Today was another fairly rocky one that I’ve decided not to go into. When I was about at the point of no return, Brady discovered that he could be done his work today as early as 2pm! I was completely thrilled, and we agreed that I’d come to the city, we’d run a few errands, and go out for supper. Tantrums and haters or not, it felt like the day needed breaking up, and if nothing else, I needed to get out of the house. Unfortunately, that last stretch of work is always a bit unpredictable, and dragged out a couple of extra hours. So instead of leaving before nap time and having the kids sleep in the van, I put them down for a fairly unsuccessful shorty nap and got them up around 3:30.

Dekker was happy to get all dressed and go in the van. He’s entered a truly fun stage (in my opinion) of “Whats that?” and “What was that sound?” So we drove down the highway and identified every single thing we saw. We drove across the city and waited in the van for Brady to finish up with his chiro appointment, and then went to supper. It turned out that my parents were going to be in the same general area as us around supper time, so we hit up a nearby Wendys and ate supper together. Grandma and Grandpa are always a big hit, and the fries and unlimited supply of ketchup sure never hurts either. We had a delicious meal together before going our separate ways – theirs to go look at some new technology, and ours to Costco.

Surprisingly, Dekker was pretty excited about Costco. My favorite thing about shopping at Costco is that the carts have space for two kids to sit. Walmart carts only have room for one kid, and while I’ve seen that picture online of the kids crying because they have to share a leg hole, Dekker has so far loved sharing a leg hole with Laela. They make up the worlds CUTEST cart!

See?! Love these kids.

We did a pretty sizeable shop at Costco, and the kids were great sports! Going through the till is always the part we dread, since the kids don’t appreciate new people, as I’ve expressed in the past a thousand times. Somehow, Costco wasn’t super busy today so we were only waiting behind one cart in our line. Of course, a family lined up behind us and immediately made eyes at Dekker. Instead of screaming and pitching a fit, he leaned against Laela and sort of cuddled his face into her face. He was trying to hide and be shy, but really, he just looked totally cuddly and adorable. The family behind us was very adoring, and said it was very good that he was shy. “Don’t talk to strangers!” they said to him. He smiled at them hesitantly. I walked through the cart part with them, and as soon as the cashier caught a glimpse of them, she grabbed a pad of paper and drew some happy faces for them. One for each. Dekker shied away a bit, but the cashier wouldn’t give them to me to pass on. She was very gentle, and eventually, Dekker took his, even with a “thank you.” Laela happily took hers too, and I talked to the kids about how the new lady was sooo nice that she drew pictures of them! Once we were done at the till, we headed for the exit where the guy with the marker stands to check your receipt. He saw their pictures and joined the fun by drawing yet another, funnier face on his receipt. Dekker gave up his car to hold two pictures! It was a definite highlight.

On the drive home, Dekker told me that he had a lot of fun at Costco. I asked him what part was fun and he said “papers!”

The kids are now in bed, and Brady was putting some of the groceries away when I heard a sound and a sigh from the kitchen.

What happened?
*Sigh* I dropped an egg. Under the stove.
Um, ok. Do you want some help?
….ya…..

I had to laugh a little bit 🙂 Its been quite a day actually, and it would have to end with something slimy and sticky breaking on the floor. But all is well! We’re one egg down, but many groceries up, with two sleeping babes and a bath on its way. Positivity, folks!!!

I ADORE planning for the Christmas season and getting set up for it. Yet this year, I’m struggling to find a balance between being super excited and totally overwhelmed with all that still needs to be done. Not even all Christmas stuff, but just things that need to happen before the years end. Everything from shopping to getting my legs waxed to setting up the tree to who knows what else.

I had a pretty big breakdown about it all last night. Poor Brady. We were up until a solid 1:30am all because of me. Therefore, I woke up feeling pretty spaced out, and the kids touchy moods today haven’t helped. Brady got to work and had to share the house with a number of different trades this morning, so his day wasn’t off to an awesome start either. Yes. We’re all big whiners.

