I’ve been saying for several days now that we’re going to decorate the Christmas tree, but this afternoon, we FINALLY did it! This is our first year with an artificial tree. We’ve always used real trees, which I have loved, but their one downfall is that I have to wait until a ways into December before I can put one up! So we rocked a fake tree this year, and while I love having it up early, I admit that I’m a bit sad that it doesn’t look the same. Our tree is gorgeous! Its lush and very real looking, but its not the little charlie brown tree that I’m used to. Its darker. Weirdly, I think it’ll be an adjustment for me to love it. But either way, I know I should just be very thankful I have it at all 🙂 I love having the Christmas tree up.

Other than that, we did the rest of our Christmas decorating. Its not much at all, considering we’re trying to sell the house and have to be ready for a showing at a moments notice. The less clutter the better, always. But we did the few things we had decided one, and besides that, we’re just trying to keep our poinsettias alive. Easy peasy, and festive.

We had a SUPER yummy supper of potatoes and this delicious lemon pepper fish from Costco (that I haven’t been able to find in ages) and now we are tired and sluggish and ready for bed. Rowan has been having a rough go on his milk today, since he can’t breathe and all, so we’re hoping he takes after his siblings and sleeps his sickness off rather than waking up a hundred and one times in the night. He looks sleepy to me!

Now that our tree is up, it looks more Christmassy out here 🙂 When can I wrap presents for under the tree?! I’m so ready!!!

We spent all day today Christmas shopping! I always look forward to this day, yet it usually looks different. Brady and I often do at least a chunk of it kid-free, but we didn’t have that option until much later into December, and I’m already feeling SO behind this season! So we got everyone pumped up about the day ahead, threw them all into their new winter jackets (because it was SO COLD today!) and got on the road mid-morning.

I’ve got to say, we CRUSHED it today!! We got everywhere we wanted to, cleared the list of things that we were hoping to accomplish today, and we did it in good time with great attitudes from everyone involved! Clearly someone was praying for us today, because MAN!, it could have been different, with three of us under the weather. It was a huge success, and Brady and I both feel like it was an incredibly smooth day.

I know its weird to talk about money, and I don’t much care to, but if you’ve been following me for any length of time really, you’ll know that we do a little savings thing through the year so that, regardless of Brady’s work load, we don’t have to be broke over Christmas. By the end of October, we’ve saved roughly $1500, and that is meant to cover Christmas, top to bottom, whatever we need it for. Coats, gas to visit family, gifts, seasonal coffee, you name it, it counts. Well, we don’t have any huge plans for this year, so in the beginning of the day, we deposited $1000 of it into our account, right back into savings. So we ran our day on $500, straight cash. And I am THRILLED to say we easily stayed within that amount. We have over $100 left!! Plus, $100 was spent on Christmas tree lights, food, a few little groceries we just needed, coffee, etc. So its not as though we went hog wild on gifts. There is still a bit of shopping left to do, but I feel very happy with the outcome thus far 🙂 We’re almost done, and have spent a small amount of what we saved. Its nice to know that a bunch will stay in our savings. It always feels good entering a new year with extra savings, right?

The kids were patient and pleasant, and we only had a small number of whiny moments. We could tell at one point that the kids were fading, so we drove thru at McDonalds for drinks and a treat. The kids just wanted water, so we got them each a cup of water, free small coffees for Brady, and four of their new soft baked chocolate chip cookies. We paid $2.10 for that snack, and let me tell you! Get in on those cookies! Ours were hot and melty and delicious! For $0.50, you can’t go wrong!

We got home around 6:00pm, so the kids got their supper decently late. We felt bad putting them to bed at 7:00 when they’d slept the whole drive home, and then ate so late. They were so energized! So we asked them if they’d like to stay up a little bit later and they were both SO happy! They seemed to accept bedtime pretty well when it was time, and now everyone is tucked in. Are we are tuckered out! Lol!

Supper and a soak are in order. I’m chilled through and through, and my tummy is growling. But I feel weirdly refreshed. Its been a great day! Now to wrap presents and get everything else started! Hopefully I’ll start some baking soon!

