Yesterday evening, there was some work that needed doing, and it needed to be done in good time. Surprisingly, there were a few too many people underfoot to make quick progress, so I took the kids to the park for an hour. Or at least that the was the goal!

The sky was incredible!! It was windy and smelled amazing, but the forecasted weather seemed totally unremarkable. As the kids played, as well as a TON of other kids, the lightening started. It was really lovely still, and we are no stranger to storms. I had rain in the back of my mind, obviously, so I quietly tried to think about a bail out plan. But it was an easy one. Four of the kids had biked, and could get home really fast. Laela had walked with me, and she loves rain and storms just as much as I do, so I know she wouldn’t be upset to walk in the rain. Morsel in a stroller would be totally secure. With that plan in mind, I knew we were fine to stick it out.

The kids gravitated towards each other rather than the other kids at the park. Watching them group off and play together really filled my heart. It was like they owned the playground, and it was a good fit 💜

We had been at the park for maybe 45 minutes when the thunder started up a bit, and rain came. None of it was big. But it was happening, and it was dark, and we were rocking that 1:6 ratio, so it was time to go.

We made our way home in the weather, happily. It was quite a bit darker upon getting home, and we all felt like we had made it through a storm, yet no one was too wet or cold. It was just the right kind of wrap up to the day.

With all the talk of this next upcoming “polar vortex,” I already miss the rain 💜

On the calendar this week, today held NO appointments!!! 🥳 So naturally, Wavy grew something oozy and infected on her leg in an attempt to get us into the city after all! 😅 Why would we ever stay home for a day?!?! ‘Twould be preposterous.

The mask, thanks to the last couple of feverish days. She was totally happy to wear it! 💜 She never ceased to impress me.

In we drove for a same-day 10:30am appointment, and didn’t wait long at all before we were called back. She was weight, measured, and had her temperature checked. We only waited in an exam room for a couple of minutes.

The resident who came in seemed a touch standoffish. She seemed somewhat monotone and intimidating, at first. But once she had all the info, she was SO soft and kind to Waverly, and it showed. Wavy was so comfortable with her, answered all of her questions, and cooperated beautifully with the exams. When it was all over, medication was ordered, and Wavy was praised up big time, and given a small handful of stickers.

And then I was also really impressed with her, so we went for donuts. Because he absolutely earned it!!

She’s just a little joker, but its an amazing quality of hers! The doctors she saw today loved her, as she winked at them and gave them thumbs up. She is silly and warm and brave 💜 Good job, beautiful Wavy!!! I cannot believe you start school so soon.

Sometimes, getting the kids to do chores is like pulling teeth. Can most of us relate to that? There is that beautiful stage where they love to help, and then suddenly they don’t anymore. That was a tough one for me, because they helped SO WELL, and now its more of a micromanaging scene some days. I don’t like that.

Laela is my kid that gets pinned with laundry more than the others. Don’t come for me, it is NOT because she’s a girl. Not at ALL. It is because she’s more thorough and diligent than the rest of the kids. Plus, its a bigger job, she’s one of the older kids, and she doesn’t gravitate towards the same jobs as Dekker. So she does laundry on and off, and its awesome. More in summer, for sure. So she has been in a busy season of laundry.

Yesterday, we got home from camp and got to work unpacking, bathing, organizing, eating, and getting ready for school the next day. Brady took a couple of kids into the city to pick something up from a purchase I made earlier that day, and I kept the house running while they were out. I bathed the younger ones. I helped the sick one and juggled the wiggly hands-on one. I kept laundry going and finished two loads. I put the two to bed and played with the third until everyone came home. By that point, I was just so tired. I hugged them all goodnight and Brady and I finally had supper.

This morning, I went down to the kitchen to begin the day and was met with this.

And that is one of the reasons I accept that struggle of having my kids do jobs. Because then they aren’t so entitled about what should be done for them. It is SO much nicer to launder clothing for people who appreciate it than those who take it for granted, don’t you think?

Anyway. It was a really sweet touch. Laela and her little love notes 💜 She is such a beautiful girl.

Cher sent Brady and I this yesterday, and it became a whole thing 😆 I thought I’d share the giggle.

There were a LOT of gooders, but I’ll just share my best ones here. Because. They’re really funny.

Pank

Haulin’ Goats (I realize this breaks the rules, but its worth it)

Space Girls 👩‍🚀

Madonnald (I know, more broken rules)

Ben Erector

Toes and I

Marianas French

Mouse Fat (from Parks and Rec)

Ten Folds Five (because it DOES!!)

