As a foster parent, I’m required to refresh my first aid training every two years. In the last two years, Brady’s mobility has changed greatly, and he now is exempt from the course. Which makes sense. But mine isn’t allowed to lapse at ALL. No flex. So today was that day. I was both really wishing I didn’t have to go while simultaneously being happy for the break away from home.
I liked this location better than the one we went to last time. It was a nicer building with newer equipment, and a really clear instructor. She seemed a bit abrasive at first but she warmed up and let down after a while. She was able to keep things really professional but less stiff. It was a good balance. I was also seated in a group of women who all clicked pretty well. There were only twelve of us in the class. It was nice and relaxed.
It was a good refresher. I forgot how much of these things are common sense. Also, I forgot how many of these things I have used or experienced in real life. Not CPR, specifically, but others. It was good to go back and get my memories sharpened.
I did rip up some blood vessels doing CPR, though 🤣 And that stupid dummy didn’t even start breathing!
All in all, we went through ALL the things, and I passed the test with a solid A.
I’m officially allowed to say the words “I’m a first aider!” 🤣
Seriously, though, a big of a strange way to spend a Sunday, but I’m not mad at it 💜
It was a really beautiful day out today. Is the sun finally here to stay?? ☀️ I hope so!
We walked to the pancake breakfast, ate a ton, visited with people we love, and checked out all the fun trucks in the parking lot.
We walked home, and then Laela and I made our way to Cher’s for a quick drop off. Walked back. Lots of nice time in the sun! We lost Rowan along the way to a friend, haha! Still nine of us going strong, though.
We got home and immediately lost Solly to the kids down the street. Down to eight.
We spent a little time just hanging around but it wasn’t long before everyone started to fade from all the fresh air. So small, snacky lunches happened for the eight of us. The three babes went down for naps shortly thereafter. Only five of us now.
Wavy ate as fast as she could and went to chase down Sol and his buddies. Four.
After eating, Laela went to invite a friend for a run. Her friend wasn’t around, but she went for a walk anywhere. Three.
Probably two minutes after Laela left, Dekker left to go bike. Down. To. TWO!
It was a very brief moment in time before kids started showing back up for one reason or another, but it was still nice and peaceful, even if it was just short. Brady and I sat together and rested. Watched a show. I started crocheting the blanket for the camp auction this summer. We drank coffee and ate a little Christmas chocolate that somehow is still living in our fridge. We shared a little peace. I liked it. He slept through some of it, but I think he liked it, too 😏
Everyone did regroup eventually come back together. We ate cereal for supper because most of the group wasn’t hungry and certainly no one wanted hot food! I added a little whimsy…
Yes, the milk did turn pink.
Cereal down. Peaches down. Milk down. Kids back outside.
I tried a new recipe today. Pineapple chicken. I kind of just played with it, though. I can’t even tag the recipe here because I strayed WAY too far from it. Aaaaanyway. I threw it all together and let it cook up bit by bit.
And then I added the sauce.
The recipe I was loosely using said to let it simmer for a while to cook it down. I looked down at my food and instructed it to simmer down.
I was alone. Which made me feel embarrassed, even though again, I was alone. I’m used to providing commentary through the day to the youngens, but not this time.
However, the sauce obeyed, and it did cook down. A little too far, in fact. We are sauce people. I would make more next time. But alas, the flavor was still delicious and I think itll make a comeback.
This morning, I found myself in just the loveliest scene. I only wish I could share the pictures publicly, but bear with me.
All three babes are in high chairs at this point. Munchie Mix joined a little later, but they had some nice overlap of all three being put up at once. I pulled them all up beside me and I crocheted a little at the table. I read them the pattern I was working on. They repeated numbers after me. It was all very cute and entirely low key. But the older babes were ready to get down. Crocheting around little ones is not easy, and I rarely do it, especially if I have to concentrate on a new pattern or something more challenging. However. Today was SO special.
I sat at my spot at one end of the table with my crocheting. Spoons sat on one side of me in a chair, and LD on the other side in a chair. They each had grabbed a book, and were flipping the pages, pointing out things they recognized or saying sentences they remembered from prior readings. Meanwhile, Munch was still in a highchair, and successfully drank formula out of a straw sippy cup!! Woohoo!!!
So we all did our things, together, but separately, and peacefully! What a HUGE win!! 💜
I am so incredibly grateful for our group of children. All eight of them. It is not always peaceful by any stretch of the imagination, but their dynamic is beautiful. Completely amazing.
