Month: February 2019

Laundry with Laela

Yesterday, Brady went downstairs to do a few little adjustments on his work. He invited the kids to join, but Laela opted to stay upstairs with me. But she didn’t want to play, really. She wanted to do something. So we did!

First, we made a list of things we still need to buy for our basement. Its going to take time to finish the whole thing, so this list will be a good reminder of what we should be looking for sales on. Felt minimally productive. After that, she read a book so I could get the blog up. Very shortly after that, though, it was clear she wanted to spend some intentional time with me. She made this clear by accompanying me to the bathroom, where she stood directly in front of me, just to be there. Just to watch. 

That was a thing. Lol! It was time to do something!

So we cleaned out her closet! Laela had previously had a little nightstand that held some of her little special things, but we found she would mess with it well into the night, and eventually we had to remove it from her room completely. During our tidy, she reminisced about it, and told me she was five now, and she had disobeyed those rules a long time ago. She petitioned me for it back. I told her I really wanted her to have it back, so this was one step towards it. I want her special little things to fit in it, so we needed to purge them back a little. (Hear me. Not everything she owns has to fit in it. Just the little trinkets, papers, bouncy balls, birthday cards, etc.) She ended up getting rid of lots of little papers, putting a bunch of books back in the bookshelf, rehoming some things that belong to the other kids, and deciding to donate some old backpacks she had when she was younger. That all felt really good! She was SO satisfied!

But she wanted to keep working. So we sorted a little bit more stuff out and she put some of Solly’s little things in her box of “keeps.” She plans to share a drawer in her nightstand with him, so she’s currently hanging onto the things she’s decided he wants to keep 🙂

But that wasn’t enough. So I asked if she wanted to fold laundry. And she did!! 

And it was the BEST! Easily the most fun I’ve had folding laundry in a long time. As I’ve said on here before, I really don’t mind folding laundry! I weirdly hate putting it away, but I don’t mind folding it! Two hampers have been sitting for a few days, because I’ve been sick and in the general busyness of life, we just haven’t got to them. So there was a good chunk to do. Laela LOVES laundry. If she were tall enough that she wouldn’t fall into the washer, she could do everything. She knows the dials, where to put the soap, and how to sort it all apart. She would be thrilled to just be trusted with the laundry. But she’s still a shorty, so I have to help her still 😉 Laela wanted to fold in the living room, so thats where we set up. I had a tub of hangers, and two hampers of the kids laundry. I clicked some music on, and she and I chatted and folded and got the job done. She hung most of the shirts on hangers, and paid attention to where I was stacking each kids pile. She was so gentle not to stretch neck holes, and worked hard on the little buttons that even I have a hard time with.

My favourite moment was coming back after I had stepped away for a second. I watched her without her knowing. She was standing beside the couch, picking a shirt out of the hamper. She gave it a good shake to get the wrinkles out, and then started putting it on the hanger. She was swaying, and singing along to the music on my phone. “Sit down and be set free… come to the table.” 

I just melted into a puddle. Her heart is HUGE! Can you imagine the smile on Jesus’ face as she sang?? Ack! It was almost too much!

She eventually spotted me, and I rejoined her. I told her I liked her singing, and she got all shy about it, as I suspected she would. But we continued the job, and got it all done. She put away all of her laundry, and what she could reach of Sollys. I put the rest away at the same time. 

When it was all done, she raced off to her room to play with some of the goodies she had rediscovered in her closet. She was SO excited!! Yet, she had first chosen to help me with a job. It thrills my heart to see her make that choice. She has an amazing head on her shoulders, and a beautiful heart within her. 

And if you ever get the chance to hear it, she has a beautiful singing voice as well! 

Much Better

Despite my sickness yesterday, it was a pretty lovely one. A loving friend came bearing ginger ale for my tummy and a helping hand with my kids. We watched a movie and took it easy. It was awesome. I finally got some food and drink into my system, which helped my exhaustion and weak body. I was not the most fun company out there, but SO appreciative to have the help and care. I don’t like to be a complainer, because I am SO grateful for the life I have, but to level with you, being sick with kids is HARD. It just is. And as parents, we do it anyway, because there is no other option. But having help makes a world of a difference.

