Disappointing adulting post alert 🚨 I know the bulk of this post falls under the “first world problems” category, but still, its a change to our plans so I’m going to share it here. 

I think we’re giving up on our garden boxes this year :/ I truly am SO disappointed. We have the money saved up so we could build them the way we wanted them. I wanted them taller than “average,” and Brady wanted to build them out of cedar. We priced and planned and had it all set up. 

But then, as we began to talk about needing to take our winter tires off, I remembered our all-seasons got pitched last winter, and we’d need to replace them. In our case, considering everything going on in the world, the lack of work, and the uncertainty, it would be irresponsible to spend money on garden boxes at this time. 

I am so disappointed. 

As I said a month or so ago, when my itch for spring really ramped up and I started talking garden stuff, I said multiple times that this is a low pressure garden season for me. I said I would be totally satisfied with throwing some seeds in the ground and just seeing what happened. The free time is what caused me to consider changing my mind and planning for garden boxes. Why not? 🤷‍♀️ We have time, and we had saved for them. But as you can imagine, our bus tires aren’t exactly standard, and they cost more than average. 

So I need to backpedal and accept my simple garden this year. I have nothing against that, but I know our end game will be boxes, and we’ll never have more available building time than we do now!

So, plans change. Or, change back, I suppose. And thats ok. It’ll be simpler. And it’ll be another fun outside project for next season. There are pros. 

Regardless of where we plant, I just want to plant!

The kids coloured pictures on our neighbours driveway again today. They looked a little crime sceeny this time around, but they were well received 😘 Thank you, Tom and Rae, for always welcoming our family! 

While they were doing their art, Rae surfaced, expecting to drop some cookies and books to borrow off for the kids. Lo and behold, we were already on her property, and the kids ate cookies happily while we visited for a few minutes. It was a really lovely spot in our morning. I miss people. *sigh*

After the colouring came biking, washing the van, and generally running around. It was really cute.

The cool morning wind has given up and the hot afternoon breeze is out! I’m a sweaty beast. Yikes! I don’t object, though. I welcome some good sweat and heat while we can get it! Warmth comes for SUCH a short time around here! ☀️ Enjoy it!!

*adds ice cream to grocery list*

We made a discovery yesterday. 

I was upstairs grabbing a hoodie yesterday before I went for a windy walk, and Waverly followed me up. I sat down on the floor in my closet and asked her to pick out my pink hoodie. She stood still and looked at my clothes before actually selecting my pink hoodie!!! I was blown away, but figured it was fluke 😂 Until she started pointing at other pink clothes, saying “This! This! pretty!” She KNEW!! It was crazy!

Later that day, she was crying while the other kids were colouring, so Brady set her up to colour. She had a piece of paper taped to the tabletop, so it wouldn’t slide away on her, and a big pencil case of crayons. She was very entertained by colouring. More than I thought she’d be. She loved it. She only tasted a crayon once, and then asked me for help getting the little pieces off her tongue. 

While she was seated with a big box of colours beside her, I figured I’d test her out a little bit. 

I asked her to pick out a pink crayon, and she DID!!!

I could not believe she actually recognized it, for real! She isn’t quite 22 months old. To be fair, she doesn’t know the other colours yet. She only knows pink. But she KNOWS IT knows it! 

Waverly, I am SO impressed!! You are such a smartie pants! While I like purple more than pink, I am still very very proud of you 😉 We shall henceforth call you “Waverly Pink.” 

I’ve experienced an odd mix of emotions this morning. I’ll talk more about it another day. But in the midst of me feeling a little bit extra roller coastery, Dekker said to me, “Do you want to come inside with me and have a snuggle?” Who is that kid??? 

I took him up on it. And I’m SO glad I did. 

As I was just sitting down in my recliner, Dekker was standing in front of me, arms out in front of him, waiting to lay down in my arms. I scooped him up as I simultaneously pulled the footrest up, and we lay together for a good long stretch. Probably close to an hour. 

Of course, the snuggle changed over that hour. He moved around a bit. I tickled him. He got super smoochy and kissy. We talked, but not that much. We just rested together. 

Dekker will be nine years old this summer. On one hand, I’m not ready for him to be so grown up yet. But on another hand, if he continues to let me snuggle and smooch and tease him, let the boy grow!! He is SO loving and affectionate and warm. 