Laela has had a runny nose for a day or two, but she’s been a chipper little girl regardless of it. Yesterday evening, we put all of the kids down at the normal time, right around 7:00pm. Rowan fell asleep, but was in and out like crazy until about 8:30 when he seemed to break. When we went to him, he was snotty and dry coughing and a big sloppy sick mess.

After an incredibly interesting night, to say the least, I woke up with a sore throat and a slightly runny nose as well. Brady and Dekker are still in the clear, but as a family of five, we know how the cycle works. No one is safe.

Brady had a morning meeting, so he went to that on his own. Then he snagged some Tims for us, and dug our Christmas decorations out of the storage container. It was good to have him home and start doing the very beginning of Christmas decorating. Unfortunately, we discovered that we threw away the majority of our tree lights when we packed our decor up to put into the container. It makes sense. Most of the strands were pretty pathetic, and need to be replaced, but I wish I had remembered! Because of that, we couldn’t decorate our tree. But we did set up a cute little display that I started last year that we really like. Just some little mismatched trees on a ledge above our stairs. No big deal, but I like it anyway.

We didn’t accomplish too much on top of that. If you know me at all, you’ll know that, if I feel at all under the weather or strained in some way, I get chilled. I have been frozen for a good half day now, and I know I’m not the only one. Plus, we’ve all got to be ready for tomorrow! We’re going Christmas shopping tomorrow!!! Its going to be lots of fun, and LOTS of everything, haha! Going with our three kids will be an interesting dynamic, but I’m excited to give it a go anyway 🙂 This evening, Brady and I made a list of all of the places we need to hit, which ones we’ll rather order from, where we’ll go if we can’t find what we’re looking for at the first place, etc. We have our cash that we slowly save throughout the year so we don’t have to feel broke at Christmas, and I got it all organized and ready to go so we can hopefully pay for all of our Christmas gifts in cash! Something about that feels awesome 🙂 Though counting the nickles and dimes out makes me feel like an old lady 🙂 Its ok. Old ladies are onto something with that, I’m sure.

Hopefully the fam sleeps well and is all feeling well tomorrow! I feel so behind already with Christmas shopping, I’m determined that tomorrow will be a success!

We took Rowan in to speak to his doctor today. As I’ve mentioned, his meds are helping him east better, for sure, but he’s begun fighting his morning bottle again. However, less than an hour after he refuses that morning bottle, he wants it so badly. I think he’s waking up and feeling refluxy because his meds aren’t lasting through the night, so when they finally kick in, he’s starving.

I mentioned it to my doctor and she was more than willing to figure out his top dose. She figured out how many mg/kg he was allowed to take, and bumped his dose up! He’s allowed to take up to 3 mls 2x a day, which is twice what he’s been taking. Obviously we won’t go all the way to the top immediately, but I’m confident now with how much he can have, and I can start experimenting with going higher in doses and see what works. Of course, as his tummy muscles get stronger and he gets more mobile and eats more solid food, we’ll ween him off of it all. But not yet. He’s in that in-betweener stage where he just needs some extra help. We all do sometimes.

After his appointment, we grabbed lunch and waited for Brady to run into work for a quick 20 minutes to throw on a basement hand rail. We picked up some parts for Bradys van and then made our way to Dr. Mike’s office. Brady and I both needed adjustments so the whole clan joined the party. Dr. Mike never ever seems bothered by the crew. He walked around and adjusted Brady while delicately stepping over Rowan, who was rolling himself around the room. He talked with Dekker and even teased him a bit and rubbed his head. I know thats small, but I LOVE that interaction. Part of it is because I can see how far Dekker has come, and how not too long ago, he would have flipped his lid if someone touched his head or addressed him even. But I love it even more because Dr. Mike has gotten that reaction from Dekker, and has still persisted to have a bit of a camaraderie with him, and its paid off! Dekker really likes him! So as usual, it was a good appointment.

