Last weekend, Brady took Laela out to the driveway and taught her how to change tires. He has done this for a season or two now with Dekker, and he had done the minivan tires with Rowan the weekend before.

So it was time for Laela to learn, which really warmed my heart. She was SO gung ho.

They went outside and Brady talked her through the entire thing. He helped where she actually needed help, but otherwise, he let her do everything she possibly could. She loved the sound of the impact, and putting the lug nuts back into place. 

Her confidence grew fast.

She was fully capable, and fully happy to be working outside on the van. She stopped regularly to look at pretty rocks on the driveway or make mention of something totally unrelated. But she still really enjoyed herself! 

She finished the job in good time, and both she and Brady came back into the house HAPPY. And DIRTY.

I saw SO much of myself in her that day. The excitement to learn. To work on the vehicle. To do a good job. To collect the pretty rocks, haha! I positively ached to learn these skills as a kid, but was unable to actually be part of vehicle maintenance until I had graduated. I LOVE mechanics, but even if I didn’t, it’s important to know, and both Brady and I want the kids to at least have an idea of how to do it. 

It helps that they are happy to join in and learn, and that Brady is happy to teach. 

I am SO happy my boys and girls are learning these life skills at their young ages. And I am SO happy that Brady is patient and loving and so willing to teach them.

Thank you, Lord, for my family 💜

Yesterday was a completely loaded day. Brady was at work, and the rest of us worked at home, too! The kids did their work in the morning, and I did much of mine in the afternoon.

Rowan sorted and started the laundry.
Dekker reorganized the big shelf downstairs that holds all the toys and games.
Laela cleaned the bathrooms.
Dekker helped me move a dresser into Rowans room, finally! I moved his clothing into his dresser, and he moved his possessions into his closet. This has been a LONG time coming, and he was incredibly excited!
Wavy and Solly pitched in where they could, and stayed out of the way otherwise. It was a decently smooth morning!

During nap time, there was a little lull, and Laela made chokers for herself, Wavy, and a couple of stuffies.

Laela and Rowan went to the park, and Dekker offered to help me with my work! So he came upstairs with me and helped me rearrange some of my crocheting stuff to make room for some more officey things, and we moved some other furniture around, too. It helps that he is so strong and willing to haul heavy things.

He also lovingly sampled my meringues for me. Approved.

And then he pulled out a tooth that had just started wiggling. I heard it come out 🤮 He’s a monster.

Brady’s day was the first Saturday with an open garden centre, so his work was SLAMMED. He finally took a lunch break around 3pm, and modelled a life jacket for me, lol!

Once nap time was over, it was bath time!!

Four out of five got clean, anyway. One is doing that now. Hooray for more of my kids being self-cleaning now! Lol! Its a convenient feature.

After our full day of work, we went to a partaaaaay!!! 🥳 Our dear Rae retired 💜 We were so pleased to be included in the celebration, meet some more of their people, and reacquaint ourselves with some of their people again. Brady joined in as soon as he got home from work! What a beautiful family we all have together! 😍

SUCH beautiful grandmas here!! We are SO fortunate! 💜

We got home at 8pm, which is when our oldest kids usually hit the sack! So everyone very happily and willingly climbed into bed. Brady and I felt the same level of wiped out, and also climbed into bed around that time, but rather than going to sleep, we cracked into some pop, and did homework for two hours! 😅 No shortage of things to do around here!

Happy Sunday, friends! Off to church we gooooo!! And some rest to come this afternoon. Maybe 😆

I had a different blog planned for today, but then Dekker came home from a birthday party yesterday evening just positively beaming, and I felt like I couldn’t resist posting a picture of him on the blog. Loooook at that adorable mug!! 😍

He is SO cute, and SO grown up all of a sudden!! Ack!!

And then, because my blog plan was already blown, the kids had to be so darn cute this morning, too!! Because why not, right?!

The girls were super extra soft and snuggly 💜 They’re always nice to get up in the mornings.

Dekker and Rowan were feeling super summery today, which we have absolutely ached for!! Rowan is back in last summers uniform, and Dekker almost never rocks a muscle shirt, so it just feels very fresh and warm when he does.

And then Solly is still sporting a full fleece onesie, as he does, pouring milk at breakfast like a boss. Those teeth keep changing his entire face!!

We have worked worked worked this morning!! Bathrooms are being cleaned. Laundry is getting done. Closets are being organized. Dishes are being done. Nap time will hold good rest and recovery so we can be strong and ready to pop in on a party tonight!

No shying away from busy days for this group!! Lots of good things on the go over here!

A few days ago, we had planned to take the kids into the city for a shop that was going to be really fun. It may have just seemed like a Walmart run to anyone else, but to us, it was going to be a special shop while our family prepares for some fun things on the horizon. Staying up late. Fun purchases. Some ice cream. It was going to be a fun outing. A rainy one!

Unfortunately, plans had to change last minute, and we stayed home for those few hours before the young kids went to bed. I was very discouraged, but Cher offered to come lurk at our place after the young ones were down so Brady and I could go. I hesitated for a solid three seconds before I accepted. 

