I make a honey mustard dressing that my family has come to know and love. Lately, I’ve been trying to be better about having the kids help me in the kitchen, and just the other day (hat day) Wavy asked to help me with the dressing. I did the slightly fussier measuring, but she did a couple parts of it, and it was just SO cute that I wanted to share it here.

Her determination was absolutely adorable right off the bat.

She stirred it all up, and actually did a better job than I expected. I gave her a big whisk, and then a smaller one to get into the edges. And she got it pretty close to perfect!

The pouring felt a little ballsy, but at least I was just storing it in a container and not in a condiment bottle yet. So I let her go for it. And she didn’t spill a drop!

I held the measuring cup afterwards and she scraped it out.

And then. She licked the scraper as if we were making cookies.

Yup. And she didn’t stop. She licked it clean. That shows you how yummy and sweet this dressing is! But frankly, she’s still gross 😅

Lucky for her, she is totally irresistible, and she knows it.

I love you, Wave. I really like doin’ food with you 💜

Laela and Rowan are commonly referred to as the twins” in our house. This morning was especially twinny when both kids picked panda patches!!! It was super cute! I had to take pictures, of course 😍

And while taking these pictures, we realized how much taller Rowan is than Laela!! So once again, we needed to document that.

Rowan is 17months younger than Laela, but you wouldn’t know it! They’re total sweeties!

I’m usually quite a buzzkill in terms of spirit days at school, but hat day is something I can get behind.

We were gifted a whole bunch of cute costumey hats a couple of years ago, and they were an absolutely HIT at the time!! Eventually, some of the novelty wore off, and they don’t get pulled out as much. Until hat day. I love the fashion show that comes with choosing their hats for school. The kids have SO much fun!!

This is what we have so far!

We have Rowan, who just wants to wear his own hat.

We have Dekker, who has worn the donkey hat every single hat day, and insisted on maintaining the tradition. This is him mimicking the donkey’s expression.

He may be wearing it to be funny, but he’s also still very much his serious self 😂

Laela flipflopped between a few options. The first look was the epitome of “duck lips” but don’t worry, she didn’t end up choosing this statement “hat.”

She went full panda bear instead. Because its not going to be 30C outside today. Or is it?

Solly and Wavy tried on a lot of things, but Solly knew right off the hop that he wanted to be the chicken.

I LOVE that he chose the chicken hat. And that he walked to school with it on his head. He’s absolutely always drenched in sweat anyway, so whats the difference?

Say a prayer for me today. I may or may not be in danger at home with this monster…

I tease. She’s super cute and I’m not afraid. Not entirely anyway. If I were to be attacked by something intimidating, I’m pretty sure she’s the jackpot.

The kids are getting older, and starting to really run in all different directions more often. Last night, Dekker was out until quite late, so Laela was up on her own for a chunk of the evening. She had been gone at a friends house since school, and she had some homework that she had to do to make up for her day at track last week. So while the house was quiet, she got into that homework.

It was pretty funny, though. She was SO hyper. She had really enjoyed her time with her friends, first off, so she was riding a bit of a social high. She had also had some sugary iced tea with her supper, so she was absolutely buzzing. And I’ve said before, but since Frozen, she is just so much more silly and animated. So she was energetic! And it was really fun to witness!!!

Brady and I hung out in the kitchen while she did her work at the island. She was telling stories and jokes and being silly, and we were teasing her and messing up her homework, and just sharing some good giggles between the three of us. Between the newer unit of math and the distraction from the group of us, she wasn’t wrapping her head around every question as well as she thought she would. So out came the goldfish.

Fractions are easier with props, had you heard?

We got through her math, and she had absorbed it pretty well by the end of her questions. Then she ate her goldfish and went to bed.

It was a cute way to wrap up her day, with her being really happy and also productive and also learny (yes its a word) and also funny. If thats not the definition of perfect well roundedness, I don’t know what is.

