I would write more, but goodness, we have had the MOST fun this evening with this beautiful group of hooligans and I am both spent and filled to the brim with cozy feelings and hot chocolate 🥰

Merry Christmas from Kinasao to you!

It’s good to be back 💜

I had a pretty good list of things to get done today. I waited anxiously for the babies to go down for naps and would you believe me if I told you that ALL THREE napped at once?!?! Of course, QP had to nap in the swing, not in bed, but that was ok. There is sooooo much vomit that comes out of that baby, the swing is my saving grace sometimes.

I got to work tidying up some spaces that have just filled with junk. Some stuff that needs attention. Some stuff that just needs to be reorganized. Lots that needs to be carried downstairs. Stuff that the kids have dumped. I was elbow deep in a big bag of yarn that I wanted to re-roll and donate to the local Fibrary when I was reminded that I was participating in a baking exchange this weekend! So considering I had done most of what I could in that moment anyway, I dove into baking. And while I thought I might just finish part of the first batch possibly, but I accidentally finished up a nice double batch of homemade oreos ✅✅

Yes. They are as good as they look! And, as a bonus, somehow I had way too much cream cheese frosting sooooo its saved for the inevitable next batch of these suckers!

Mmmmm. Tis the season for treats.

Our little performer is getting all geared up for the fun that is to come! Last week, she had the chance to audition for the Christmas play that the grade sixes put on every year. This year 🙌 The Grinch! She’s a funny one, and had a pretty specific idea of what role she wanted. Partway through the day today, I got this email from her 🤣

She was VERY happy to be given the role of the mayor of Whoville 🤣

So when she came home from school, she was buzzing with excitement. It wasn’t long after that when I reminded her she had yet another audition coming up later that evening for the musical her school is putting on in Spring. She got a little in her head at that point and I let her be for a while. As the time got closer, she asked if we were driving or walking. I told her I wasn’t planning on going with her since it was right around suppertime. She crumbled into a bit of a heap and told me she wanted me with her. It was like, little girl nerves in my very grown up little girl 💜

Needless to say, we went together. We bailed the moment Brady rolled into the driveway, and I sat in the hallway while she auditioned. She went in pretty nervous and came out looking so confident and at ease. My girl.

She told me as we headed home that she really wants the bigger role she auditioned for, but that she would still be super happy with a small role if not. She just wants to be in it, and I love that. She will work HARD on it, this I know for sure.

Its a fun season upcoming! It helps balance out some of the weariness that has come with fostering recently. God always provides.

I had to duck out with everyone today for a little bit. The Lemon Drop had an appointment. It was my first time taking everyone together! While we didn’t all go in anywhere, but we went out together, haha! Basically, it was my first time packing a diaper bag for all three babies.

It was an easy one. It was only going to be a short outing. Only bring a little bit of everything.

I made an 8 oz bottle. And a 4 oz bottle. Both overkill, but offered me some security in case it took a little longer than planned. I filled a sippy cup with water, and added a nutrigrain bar to the bag. Wipes. And – the best part – three different sizes of diapers.

Yes. Having three babies is a lot, especially when you’re trying to adjust to the new one and learn all the ins and outs. But some of these novelties never get old 💜

I’m VERY grateful for the life we’ve been given.

So. We haven’t told you guys yet, but we are back to a party of ten 💜 We made it 3 weeks between placements, and we did have reasons for that. But the time was right and along came – named by Brady – the Quarter Pounder!

Yup. Since I can’t show you anything real, you’re getting AI 🤣

So now our babies range from a toddler down to a baby down to a little baby. It’s a little bit nuts, but man. We would not trade it for a minute 💜

QP only came to us Friday afternoon, and came with us to Kinasao. Though LD stayed home with grandma 💜 But the rest of us spent the first full day with the newbie at camp, which was fitting since that was the ONE family member who hadn’t been there!

I have this really nice picture of Brady sitting across the living room from me, bottle feeding a baby, and in the front of the picture you can see a bottle feeding baby on my lap as well. Its really really lovely 💜 Of course I can’t show you here 🙄 Such a bummer, though understandable. Anyway, I asked AI for help again, and it was a hoot 🤣 You’re welcome.

I gave up, lol!

So the gang is back up to ten. We are back to having two babies in our room. Three cribs in use. The kids are elated to have QP with us, but I will say my favorite response has been that of the Morsel 💜

The Morsel has been with us the longest of any placement, and you would think there would be some rivalry there. Some jealousy. But no. Not for a second. When I first introduced the two, the Morsel lit up with a big bright smile, just pointing eagerly at the baby. And when Brady got home from work, where the Morsel usually chases him down for a ride in the chair, rather, the chase was by a very eager toddler, pointing towards the new family member eagerly, needing to make sure dad saw. It was adorable.