So I’m in planning mode! Not in a huge way, but in a good way. I’ve written out a list of people who we need to buy gifts for still, as well as a few ideas of what would be thoughtful gifts. I’ve also made a list of important dates to remember, and things we still have to schedule. Hopefully this list will make me/us feel considerably more organized so that we can return to the point of loving the chaos that is November and December.

Thats all I’ve got to say about today. I’ll stop being negative and go do some more research and listing.

I know I’ve said it before, but I will wholeheartedly say it again. I LOVE that we did weekly savings this year. I LOVE that Christmas is pretty much paid for already!!! What a HUGE, WONDERFUL thing it is not to worry about being able to afford our gifts and decor this year 🙂 I seriously recommend this method to all! Next year of blogging, I may put out a reminder every Friday to put your weekly money aside. Its so worth it!

Brady and I woke up completely out of sync with each other this morning. Promise me its not just us that this happens to occasionally :/ We seemed to scrap about everything. The kids were great, cute, eating breakfast happily, and we were just making it work.

We needed to decide on how to run our day, that was the biggest thing. Brady has had yesterday and today off, and after that, he is working every day until Christmas. So, today could hold a number of difference scenarios.

1. We could Christmas shop.

2. We could finish as many things on my list of stuff to do around the house as possible.

3. We could go to the city and run a bunch of errands.

I figured we shouldn’t Christmas shop, since we were already grouchy, and I wanted that to be fun. Same with errands, as our kids have been a bit touch-and-go to say the least, and an errand day could be a bit much. So that left the house list. We completed one task and fought the entire time. It was then that I decided we wouldn’t do much if anything today. We would do our best to enjoy the day as our last quiet day.

So thats what we did. We played downstairs and watched a bit of tv in our jammies. Dekker got a Playskool basketball hoop for his birthday and its always been used upstairs. Knowing that it will soon be in the way of a Christmas tree, we opted to move it downstairs. That went over very well with Dekker, as he has even more room to run at it and throw harder. The kids went down for their nap amazingly well, with almost no fussing at all!!! That was a HUGE win!

Once they were down, Brady drove to a small nearby town to pick up a new-to-us Keurig!! Our machine is just about shot, and doesn’t brew half the time. I’ve been really tossing up the idea of getting either a new regular Keurig, or potentially a Rivo, which brews all the yummy milky drinks. But we hadn’t weighed the options and prices yet! Luckily, someone about five minutes away was selling almost exactly the machine we’re used to for $50. So we jumped at it, leaving room to potentially get the Rivo down the line.

When Brady arrived home, we watched a YouTube video while eating a snack he picked up for me, and then we got to “work” Christmasifying our home. Not to the max, but we started. We took down some old decor and put up our nativity scene, some candles, and a few decorative, sparkly things. We finished up just in time for the kids to wake up.

Pigs in a blanket for supper was a BIG hit, and we played downstairs and watched the Duggars until it was time to tidy up and go to bed. Dekker didn’t even whine once about cleaning up the toys, and get this. Laela put toys away!!! Yes, she promptly pulled them back out, but she knew where certain things went even! So funny how we didn’t start enforcing the tidying until Dekker was three, and now at one, Laela knows the rules. So cool 🙂

Ok, off to have a Duggar date with Brady, haha! The new episode is on and for some reason, I want to keep up with this season! So we’re off. Sleep well, all!

** And screw you, WordPress, for no longer auto-saving drafts, and making me write this post out twice. Much appreciated.

Last night, I craved appetizers in a big way. We ended up having mozza sticks, but I could have eaten a large platter of all kinds of deep fried things. We have the ability to order some of that from a nearby restaurant but why are those kinds of things always so expensive?! Sigh. Shouldn’t complain I guess.

