This morning was really, really hard for me. Please, leave your judgement at the door. Maybe it would’ve been easy for you, but it was a challenge for me.

You may remember my post from the other day about Waverly’s hair coming out. We’ve tried to be on top of it, observing how much is coming out and whether she’s pulling it or its just coming out on its own still. Laela started notifying us that she could hear Wavy pulling out her hair. She described it as a loud scratch. Recently, its become clear that, as Wavy mindlessly rolls the hairball in her hair, she goes as far as to pop it into her mouth. And that, my friends, could really mess her up.

I messaged my hair girl and friend, sent her some pictures, and asked her if there was anything she could do in the way of a short feminine style. She was SO warm and understanding of our situation, and she gently told me, if it was her daughter, she would shave it off and start fresh. I was not surprised. I was sad, but I knew it was the right answer. So thats what we did. I promised her a treat, and she agreed happily!

“Ok. A cookie and a haircut.”

We congregated up in our bathroom, wrapped her in a towel, and went to it. Wavy sat perfectly the entire time. It was unreal.

It was a challenge. I did not want to cut her hair one bit. But she was not put off at all. She liked the attention, and she liked to blow the trimmer off.

She was SO agreeable, but I admit we were concerned about her reaction. I took lots of time to try and get it as even as possible.

Finally, I needed to just call it. There was SO much hair.

But I am SO pleased to report that Waverly wasn’t put off AT ALL.

She was SO comfortable and content. We got her dressed back in her clothes and gave her a cookie, and she went on her merry way.

She is still so gorgeous, and I know I’m her mom and I have to say that. But she is. Her face is so stinking cute, and her little fuzzy head is SO adorable. And as you know if you’ve spent any time around her at all, you know she is positively bursting with personality. Nothing holds her back. I am SO impressed with her.

My heart hurts a little. I loved her delicious thick long wavy hair. I miss it. 💔 I cannot believe we had to shave her head. But her health is so much more important, and now she has no hair to tear out or ingest.

This is best.

It will stay this way, this short, for quite some time as we work to dissolve her habit.

So many firsts with you, Waverly. You’re a brave soul! I love you!

Today was such a sweet day! One of the good ones.

Cher and I made a plan to have coffee at my house in the morning before she got to her regular day stuff. She mentioned that she misses my mom, and we should invite her. My mom accepted our offer! Woot! Coffee with some of the best people! It was officially booked!

Then, in the morning, I got Laela up for school and talked with her about going to school on her own, with it not being one of Rowan’s days and with Dekker still being home “sick.” She was totally fine with it, but then suggested maybe grandma would like to bike with her. I thought it was such a cute idea, and as I suspected, my mom jumped at the idea! So that was pretty cute.

Cher came by shortly before 9:00 and my mom was back from school shortly thereafter. My mom, Cher, Brady, and I sat in the living room and caught up for an hour or so. It just felt so homey. Which makes sense, with it being my home, but my people are my home, too. I loved the morning.

Shortly after 10:00, Cher had to head home to get on some of her stuff going, and we visited a little longer with my mom. She proposed an idea to me, then, that she had special gift cards for Red Lobster and wanted to take me out! She and I love Red Lobster, and its somewhere we like to go together when we can. And obviously, its been a while, thanks to Covid. She also mentioned she had noticed I was in need of a new bra (there’s a whole other story there) and wanted to pull a mom move, and buy me a new bra. Isn’t that SO nice?! I’m learning to let people help us, and its not a secret that Brady has been off work since Covid blew up, so I accepted her beautiful offer, and we decided to make a date!

Aaaaand that date was today! Hahaha! Because, why not??

We chose to start at Red Lobster. Which turned out to be an excellent choice because we NEEDED to move after all. That. Food. 😳

Those are seafood stuffed mushrooms for starters. And then we had some kind of trio feast with three kinds of shrimp. I could’ve eaten those buttery ones for days. My goodness it was SO good.

After lunch, we ambled our way out of the restaurant and went to Circle mall. Apparently, La Senza is just over 🤷‍♀️ Who knew? Probably people who usually shop there. That isn’t us. So we hopped limped back into the car and went to Midtown for Victorias Secret.

We waited in a long line and finally made it into the store. We scoured the inventory before finally asking someone and finding exactly what we were looking for in the verrrrry front of the store. Because why not? Once I had bras in hand, we were informed the change rooms were closed! So that made it all a bit trickier. They assured us the return policy was still the same, and we’d have 90 days to return for a refund. So my mom said she would happily buy one, or even a few, and return what didn’t work. It turned out there was really only one that made sense to try, but it was pretty pricey on its own. We brought it to the till, and thanks to an unmarked sale, the $65 bra was down to $18. Couldn’t believe it. Thank you Lord for caring about my bras! And thank you mom for buying me one!

