I have pretty helpful, loving children. I’m very fortunate that way. This morning hasn’t been altogether smooth, but it had a very sweet moment that I want to remember.

I’ll preface the story by saying our night was quite broken up. Rowan has been giving us a run for our money recently, and was up harassing everyone WAY later than he should’ve been. He did finally give in to sleep, but Wavy was up a couple of times in the night, as well. She’s working on teeth, and added a cold on top of everything just overnight. This morning, shortly after Brady left for work, she woke up very sad. 5:30am ish. I got her a bottle, but she was so stuffed up, she couldn’t drink very well. I got some of it into her, and put her back to bed. She was SO trashed. She talked in her bed and scratched at the sides of it for a bit before falling back to sleep. It was well after 6:00am at that point but I was SO tired, I figured I’d try for just a few minutes more of sleep.

I feel like I had just dozed off when I woke up to my en suite door squeaking. It would not be the norm for a kid to be using my bathroom before I’m up for the day. Going with our usual theme these days, I immediately assumed who it was.

“Rowan, please go back to bed.”

“Well… its Dekker, mom.”

Sure enough, my oldest son was coming out of my bathroom. I asked him what he was doing in my bathroom, and he had been looking for me. Apparently I was well tucked in and he couldn’t see me in my bed.

“Mom, Rowan peed on the floor.”

*Sigh*

In my sleepy stupor, I asked what he needed from me.

“Nothing,” he replied. “I just thought you’d need to know.”

I thanked him and said I’d clean it up later 🙈 I have NEVER left pee on the floor (at least not pee I’m aware of!) so I was clearly in a daze. Dekker left.

I lay in bed, feeling sorry for myself for being woken up when I was still so tired, but the longer I lay there, the more clear the situation became. There was pee on my floor. Somewhere. And a wet kid in my house. Somewhere. Clearly this couldn’t just wait while I dozed in bed for another half hour or so. So I got up.

I made my way down to the bathroom to see the damage done, and lo and behold –

There were my three oldest kids. On the floor, a pee soaked towel nearby, wiping the floor with Lysol wipes.

❤️

My heart, you guys. MY HEART!

They saw me coming, and smiled up at me. They reassured me that they had it all taken care of. I gathered up the towel to put it in the laundry, but that was all they wanted from me.

“Are you sure?” I asked. “This is a pretty grown up job. I can help you!”

But they insisted. They told me to go rest for a little bit longer. I reminded them to wash their hands once they were done their job, and they promised they would. So up to my room I went!

I admit, I didn’t rest anymore. I creepily watched them out the crack of my door. I couldn’t see them directly for most of it, but I listened to them work together and encourage each other. I was able to see some of their efforts, as they carried the garbage can back into the kitchen and put the wipes container away.

It is SO important for me to record these little anecdotes. I find them so heart warming, but also reassuring that the lessons I’m teaching my little people are sinking in, ever so slowly. I feel like, lately, I’m working hard to drill into my kids the importance of showing love to each other and treating their siblings how they want to be treated. Sometimes it feels like an uphill battle, like many other lessons we teach. But that one time that it happens so beautifully and seamlessly proves to me that its working! Its in there! They do know the lesson! It just takes practice, and reminding, and consistency on my part. It encourages me and my heart that my efforts are paying off.

I’m not a mean mom, but a very intentional one. We’re all allowed to be intentional about different things, with kids or totally unrelated things, and I think we can all understand the victory in seeing something we’ve worked hard for pan out!!

So THANK YOU, my big kids, for jumping in and helping Rowan clean up a dirty, embarrassing mess. You were not responsible for it, but you took initiative and helped him anyway. That is AWESOME! What amazing people you are!

I had high hopes for this week to be spent outside in the sun, biking, playing in the yard, on the deck, getting dirty, and enjoying Spring. I believe I even said something about feeling the wind in our hair, in reference to the fresh air. I did NOT account for these bizarre winds, though!! The forecast is promising wind gusting up in the 60s today!!!

So rather than playing outside, things have looked more like this so far.