I’m not sure if I can blame winter weather, my pregnancy, or just general poor self discipline, but I am so hungry for hot, delicious comfort food these days. Do you know what I mean? Like, a few moments ago, Brady asked when I wanted for lunch (we often eat lunch after the kids go down for their nap) and all I could really verbalize was something really flavorful and delicious. I’m not a picky eater at all. I’ll really eat anything anyone serves me. But right now, I only really want to eat something really saucy, or cheesy, or salty. So, without judgement please, Brady and I are having white cheddar macaroni for lunch, probably with pickles, and we’re actually making a baked chicken spaghetti for supper. Both are saucy and flavorful and delicious. If you hadn’t noticed (you probably have) they are both pasta dishes. I know, thats sooo bad! But it was also pointed out to me by my husband who wants me to be happy, that we never do that. We NEVER have noodled twice in a day. So we’re going for it because it sounds delicious and I can’t think of anything else. Maybe tonight we’ll add some garlic bread to the mix. Yum.

Anyway, it would appear thats kind of it for my post today. We haven’t accomplished much, since apparently a Sasktel repair guy is coming over at some unknown point of the day. He’s supposed to call first, but who knows. So we’re going to settle in for lunch and watch a bit of The Office, but afterwards, we’ll hopefully start tidying/reorganizing the pantry if he’s not here.

But first!, noodles. And then!, more noodles…

So it turns out it was a really good decision to skip church today. I certainly don’t mean to sound like a whiner at all, but these are just the legitimate events of last night and today.

Laela woke up shortly after midnight last night, crying and crying. After a few minutes, we decided she wasn’t going to calm down on her own, and we went to get her. Over the next two hours, she screamed herself hoarse. She would scream for a few minutes without any break, and then we’d get thirty seconds or so of what appeared to be relief, until she ripped right back into her screams. Two. Hours. We gave her milk and it would calm her momentarily, but then, in the middle of drinking, she would kind of spit/cough, and start bawling out of nowhere. It was sooo confusing! We’ve seen a similar scene maaaybe twice in the last two years that we figure was the result of severe gas pain. Having two super-barf babies, I feel like I know most of the tricks out there for a gassy tummy, but I’ve never had this experience with a toddler! I mean, who has to burp a one year old?! And when a person finds themselves in such a situation, how does one communicate to the screaming child that the air they are taking in whilst screaming is only going to make their tummy hurt more?? It was a good two hours of passing her back and forth with Brady, burping her, patting her, walking her, cuddling her, etc. until I finally pulled out the laptop. She rested on Brady and we watched a YouTube video. For about twelve minutes, we didn’t mess with her. After a good belch or two, she was calm. We sat still for a little while longer, in fear of that sound than would mean she was revving up for another go round of screaming, but it never came. She was scared when Brady lay her down to get her all cuddled in her blankets, but she actually recovered really well and went to bed well afterwards. But my gosh, that felt looooong.

We had a good day for food and playing for the kids. Dekker seemed to be in a good place mood-wise for the most part, and we almost kicked ourselves for not getting up and going to church, or the parade, or somewhere! But then Brady mentioned his back and neck were bugging him, and unfortunately, they didn’t seem to let up. Also, I think we changed six poopy diapers? It was kind of a gnarly day that way. I wish all poops stayed contained in their diapers. But that wasn’t a huge deal. Only one load of laundry needed.

While the kids napped, we didn’t get moving and do jobs like I have hoped 🙁 As I mentioned before, there is still a lot to do on my long list, and it bugs me the longer it sits there. So, when the show we were trying to stream kept getting stuck (our internet connection blows) Brady and I browsed around online and ordered a few more Christmas presents for the kids. I wonder if we actually won’t get out to shop this year! We’ve accomplished almost everything from the comfort of our own home so far. We still need something fun for Laela. I’ve had a hard time knowing what kind of toy specifically to get her. With Dekker, he got a couple of things we know he’ll find fun, and then some clothes and a couple of books. We’re sort of going a bit more practical this time around, it would seem. Laela has some clothes and accessories purchased for her already too, and a couple of books, but no toys yet. I’m still wracking my brain over that. On top of those things, I’m keeping my eyes open for a bed for Dekker, and potentially some kids chairs. Walmart used to have these cute imitation leather armchairs for kids, but it seems they’ve stopped selling those and are focusing on things filled with foam or beans, which are not at all what I’m looking for. So, those things would be great to find in time for the holidays, but not necessities at all. Either way, we did a bit more ordering so hopefully that counts as at least a small accomplishment.