And then, since he was easily the saddest about the trip being cancelled, we decided to bring Dekker. 

And that was the BEST choice we could’ve made! 

Dekker LOVES time spent, and everything that comes with it. He is one of the most grateful children I’ve ever known. I couldn’t tell you how many times he thanked us for bringing him. It was SO nice. 

Very quickly, he took over pushing the cart, made suggestions, and offered opinions. It was really lovely to see him wanting to put in that way and be part of our things. He warmed my heart. 

We killed an hour or two, and made our purchases. He sat on Brady’s lap while we waited in line, and I pulled their butts up to the till. Dekker helped me load load up the cart. 

And then we got him a treat. Because he absolutely earned it. 

While Brady and I ate our supper (at 9pm) the little big man chose an Oreo McFlurry, and then we shared some of our fries with him. 

Once again, Dekker’s level of gratefulness was unbelievably sweet. He is our messiest eater, especially with ice cream. He was positively SO into it, and just very much enjoyed his food. It was fun to watch. 

It was approaching late o’clock, and it was time to go home. I may or may not have harassed Dekker just a touch on the drive home. Because he had it coming. Because he was there. 

Don’t worry. He liked it. 

Not as much the second time…

But I really liked it 😏

It was really, really fun taking Dekker in with us. My beautiful boy. How I love him. 

Get ready for a dump of random unrelated questions! Here’s a picture so the blog appears extra enticing!

My brain is swirly, and I need some help and input from you guys! I only know as much as I know, so I’m ready to be educated! Please help me!

1. Where could I properly dispose of an old bed, an expired car seat, and some old culligan jugs that are too stained to return? Can I do this all in one place that isn’t Loraas, or not so much? 
2. How does a person get the glass globe off of their light fixture to change the bulb?? I can get the smallest ones, but thats where it ends. I’m trying to replace ALL the bulbs with the ones that last forever, so I never have to do it again, but in order to never do it again, I have to do it once. And I can’t. 
3. We need to redo our camper bathroom as early in the season as possible. Any good tricks for plumbing into a new tank and getting that seal really good and proper? 
4. And with that last one, if the seal inside your toilet sucks, can you replace it on its own, or do you have to buy a new toilet altogether? 
5. Have you bought a tank printer? Where? What do I look for?
6. What about a trencher? Does anyone have a trencher? Our loving neighbour and friend, Tom, dug ALL of our sprinklers into our front yard last year, which was incredibly helpful! However, the backyard is a MUCH bigger job, and we only just learned about trenchers! Anyone have anything like that on hand before we rent one?? 
7. Does anyone want an old beater, smallish backyard trampoline? No nets, no nothing. Just a tramp with some pool noodles around the springs. Anyone? We’re done with ours and it was a “free off of someones yard” type of trampoline.
8. Where. Do we put. The exercise bike. It needs to leave our room, but where then? We’re definitely keeping it, but it needs a new home within the home. Not the main floor. But it will positively never be used in the basement. Don’t worry, this one is rhetorical. I’m just annoyed lol! 

So I’m perfectly aware that this blog is jumbled, but please, if you have any input, my brain is buzzing and I would welcome your thoughts!! Because my thoughts could use some friends.

Unrelated – be like Laela.

‘Tis the season to turn the whole house into a mess and switch up everyone’s closet up one size! It is secretly not my favorite thing, because it is SUCH a huge mess to clean up, so many tubs have to come out and back in to storage, we have to wash everything thats come back into circulation, and then I have to try and relearn what belongs to who. Thats a challenge most specifically in the case of Rowan and Solly, since they could wear the same size if need be.

The fun part of it all is how much the kids enjoy getting new (to them) clothes. This particular round was fun 🙂

I mean, Wavy hit the real jackpot.

She cashed in on some of Solly’s rejects, and was VERY happy to tell the tale! I bought this hilarious shirt for Solly a while back from Value Village, and he laughed and laughed, and then hung it up and refused to go near it. Never. Ever. But Wavy LOVES it. So, more power to her.

Rowan didn’t wear any of his new stuff today, but he inherited much of Dekker’s old stuff. He has some cute new camouflage pants from Walmart that he loves, but those aren’t part of this. He was more excited for Wavy than himself.

Dekker got a ton of shorts and such, but a handful of nice tshirts that were gifted to us over the winter. I wanted to get a good picture of him, and asked him to just relax a little. This is what I got 😅

Cool, Dekker. Not at all awkward.

Solly took in a bunch of Rowan’s stuff, which is fun and also a bit tricky. Solly is oddly specific about what he wears, as you may have noticed by his well-loved small handful of tiny long sleeved shirts he has worn into the ground all winter. But he found some cute things he insists he really likes, and will wear, so they’re allowed to live in his closet, haha!

Blue is just SO poppin’ for this boy and those eyes!

Miss Laela is the last in the post becaaaaause she didn’t get anything new, haha!

She did, however, gut her closet good and proper, so I know what holes need filling and what she actually has for the upcoming season 🙂 She still has a good chunk, but I’ll find her a few things in the coming weeks, I imagine. Most of the kids are well prepared for the upcoming season, save for maybe some swim shorts here and there, and a few tank tops maybe. We are not lacking, and for that, I am so thankful!