Maybe we weren’t meant to give birth to more children, but I firmly own my belief that I was meant to be a large family mom. It doesn’t mean some days aren’t positively NUTS. I’m not happy every moment of every day. I don’t LOVE all the chaotic situations. But I am so content in my role. I am so grateful for every child that comes through our door, no matter how long they stay. I love the way our life is going.

Thank you, Lord, for answering our prayers and making this whole foster adventure a possibility.

Thank you for Brady.
Thank you for Dekker.
Thank you for Laela.
Thank you for Rowan.
Thank you for Solly.
Thank you for Wavy.
Thank you for the Morsel.
Thank you for the Lemon Drop.
Thank you for the Quarter Pounder.

I am SO blessed by every last one of these people.

Today was the day! We left good and early, dropped the Lemon Drop off with my mom, and headed north for Kinasao.

With the threat of an impending storm, we expected a small turnout, but I was pleasantly surprised with the numbers! We got in some good face time with our dear Dahlsjos, and connected with a handful of other familiar faces. We even had a hilarious reunion with a super sweet woman we met once when buying furniture off Facebook marketplace 🤣 That was unexpected and just so funny!

As the storm moved in, we decided to skip the light tour :/ which was super sad but also, we’ll be baaaaack next weekend!! So well catch them then 🙂

All in all, it was a great success 💜 I sold some things, ate good food, and enjoyed some time sitting and chatting.

I am so beyond grateful for this camp, this spot, and the community.

Tomorrow is the day! We will head off to Kinasao for the day for the marketplace, the socializing, the meals and togetherness, and we’ll wrap up the day with the Christmas light tour! It is a big day with lots of lead up, but we are all really looking forward to it.

Brady, the kids, and I worked late into this evening to get the van loaded up. We brought all the things for the babies. All the emergency winter gear. All the things we would absolutely NEED if we got stranded out there for the night. Cool that it was all up in the garage storage…..

And all the things I need to put my table together for the craft fair again 🙂

Beetlejuice!
Beetlejuice!
Bee-🥊

Thank goodness for the big van! Now we just hope and pray that the roads stay safe and clear.

Do something festive tomorrow, guys!

I wasn’t a soother mom before, but I am now. The babies I’ve had since we started fostering have just needed the extra comfort, and I am totally fine with it. So being that we had three babies for a time, we had a LOT of soothers laying around. When the bigger babies needed bigger soothers, the little soothers all went to the little baby. Meanwhile, the big babies only used a soother in their beds, but the little baby needed one more often. So if you can see where this is going, we have a few big soothers, and one million small soothers.

Ok. Not a million. But, like, too many. More than one baby needs.

But a couple of days ago, I went to pop a soother into the baby, and found we had very few soothers left. Like, only one of the good ones. And you can very likely appreciate the importance of a good soother. So at the next opportunity, I lifted out the crib mattress, and myyyyy goodness.

Yes. There were six soothers all lovingly tucked between the mattress and the wall. SIX! 😂

Retrieving them was a fun challenge, but I did it, and I have a nice stack of soothers to get us through the nights to come, lol!

I’ve been doddling hard but the time has come to actually prep for the upcoming marketplace at Kinasao, considering it is THIS weekend!!! Ack!!! Everyone else is ready, and I’m over here…

Ah well. Nows the time! I’ve spent the last couple of days cranking out toques, and a few headbands. I have a giant stack of items that just need finishing touches done, loose ends tucked, etc. I’m trying to hit all the marks of neutral and brights, in adult and kids sizes. Its super hard to know what to all make and what will and won’t sell. Also, considering the forecast, who even knows how many patrons will arrive?!

Anyway. Half the fun of fibre arts are the fun yarn tunnels that get made when the skein of yarn doesn’t get moved during use. Its even more fun when there’s a surprise at the other end!

A GHOST!

I’m ducking out this evening for Rowan’s parkour, which is probably for the best because I’ve been working on this all day long, hahaha! But tomorrow I’ll be back in action!

And if anyone is looking for a winter toque that is the color of their choice, with the pompom of their choice, now is the time, and I’m your girl!

I am no Pinterest mom, but I love the cute fridge organization acrylic containers as much as the next guy. They look so crisp and lovely when they’re all freshly filled. However, these people with their one tiny container of blueberries just…I don’t know…that isn’t going to work for my family. So I never tried to have that aesthetic, even though I loved the idea of it.