When the kids woke up, we had pumpkin pancakes, which the kids devoured. We went to play downstairs after that and had a really low key evening. It was 7:00 before we knew it, and thats kind of when our “downstairs bedtime routine” begins. We told Dekker that, in a few minutes, Laela would have her bottle. We got her that around 7:10. While she drank her bottle, we changed their diapers and did their lotion. Thats not always part of the routine but they’re both super dry with the weather and Laela actually has a rash because of it, so we’re trying to be diligent. After diapers is usually when we tell Dekker that, in another few minutes, we’re going to start cleaning up the toys. And then usually, there is screaming until around 7:30. But today, once Dekker was changed, he stood up and in perfect english, asked “Can I have help cleaning up the toys please?” Brady and I were completely thrilled and jumped right in. Dekker didn’t whine ONCE about tidying up! I’m usually kind of a pest when I help him tidy, and ask him where each toy goes. He’ll take it from me and put it away in his special place for it. If you know Dekker, he has an order to his things. So he did a super duper job tidying up and only got sad when it was time to go upstairs, because it was pretty quick after the toys were tidied. He chucked himself down, and then picked himself back up and ran to me for a hug. I carried him upstairs and we “raced” daddy and Laela. Obviously, we won, and there was much celebrating. Both kids went down happily and are now playing in their beds, not being loud, or sleeping.

On that note, today has been a weird day for me where I fed children all day but hardly myself. I had some breakfast, which was actually really good, but I think I peeled three oranges in one sitting and didn’t get one bite. I missed lunch, and had some snacks while the kids napped. And then I ate a bit at supper but the kids really truly destroyed the pancakes. Who doesn’t love cake for supper?? So I think its time that I treat the littlest baby in our house to some dinner. Poor Jim. I’m sure he’ll be using his voice to get attention soon enough!

It was a really lovely day for everyone involved, if I can be so bold as to speak for the group. My dear Jerilee moved into her own place today, and Brady and I, along with a number of her friends, helped with the process. It was really fun to finally meet some of her friends from different places. They come in conversation lots, yet they all know each other from different places, and I know I’m another friend from another different place, so it was fun to see the boundaries sort of being broken. I solidly approve of them all 😉 in case you were wondering. Everyone was totally ready and willing to help and move and work quickly. We were done bringing everything over way sooner than any of us has expected, so we set up a few things and made the spaces functional. Then we snacked and rooted through all of Jerilee’s Bath and Born Works stuff while Brady assembled her tv stand, table, and bed frame. He set up her tv and moved her freezer into the appropriate closet. He did all the man stuff, and we definitely did not. But he was also incredibly willing and happy to help. It always helps to have happy help. Jerilee ordered pizza and we had a good feed, but Brady and I had to skip out on games night and head to pick up the kids.

The kids 🙂 I adore those little ones. They spent the day with my parents for the first time in a very long time, and as Brady put it, he and I were chopped liver the moment we were in the driveway. Both kids recognized exactly where we were, and were ready to get in. I brought the kids inside while Brady worked at getting the car seats out so we could fold the seats away to make room for moving. By the time he made it inside, just a few minutes later, Dekker was already cuddled up on a chair reading with grandma, and Laela had done several laps around the dining room table. Toys were already starting to spread. So they didn’t bat an eye at us leaving. They were, however, still bright and happy to see us when we arrived at the end of the day. Big hugs from both, and lots of stories of games played, food eaten, and of very good behaviour on their part. It was great to see them so happy, and I know my parents were thrilled to get their hands on them again. Its been a while since they’ve got some quality time together. I’m sure they’ll get their chance again soon 🙂