Aaaaand, spoiler alert, it fits beautifully!

I came home to my family, who all seemed pretty happy and content. We made them an easy breakfast for supper, and Brady and I plan to eat later after they go to bed, to spend some time together. And a soak! Mmmmm!

Tomorrow, Dekker is back to school! So he and I will both feel fresh and new!

My. Goodness.

As of yesterday, the plan for today was very normal. Kids go to school. Coffee with Cher in the morning, and maybe a movie during naps! But as tends to happen, things changed.

Dekker got sent home from school yesterday because his stomach hurt. *sigh* Don’t get me started. So he was home today, and will be tomorrow, as well. On top of that change, Brady had an appointment yesterday gone less than ideal, and scheduled a doctors appointment for this morning. Small changes. We could roll with those. And we did. Brady drove Laela and Rowan to school on his way into his appointment. Simple.

The changes kept coming, and that is how today has been riddled with appointments, test, exams, and multiple trips into Saskatoon. I’ll go into detail in the coming days, I promise. Not trying to be a jerk, but there are a lot of thoughts to gather. Oy.

Brady is physically exhausted. I am emotionally exhausted. The kids are tired from a day at school and Dekker is picking fights after being bored all day, at home, “sick.”

I sign off now, just in time to whip up some peanut butter and jam sandwiches for the kids to eat on our third drive into the city.

Lord give us strength! 😅

Can’t have another post like yesterdays! Hahaha! Wasn’t the rain overnight lovely, though?? My fave!

I slept like a rock last night but woke up a bit unsettled. Such is life, I suppose! Regardless, I got up and Brady and I got the kids up for the day! My mom had lovingly dropped off fresh homemade muffins yesterday, so everyone had muffins for breakfast. (Why is there no muffin emoji??) The kids were SO happy about that! Now that school starts later, they don’t leave as early, and I’ve got to say, its WEIRD how long they stick around, hahaha! I say that with all the love in my heart. I’m not eager to kick them out. Its just strange. It used to be breakfast, brush up, bathroom, backpacks, and they’d be out the door. Today, they did that, and then played for about a half hour! SO nice, but SO strange!

Brady headed to an appointment this morning, and to run an errand or two. It wasn’t the best morning for him, unfortunately, as his appointment yielded no results, and there is no longer paint at Sarcan :/ Double merp. But, he tried. Onto plan B in both situations, I guess!

While he was away, the kids played, and I crocheted. I actually managed to complete an entire project this morning, which I’m kind of proud of! Woot! I feel successful and productive! I’m definitely feeling projecty these days, but I’m not sure what I’ll start next. Maybe I’ll just *gasp* sit 😳 And eat noodles!

Thats the plan for the next half hour, anyway. And watch a little Schitts Creek. Did you hear how they did at the Emmys?!?! I’m both floored, and also not at all surprised that they cleaned house!

Have a good lunch!

😳Sometimes, I almost forget to blog. I’ve fallen into a nice habit of day blogging, but when I don’t have the time, I aaaaalmost forget at the end of the day! Yikes!

Today was busy for lots of really great reasons, though! I finished a crochet project I have been excited about for a long while. I went for a drive with Cher, and she bought me coffee. I ate pizza buns with Brady during quiet time. My mom came over with watermelon. We went for a walk in the grey weather. It rained! We roasted potatoes from the garden for supper, as well as sausage and green beans. Smile cookies for dessert, thanks to Cher, once again. Brady and I visited with mom after the kids went to bed. And now, the house is quiet, except for Meryl, who is putt-putting through the house, cleaning up dirt and cookie crumbs.

Its been a full, beautiful day. Hence, why the blog is short and also later than usual. No regrets! Happy last evening of the weekend, friends!

Sitting??? What is that even like?! The real question, though: Will it last?

So far today, I’ve sat. Mostly. I put a load of laundry in. Brady did the dishes. But I’m currently looking some things up on Pinterest, and he is playing a game on his phone. Kids are happily playing in the backyard. No one is currently crying, lol! What is this life?!

Brady seeded our front yard yesterday, so I guess we’ll have to get up to water it on and off. I’ll have to switch laundry out eventually. There are a few things to tidy and bring downstairs. I need to sign into the kids Seesaw accounts for school, because I still haven’t! Whoops! Kids need baths. I should plan supper. But really, thats all. Not so bad!