Yesterday during bedtime hugs, Wavy and Spoons cracked heads. Which happens, because love and also rowdy. Spoons cried and rallied immediately. Wavy not quite so much. She cried in total silence for a nice long while before taking a deep breath in. She was REALLY upset, but did manage to rally when we reminisced about Dekker getting his tooth whacked with a fidget spinner. That also really hurt.
Wavy headed downstairs for bed, but suddenly was back upstairs, crying in my lap again. She had touched her eyebrow where the two had collided and felt a pretty good bump. I checked and yes indeed, she had a teeny albeit solid goose egg. I reassured her, and she very easily got back to herself and went down for night.
This morning, she got up and looked oddly very put together. Well. Halfway.
Somehow, this little girl makes a black eye look GOOD! 😍😅
Don’t worry, I’m not a jerk. She also thinks its VERY funny and she’s not in pain. I think she’s stoked to go to school and show her friends her battle wound.
Moral of the story: Cute aggression has consequences sometimes. Worth it.
The kids are chatting as they eat. It is SO funny to listen to. I’m not contributing. Just listening.
Laela: Kidnapping is my favorite crime. Dekker: I dunno, I think embezzlement is pretty cool. Me: 😳 What. Are we talking about? Both: Hardy Boys!
The hysterical laughter that followed was absolutely excellent. Dekkers laugh in particular is changing quick, and it is SO funny to listen to 🤣 It is ALL over the place. And when it cracks real good and he’ll laugh even harder. Its amazing. I love it SO much.
It feels like it’s going to be a nice day. I really hope so, at least. There was some overhanging tension for a bit last week and today I would so love to ride the wave of rest.
Happy Sunday, friends. Thank you for following along through all the things 💜
It was a good year ago now that Brady lost so much more mobility and became fully physically dependant on his wheelchair. Losing his ability to stand and walk has been challenging to say the least, but like so many of you say to us, he has handled it with so much grace, as well as a whole lot of dark humour. There have been lots of aspects of our life that have changed in this last year surrounding Bradys mobility, and I haven’t hashed them all out on the blog, of course, but I do want to share about one today.
Remember this picture?
Brady sent it to me from his drive home from Edmonton the other week, and I cried when I saw it. Pumping gas has been an unexpectedly loaded battle. Let’s talk about it.
The last time Brady filled up was really, really hard. It was over a year ago, when he was still able to stand but there was definitely something wrong. On this particular day, Brady brought Rowan to parkour in the evening. All the seating is up in a mezzanine, and stairs were almost impossible at that point, so he dropped him off and went to go fill up the van rather than staying to watch. He drove to Costco and got out to fill up. And it might’ve been ok except he dropped his credit card. And when he bent down to retrieve it, it got away from him. And he fell. And he couldn’t get back up. His legs just would not do it.
He ended up being hauled off the ground by two older ladies. They were so kind. They helped him back to the van. Hiked his pants up. Made sure he was stable.
The most discouraging. The most vulnerable. He was so so sad.
He told me about it on the phone later. He knew I needed to know. But he knew it would be devastating news. My heart absolutely broke for him in that moment. He assured me he was ok now that he had his cry, and we would move forward.
Which we did.
But filling up became an issue. Of course he could get out and do it, but it would be the whole operation of getting his chair out of the van, transferring into it, being in that tight space between the pumps and the vehicle, waiting in whatever weather, finishing up and transferring back into the van, dragging the chair in after him. So it takes a lot of energy, of which he has less since that last big change in mobility. So we looked for a different way. Full serve is cool but not when the tap on your card doesn’t work. Brady found himself giving his PIN to random gas guys, which doesn’t feel great. Especially with the amount we drive, he was going back regularly and people were remembering him. Not that there was ever a sign of impropriety. But still, its not what you want. Eventually, we settled on Brady keeping some cash on hand. That way he can just ask for $50 and go on his merry way. Its not the ideal, of course, but it works, and we don’t require ideal. Above ideal, we’d like independence for Brady, and this makes that possible.
Seeing him fill up with gas himself for the first time in over a year was incredible for my heart, and his as well. Not that he couldn’t have before. Because he could have. But there was some underlying pain there, for obvious reasons, and he didn’t want to. Something about this felt like it brought a little healing. He chose to do it himself, and was successful 💪
I think I need to do an update post about Brady soon. It’s been a while. But this feels like a really nice place to start 💜