We spent hours in the sun, on the water, and by the fire. It was an absolutely beautiful time.

We got home last night in time for evening baths and bedtime.

*Adds “buzz boys” to to-do list*

Everyone was tired but happy from the weekend away with our friends.

They all tucked in easily after their baths, foregoing out usual bedtime routine. No one missed it. They were so ready for bed.

However, they were less ready to get up. One of the things I do to intentionally see them all even just for a minute, one on one, is get them up in the morning. I take a minute to snuggle each kid and make sure they know they’re deeply loved and cared about. And, in the case of this morning, to document their soft sleepy faces.

Solly is usually a ball of energy in the morning. But not today. He was super cozy still. Thankfully, he didn’t drag long, and he still got up pretty easily.

Dekker usually stays in bed and I’ll go lay with him for a minute. He was particularly squishy this morning, and very tolerant of my general face-poking harassment. Look at those freckles!

Rowan never stays in bed for our good morning hug. He has told me he always wants to greet me standing up, so he can meet my hug. Which I think is very sweet. He is my BEST morning kid, by far!

Wavy was still sleeping when I went in to get the girls this morning. I hugged her later once she magically appeared at the table, but at the moment, I just snagged a sleeping picture of her face. Her little squishy mug. Ack! Can’t get enough.

Laela evvvvver so quietly got her robe and snuck out of their room. She was still half asleep herself, and was so fluffy and sweet.

I anticipate a tired day ahead. Kids are loaded with bug bites and sunburns, but they’re happy. And I’m happy too.

It was nice to have that extra day at the lake. Only three days of classes this week. Three days to turn over for another weekend at the lake! Laundry. Meal planning. Shopping. Packing. Counselling. An online meeting. A field trip. And even more. In the next three days! Ack!

Never a shortage 💜 I am so grateful for my full life.

Last Thursday held a special event for my Miss Laela. She got included in further track, similar to Dekker, in Saskatoon. She competed against other younger kids from other schools for the day. It was HOT, but she was so happy to be there 💜 

Wavy and I got there in the morning for high jump. Laela was by far the shortest kid in the group, but she managed to clear a couple of the higher jumps. We would woop from our spot waaaaay off to the side, and she would smile and run back to her group. 

I won’t lie – it was a total mess from there on out. She was not confident in what events she was supposed to be participating in, so we sat through the 60m sprint because she insisted she was running it. In fact she wasn’t, lol! She apologized, and said she got the sprints wrong, and that she would be in the 100m rather at 1:00pm. This wasn’t ideal, as I had a phone appointment with my doctor around noon and needed to grocery shop for camping in that time as well. Originally, I would have a three hour window in there, but we lost time in the morning, and needed more time in the afternoon. *sigh*

So Wavy and I took off and got lunch just before Dr. Guselle called. We chatted through our appointment, got everything covered, and when it was done, there wasn’t time for shopping. So back to track we went, juuuust in time to make it to the second race that Laela didn’t run! 😅 And I had somehow missed an event she insisted she wasn’t doing! ACK! This was just not our day for scheduling! Wavy and I lurked, and chatted.

It was nice to actually see Laela a little.

She is SUCH a good sister!

As Laelas event got closer, Wavy mentioned to me that she was hot and thirsty. Of course I had forgotten her water bottle, but I reassured her that we would get a drink really soon. It wasn’t two minutes later when a loving friend asked me if they could take her to get a lemonade. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times – It truly touches my heart when people want to love my children and choose to love them when they don’t have to. I used to resist those moves and feel guilty, but I’m working to change that. Waverly was SO happy for her treat, and I was truly touched. Thank you, friend. 

Laela’s last event finally came along, and she rocked running long jump like a boss!

Again, we were so far away. It was disappointing not being able to be close to the events, but when track is back in town later this month, we can be ALL up in everyones business! But until then, you’ll just have to take my word for it. She did SO well. Ran like the wind, had great form, and jumped far! She did great! 