When we were just on our way out of town, we saw on FB that a friend was needing some drywall mud to finish a reno, so since we were already in the city, we grabbed some and brought it over to save them a trip. It was actually really fun to go walk through their house and see their plans and progress and everything they’d dreamed up!! What a vast improvement that is going to be for their home! It was just fun to be part of the excitement for the fifteen minutes that we were there. I can’t wait to see the end result!

We drove home with 2/3 kids sleeping in the van, while the little miss worked tirelessly to wake them. Upon arriving home, we pulled out the winter gear that we bought the kids at the end of the season last year to see if it fit. Dekkers jacket is definitely a bit oversized, but a nice long coat never hurt a little boy. Laela actually had two new sets. She’ll rock the 2T this winter and likely be up to the 3T next year. The 3T is SO much cuter, but I didn’t know she’d stay so petite! Live and learn, I guess. And we didn’t try Rowans stuff on him because he was “out of sorts,” we’ll say, but its 12-18 months, which is exactly what he’s wearing now, so I’m sold on it. They’re all so cute in their new stuff, and they all love it. Win!

We finally put up the tree, but all of our decoration are in our storage container, so that will come another day. We ate pulled pork for supper that had been cooking all day, which was delicious, and then the kids went down pretty soon after. Everyone was trashed, but in a good way, I think. Hopefully a good nights rest will be just the right thing for everyone, and tomorrow will be another lovely day. Brady has a morning meeting, but then hopefully he’ll snag our decorations on the drive home and we can get on some of that. The kids are so ready for the festivities to begin!!

And so I am. I love Christmas 🙂

It was a really good day. I’m feeling very thankful.

I had a very strange, anxious, difficult night last night, and I woke up feeling a little bit under the weather. However, I was so thrilled to have Brady home today, and to be having Kim and her kids over for the day! It was a pick me up after my unpleasant night! I don’t remember the last time their crew made their way out here for a playdate that wasn’t related to a birthday party! Things just keep coming up. Sickness, weather, you name it, its interfered with our plans. But today was in stone! Despite my crappy night and her youngest sons MAD teething and their super early morning, we were determined.

I’m glad we were. It was so nice to just be in each others space, and get caught up in visiting. The kids were great, and pretty much entertained themselves and each other. They played with those Wendys links and Duplo, and watched some Chuggington and Paw Patrol. We ate a yummy lunch and kept the conversation moving. But it was finally time, after her three year old passed out on the couch, for them to haul out and head home.

I’ll admit that I fell asleep on the recliner not too long after they left, but not because they were a handful or anything. My restless night just caught up with me and I dozed a little bit. As we occasionally do, we opted to feed the kids and just eat after they go to bed. Dekker ate like a champ, but Laela didn’t eat too much. Rowan had roughly half an egg, which is great for him! He really enjoyed it today. But the kids were trashed incredibly early, and at 6:30, they’re already tucked away for the night. Hopefully they use the early bedtime to their advantage and have good long rests. I sure plan to use it to my advantage and sleep better tonight!

First, though, supper with Brady. I’m hungry.

Today was had the opportunity to go to the Childrens Discovery Museum before it technically opened for the day. Kim had booked it for two hours before opening for her oldest sons birthday party. I had never been, and honestly, I didn’t know it existed.

We arrived shortly before 10:00am in an effort to let the kids warm up a bit before everyone else arrived. We were pleasantly surprised when they dove right in and played without looking back. Laela found a dolly (“goggy”) and Dekker threw on a reflective vest and hardhat, and worked with the pylons. He loves a good ‘struction zone. Everyone started piling in, and our kids seemed totally fine with it. Brady and I sat and visited with the other parents and watched Rowan breakdance on the floor. It was nice to get reacquainted with the friends we had met at the last birthday party, and meet a few other friends. Kim and Aarons parents were all in attendance, so it was nice to put names to faces that way too. (PS I don’t think I’ll ever picture your dad without a beard. He looks great! He should always have one.)

We did some singing and eating and gift opening before the kids could no longer be contained and went back to playing while they still had some time. It was a loud, uproarious, laughter-filled event. I can confidently say that every kid had an absolute blast, including the birthday boy.

