‘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.

Dekker’s worn a watch for a good while. He likes to be organized and resourceful. The band broke a while back now, and its not a nice enough watch to really fuss with getting it a new band. He’s been carrying the digital face of it around in his pocked for a while, but the other day, after doctors appointments, a few of us hit up Walmart and decided to look at some watches. And not just for Dekker.

Dekker definitely needs one. He has independence and goes out on his own or with friends often enough. Its valuable for him to have the time on him. Sometimes he even takes the little ones to the park. And with his babysitting course locked and loaded, he definitely likes to be aware of timelines. So. A watch for Dekker.

Laela is deeply invested in Frozen Jr, and sometimes loses track of time visiting afterwards or walking with friends reeeaaally slowly home. We have no time crunch on her, but she doesn’t always have the awareness of just how late it is. With that, she also goes off more after school with her friends, and with no way to tell the time, its really hard to get her home at an appropriate time. So. A watch for Laela.

Rowan is reaching a fun new stage that carries more independence, and being that he was also there with us at Walmart, he petitioned for a watch. Rowan also really values being prepared for what is to come, so this way, I can tip him off about how many minutes until whatever we’re waiting for, and he can more easily keep tabs on that himself! So. A watch for Rowan.

Aaaaand the little guys don’t tell time, so they’re good still, haha!

So we poured over all the watches for a little while and eventually picked out the three that felt perfect for each kid. The pictures don’t really show the watches, but they show the kids faces pretty well 😍

Dekker got a beefy black digital watch. It has a round face and tons of buttons that beep, alarm, blink, etc. He loves all the features, and he LOVES how it feels!

Laela’s watch is VERY Laela. It was big on her here, but Brady punched another hole in it and it works better. Laela’s watch it pink and gold, and its simply an analogue clock, which is exactly what she wanted. No bells and whistles for this girl. Simple and pretty. That excitement all of her face, tho!!

Rowan was SO excited for a Pokemon watch! As you can see, its a very basic watch with a small window for the digital numbers, and that is IT. Or so we thought! He very excitedly discovered there was a button that, when pressed, blinks multicoloured lights on the face of the watch. Fun! His watch came in a gift set alongside a wristband with a compass on it. So, bonus fun for him!

All in all, of ALL things, watches brought a huge morale boost to the kiddos that day, and it was really fun to watch. Ha! WATCH!

Well, friends, Brady hit a milestone earlier this week. He has now had ten MRIs. TEN!!!

Man. Every time he has one, I think back at how that getting that first one was like pulling teeth. We had people on our side for months before the right people finally agreed to see Brady. We sought out a new physiotherapist who wrote a very strongly worded letter, and sent it out absolutely everywhere. After her came Dr Block, a very well respected neurologist, and she was able to FINALLY put enough oomph behind our case to get Brady in for an MRI.

Since then, it seems they give them out like candy, and while they are nerve wracking and overwhelming, we are both so incredibly grateful that Brady receives them without fight. 

We spoke to Dr. Guselle yesterday, and she actually made mention of Dr. Block, saying they had seen each other not long ago, and Dr. Guselle had thanked her once again for getting things going for Brady. She said that if she herself was having to fight for Brady to have an MRI, we may still be waiting. We are just so incredibly grateful. 

We are also incredibly grateful to God for the scenario in which we find ourselves. Brady once again has been granted a clear scan, with no sign of new growth, or even change. The word “stable” has never meant more to me than it does now. Same with “unremarkable.” Who wants to be unremarkable?? WE DO!! And we ARE!! 

We are relieved and content with Bradys results, and will happily sit on them for the next 4-6 months until the next scan. 

I’m going to jump on the question that may be on the minds of some of you. Do we have to watch him this closely?? The answer is yes. It seems overkill, but hear me out. 

Bradys tumour was very fast growing, hence the grade four cancer diagnosis. So if it were to ever start up again, the absolute soonest we’d know would be the best, so it wouldn’t get too big. If that were to happen, there would be talk of more chemo, likely, but Brady’s surgeon has also said he would absolutely consider a second surgery if need be. But, there would be a very high likelihood of his incomplete spinal cord injury becoming completed in that surgery, which would leave him a LOT less mobile or functional. No one is wishing this on him!! Absolutely not! We would still have options! But. The sooner the better. Thats all.

Thankfully, we are not there. We are here – in good strong health, with no masses or changes or inconsistencies. We trust the Lord, no matter what. He is ALWAYS good, regardless of circumstance. 

Praise God for a TENTH clear MRI!

This morning, a few of us had doctors appointments. Brady took the morning off, as did Rowan. Ro felt very elite not going to school with everyone else, haha!

Wavy tagged along, of course, and the four of us went to see our doctor for her first appointment of the day.