At the end of the day, she mentioned that she was a bit disappointed with how the day ended. 

“I didn’t get any ribbons. For anything.” 

Now, guys, I don’t know how to do healthy competition. I have WAY too much guilt to feel competitive, lol! So this is not my strength. And before I could even attempt to discuss with her how she was feeling, she saved it. 

“I still had a LOT of fun. I’m not worried about it. Just. Wish I got a ribbon.” 

And she moved on! 

Ugh. I’m so proud of her. She is a total rockstar. I’m happy she got a chance to compete in the city, and feel special in that way. Go, Laela, go!!! 

Aaaaand back to Wednesday! Hahaha! You guys see what I mean, right? It was SUCH a full day! Event number three was Solly’s bday! Thanks to Laela’s haircut, things went late, but it was still a riot! 

Our main birthday event is that our birthday kid gets to choose all of their food for that day. Often its on a weekend, but Solly’s day fell on a Wednesday, and he simply could NOT wait for the weekend! We had Eggo waffles out of the freezer for bfast, which was a definite treat! I let him be a bit more choosy with his lunch, though it was still out of our usual stuff. He was happy with it 🙂 His highest priority was having grandmas homemade pizza for supper! So while I was off galavanting with Laela in Saskatoon, my mom babysat, all the while making pizza with Sol 💜 Thank you, mom! I’m sorry I wasn’t there to take pictures!

We had homemade pizza, jello, and chips for supper. It was delicious. Supper was done after the point where bedtime has usually already begun! Ack! But the birthday had to go on! So our came the cake!! Ice cream cake, as Solly had requested, and Brady had ordered.

The kids were like kittens, hahaha! Fully fixed on what was about to happen!! 

We sang, and he blew out the six candles I put in the cake, because apparently even my subconscious can’t wrap its head around Sol being seven. 

He wasn’t put off. 

Present time was next, and I don’t I think I’ve ever seen Solomon so hyper. He was just spinning! Panting like a dog, ripping at stuff, stoked beyond belief.

He got lego and an Avengers balance board, to name just a couple of his gifts.

He was super happy with what he got, cards and gifts alike! 

The day went very long and everyone was LOUD and JAZZY and WILD until the breakdowns began, lol! And boy, did they ever!! Wavy missed bedtime because she started crying and just absolutely could not stop. Everyone else made it to prayer time and thanked Jesus for all the fun they had that day. It really was a gooder. 

It was SO fun to celebrate our dear Solomon Brady. We love you, Solly!!! 

Back to Wednesday, guys! After Waverly’s time at kindergarten, the kids came home from school, and shortly thereafter, Laela and I headed out Saskatoon for her long awaited haircut!! 

Laela has wanted a haircut for a pretty long while. She had braids last summer, and then I dragged my feet, haha! And then in the new year, Frozen came up, and we signed a contract not to make any drastic changes to her physical appearance. I kid you not, the day Frozen was over, Laela told me she couldn’t wait for her haircut! So, we booked one. And that happened this week! 

We drove in together, just the two of us, and took some “before” pictures. At first, it was to document the length of her hair, obviously. But it grew from there because she is just so stinking silly! Performing really woke that girl up in some ways, and she is way goofier and more theatrical and posey!! So. We had fun. 

Finally, it was time!! Laela got her hair washed in the sink for the first time. She loved it, haha! Thought it was hilarious. 

Man she’s cute. And she just got cuter. 

Carlinna did the initial cut, and then blowdried it all up before she’d do the finishing touches. Laela loves that stuff. The salon experience. Its blatantly obvious 💜 

As I predicted, Laela would absolutely not let anything be changed after that point. I think Carlinna was allowed to trim a piece or two in the front to get it perfectly even, but that was it! She loved it SO much! 

Goodness she looks JUST like my cousin, Elise, here! Crazy! 