LOTS of reading. LOTS of coloring. These lovely children of mine are moving in groups, so they almost always choose the same activity and set up together. It sometimes means more scrapping, but it also lowers the noise, with them all being within earshot of each other. If Solly drops a pencil on the floor, someone grabs it for them. If Rowan wants an outline drawn so he can color it in, Laela is on it. If Dekker ducks off to the couch to read a story, they aaaaall follow. Which drives him crazy and makes him feel very important all at the same time. Its awesome 🙂

Shameless plug time! We’ve been listening to music just about constantly these last few days in preparation for our little coffeehouse gig on Thursday. We’re super excited for it! You can check out our little teaser on Facebook, and watch for a few more to come 🙂

We did not end up going to church this Sunday. We love Easter Sunday but it just didn’t pan out. Our kids were struggling hard yesterday. Baths weren’t happening, and good attitudes were nowhere to be found. We had to make the decision between rest and church, and we chose rest. It helped that we had gone on Good Friday, at least.

Our nights haven’t been gentle, with Wavy teething hard and Rowan feeling the need to inform us every time he has the urge to pee. I was up for at least an hour in the middle of the night, and then Wavy had us up at 6:00am. That is SO early for our house! Oy!

We did the morning all together, coloring, reading, playing, and putting away yesterday’s laundry. Kids got baths and took naps. Then we headed to spend the rest of the day at my moms with my brother and his family. It was lovely and rowdy and fun to bring everyone together again. We ate really simple, delicious food that the kids didn’t fight, and hunted for Easter bunnies. FaceTimed with those who couldn’t be with us. It was a good day!

Tomorrow should be a day off, but Brady is off to work for a HUGE week. That tends to be how it goes for him, though. I think its three years now that the weeks the kids are off are Brady’s busiest weeks. Merp. No day trip to the lake for us this week, I suppose! I’m sure we’ll get there eventually 🙂

Happy Easter, my friends. I hope you truly felt the love of God in your home. His grace has saved us!

Easter break!!

Tomorrow begins the kids break from school! The kids are off in time for Good Friday, all next week, and go back the following Monday. Thats a LOVELY long stretch to have them home! I hope we get in tons of playing outside, walks, and that we kick this lazy cold sooner than later! Would be such a bummer to be sick the entire break.

Brady, Carrie, and I are leading music tomorrow at our local church’s morning service. (Still looking for an hour or so of childcare in the morning during practice, if anyone is available!) But after church, I’m hoping to go for a drive and take some pictures with my mom and see where we end up from there!

Thus begins a week off! Not for Brady, though. He’s back at work in a BIG way. I doubt we’ll see much of him at all. I know we’ll all miss him a lot.

That all being said, we have a double batch of our rocket fuel iced coffee in the fridge, and our awesome playground is just a couple blocks away! I hope we meet lots of you there over next week!

Next week, our little worship band has a real gig at a coffee house in Martensville! Its on Thursday! Who wants to come?? 🤗 We’re SO excited!!

With Dekker and Laela off to school, I have just the three younger ones on hand this morning. I figured I’d do a shorty update on them 🙂

Rowan all of a sudden can puzzle!! We had puzzles out a while ago and no one was really into them. They were rediscovered recently and Dekker and Laela crush them! The one that used to be “hard” is now complete within five minutes. Turns out we need to be on the hunt for puzzles! Dekker walked Rowan through one of the harder puzzles once, and now he can do it, too! And he’s so proud of himself. He loves it.

Solly is way more social these days, initiating games and conversation. His language has been fine for a long time now, yet it continues to grow and change. He contributes more than yes or no answers, and participates without us always having to ask him to join. He makes real jokes, too. He’s SO fun!

Waverly is busier these days! She backs herself into a corner (literally) multiple times a day, but she’s pretty cute about it. Eventually she’ll learn how to crawl forward, right? Lol! Until then, I’ll continue to rescue her from corners or from under the tv stand.

These two are closer friends every day. I wonder if he’ll like her less when she can actually move and come for him, but he’s smitten with her for now, so I’ll take what I can get!

We spent a lovely morning with a friend, but now, its nap time! Gotta get rid of these runny noses! Spring is NOT the time to be down and out with a cold!