We left right around noon and headed for lunch. After a quick bite to eat, we dropped by Costco to get a refill of Rowans prescription, and then drove home. The kids didn’t nap at all, and we didn’t get home until around 3:00, so it was too late for naps. So its now bedtime, and everyone is SO ready!

I’ll close the blog off with a few cute pictures from the party. I apologize in advance. I know some people see them flip flopped or upside down or just wrong in general. They are showing up correctly on my laptop but obviously not everywhere. We’ll be calling Bluehost tomorrow to see whats going on, so if they’re wrong, just use your imaginations 😉

I really had a fabulous morning. So rarely do I get to spend time with my sisters, as we all live in different provinces, but today, I spent a good chunk of time texting with both my sister, Caitlin, and my sister in law, Grace. I think I can honestly say that we don’t talk too terribly often. Its not due to a lack of love or interest, but we just all lead super busy lives. Sometimes I’ve felt like my life is the boring one, haha, but its actually been incredibly busy recently, and there is no difference with my sisters, thats for sure! Everyone has lots going on, and the conversation was flowing easily. My gosh, I miss those girls.

I will see Caitlin at Christmas, which is probably one of the most anticipated events, if I’m being honest. I likely won’t see Gracey until May or June, but our texting relationship has grown, and I feel nice and close to her, even though we’re far away in actuality.

This morning just felt a little bit like we were all hanging out together 🙂 which I love. Hopefully it can happen in person in the Spring or Summer. I can’t wait! I miss you girls!

I haven’t updated on Rowan much these days. He is finally taking his medicine willingly, which is a really nice change of pace. He’s never fought it too terribly hard, but having three hands would be an asset. I no longer have to ask Dekker for help, though he was always so willing to hold one of Rowan’s hands for me, and to his credit, he never let go. But now, Rowan associates his medicine with wellness, and its wonderful to see!

Unfortunately, it seems that while he’s found some relief, its not quiiite enough, and he’s struggling again. He is waking up a bit more in the night and really fighting his bottle in the day. Its always harder accepting that after we’ve seen such improvement, but knowing its medical rather than just defiance helps a lot.

So today, I took him in to see Dr. Mike again. We’re waiting to see Dr. Guselle again next week to see if we can up his dosage, but until then, we figured a bit of chiropractic help would be beneficial.

I’ve said it time and time again, but Dr. Mike is exceptional. He took Rowan from me and walked him around the room a little bit, showing him stuff, and getting him comfortable in new arms. He gave him something to play with and then began treating him. He sort of gets down on one knee and props Rowan up on the other knee, and feels along his spine. Its sort of like a little massage. The best part is that it tickles Rowan. While Dr. Mike was “tickling” Rowan, Ro would belly laugh and lean back, very intentionally, and turn his head to try and find someone to snuggle with. Dr. Mike happily obliged his request, and nuzzled him through his treatment. When it was all over, Ro clapped for Dr. Mike. It was pretty sweet, honestly. Dr Mike agreed that Rowan needed the adjustment. He said he wasn’t too far gone, and that he straightened up very easily, so thats a plus. He gave us some tips, but they basically all centre around being diligent with what we’re already doing. Keeping his meds up, holding him correctly, encouraging him to roll both ways, encouraging more and more solid foods (to strengthen tummy muscles and push down reflux) and just basic things like that. It was a really good treatment, though. I felt confident when we left, knowing it was good to have brought him and that help was certainly on its way.

We ran a few more errands, grabbed supper, and came home right at bedtime. The kids are still pretty riled up but we’re feeling good. Brady and I both had really good days, the kids are happy, and we have absolutely nowhere to be tomorrow!!! I think we’ll do laundry and virtually nothing else. Perrrfect.

The kids and I went to see some friends for a playdate today. I think the last time we spent a day with them was about two years and three children less. We each had one, and now there are five between us. It was a long overdue date.

Getting out the door to drive there was a bit of an endeavour. Remember how yesterday was deathly rainy and windy and just begging to push every vehicle into the ditch? Today, most of the ice was gone, and driving conditions were just generally better. It was colder, though. So I started the van probably fifteen minutes before I planned to leave, and got the kids all dressed and ready to go.

