My laptop just slipped off the arm of the couch and in trying to save it, I inadvertently titled the blog. So there you have it.
Normally, I might’ve called it High School Track 2026, but here we are, calling it s4edr instead.
Anywho, today was the high school track meet! I skipped Laela’s first event because it was at 9:00, and made it to the school for Dekker’s first event at 10:45. We spent the whole school day outside at the track eating our body weight in apples, cucumbers, and candy bags. By the end of things, we had surpassed the loud chunk of fatigue and had passed into the zonked, glazed stage. Dekker asked to take the stroller through a loop of the school just to warm everyone up before the walk home. We did that, came home, diapered and jammied the three, and put them down for naps. I am now sufficiently wiped out, so here I sit, blogging with my feet up.
Dekker mostly worked the school concession today, which counted as an event or two! Besides that, he ran the 400 and 800.
Goodness he is looking SO much older these days!
Laela ran her 3000 yesterday, and then today she did long jump, triple jump, and ran the 1500.
Look at her leg muscles!!! She’s bonkers strong!
The kids worked hard and are nice and tired now. Though I can’t help but think the wind wiped them out even more than the activity! And rightfully so!
It was a good day. A tiring day, but a good one. I always love track day. It doesn’t hurt that I had a little one eating grass beside me while we waited, or that the stroller wagon got recklessly ripped around on the field, erupting with laughter. I loved it.
It has been a really big week. I make a point not to focus on the bad, but I fear I’ve been a bit of a downer as of late.
On Monday, I posted my discouragement regarding the van and the total lack of support from the supposed mobility specialists in the city. As the next day came around, we were approached by some very loving friends of ours who want to try and help us find a creative way to make our van work smoother for Brady. I won’t go into any details yet, but there is hope, and we are so grateful to have them in our corner.
On Tuesday, I whined a bit about my own misunderstanding of the clean up week expectations. I had such hope for getting rid of a bunch of household garbage. That same day, someone reached out to me with an offer to help, and opened a door for us to be able to get rid of some of it. Again, SO grateful. What could I possibly complain about? We are SO fortunate 💜
Today has been very full, but also really nice!
Coffee with Cher while she did my hair for a bit in the morning before the day truly began.
One of my toddlers ASKED to sit on the potty 🥹 Which is a huge first!
I chatted with my neighbour across the street a little bit before I took the three babes to the high school to watch Laela run the 3000m. I had this cute idea to take a picture of her at every lap and then tease her later, showing her how she went from energetic to totally dragging. But the girl was a CHAMP.
Smiling at EVERY LAP!!!! Isn’t she nuts?! Fifteen laps, smiling all along!
I didn’t get a picture of her crossing the finish line, because her class does this one beautiful thing…
They surrounded the last couple of kids running and finished the race alongside them 💜 Which is annoying for a photographer but a dream for a mom. Likely, for her, also.
As soon as the race was over, the babes and I booked it home. I got some lunch gathered up, packed a big diaper bag, and got everyone into the van. Rowan, Solly, and Wavy were home shortly after I was, and we all loaded up to drive to the eye doctor. Laela went in February thanks to broken glasses, and Dekker will go next week, because he had drivers ed today and he can’t miss it. But for the rest of them, and Brady, it was time for a checkup!
It was a whirlwind! Having all three little ones checked during their nap time slot was not ideal 🤣 But we made it through!! The stats go like this.
Rowan’s prescription stays the same, but he gets new glasses.
Solly’s prescription changes a little and he also needs new glasses. His eyes have always been quite equal, but this time one performed quite different from the other. So, just for funsies, we’re going to try a little patching and see if it makes a difference.
No glasses for Wavy, but we are watching what looks like some nearsightedness setting in.
Spoons gets glasses!!!!!
No glasses for LD, but we have already been patching and doing some exercises.
No glasses for Munchie Mix, but we are thinking they’re coming.
Bradys prescription changed about a year ago so we updated his contacts but didn’t bother getting new glasses. Today he chose new glasses with his current prescription.
I didn’t have an appointment today, but Brady and I are only covered for every two years and my vision is fine. Brady did go last year, but his vision does continue to change thanks to cancer treatment. Nothing crazy, but enough that he can tell. So we get him there as needed.
Aaaaanyway! We got home and things got REALLY loud, being that none of the babes napped and they had all been contained since before noon in either a strolled, a car seat, or on a lap. Thank goodness I had the forethought to pull out a freezer meal last night!!
Now, my feet are spasming and I’m taking a little rest. I am BUSHED!
As I said. A full day, but there was lots of good. SO much good this week, even in the areas that felt bad. They all turned out, as it so often does 💜 What have we done to deserve such a beautiful life?! Praise You, Lord, for You ALWAYS take care of us!
Now we just hope and pray that the babies go down EASY. Tomorrow is another day out and about! 😅
This is our annual town clean up week! I’ve never really made use of it. To me, its marked by people leaving all of their old metal appliances on their lawns on the weekend, waiting for pickup. But this year, I was gunning for it! I have heard of the huge garbage bins outside of town office, waiting to be filled with aaaaall of the garbage from our home that indeed will not ever make it into our bin.
And today I learned that I was misinformed 😔 While there indeed are bins downtown for us townies to use to dispose of things, its specific to hazardous waste collection. Which is GREAT for those who need it!!! But here I’ve been thinking its for household materials, and alas, I am deeply mistaken.
And BUMMED. I had SO much I was aiming to be done with this week! Some of it will end up on the lawn on garage sale day, I suppose. But lots is just crap that need pitching. Excessive cardboard can go to the recycling depot in Lawson Heights area of the city. But we have broken bed frame pieces. Old building materials. Rejects from getting our bathroom done. Old light fixtures. A broken playpen or two. So. Much. JUNK. And all I want to do is make my garage useable 😩
Anyway. I’m annoyed. Which I don’t normally splash all over the blog. But now you know, hahaha! When you get a peek inside my garage and see how bad it, now you can know that I, too, know how bad it is, and it makes me grumpy.
At least garage sale day is right around the corner. One of my favorite days of the year! Just hoped I could clear out some crap before I added more 😅 Ah well.
Brady and I have been racking our brains to find a better way to made the bus work for him. Its a whole thing, but we’ve been working at it for a while. We recently spoke to a community OT who reached out to Telemiracle to inquire, and sure enough, they are considering vehicle modifications this year! Some years, they don’t, as they are SO insanely expensive. But this year, they are! So we got an appointment with the vehicle department at Motion (formerly Golden Mobility) to have the van assessed, and to brainstorm what exactly we should be seeking quotes for.
Brady left work. Our OT met there. I came into the city with the bus itself. All three babies sacrificed nap time.
And the guy we had an appointment with would not even come outside to look at the van. He said our vehicle had basically no options without removing seats. The end.
There was a lot to unpack. I’m not especially quick to anger, but MAN. I was wiped. All three babies were just wailing. And for what? Jack all. At least everyone could sleep on the way home, right?
Except no. Everyone was so far gone, they cried the entire way home.
I don’t know if its the weather, or my period, or fatigue, or just straight up disappointment, but I am pretty over the day. I could just scream.
But I won’t. I’ll take a few more minutes after I post this to breathe some deep breaths into my brain. I will pray for God’s strength to run through me. I will put socks on. And I will return to the living room and see where I can help out my family. I’ll find something for them to eat, and if everyone is cooperative and content, I may even sit in the recliner for a bit this evening and let my body rest. I am toooooo wound up.
Such is life. Not every day will be easy.
Back to scrolling Facebook Marketplace for a handibus! 😅
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.
