first.

SPEAKER_01 26:31

I know never ask you that question once we start. Here's the I think, gosh, there's this song, and I will find it because it has just carried me and I love it so much. It's called The Lord Will Provide, and I forget by who, but my coworker had talked about it. And I really feel like it's actually kind of Psalm 23, but that's not the Bible verse that we chose for this one. I just think in everything, God really does just provide everything you need. And even in the hotel, it was really like, okay, any little thing, like, what do I do about diapers? What do I do about this? It was just like, oh yeah, here it is, here it is. You know what I mean? And even in the drive home, like praying like God help no one get like I was worried Austin would then start puking on the way home. And what am I doing? And even with childcare, Patty and I were just talking, like my it just is always something with work being a working mom. And the sitter now is sick this week, and it's like, what am I gonna do? And you were like, Well, your sister's on spring break.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

You know what I mean? Yeah. It's just listen, you've called out Emily a few times, and we just gotta say, sisters really are such a blessing.

SPEAKER_01 27:30

Sisters are just such a blessing, and it's so wonderful that they live so close. And mom's too. My mom's saving the day yesterday. Yeah. Just man, the support of yeah, families great. And even you know, you offered, you're like, I could do anything after 3 30. It's just the best.

SPEAKER_00 27:45

And well, first I said, Do you want me just to call off work?

unknown 27:48

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Do you need to call off work tomorrow? Really was so nice.

SPEAKER_01 27:54

Okay, so the verse is from Matthew 6 26, and it is look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? And man, it just hits home. We really have no reason to worry about tomorrow. And it he just takes care of everything, and it's so silly that we try to carry it all, you know?

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Yeah. Tiny little glimpse of our worry episode there.

SPEAKER_01 28:20

Yeah, it really is. Okay. Round out. Yeah. Lord, thank you for taking care of us, even when life feels messy and everyone's been sick and we're just trying to get through the day. Help us to actually trust that you'll provide what we need instead of carrying all of the stress ourselves. Give us your peace in the middle of the chaos and remind us that we don't have to have everything figured out. Amen. Amen.