Today was my final day as a parent helper at our local playschool 💜 Technically, I had one more placement in May, but another mom had to change her date, so we traded, leaving my last helper day as today! It was even *gasp* a field trip day, so Wavy was very excited!

Isn’t she SO CUTE?!?! 😍

She got herself all ready to go, and we got to our field trip location right on time! Unfortunately, I can’t show you much from the event itself, because of ALL the other people there, but you’ll have to take my word for it that it was completely adorable and a very good experience for all people involved.

And most of all, I really enjoyed getting to spend that chunk of time with Wave.

She and I have a lot of fun, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be her mom 💜 At this point, as far as I can know, this is the end of my playschool helper career, which is very strange, but I am very excited for what is to come, whatever that may be 💜 Thank you, Lord, for constantly leading and guiding us!

Today is a no-school kind of day, but it is not a no-Frozen kind of day! So everyone got up and moving this morning. Not before I coffeed with Cher, though 💜 Because that is such a nice way to kick off the day!! She left right around 9:00, and from there, I got the kids up and going with breakfast. Laela started a little late because she was determined to pull her tooth out first, haha!

Thankfully, after that, everyone got moving quickly enough that we could all walk to school together 💜

The wind was pretty biting but everyone was still pretty happy to be outside! Not a single complaint from the group!!

Is it just me, or does she look WAY older here?? 💜

The walk back, the wind was mostly behind us, so it was even more pleasant. Solly ran ahead for most of the outing, which is awesome and unlike him! But I did catch a brief moment of all of us. Even got to hold a hand for the walk back 💜

Now we’re home. The dishwasher is running. Laundry is going. I have a GIGANTIC list made that needs accomplishing in the next couple of weeks. I want to make granola bars, and a few other things.

As life looks now, we have less than three weeks before its time for Frozen Jr! And very shortly after that, lake season kicks off!!! While it may or may not be realistic, that feels like my timeline to get one million and a half things done, because at that point, I don’t want to work anymore. I want to play. So I want all the jobs DONE!!!

HA! My insanity and I look forward to talking more about these endeavours with you in the future. *tips invisible hat*

Our littlest dude has been making big new strides these days.

He has always preferred to sit back and watch the world go by, and it was quite a rumble trying to get him to try things he was unfamiliar with. But all of a sudden, he’s shocking me regularly with the phrase “I can try!”

I told you the other day that he poured cereal. Now, I’m not naive. He’s coming up on seven years, and I know many children his age can pour cereal. Its a pretty simple activity. But he crumbles SO easily under any type of pressure, he just would not branch out into things like that. But now, he fights to pour cereal, because he carries pride in the fact that he can.

Today, the kids were setting up for breakfast, and I was doing other things around the kitchen when I heard Solly giggling to himself. When I looked up, I saw him pouring milk. For the first time ever. From a decently full jug.

And guys, he KILLED it!!!

He didn’t spill a DROP!!! He was SO proud!!! 💜

Frankly, even if he had spilled a bunch, I would feel just as proud of him. I love SO MUCH that he took initiative and tried something new all on his own. Something new, and higher stakes.

Anyway. I’m feeling pretty smitten with this big little guy today 💜

The long awaited event finally arrived!! My mom, Cher, and I have been planning to have a sleepover after finals, and it fell this weekend!! As soon as Brady got home from work on Friday, he made a giant batch of popcorn for me to steal, and then I was gone for the night!

Thank you SO MUCH, Brady, for being such a capable and willing man 💜 This break was incredibly precious to me. I love you.

I don’t have a picture of the entire group, but the group of non-Frozeners is still pretty cute 😍

Yesterday evening, Cher, mom, and I went to pick up some really good Asian food from Warman Wok. As a kid, I LOVED a specific cantonese chow mein, and have never been able to find one comparable to it, until Warman Wok. So I was a very happy camper with our food choice. As were the other ladies.

We opted for an oldie but a goodie – The Net. I feel like this movie has aged so well, and its still a really good watch. Plus all three of us really love Sandy B. So again – another really good choice!

We stopped in the middle and played a party game for horrible people 😏 We laughed a LOT, and squirmed even more. Zero regrets!

We went back to our movie and ate some really great snacks – Brady’s popcorn, crispers, chocolate, etc. We were positively spoiled!

We went to bed with full tummies very, very late, and had a really nice time all together in the morning 🥰 Mom had everything on hand for breakfast sandwiches and an indulgent fruit salad. Really, there isn’t much that coffee, cheese, bacon, and mango can’t solve. We had the most relaxing morning of brunch and Undercover Boss.

It came time to head out, so we divvied out some treats, packed up, and even did a quick little errand and greased up some of mom’s squeaky doors. Felt like we earned our keep, hahaha!

As Maya Rudolph says in “Bridesmaids,” this is such a stone-cold pack of weirdos, and I’m so proud 💜

We had the BEST time. I am so grateful for these women and all the love we share. Thank you, Lord, for all you’ve given me.