I asked Dekker several months back if he would ever be too old to stop holding my hand or snuggling with me. And he looked back at me, almost offended, and responded quietly with “Why would you say that?” I will NEVER ask again, my son ❤️

Yard project #1 is accomplished!! 🏅

We have this big, tall, beefy deck in our backyard, and the dead space under it needed a purpose. I don’t know if I’ll always feel this way, or its just the stage of life that I’m in, but I NEED space to be practical. So, rather than using up another big chunk of the backyard for a shed, or keeping our garage messy with outdoor things, we decided to close in under the deck and use it as a storage area! 

Brady worked on it all last week, first levelling the ground

putting a water drainage solution on the underside, then framing the side walls, floor, and front wall.

Then sheeting.

Then a gutter, and a door. There is even a spout in anticipation for a rain barrel! Woot! 

Let’s talk about the obvious. The exterior is not so pretty at this point. We’re not too worried about it. There are options. For this moment, I think we may just end up coating it with a weatherproofer. We may also paint it. I vote purple 😂 Who’s surprised?? We may also decide to throw siding up, but that would happen maybe next year. We have enough planned for this season, and as we all know, money isn’t exactly flowing in excess. We saved for our projects, but we also have to be smart. So, for now, we go cheap. Its worth it to have that storage space. Now that this is build and the garage is mostly finished, we can see what in our garage actually has a home here and what to get rid of for good. 

I’m rabbit trailing. I am SO happy to have our backyard storage completed!! 

Today is blustery and grey, so all things considered, we’re going to enjoy a different kind of day inside. My beautiful sun-kissed family needs a cozy day together ❤️

It happened. Yesterday. Our first spring rain. 

We speculated all day whether or not it was going to rain. The forecast seemed to think it would, but the chance kept getting lower and lower. And really, can you predict a “storm” and say its going to rain less than a millimetre? I’m not sure that constitutes a storm. But, sitting out on the deck, we flip flopped all day about whether or not it was going to come. 

We did eventually resign to going inside for supper, but we kept the kitchen window cracked and the living room curtains open. Just as we put supper on the table, I looked outside. It was grey and a bit windy, and the road was darker. Spotted. SPOTS! RAIN!!! 

I bellowed “Raaaaaaain” before running outside. The kids ate while we sat on the step and watched the rain. Watched. Listened to. Smelled. Felt. Man, it was SO good to experience the rain again. Don’t get me wrong, I am LOVING the sun. Even in the chilly morning wind, I’m determined to be outside. This is me right now!

But the rain was GLORIOUS! Albeit short lived. But SO refreshing and beautiful. 

It doesn’t hurt that the rain didn’t result in icy roads and devastation either. Maybe winter is finally over. Maybe. 

We should probably get our winter tires off soon 😆 Whoops…..

We’ve been outside so much these days, and I have a lot to show you! However, a lot of pictures include our current project, and I’m saving those for their own post. Which hopefully won’t be too far away! We’re making great time on it, which is both thanks to Brady’s work ethic and also the fact that we have no deadline 😆 Because, quarantine. Because, unemployed. So todays post will just be sweet outside pictures from the last couple of days. 

Solly is ALWAYS under the deck, close to the action.

This man is also always close to the action, for obvious reasons 💪

These two are virtually inseparable these days 💙💖

Thank goodness for these empty lots beside us as we work in the yard! I secretly hope the one next to us stays open forever 🤞

Solomon is SO handsome!

This swing set was gifted to us in the fall, and it is lifesaving these days! It was great last year, but adding Wavy’s swing to it has made it even better!

Waverly occasionally breaks up the work by taking Brady for walks. “Hand? Hand?!” She’ll call to him, and off they wander. Its cute.

We’re embracing the muck these days, which is not something I’m great at, but I’m trying, and I’m learning! So if you see us around and everyone is filthy, just roll with it.

Aaaaand these kids are almost impossible to photograph, because they’re WAY too busy, but we love them, too!!!

Everyone is tan and energized and sleeping better and suuuper grumpy when its time to come inside 😆 Its all as it should be. Its strange how it can almost feel like all is right in the world when it is so clearly not the case. But I’m thankful for my family, the fun we’re having, and the things we’re getting done together! 