We all made our way outside slowly, careful not to wipe out on the sidewalk and such. I went to the side of the van that we usually let the kids in, and tried to open the door. And it was frozen shut. The dumbest part of it was that the automatic sliding function that we love SO much makes it way harder to fight with. I reefed on it like crazy, but the thing just clicked. It was basically laughing at me. So I had the pleasure of bringing them all around, putting Rowan in his car seat, and unceremoniously loading Dekker and Laela into the van overtop of his seat, making sure to smack their heads on the roof good and proper on the way in. Mom of the year award? I think yes. Then, for any neighbours already watching me in amusement, I had the pleasure of climbing into the van overtop of Rowan as well. I closed his door behind me in an effort to warm us all up again, and I buckled everyone in. I also pushed the “open” button of the frozen door, and solidly bodychecked it at just the right time, successfully breaking the ice and rendering it useful again! Win!

We did finally make it out the door, once I managed to defrost the windshield enough to use the wipers. It was kind of a mess getting out of the driveway, but I was pleased to see the highways were pretty well clear, and much more comfortable for travel! We made it to our friends place in good time.

We arrived mid morning and stayed into the mid/late afternoon. It was so long overdue, and I throughly enjoyed our visit! Dekker didn’t play shy really at all, and all four of the kids (minus Ro) played beautifully together!! At some points, Laela and her little 18 month old playmate were playing downstairs, just the two of them. It was adorable. We ate well and played well and chatted forever. I certainly hope this is something that can happen more than every two years, because it felt like something I would enjoy much more regularly 🙂 Its so good to catch up with friends, no matter how long its been.

When we did leave, we were not on the road for five minutes before all three of my children were cashed out. We even lurked in our driveway at home for a bit while they lulled awake. They were tuckered right out, but in a really really good way 🙂

And now I am also tuckered out. As per usual, a soak and a snack are in order. And then early to bed, like our new usual. It feels amaaaaazing to be getting extra sleep! Everyone should try going to bed before 10:00 one of these days. I know, I’m a night owl too. Just feels great trying something new!

After my incredibly long day (after my incredibly short night) I am both pleased and embarrassed to have fallen asleep at 9:15 last night. My children lulled me awake very gently, through the monitor and Ro from his playpen, but I was able to lay still and rest until a solid 8:00. It is a beautiful thing that Dekker is now comfortable enough to go to the bathroom on his own in the morning. Its not that he doesn’t pee by himself, because he always does, but he has never been mischievous enough to leave his room in the morning before I come to get them. So it took a bit of convincing for him to know it was ok to leave his room without my permission. But he does it now, and climbs right back into bed. He actually even pees in the night on his own! Its awesome, and makes way less risk for morning accidents. Win!

Anyway, I had a great night and was feeling so ready to go to Kims for a playdate, but of course, if you live anywhere near here, or have the internet, you’ll know we got our first snowfall last night, and it completely iced the highway over. SO many people in the ditch, and not just because “people can’t drive in winter,” but because the wind was wicked. My husband is an incredibly confident winter driver, and he was constantly being pushed into the other lane. No good. So our playdate was cancelled 🙁 again. But we had a nice cozy day, tucked into blankets, pj-clad and happy.

The kids were happy today. They played beautifully! It was almost strange how little they tried to get on each others nerves. Rowan slept like a champ, over three hours in one stretch, and while Laela fully boycotted her nap and never went to sleep, she was a great little charmer right up until bedtime, when she seemed to lose her cool. But its bedtime. We don’t expect it to be smooth every day.

Last nights bath was a total bust. It was like sitting in a hotel cold pool that isn’t especially cold, but definitely colder than a bath should be. So we sat in it for just a few minutes before getting out, shivering. But with the wind blasting our house and making crazy sounds and cooling the place down juuust a touch, I’m so ready for a hot squishy bath!! Maybe I’ll even pull out a Lush bath bomb….. Luxury, guys.