Dekker slept the whole drive home while Laela talked loudly and flapped and played. They’re both down now, fast asleep as far as I can tell. Time for us to have some downtime now. Brady did something funny to his back pulling the very last thing off of the trailer, so he’s got a funny back twinge that needs to be soaked in a tub, and I have some solidly sleepy legs and back as well. Us old folks are looking forward to a hot bath and some episodes of The Office. The perfect way to end a really great, productive day of getting one of our very best friends settled in her new home!

With all the reloading of our laptop the last little while, I have been predominantly blogging from Bradys iPad, and on the days that I’ve used the laptop, our iPhoto hasn’t been where it needs to be. Therefore, I bring you pictures today! Some have been on Facebook and/or Instagram, but I like to keep an actual record of stuff on here, so hang in there if you’ve seen them all already. Still fun for me, anyway.

Day one for the little miss in her winter wear! Isn’t she adorable?? I felt guilty when I bought her coat and snow pants (snow pants not pictured here), because they were pretty expensive, and considerably more pricey than Dekker’s snow stuff. But we bought his last year on clearance, and we had no idea what size Laela would be in. Also, it turned out to be difficult to find a cute two piece set, or even just a coat, that was 12-18 months, but she’s walking beautifully now and I think the one piece would make her crazy. So we got over our “guilt,” paid the money, and got her something adorable and actually really nice quality!! Very warm 🙂 And a perfect fit!

Do you hear the angels singing? Mukluk weather!!!!! I wish these existed for teeny tiny feet. However, Dekker loves his big boy winter boots, and Laela rocks her padraigs beautifully! So we are not without at all!

This was probably the single happy moment we had between Dekkers haircut and the next morning, so it needed to be posted. At the supper table, Dekker requested that we switch spots up so he could sit next to me. I love that boy, even when he makes me pull my hair out. Maybe I’ll just pull his out next time and avoid the whole “screaming in public” fiasco. Jokes. But seriously.

A MUCH smoother day the next day, just quite at home, rocking orange stripes together. Psh! Who doesn’t want to be in this club??

The hair looking like it should, on my handsome son. This is exactly what I was going for 🙂

Laela has been wonderful these last few days! With everything going on with Dekker figuring out some new boundaries, and struggling with all of that, Laela has taken her teething like a champ. She seems to have crawled into the backseat of things and is allowing us to focus on Dekker without any hard feelings. Of course, we still tend to her, and she gets lots and lots of attention, but she is coming into herself wonderfully, and seems very content, like her brother, with playing all by herself sometimes. Even when her cheeks and ears are warm to the touch. Two molars poking through now!

Last photo of today. I talked to my brother on the phone this afternoon for the first time in probably months. While we caught up on each others lives, Dekker broke out his prized stickers that never leave their pages, and decorated me. He decorated up to my knees, on my hands, and my favorite – one around each toe. I am currently typing this post in my bed while the kids nap, and I fear some will get lost in the bed. Could be worse fates.

So that is all the random catching up I have for you guys today. So silly how a couple of rocky days can really bring a person (and in turn, a family) down. But you guys have actually helped a ton. I feel SO backed up and way more normal than I thought I could. We all have days. Us as parents, our kids, and people who dont have kids! We all have stuff. I had someone tell me yesterday that there will be things about each age and stage that will be challenging, and it reminded me that now, at 26 years old, I have stages. I have challenges that I have to work on and struggle through. I have to improve my communication skills. I have to work through fears. Me! I’m pretty sure it doesn’t stop at age 27 either. I think we have a lifetime of learning ahead of us. So my kids will learn, as will I. And I need to love LOVE ADOOOOORE them through it! Because I KNOW I was loved and adored through my stages, and continue to be. My family rules, basically.