I anticipate the upcoming days, weeks, and months together. I hope we build, blow bubbles, run, play, garden, and run through water. I hope we eat a ridiculous amount of freezies, as well as cheese and crackers and meats. Fruit and veggies. Picnics. Water water water. Hats and sandals. Shorts and tank tops. Swimsuits. 

These are GOOD days. I’m so grateful. 

This morning, as Brady and I lay in bed and woke up slowly to an episode of “Life in Pieces,” a notification popped up on the laptop screen. 

“Preschool helper.” 

A small, but glaring reminder of how recently everything was normal, and how fast everything changed. There is definitely some grief that goes along with the shutdown, and all of the little things we’ve lost. Our normalcy was taken. I KNOW many people have things a lot harder than we do here, and I am so grateful to have a truly happy family that is doing well living together, day after day. Its not perfect, but its not unpleasant. But, our routine and our normal was ripped out from under us, and thats the undeniable truth for just about everyone. 

I don’t have much to say on the subject, but it was a bit of a bizarre, surreal “Oh ya…” moment this morning. I can’t believe we’re doing this. A pandemic. I never even considered this happening in my lifetime or that of my children, but here we are, making history in a crazy way!

We enjoyed our first truly beautiful spring day yesterday ☀️ Brady worked on the project we currently have on the go – closing in under the deck, effectively making a shorty storage shed. While he worked on that, I got my tan on! 

I am the whitest thing to ever walk this earth, so pretty much every spring, I get a nasty sunburn to kick off the season. It isn’t pleasant, but it happens literally every single year, and its become a bit of a rite of passage. 

Yesterday was that day.

Also yes, Brady gashed his forehead pretty good and proper. He walked square into a board that was screwed to the deck. He’s ok now 🤕

I spent almost all day yesterday outside in the sun. In the morning, I lay on a blanket next to the house, where the sun was shining and the wind was blocked. Also, through nap time, I took some time on the deck. After nap time, we were going to take the kids for a walk to go wish a friend a happy birthday. I invited my mom to join us, and she decided to walk our way rather than drive. So I walked to meet her, and as soon as she got to our house, we all left for our walk! SO much outside time!

I ended up walking my mom home and enjoying the walk home, as well. By that point in the day, most people I came across were in pants or sweaters or both. Friends even poked fun at me, in my shorty shorts and tank top, but I was DETERMINED to enjoy the heat while I could! 

When I finally made it home, my poor calves were screaming. Not from all the walking, but the burn! My knees are cherry red! I declined a soak in the tub knowing it would hurt way too much. 

Most of the tingling skin had resolved by this morning, and my face looks like we’re heavily into summer already! We are not, but I’m pretty ok with it 🙂 Trying to embrace my freckles that have only come into play in my adulthood, too!!

Hopefully there are MANY more hot sunny days to come! 

About a week and a half ago, I started starters for the first time ever! I was intimidated by it, but I had help and encouragement and support! I planted a ton of beefsteak tomatoes, a good handful of cherry tomatoes, and a bunch of yellow peppers. Here’s how we’re doing! 

Big tomatoes are THRIVING!! 

One solo cup worth just has teeny little sprouts. I’m not sure yet whether its just a little behind or its not going to work, but as you can see, I have TONS of big tomatoes to come! Who wants to help me learn to make salsa?! 🙋‍♀️ 

My other tray of seeds didn’t do so well. After about a week, I noticed many of the seeds had risen to the top of the dirt. I sprinkled some more on top of them and packed them ever so slightly, to try and keep the seeds under the top layer of dirt.

Since then, just in the last few days, I’ve had some cherry tomatoes coming up!!

Yesterday there was only one baaarely visible sprout, but this morning I have three! Woot!

And my peppers. 🤷‍♀️ Go figure. 

I’m giving them time, since I just redid them on Saturday, but I’m not holding my breath for them to thrive, or even live at all. Ah well. The price of the seeds makes it easier to roll it off my shoulders. I’m not worried. 

I’m calling my starters a great success at this point! I’m SO happy to have even tried my hand at this, and it all feels less intimidating now. 

I still need to acquire strawberry plants, potatoes, and peonies, but I have time 🙂 I’m just SO thrilled that spring is in the air! My sunburn from yesterday feels victorious 💪 

I can’t wait to actually plant my garden!!