I need to decide, though. Maybe you guys can help me. I bought a cabinet off of Marketplace. I was expecting to get from Ikea for $400 someday, but I found the PERFECT alternative option for $10!!! We have had no income for about six months, and can justify next to nothing, but at $10, there was no way we could turn it down. The one problem is that its a refinishing project. Not really in a big way, though! Drawers need adjusting, but I have a Brady for that. That’ll be easy. And I wouldn’t mind the paint being beat up except that there is a bit of splintering on the front of it, and we’ll need to sand it smooth. So it needs a sand and paint. I have white paint, but there is a lot of white in our house, so we wanted a color. We have pink leftover from the camper cabinets, and no one is against it. But we know what color we want, and its not pink. If we painted it pink, we would want to repaint it down the road. We could even just do it white, and then repaint it. But I fear, once its in the house, in use, we won’t go to the bother of repainting it, and it would really be better with a different color. But we really can’t justify the cost of something we don’t need.

Help me, friends! Should I…

A. Paint it white and repaint later?

B. Paint it pink and repaint later?

C. Spring for paint?

D. I have an idea for cheap paint!

I’d welcome suggestions!! But I can’t hack the fact that the perfect cabinet and answer to SO MANY ORGANIZATIONAL ISSUES is living in my garage because its the wrong color 🙄 Crazy, right??

Since I started writing this post, Brady has gone out to till the garden up. I guess its not a totally lazy day. I should go tend to the laundry. Meryl is even working downstairs. No excuses!

I feel kind of jumbled these days, but not necessarily in a bad way. Just, busy brained. Is that a thing? It is now. This is kind of a grab bag post, I suppose.

I have veggies to find homes for, but I’m SO thankful for them all!!! Eek! Have to get organized!

I have my second load of laundry going, and dishes are caught up! Woot!

A dear teacher/friend of ours left a gift on our doorstep this morning. ❤️ I truly fought tears when we found her gift. I LOVE our people!

Speaking of teachers, are we allowed to give teacher gifts this year? I’m already planning ahead, and I’m realizing if the kids can’t bring anything from home, can they bring gifts? 🤔 Huh.

Has anyone jumped on the Hamilton train? Its AMAZING! The soundtrack runs nonstop over here.

How can I busy Wavy’s hands while she’s tired to keep her from pulling her hair out?! Gaaaaah!!!

Someone gave us a Hello Fresh meal the other day! Guys, I get it. I only with it was feasible for our family, but nah. Made for a really tasty little date for Brady and I, though!!

Rowan took a head to the face the other day and bled like a crazy man. His mouth was FULL of blood and he was distraught. I stuffed his mouth with Kleenexes and smooched his cheeks until he giggled. Then I pointed out all the things he had bled on in my bathroom, and he kind of loved that. So, win??

Goodness, even covered in blood, he is SO handsome!

Wavy sang happy birthday to our ornamental gourds the other day. No joke. “Happy biiiiiirdday to… Gord.”

I wonder if we’ll be able to seed grass still. Its not too late, is it? Oy, have priorities changed this year!

I have to get my room tidied up soon so I can mess it up again with Christmas stuff!

I have a lot of things I want to can still. Tomatoes. Potatoes. Jam…

Aaaaand I’ll leave you with this little freak.

He’s not bizarre at all. Neither is this post. 😳 You came here willingly.

I’m sure a lot of you have seen this meme somewhere online.

Its very relatable in my case! Especially in parking lots. Anyone else? 🙋‍♀️ I never thought of it as that strange, because its about concentrating, and focusing better on what you’re doing! Right?? Right. Cool. Glad we agree.

Yesterday, I had a good laugh at myself. I attended a meeting about playschool this fall, and we all wore masks, except for the one person who did the bulk of the speaking, which I really appreciated. Its not a secret that masks muffle speech. Obviously. At one point, a person shared her piece with the group, and for those few minutes, I strained to hear her. And my FIRST response was to take my mask off. Hahaha! How silly is that?! It was like, somehow taking off my mask would help me hear her better! 😂 Goodness, Hailey, you’re SUCH a dork.

Aaaaanyway, that is my embarrassing story for the day. 💁‍♀️You’re welcome.

I recently posted about Waverly’s hair loss, and the post got a TON of hits. I take that to mean that a lot of people care about her, and the things that go on around here. So, friends who care about Wavy’s bald head, here is your update.