My head pounded pretty much from the beginning of the day to the end of it. I wanted to get through the day without taking medicine, but it became just a bit too much, and I finally gave in and took some Tylenol. By supper time, I was feeling quite a bit better from my stomach bug, and I could tell my body was so hungry. Brady made perogies for us, to keep it pretty safe but also yummy. My goodness, they hit the spot!! SO GOOD!

Both Brady and I were cashed out, completely asleep, by 9:15 last night!! I know, thats a bit ridiculous. We had both slept poorly the night before, we’re both sick (me with my stomach and he with a cold) and add to that his first full work day in a while, we were both bushed. Thank the Lord, once again, for a baby who sleeps through most nights! She woke up shortly after 6:00 this morning. We both got a FULL nine hours of sleep by that point!

I feel considerably better this morning. Its weird. My throat hurts like I’ve been throwing up, but I haven’t been. My limbs ache the same way, like I’ve been retching, but I haven’t been. I have dead legs. But my stomach feels pretty close to 100% so I’ll take it. Today is a pretty relaxed day as it is.

Taping our basement is set to start this afternoon!!! And siding it apparently at a standstill. I don’t know, guys, I do NOT recommend the company we’ve used :/ Don’t want to bash them publicly, and I also don’t want to make anyone angry before they finish the job over here, but if you’re local and looking to get your siding repaired after this past summer’s hail storm, get in touch so you DON’T use the same company we did! I anticipate our taping will go WAY better!! Hoping for great things 🙂

The Wrong Time to Catch a Tummy Bug

I was feeling a bit yucky yesterday morning, but I blew past it, figuring I was just hungry or hadn’t slept as well as I could’ve. Just a little queasy.

Mid day, I had a few *ahem* symptoms 💩 show up, and it was clear that food wasn’t going to solve this issue.

I went to see my doctor in the afternoon to talk about a handful of different things, such as changes in my body and my skin that I wanted to take note of. She wrote me up a bit of blood work, but I opted to go straight home after my appointment rather than to the blood lab. I was feeling too gross.

When I got home, my mom had dropped Dekker off from school, and he had just finished up his homework. The stretch between school and supper tends to be the most trying time in our house, and Brady lovingly sent me upstairs for it. He wrangled the kids and did supper for everyone. He brought me a grilled cheese sandwich, which I ate, but my burps still tasted like boiled eggs. A delicious thought, isn’t it? It was pretty gross.

Brady ducked out for a couple of hours after the kids went to bed, but first, he ran me a bath and set up the laptop in there so I could watch some YouTube. It was SO nice! But the longer I hung out in there, the grosser I felt, and it was time to head to bed. Also, I was getting chilly as the bath cooled off. As soon as I stood up, I felt a hefty wash of nausea, so I abandoned the bathroom and flopped into bed, all wet, with the tub still filled with water, the laptop in there, etc. I had enough smarts to grab my phone, so I snuggled into bed and watched tiny YouTube and dozed in and out. It was cozy, actually.

When Brady came home, he disassembled the bathroom I had left in a mess, and came to bed with me. I was SUCH a dope, and SUCH a whiner, but he was very understanding.

The night was a full stretch of tossing and turning. I took gravol a couple of times, which I pretty much never do, except tomorrow was the first day in weeks that Brady needed to be at work for the full day, with next to no wiggle room. I HAD to be on for the day, and with that, I needed not to vomit on anyone or feel disgusting.

So needless to say, it was a choppy night and I’m very tired today. But, I did it!! This morning, I got everyone up and ready in time to drive them ALL to school. I woke Wavy and bundled her up, fed her, and chased after the others. I know, its basic mom stuff, but today, I am not the strongest I’ve ever been, wow! Its been a LONG morning.

Honourable mention goes to Dekker. He got ready seamlessly with no nagging from me. He knew I was feeling gross, and he crushed it this morning. When I was on the hunt for a misplaced library book, Dekker was already bundled in the entrance. I told him he was a bit early, but he wasn’t concerned. He hung out there and helped the others with their jackets and boots as they migrated down. It was AWESOME, and a huge help to me!