Ok, enough of all the mush. I feel ok today. Covered in stickers, Brady on his way home with the pretzel pizza from Little Caesars that I can’t seem to get enough of, with plans for tomorrow.

Its a good day.

After two completely different days, I had no idea how today would play out. I had a prenatal appointment, so I figured it was one little outing in the middle of a potentially totally normal day. I figured I’d know pretty quickly how it was going to go.

The kids were good through breakfast, which I’m sure had something to do with the freshly cracked box of Froot Loops. Afterwards, we played downstairs and I caught up with my mom on the phone. When it was time, I hauled diapers, fresh clothes, and winter stuff downstairs so we could get all ready in one place. Dekker was happy to be “going on a trip” which is what everything is when it involves driving in the van. They were both totally cute in their outfits, and looked fresh and nice.

Hesitation set in when we didn’t turn off the highway at Grandmas. Yes. Dekker knows the turn. So that became less exciting. I told him I had to go see the doctor. That seemed ok, but not ideal. So we turned on happy music. We picked Brady up from work and kept driving. Dekker requested we stop at Superstore, since he always gets a cookie there, and yes, he knows the sign. Again, no, we were going somewhere else. Grandmas house? No. That was followed by a solid ten second high pitched unwavering scream.

It was then decided that Dekker was not invited to the doctors office today. Brady said he would take Dekker to Home Depot to pick up a few things he needed for work anyway. And then we decided it would be even easier for me to be hands free. Laela is pretty easy but always cries when I’m at any kind of appointment and climb up onto a table or bed and leave her on her own, which is justified, but sad. So Brady took the kids and I went to my appointment. I really, really appreciated it. While I can handle Laela’s tears, I feel weirdly on the verge today with my emotions. Like I could burst out crying at any moment for not particular reason. Anyone else get like that sometimes? I feel incredibly emotionally unstable today. Not like, in a dangerous way, but in a way that makes me, you guessed it, feel like crying. I think this is the first time since becoming a mom that I feel totally and completely one hundred percent in over my head. I know we’ll make it, and then its just been a few challenging days. I KNOW it will blow over, and while I don’t always feel it, I know that in my right mind, I feel confident in how we have chosen to parent. But today, I feel at a loss, and like I have no idea what I’ll possibly do with three kids. I cannot WAIT for baby three to arrive, I adore that boy more than life itself, but today is a day that I feel shaky.

All of that aside, a bit of a break was nice today. I never feel bogged down by going to the doctor. So I waited for a short time before being let in. I gained five pounds, which is more than I’ve gained my entire pregnancy up to this point, so that was a bit unsettling, but I’m in my second half, and its common to gain a pound a week! So five pounds in four weeks isn’t that rough really. Dr. Guselle checked me all out, and gave me the form for the next bout of blood testing, including the glucose drink test. Not my favorite test, but with the size of kids I produce, I’m happy to oblige. Honestly, my biggest annoyance with it is having to wait the hour. I’m so thankful I’ve never had to go for a two hour one! She also listened to the baby, obviously, and his heartbeat checked out around 147 bpm. It was really easy to find, which always makes me feel good. Turns out, she read on the ultrasound report, that a have an anterior placenta, so its laying kind of between baby and my stomach, which is why it took so much longer than I expected to feel him move. It took longer to start, and then it took longer to really be able to feel it confidently, but now I know it was because he had an uber barrier to kick through, and it was only going to get stronger while he got bigger. Its all good now.

When it was over, Brady and the kids were back and I brought him back to work. The kids proceeded to have a disastroud ride home that I won’t get into. I was sooo ready to put them down for a nap, even though its pretty late in the day and probably not the best idea. I don’t want to sound awful, but I feel like I need a bit of space from them at the moment.