Ok Goo

Jimmy Fat World

The Bleach Boys

Rolling Scones

Beagles (works on two levels)Fleetwood Marc

and my favorite one on the list…

Drown with Webster

Ok well I thought it was funny! 😅 I hope some of you giggled, too!

Throw yours in the comments!

It’s been a different kind of day from our usual Saturday here at camp. Normally, between us and the Dahlsjos, there are ten kids. Today, we have four. It has been VERY quiet!

Brady spent a portion of the day helping the camp with wood chopping for next season, leaving me with a small handful of people to keep alive.

I’d say entertained but they didn’t require much, to be honest. It was a very low key morning.

I finished a toque I was working on 😁 In different lights, I can’t see if it’s navy or purple. Perhaps it’s navy purple. Like navy blue but not. Darker than royal purple. You get it.

The kids and I drove to Bells for a little bit. The sky was just bonkers. I’m wondering if this is truly the first smoke-free day up here. It is beyond beautiful.

It was nice to just sit and watch people take their boats out for the season.

Dekker drives now 😳

Brady was back mid afternoon and took a load off after working hard. He was feeling pretty gross but some meds pulled him back together. We ate supper and moseyed down to the water for a little. It couldn’t have been more beautiful.

This kid has really been wonderful today. I’m very impressed with 1. How helpful and responsible he is, while being 2. Incredibly soft and affectionate and loving. He’s big and little. Soft and tough. A delicious mix.

And all of that to say, I am ready for bed. It’s 730. That’s ok, right?? Lake time means earlier to bed?? I think my kids might disagree 😆

Yesterday, I blogged about getting a pumpkin with the intention of cooking it up and pureeing it for baking. And while yesterday turned out to be a HUGE day even without the shop and the pumpkin, I’m really pleased to say I got it done!!! 🎃

I’m not AT ALL saying my way is the way, but this is what I did!

I washed the outside of the pumpkin really good, and I cut it in half.

I cut the stem off and scooped out all the innards. I thought using one of those spaghetti spoons would be the perfect answer to getting it all out of their really good, but it just kind of combed the pulp 😆 A basic spoon was better.

Then I just oiled cookie sheets, put the pumpkin halves upside down, and cooked it to death.

I checked after a half hour, and it was not tender yet. But at around 45-50 minutes, it was fork tender.

🎃✅

I abandoned the pumpkin to go pick up the kids from school, and when we came back, I got back to work. So did Dekker 💜 He helped me prep a bit of food for camp, and I worked on the pumpkin!

The first half of the pumpkin was an especially messy one to get out of its shell, but I found a better method and the second half went much smoother. I’d put the pieces into my blender as I went, and once it was full-ish, I’d blend the heck out of it. Then add it to the big bowl, and keep at it. And it produced a TON!!! Doesn’t the pumpkin shell look like leather??

I scooped the pumpkin into two cup measurements, as thats about what a can of pumpkin from the grocery store holds.

And then I bagged them up!!

One pumpkin provided me with 15 cups of pureed pumpkin.

Therefore…

15 cups for $4

Or

15 ounces for $6.50

Guys, if I could make a living selling pumpkin puree, I would. I would absolutely LOVE to process pumpkins all the time, it was SO fun for me! I may have to go buy another one, just for funsies, so I have excess or some to offer out. Coming into autumn, the time is perfect for pumpkin!! Think pies, cookies, loaves, muffins, coffee, etc. You name it!!

I won’t go into a whole lecture about what I’m doing. You probably know I really want to be better in the kitchen. I have goals – some lofty, some vague, and some simple that feel attainable.

I want to do a bit of intentional baking, and part of that includes some yummy pumpkin things, but wouldn’t you know it, today, during a big fat grocery shop, I found a tin of pumpkin puree for $6.50 💀 That is absurd!!!!

So, for $4, I bought a pumpkin instead.

*sigh*

So this does not at all come naturally for me but I think I’m going to process a pumpkin and make the puree myself. Trust me, I know there are WAY more benefits to doing it this way, without all the junk that lives in canned crap in the grocery store, but in all honesty, this one is about the cost, haha! I just cannot justify it. So. Thats on the list for today.

I already chopped up all the veggies for camp this weekend. But the day is not over. I have to brown ground beef. Make a packing list for the kids. Pack my own things. Make a salad dressing. Tomorrow has become a very full day for me, so as much as I can get done today, I will!

And leave it to me to add processing a pumpkin to that list 😅

Anyway. Wish me luck!!