Rowan’s appointment was the most noteworthy, for sure. We talked about how he’s doing on his meds, specifically with the new changes we’ve made, and spitballed a few tweaks me are going to try in the coming weeks. One of the main side effects of his medication at this point is his appetite. A lot of kids on stimulants lose their appetites completely, and the weight loss can be worrisome. We were happy to learn Rowan is continuing to follow the curve, and he remains in the nice tall category of things, as well as average in weight. His blood pressure was great, also.

Lol! He was very focused, as the person checking his BP told him not to move. He took it very seriously, hahaha!

Wavy was the one of us who didn’t have a checkup, but she could not be left out.

You know how she be.

Dr. Guselle renewed some of our prescriptions, and went over literally every single thing any of us could think of. We spent an hour together, and covered a lot of ground. It was really nice. And relaxed, actually! We laughed a lot. We always do. We are so fortunate to have her in our corner.

Once our appointment was done, we headed to Walmart to pick up some things I couldn’t find or fit in my cart at Costco.

Some convenience food. Some canned goods. A few household things. We bought a new toaster, which is a big win, as ours are stopped toasting one side of each slice of bread. We’ve upgraded to four slices! Heyooo!

Once Walmart was done, I had ONE more stop to make, because it was so closeby. Bulk Barn! I really don’t ever go there, but with oatmeal and granola bars frequently being made over here, I’ve started to hit Bulk Barn for sprinkles. Today, I also got a bag of ranch corn nuts (guilty pleasure from high school days, anyone?) and ranch seasoning. It is a WAY better value there than buying the little packets. But really, sprinkles for the win.

As a side note, if anyone has empty large parmesan cheese containers, we would LOVE to take them off your hands! We use them so much around the house, and are in need of a few more! Please and thank you!

It was coming up on noon when we left the city, so Rowan ate his lunch on the drive before we dropped him off at school.

Ro was at school. Groceries in the house. Wavy ate while Brady and I chatted and sipped coffee for a few minutes, but he was very quickly back on the road to work, and I was unpacking purchases. And very shortly after that, I put Wavy down for a nap.

We both look a heck of a lot more awake than we feel! 😅🥱

As I’m finishing typing this out, an electrician just pulled up to inspect our furnace! Gotta go!!

I’ve come to the conclusion that I need to make more trips to Costco. Not because we need more food, or to spend more money, but because one cart simply does not cut it, and in my last few Costco shops, I’ve left certain things off the list because they just don’t fit in the card.

Leave it to me to begin a blog with a conclusion.

I really like eating our food down good and proper, and then restocking everything at once. It feels so good! But I’m starting to come to terms with the reality that its just not going to work. Yesterday, the cart was full WAY too soon.

Bread. Bagels. Hot dog buns. Wraps. English muffins.
Broccoli. Apples. Bananas. Cucumbers. Peppers.
Milk. Sour cream.

Boom. Full. Three sections in, and the cart was quite full. I hadn’t even touched the coolers, freezers, isles, or toiletries. There are some grocery trips where I need very little in the aisles, but since I really like waiting until we absolutely have to shop, there were bigger things to catch up. ALL the crackers. ALL the lunch snacks. ALL the cereal. ALL the cheese. Cooking oil. Baking ingredients. Some convenience food. You get it. It was a lot.

I’ve never seen a grocery packer get flustered trying to fit everything into one cart. And really, I’ve had bigger shops than this one. But it was approaching $600 worth of groceries, so I do understand. Still. He was flustered inside, and I was flustered outside as I tried to load everything into the van. But I got it done!

And then upon getting home, this tiny morsel put in real genuine effort and helped me get everything unpacked.

I think I need to make a different plan for grocery shopping. I just cannot heave such a heavy cart. Buying groceries shouldn’t be such an undertaking. Maybe I go to Costco every other week, and Walmart in between there. Or Walmart once a week. Something like that.

Or maybe someone needs to teach me the voodoo that is pushing one of those giant orange flat deck carts. What is the trick?! *whispers* They’re so intimidating!

Whew! Its barely 8am as I start this blog and I already have some things crossed off my list!

First of all, I’ve been awake since 4:30-ish, thanks to a kid who woke up, and felt I should join the party. However, said kid was able to fall back asleep, and I was not. As I lay in bed, anxiety got the better of me, and I spent at least an hour feeling all the bad feelings, completely unrelated to one another, while I tried to sleep. I finally gave up and scrolled my phone for a while, scoffing at quality memes such as this:

Sounds like a farty party 💨

Brady got up and went to work, and I got to “work” as well. Before I got the kids up, I had already sent an important message I’ve been sitting on all weekend, as well as an email to the school principal regarding a schedule change for Rowan’s meds. I’ve added a couple of things to the calendar, and I’ve added some items to the grocery list for this morning’s shop. I have a small load to drop at a thrift store in the city, as well, just to get some bags out of my garage. There is no shortage of things to do these days, but I feel like I can handle them. Thank you LORD for Your strength. My own could not even come close to what my family needs 💜