While I changed their diapers and put them in sweats, I gave Laela some milk since she hadn’t eaten in the city like Dekker. He lay beside her and nuzzled her and told her he loved her, and was very soft to her. I turned all the lights off and the three of us hung out on the floor while Laela finished her bottle. It was probably our nicest moment of the day.

Now, Brady is home and I’m in bed, doing this and soon to be watching some YouTube. The kids are awake in their room, but hanging out relatively quietly so far. One of Laela’s Christmas gifts came in the mail today, which I am THRILLED about! I wish I could show you all, but I haven’t decided to let you in on gifts along the way or all at once in the new year. We’ll have to see. But there will be even more positives yet today. I am determined to make it happen!

Sorry for the negative posts lately. I’m trying so hard, but feeling incredibly emotional and a bit out of control. Doing my best over here!

I felt SO much backup after our ordeal yesterday at the hair place. I was very upset about Dekker’s tantrum and how the whole event played out, which I think is justified to a degree, but I think I figured out why it upset me quite so much! I slept maybe two hours last night, I just couldn’t wind down, but it gave me time to think. Do you remember earlier this year, we had this awful run in at Walmart? Someone said hi to him, and he just lost it. He screamed and kicked and was completely out of my control until we left the store. I couldn’t talk him down, I couldn’t gain eye contact, I couldn’t get his attention or hold his hands or anything. He was just gone. It was because of that instance that we decided that he needed a break, and for the next 4-6 months or so, we took Dekker absolutely nowhere. No stores, no restaurants, hardly any church even. Granted, his behaviors had been escalating up to that point, and that was just the cherry on top. The break we gave him was WONDERFUL and he’s come so far! He loves going in to businesses, and he loooves restaurants. He handles himself beautifully, and even had the nerve to order a smoothie at Cora’s once all by himself. Last night, his reaction to his haircut was the same reaction he had to that poor man at Walmart that dared speak to my son. The exact same screams; out of control. At our Walmart excursion, when we were finally at the van, I just bawled and bawled in the drivers seat. I called Brady, and he left work an hour early to come help me. I was done. So this time around, thinking he’d be on way better behaviour that the past because he was sooo much better at social situations, I was completely overwhelmed and honestly, a bit afraid I think. I think thats what happened, and why I was so upset by his actions. I felt so much love from all of you guys. Comments on the blog, on Facebook, private messages, and texts all poured in. I’m so glad its not just us who have been there, done that. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Seriously.

So on that note, today has been better. Like its been a bit rocky, but definitely better than yesterday. We’re doing a lot of cuddling and being quiet. Laundry went all morning, and Dekker was my big helper, totally unprompted. He followed me to the laundry machines when I went to switch out a load and insisted he pull everything out of the dryer on his own. “Makes mommy happy?” he asked. I praised him up and told him I was sooo happy for his help. Then, he wanted me to pass him all the drippy clothes to put into the dryer. My boy, covered in cool water, asks “Mommy proud of me?” I really really am, yes, Dekker. Once he closed the door, he grabbed a handle of the basket and pulled it out of the room and over to the dryer rack. “Just help mommy fold this…” I heard him say as he walked away. No word of a lie. He is really, really trying. He was right beside me as I struggled to stuff quilts into space saver bags, his simple comment being “Oh! Ziploc!” And he did his best to entertain Laela while Brady finished the long process of backing up our Mac!!! Its completely reloaded, updated, and the iMessage glitch is finally gone and is back to being a usable program!!! I’m so relieved to have actually gotten a couple of things done while the kids were up! At nap time, I could see Dekker start to wind up and get upset, so I grabbed him and hugged him, and he immediately just climbed up on me. So I carried him to his room and he went down fairly uneventfully. It was a huge improvement.