Since getting home from dropping the kids off at school, its not been the smoothest. I’m SO weak and tired, and understandably, the kids need things, and they need me.

It is not my best day. I am frustratingly imperfect.

What I’m Thankful For Today

Today, I’m thankful for a husband who goes into work brutally early in the morning so he can be home with his kids in the evening as much as possible.

Today, I’m thankful for my baby girl who slept through the night, and got me up shortly before my alarm so I didn’t startle awake. Alarms are the worst.

Today, I’m thankful for happy attitudes in the morning before school, and a little boy who happily packs his own lunch.

Today, I’m thankful for a friend who came over on her day off to spend time with the kids and I. I’m thankful for the conversations we could have, the games she played with our kids, and the muffins she brought. VERY thankful for my people, as always.

Today, I’m thankful for a doctor who stands up for me, listens to me, and remembers all of my details. I’m SO thankful I can laugh with her, also.

Today, I’m thankful for a loving mom who offers to pick Dekker up from school, even in the bitter cold, just so I didn’t have to rush home.

Today, I’m thankful for my cozy bed when I can’t warm up.

I have so much to be thankful for. On such an odd day as today, where I have such a fun morning, and a weird afternoon of doctors and sickness, its good to remember whats really important. Gratefulness. And I’ve got it.

What Did Rowan Choose?

I mentioned yesterday that Rowan was going to pick out his own birthday gift. He doesn’t always love new things, so we thought it might be nice for him to get a chance to really look around and have a say in his gift. Same with his dessert! Would you believe he picked those sawdust cookies from Walmart? Lol! Ya, he definitely did. The pink ones with sprinkles. They were $3.

Since we were at Walmart, we figured we were in the right place to look for a present. Now we hadn’t given him the ok to go full bore and pick anything, but we hadn’t set a specific number or guideline. He could just look around and see what he liked. The first thing he mentioned was a big stuffed toy next to an Easter display. His little crowd of admirers (siblings) was eagerly encouraging him to choose it. He stared at me, wide-eyed. “Can I really have this??” I looked at it, dreading the presence of such a big stuffed toy in my house, and suggested we do a bit more looking before we decide. He happily went along with that.

When we got to the toy section, I could tell he was instantly overwhelmed. He was excited, but with all the kids suggesting thing after thing, he seemed to just submit. “Ok, I could have that” was said over and over again. We were only halfway down the first aisle. I tried to help him regroup, and I gave him a few options. But he just couldn’t focus. It was too much.

I thought back to the first thing he had seen. That stuffed animal. He would’ve been so happy to just walk out with that right in the beginning. And honestly, I would’ve been THRILLED as a kid to get a stuffed toy like that. So I asked him, if we said he could, would he want that stuffie.

“Yes, I really really would!”

Sigh.

Thats how we headed home with a giant rainbow striped llama in our van.

No, Ro wasn’t buckled yet. We DID buckle him.

Rowan was SO SO HAPPY. We had plans to have supper with my mom, and he insisted on bringing the llama in. The poor thing was a trampoline all evening, but it was well loved. Ro made up for the rowdiness with soft snuggles on the drive home.

He needed to bring his new water bottle along, too.

All in all, Rowan’s recap of his birthday is that he had a really fun day. A very Ro-style day. I’m happy he’s happy, and I’m happy he’s in our family. And I’m happy we now have a llama. Sort of.

Rowan Turns Four

Kid number three, Mr. Rowan Toby, turns FOUR today!!!!
Four years feels not so long ago at all…

Rowan was the perfect third delivery, and the perfect third child. If you want to re-read his birth story, its here for your viewing pleasure 🙂 He brought so much healing and peace. He is SUCH a delight to my heart, and to our family.

One year ago, Rowan was a vibrant, silly little dude. He still felt like a little boy. Almost even a toddler still. But in such a good way! He was SO innocent and soft.

He’s still all of those things, but he’s so much more grown up. This year has changed him! As you can see in these pictures, he’s still very much himself, but his heart has grown and changed.