All in all, it was a total success 💜 She is SO happy. She says its light and fluffy and she is SO much happier. It doesn’t pull when she puts her backpack on. It doesn’t hurt to brush. She seems so much brighter. I am so happy for her 💜 

Goodness, guys, there is so much going on over here, its just been a wild time! 😅 But today has, once again, been productive and busy. I’m SO grateful I can actually manage busyness again. What a weird thing to take for granted.

This morning, the kids got up and ready for the day. With the sun comes new freckles 😍 You know how I feel about the kids’ dots.

They ate, packed their backpacks for the day, and then got into the camp stuff! A couple boys buckled down on dishes while the others did some packing for camp this weekend. Lucky for me, biking to school leaves more time before they leave for school, so they worked and got lots done this morning. All three boys have their clothes packed and ready. Laela was in the middle of packing for both herself and Wavy when she had to head out, but she’ll finish it up after school. Kids have packed up glasses and cases. Stuffed toys. Swim stuff. Books. Shoesbootssandals. There is a whole running list, and they check the boxes as they pack them. Once they’re home, footwear will be chosen, jackets packed, and hats located and set aside. Still a good handful of loose ends, but we’re on our way.

Once school kids left, Wavy and I got to the food prep!

Summer days include a TON of fresh veggies! We love to eat a big chunky chicken salad meal when its hot at camp, plus we have chopped veggies every day at lunch time. Six lettuce hearts. Six peppers. Six cucumbers. A bunch of cherry tomatoes and carrots. There is also a bunch of sliced meat for lunches, and I sliced and shredded about 3/4 of a block of cheese. We are set for picnic lunches coming out the nose.

I usually chop three or four of everything, but we have friends at camp that we love to eat with, so it definitely doesn’t hurt to have extra along. And whatever comes home goes into school lunches!

There is still work to do, but things are pretty under control. Kids have done all they could in the morning. I have everything that isn’t clothes in one place. I have a fridge and a freezer list to check off when it’s time to pack coolers. I need to carry everything outside, and I need to move the van around so its super quick to pack when Brady gets home.

Yes, I can load the van myself. Its not a problem. However, these first couple trips to the lake are fuller loads, and its going to be trickier to fit all the things into the van along with his wheelchair. It’ll all fit. If we can fit a kayak in our van, we can fit just about anything in our van. So once he’s home, he’ll likely do most of the van loading while I gather up a supper to eat in the van.

Its going to be a good weekend. I’m ready for it. Just so so grateful for our lake spot and all that comes along with it 💜 Thank you, Lord.

Wednesday was a super full day for our family, with multiple events that warrant their own post! So please forgive me for backpedaling in the coming days! 

Wednesday afternoon held a big event for Wavy – kindergarten orientation!!! She was STOKED to go!

We walked there today in the blazing afternoon heat.

We were greeted by a handful of teachers and grade six students. Wavy was absolutely in her glory, as everyone seemed to know who she was, and they were all full of questions for her. She felt like a rockstar! She was given a name tag and the tour began! 

We were led around the school and showed important points and places, familiarizing her. We eventually landed back at the kindergarten room where she wrote her name, did some cutting, etc. 

She eventually found herself planting pretty glass stones in dirt that grew fake flowers instantly, and she was hooked. So I left her to play and I headed out with the other parents to listen to a shorty presentation about what kindergarten looks like. Let’s be real. None of it was new to me. I know my way around there. But it was nice to see with the other parents, none of which I knew personally, sip coffee, and chat a little. That alone was worth it. 

And it was undeniably a good experience for this little girl. 

She was positively filthy from planting flowers, and was not eager to leave. But the recess bell rang and I convinced her out the door with the promise of a little bit of recess time. She found the middle boys and played with them for a few minutes before we called it and headed home. 

All in all, she was a very happy girl 💜 It was a great afternoon for her, and she is jazzed for kindergarten! I think she’ll fit in beautifully. I am SO proud of her 💜