Since the kids have went down for their nap, Brady has somehow managed to pack what we thought was a solid two loads of garbage into his van into ONE LOAD! The closest landfill we could find that was open today was all the way to the city, so he’s off for a few hours. I’m sooo excited to see that garbage go! To celebrate, I started bringing some things from my overfilled pantry down into my newly spacious furnace room. You know, the big stuff, like flats of drinks, boxes of granola bars, and pretty much everything that we buy in bulk. I’m thrilled to already see a huge improvement in my pantry and tons of space still on my furnace room shelves! I accomplished a bunch in there, and the last load of laundry is in. I feel good. Tired, but way better than I felt yesterday.

Maybe when the kids get up, they can “help” me sort through the Tupperware/plastic containers. I’m thinking they’d actually really like that 🙂 And seriously, who needs that many margarine containers???

Thanks again for everyone who sent love or encouragement, whether you told me or not. I felt so supported yesterday. And today. And often. You guys rock.

Two BIG embarrassing things happened to our family today. I would oh so much appreciate it if you guys didn’t judge us. We are currently wiped out beyond belief from todays events and it is just time to call it a day. Very, very soon.

Firstly, Tuesday is a day our landfill is open! We had our whole day planned around it. We napped the kids early, and began the massive job of hauling the garbage upstairs from our furnace room. It was FINALLY all cleared out of there, but sitting in our living room. It was then that we remembered that it was Remembrance Day. Don’t judge us, please! With the way Bradys job goes, we are so rarely even aware of when stat holidays even are, since he works them often. He’s had a few days off just with the way scheduling worked out this month, so we’ve been taking advantage of the days to get things done, and yes, we forgot about Remembrance Day. So that sucked. We got over it and moved the huge haul of garbage onto our deck so we could try again soon. Sadly, our local dump doesn’t open again for a couple of days, and Brady will be back at work over those days. So at best, Brady might take a load in to the city tomorrow, but we’ll still have at least one more run that will have to wait. More likely, our garbage will sit oh so beautifully on our deck for the world to see until Saturday when the landfill opens again. So that was a big win for us.

Secondly, Dekker had a haircut scheduled for this evening. He’s sad through them fine before, with just a bit of a bribe. So we told him about it, so he knew it was coming, with promises of candies during the cut, and supper out afterwards. HUGE incentives for my little boy. But guys, no word of a lie, I don’t think I have ever been so embarrassed as I was this evening 🙁 I still feel like crying. We got in early, which was wonderful. It gave us lots of time. Dekker went absolutely nuts. As in I’ve never seen him like that. He screamed and thrashed and wouldn’t listen to anything. Its impossible to speak to someone screaming so loudly he can’t hear anything over his own voice. My hair girl is excellent and just waited patiently. She gave us tons of time. We even ducked out and all sat on a bench outside the salon to discuss what we needed to do. He finally agreed that, if he had a smoothie, he would drink it while he sat quietly for his haircut. We asked him a number of times, and he seemed to understand and agree. Turns out, not so much. He sat on Bradys lap and just lost it. People who were waiting in the salon not-so-subtly informed the staff that they’d rather wait out in the mall. It was horrific. Finally, Carlinna just asked if I wanted her to just go for it, and we agreed. She worked sooo fast, and Dekker thrashed and freaked the whole time. It was unbelievable. Again, I was so embarrassed 🙁 I mean, they all said it was pretty common that kids were scared of haircuts and new places, and when I asked Calinna if he was her first crazy three year old, she laughed right out loud and said she’d been in this exact spot hundreds of times. So they really wanted us to feel ok, but we were so choked.

Needless to say, supper out was cancelled and we drove home in silence. Dekker ate supper and proceeded to scream (literally) for the next 45 minutes or so. He went down to bed almost an hour early. It was a truly awful way to end the day. I’m emotionally wiped out and at a complete loss. I know we all have days like this, and I know the stereotype that comes with three year olds. I just have never seen Dekker like this, but these last few days have certainly given us a run for our money, and sanity.

The kids are now both tucked away, but not sleeping. Make them sleeeeep! Brady and I still haven’t eaten, but we both feel more sick than hungry. What a day. Hoping for some normalcy tomorrow.