He’s still abounding with joy and excitement! But he’s matured in a lot of sweet, amazing ways. Rowan accepted Jesus into his heart a few months back, which made my mama heart soar! I’m so happy he’s chosen Jesus for his life. It seemed so simple for him. I remember him saying “Oh! Is Jesus not already in my heart! I want him to be. I live for Jesus.” He understands so much. He’s thrilled to finally be old enough to go to childrens church with Dekker and Laela!

Rowan has been our snuggliest child to date. I remember, when I was very pregnant with Solly, Ro got much more snuggly. We figured it was an instinctual thing, with the new baby coming, but it never stopped. To this day, if I’m outwardly flabbergasted or if I cry, he’ll come to me and say something along the lines of “Did you want to have a snuggle with me?” and he’ll drape himself over me until I can breathe a little easier. He has mad cuddling skills, and comforting skills.

Going from three to four feels like a big jump. He’s officially crossed into the land of bigger kids, haha! He’s more confident and self aware, and his comprehension is great, too! It feels important to note here, also, that this was the year we figured out his lactose intolerance. Thankfully, he’s a champ about it, has learned what has dairy in it and what doesn’t, and reminds us every time he needs to take a lactose pill. Thank goodness those things exist!

Rowan loves his stuffed Foxy, listening to stories, and singing along to music in the van. He doesn’t like being dressed, sweets, or when his duplo falls apart. He also doesn’t really like new things, hence our plans for his birthday.

We spent the morning having a BIG waffle feed, with strawberries and peaches and whipped cream and the like. Though Ro opted out of the whipped cream for a tiny bit of syrup, and fruit on the side. He opened some presents and painted pictures with the paints my mom brought everyone to play with. She has a great set up, and the kids love painting with her! After a while, we fed the kids a quick little snack and put the nappers down for naps. After naps, we’ll be heading to the city to go shop for a gift for Rowan. Yes, he will be part of the choosing of his present, and he is STOKED! He just tends to be hesitant of new things, and this way, he can pick! After that, we’re going to go find him a “birthday cake,” or dessert of some kind. Also his choice, because as you read above, Rowan doesn’t really like sweets. We’ve tried something new every year and can’t figure out a good treat for him that he truly likes. Maybe if he chooses it, he’ll be happy! Unconventional, perhaps, but it works for us! And most importantly, it works for Rowan.

When we prayed for our third child, Rowan was exactly the right child for our family! You reminded me of God’s grace, and His mercies, which I so desperately needed.

I love you to the ends of the earth, my boy. You are such an amazing ingredient in our strange family cocktail. We wouldn’t be us without you! You bring a special zest and silliness, as well as a warm sense of understanding. You are lovely, my boy. Your hugs are soft, and your hair is soft, and your heart is soft.

I’m so smitten with you, Ro. Congratulations on turning FOUR!!!

At the Airport

My plan this morning was to go pick my mom up from the airport, but as a somewhat last minute addition, I decided to bring the whole fam jam.

First, Brady did a little shovelling…

A handsome mountain man I have here

We got to the airport a little bit early, so we wandered around it together, and made our way over to the big polar bear by the baggage claim.

When the time got closer, and we knew planes were coming in, we headed back to the big windows and watched.

Wavy was caught in a MAD windstorm, apparently! Or she just had a wet ponytail under a hood. Believe what you want, lol!

Aaaaand then grandma’s plane finally came!!

They waved and waved and waved

Of course I have no pictures with my mom, or anything after she landed, because we were all just too excited 🙂 We tried to take her home, but she insisted on treating us to lunch first 💜 She’s the sweetest thing, really.

I’m so happy you’re home, mom! We’ve missed you.

Basement Update: Boarding

I am thrilled to tell you guys that Brady finished boarding the basement today!

That means we have two bedrooms, a bathroom, the furnace room, and a laundry area are all walled off. He also made sense of our one middle-of-the-room telepost, the bulkhead on the ceiling, and the area under the stairs. So much work, but he did an excellent job! At least we hope our tapers feel the same way when they arrive for their part!

I realized the other day that drywall has been the part of the basement I have dreaded the most. The dirtiest, dustiest, messiest, grossest part of the basement. Also the most expensive part. And here we are, halfway through the whole thing. All the way done our part of it. And I’m SO relieved! We will putter away at the rest, but having this part done will feel GOOD.