*preheats oven*

The first day of school was a GREAT success!! I had beautiful intentions to go pick them up and take happy pictures of them, but a morning appointment in Saskatoon took foreverrrrr and I got home just barely before the kids did. So, it didn’t quite play out the way I had hoped, but such is life! The only person who was upset was me 😅

Anyway.

Dekker LOVED his first day of high school! WOW! He was SO thrilled with the level of freedom he was offered. He told me he felt like an adult. He was oddly excited about the SRC. And he definitely got a kick out of having some teacher rollover with me, hahaha! He loved his first day so much 💜 He asked me around 8:05 if it was too soon to head to school. Yes, son. It is too soon.

Laela also loved her first day. She liked her teacher, and being around her friends again! She loved playing outside, and reconnecting with her close friend. That was her highlight, for sure. Oh and her locker!! Win!!

Rowan was probably most excited about his boot room being so close to Wavy. That nurturing side of him is SO beautiful when it comes around 💜 While he insists thats the best part, he was also VERY excited that some of his closest people are in his class. He was really pumped as he ran into people and learned that they were in his class. It was nice to witness.

Solomon doesn’t say too much about school, and he tends to feel overwhelmed if I ask too much. That being said, he was VERY happy to go to school and VERY happy when he came back. He told me his teacher is very nice, and that he likes his friends. “There are a lot more things, too, but thats good for now,” he told me when I asked about his favorite things about his first day. So there you have that, haha!

Waverly got lumped into going into the city with me yesterday for an appointment, and while she is aching to start school, she was also really content coming along to Saskatoon with me. She honestly aced the day yesterday, being incredibly patient and polite while we sat through a much longer wait than expected. She crushed it, and I am SO impressed.

Today is the one day this week that isn’t booked up. So I may actually *gasp* rest a little!!

Or I’ll do laundry. Or prep for camp. Or clean up the mountain of mess thats come from getting school going. Or really any number of things that need doing that aren’t resting…

I am HAPPY to say that everyone was HAPPY to go to school today!! We all walked together 💜 Look at those huge backpacks!

We found appropriate boot rooms, classrooms, etc. We found friends and met teachers. The bell seemed to ring unceremoniously quickly, but the kids rounded up for hugs and took off to begin their days!

At least thats how it went with the kids still in elementary school 😳 One of them is in HIGH SCHOOL now!!!

Dekker met up with a buddy and they walked together, adult-free. But I can say with 100% certainty that he was really looking forward to his day at the new school!

Laela is next up as the MOST excited for school! She loves the routine. She loves the learning. And she loves her closest friend. She was told in the last few weeks that he was in the other class, but upon meeting up this morning, found out they’re in the same class!! SUCH a win!

Rowan surprised me by being excited for school! Because, up until a couple of days ago, he wasn’t. But he is ready for routine, and to see his school friends again! He happens to know a handful of his closest people are in his class, also!

Solomon was my last holdout for being excited for school, but he was super happy and handsome this morning! He is my one child going into a classroom with a teacher we have never had before. So while he feels unfamiliar, we have only heard the best things about her, and we anticipate zero issue there! When the bell rang, Solly was furthest from his door, but he game hugs and took off in the right direction 💜 Thats new confidence since last year!

I’m VERY proud of my beautiful children 💜 Every last one of them! Brady and I walked/rolled home with Wavy and the morsel in a stroller. It was peaceful and refreshing to be out in the crispy weather. Brady has since left for work and here I am, blogging mid-morning. Things are low key. We’ll be out and about in a little bit, but for now, music is going, and I’m already getting a blog done ✅

I will tell you all about how the first day of school went tomorrow 💜

It’s feeling very final out there. And I understand why. Many people are packing it in this weekend with school starting up. We still anticipate some fall camping through September, but with everyone around us starting to bring things home, I have it on the brain as well. 

As I sit here and type this out on my phone by the fire, I’m very grateful for my surroundings. Both of the BIG “getting out the door” jobs are being well managed, and I have been offered a break. So I’m taking it. 

The fire is burning nicely. The weather is nice enough for me to wear jeans and shoes and be a comfortable temperature. I can hear wind blowing through the yellow leaves, which I swear sounds different than when it blows through the green ones. Kids are working without fighting. It’s peaceful. 

We’ll pack up shortly for home. Earlier than usual. But I say again – school. Baths. Lunches. Backpacks. Plus unpacking and laundry. 

Never a shortage. Ever. We are so fortunate 💜