You may have noticed we have a decent sized family over here, and school lunches are one of the things I truly hate putting together. I dislike making lunches the same way I dislike car seats, outerwear, and potty training. They are my least favorite parts of having children 😅 So I set up a bit of a system where the kids know what categories to take, if that makes sense. However, believe it or not, they all like different things 😅 Punks, lol! Having opinions and such. So. I stocked the heck up. And we’re not restocking anything until that thing is GONE gone. As in all things in that category. It’ll make sense. Hear me out. And don’t come for me if you don’t like my options or think some of it is junk. I’m aware. We have balance, and the kids eat really, really well. Promise ✋

So. We have yogurt. Cups and tubes. I think we’ll mostly stick with cups for the next while, the novelty of the tubes has worn off a bit. This last time I bought Activia with fibre. Not everyone likes the little grain bits so we’ll likely buy something different next time. Or maybe two kinds, so they eventually do get the extra fibre, lol! Since I wouldn’t restock it until it was all gone. See what I’m doing here? Also not pictures is lactose free yogurt for the lemon drop. But I foolishly put the babys name on the container so you’ll just have to take my word for it.

Then I made a cheese box! This has been eaten from for a while now, so all the fun new ones are pretty eaten down. The Babybel anyway. I have learned that the kids don’t love the swiss ones. And most of the kids HATE Laughing Calf, which is hilarious!!! 🤣 Solly actually cried when he ate it, hahaha! I don’t mean to laugh that he cried, but man, you had to be there. It was SO funny. He was so upset! Nooooo Laughing Calf for Sol! 🙅‍♀️

So don’t come for me and my plastic bags. I know. Its wasteful and unkind to the world. I get it. But it saves my butt and makes this one part of having five kids in school simpler. I hacked up a big pack of celery, and bought a couple of containers of grape tomatoes, and bagged them into little veggie packs! Some of the kids love celery, and some love tomatoes. Once they’re both gone, I’ll restock with something new. Or, the same stuff if kids want that. But we’ll see. There’s still time.

Apples, always. I bought a couple of big bags of clementines and they actually peel and taste SO nice! Like, Christmas orange style! As you can see, we’re already low on them. But kids will have to eat apples once they’re gone. Kiwis won’t last long either. They’re a favorite for Rowan and sometimes a night snack, also.

Ok. We’re in the pantry now!

I have a huge stack of oatmeal packs. I mostly have them for the babies. Sometimes for Brady. The other kids don’t love them. Though I do wonder if Dekker would take one in a thermos or something on cold days. We’ll have to see.

The next drawer down is apple sauce. Its simple. I don’t love it. The kids do, though. Its an easy snack.

Then granola bars. I have shirked my granola bar making duties for quite some time, so for now, I’m just buying them, and thats ok. Usually I have two kinds going, but they demolished the Quaker yogurt bars. Just nutrigrain left!

And then fruit cups! Originally these were only for the babies. Now that the morsel eats everything, they’re for everyone. And yes, that is the last lone jello fruit cup that I bought by accident, lol!

This top drawer is actually non school snacks that more so show up in the evening. Cashews, pistachios, and dried apricots.

And lastly, squeeze pouches and fruit to gos to throw in a diaper bag for a baby.

In the freezer exists a crazy amount of banana bread. This is around half of whats left in there. I like for everyone to take one each day. Once they’re out, I’ll likely make something else. Or just tweak it slightly. Maybe the next round will be pumpkin bread. We’ll see.

So. This is how we rock lunch these days. Its been fun and interesting giving them more options and seeing what everyone likes and dislikes. I certainly cannot cater to everyones exact preferences every time, but its helpful to know, and I know they’re enjoying the variety as well. So each day, the kids each bring banana bread, something fresh, and a cheese. The rest, they can fill out as they’d like. Its all snacky, which is easier for everyone, though its not all trashy convenience food. Some of it is, for sure, and I’m comfortable with that, lol! I have way fewer lunch items come home at the end of the day. Way less spoiled food tucked away. So I’m here for it!

While all the cute moms making reels have these little organizers, I finally found the right products for us!! They are from Walmart, and they are clear plastic shoe boxes!! 🤣 I kid you not.

There are different sizes, and I never use the lids, but they are perfect! I use the boot ones in my freezer and the regular ones in the fridge. Aaaaand they’re cheap! Between $10-13.

And then, in the pantry, those clear drawers are right along the same lines.

There are really big ones, and slightly more narrow ones. They’re not super heavy, so they bend a little if they’re overfull, but they’re the same cost as the shoe boxes, so its feasible to just have maybe a couple more and spread things out a bit. I also have these in my bathroom to make up for the storage space I had in the last place that I do not have here. Oh and I hold unfinished crochet projects in some as well. They are good for so so many things, and again, affordable!!

These exist in Walmarts kind of by the cloth storage cubes, near some of the laundry baskets, entrance mats, step stools, etc. Do you know the spot? They’re over there somewhere. Hidden gems!!

Plastic gems, perhaps 😅 but gems nonetheless!