Thank you, Brady, for all your hard work. ❤️ We all appreciate it so much.

Make the Wavy Wake Up

“Wavy” is pretty much interchangeable with “baby” in our house. You can hear it, right? Baby toys are Wavy toys. The baby seat is the Wavy seat. Its possible I even sing her “Wavy Shark” from time to time. The kids LOVE it!

That was all just to explain the odd wording of todays blog title. Stop being such a weirdo, Hailey.

If you guys have been paying attention, you know Waverly is working on sleeping through the nights. She’s doing a great job, occasionally waking up for a few minutes here and there, but going back down on her own. Only one night in the last couple of weeks has flopped completely. But a big change that comes with Wavy sleeping through is that schedule actually matters. It hasn’t really up to this point, because she sleeps anytime, wherever, and always just gets up once a night, which has been fine! But now that we know she can sleep through the night, we want her days to make sense. We also like to see her from time to time, haha!

Yesterday was a tricky one. She woke up somewhere between 7:00 and 8:00 in the morning, and she was ready to just go right back to sleep. Except that she had slept through the night and needed to be up! So rather, we brought her down to the dining room and she hung out with the kids during breakfast. She was ok with it, but not thrilled. She didn’t want to eat any food from the table, unlike her usual grabbing, hand-sucking, breakfast eating. I played with her through the morning and managed to keep her up until the kids started lunch, around 11:30. She was SO tired. I made her a bottle to sleep drink, and figured she’d not beautifully.

It has been a LONG time since she fell asleep drinking milk on me ❤️

Brady was pretty happy to snuggle her like that, too.

Wrapping her up woke her a little. She always burrows into your elbow when she’s REALLY tired, but she also LOVES to be photographed, lol!

She’s such a ham.

The rest of the day wasn’t as smooth. She woke up earlier than usual, but our new normal is to keep her up until 7:00. But she wouldn’t drink, and was just flat out ticked. She wouldn’t play, or be cuddled, or eat. Just not happening. I put her back down within a half hour. She MAD cried for a bit, but then slept hard for a couple more hours.

And I’m thrilled to say that, even though our new usual got moved around a bit, she was down for the night before 8:00, and she slept through without any lulling!!! Brady and I woke up around 7:45, not because of any sound, but because we were rested and ready for the day. It. Was. Awesome.

Its not a perfect system, but we’re getting there! Its starting!

Busyness and Planning and What’s Important

Its not a secret that we’ve been cruising around here, doing basement stuff and purging stuff. We’ve been SO busy and productive and its felt great! In the midst of our work, we’ve been managing to spend time with our family and close friends. We’ve made it to church, and we’ve eaten well. They’ve been some GREAT weeks!

I agree with the masses that its super important to live day by day, moment by moment, and not wish time away. I’ve worked hard at that in the last couple of years. But yesterday, I let myself dream and plan and get excited for the year to come! I talked about blog plans and summer vacation plans and let my mind go a little crazy. It was SO fun to think ahead and imagine what is coming, and what might come, and where we’ll be when. While its important not to wish time away, its so fun to have things to look forward to!

Yet as I’m sitting here, listening to the hammering downstairs, annoyed at the lack of siding guys, dreaming of future trips, plans, and posts, my little Laela is beside me, reading the “Pete the Cat” version of “Old MacDonald had a farm.” She’s singing/reading it to herself, saying “McDonalds” instead of MacDonald. She’s loving the donkey part, quietly giggling every time she says “hee haw.” And I’m in HEAVEN listening to her. These things are SO important, and are the things I do NOT want to miss while my mind is otherwise preoccupied or even overwhelmed.

Brady called me downstairs to confirm the placement of a wall light, and I saw Dekker was practicing hammering nails into a 2×4 cut off. I watched him while Brady and I talked. I watched him hammer his thumb and pull it away really fast. He took a look at it, shook his hand for a sec, and kept on going. Thats a pretty big deal for my easily-broken little man. I’m so glad I saw that!

I’m so happy today. I love my family, and our life. We certainly don’t ace it really ever, but we try always, and I think that counts. Does my heart good to see positive things happening!