I took Wavy in her for a follow-up with Dr. Guselle today. My poor little dear was oddly extra shy, and even sitting in the waiting room, she insisted on turning around, and laying on my shoulder rather than facing out. She was just uncomfortable. Poor girl. We were called in to an exam room and still, she sat pressed into me, and wouldn’t look up.

Dr. Guselle was so warm and lovely, as always. I’m so sad about how many people have to choose between good medicine and good demeanour. I am SO fortunate to have both with her. We discussed how things had been over the last few weeks. Had things gotten better or worse. What had changed. Any attached concerns. She always asks me what my gut says, and I LOVE that!! Because sometimes, moms know. (I remember Dr. Guselle standing up for me once, saying “Not everyone knows whats good for them, but often, moms do. And Hailey is one of the moms that knows.” I loved that.) She touched Wavy’s head and hair, checked her all over good and proper for irritation, and even looked through the little photo folder I had compiled on my phone for this appointment. It went like this.

First, that crazy rash again…

Then, the first time I realized how awful her hair loss was.

This shows that she keeps getting little rash blob moments on her legs.

This was three different kinds of spots. A bug bite, a super full zit, and a spot that just showed up where her last rash started, under her eye. Oh, and sand, lol!

And an example of a hairball. Gross.

This is the NICEST I can make her hair look these days.

I mentioned that Waverly has been sticking her fingers into her ears a lot, and right away, Dr. Guselle got the otoscope and sat down on the floor in front of us. As she always does, she talked Wavy through it. She showed her the “flashlight” and offered for her to touch it and let her finger turn pink. Wavy would have none of it, but once both Dr. Guselle and I had both touched it, she tried it and laughed. Then, Dr. Guselle put the “hat” on it and we all touched it again. No problems! Wavy easily turned her head and kept still while both her ears were checked. She obediently opened her mouth to have her throat looked at too. She is all well in those ways!

We both kind of assumed the same outcome, though its not as much a medical answer as just a life answer. We think her hair all started coming out easier, thanks to her body response to her crazy rashes, and now its a bit of a habit that needs breaking. Which is going to be hard, because the willpower of a two year old is diddly squat, lol! My options are maybe trying to braid her hair, which would be suuuper ugly, lol, thanks to the fact there is only length on the sides now (😩#joeexotic) or maybe a haircut, which would be SO sad! Both of these ideas would make it harder for her to actually grip and yank her hair. If there is no improvement, we’re going to have to do something. In the meantime, while we wait for the derm referral to go through, I’m going to treat the few teeny tiny spots on her scalp with the same cream we used on her hands when they were at their worst, just in case there is some irritation there that she’s experiencing that I’m just not noticing.

My gut tells me this will likely get better with time. It just will. She is SUCH a smart little girl, and its already not as bad as it was a few weeks ago. But I just ache for her to feel total health and relief.

As suspected, the moment we were out of the office, she was a bundle of energy, chatting away about the doctor and the sticker she had been given. “Sticko! Puppies! My hair! The light! THE FLASHLIGHT!” She is such a faker. We all knew it all along.

I guess todays update isn’t really much of an update, but its something. Its a continued effort to find answers. She’s more than worth the work! Little Joe. *sigh*

Yesterday, between supper and bedtime, Brady and I drove the kids to a nearby acreage to get some fresh veggies! We paid in the form of a donation for the Bridge in Saskatoon. We got a green Superstore bin of potatoes, as well as some bags of big tomatoes (none of ours lived,) a bag of peppers, and a handful of table cucumbers. That was the plan, anyway.

The family that we were buying from had grown a pack or ornamental gourds for fall decorating, and somehow, no one was snapping them up! She encouraged us to have all we wanted, so none went to waste! So I grabbed a bagful, considering I would never afford myself to buy any in store. This was a fun way to acquire some!

Before we could leave, she realized we had the kids along, and insisted they each come choose a pumpkin! So we did that, too 🙂 They LOVED it!

It was very cute. Every kid was shining with excitement, as was the woman orchestrating our purchase. It was so fun! She insisted the fun couldn’t stop there, so the kids grabbed another group of those crazy decorative gourds, and then we left.

This is only part of our haul. It was so much fun to go buy veggies that way, and to contribute to an important cause feels good, too. How generous of that family. They donated ALL proceeds to the Bridge!! Amazing, hey??

I am SO grateful to have so many good fresh veggies in my possession! It meant the kids had garden cucumbers for their school lunches today. It means toasted tomato sandwiches til the cows come home. It means potatoes for months, maybe! Not to mention, we dug out our garden yesterday, too.

A far less impressive haul, but every little bit counts!

Thank you, Lord, for your blessings!