Can I be honest? Packing kids lunches is one of my least favorite things. Its just something I find challenging – to find things that everyone likes, or to make them all different to make each kids specifications. But I do it, of course! I do my best, and the kids sometimes do their best, too 😅 Depending on the day or the stage, sometimes most of the lunch comes home. And if I send less, that will be the day the kid eats everything and their teacher sends a message home that they had to give my kid extra food because they were SO hungry. Ugh. Balance is impossible lol! So these days, I lay out lunches while the kids eat breakfast, and I get the chance to say “Is this enough? Would anyone like anything else?” and we go from there.
I often feel like a total drag of a lunch-packing mom. We don’t have all the fun stuff that the kids say their friends get. All the squeezy things. Yogurt tubes. Chips. Juice boxes. I mean NO disrespect to parents who do pack that stuff!!! Truly! I’m just too cheap, hahaha!
Today felt like a win, though, and I just want to remember it.
I was setting out lunches on the island, and the kids were paying attention. They each got a big orange sliced up, some cheese and crackers, yogurt, and a homemade granola bar with a bunch of healthy stuff snuck in. Basic things. And Laela’s eyes grew, and she said
WOW! Our lunch is FULL of junk food!!!
And I laughed out loud, because part of me felt so crappy that she views such normal things as treats, but then I decided to be happy that she’s grateful and enjoys her lunch!
Its a full moon tonight! Has anyone been feeling the lead up in their home or workplace? We sure have been! Though not as bad as the last one. *shivers* Last one was HARD. Aaaaanyway. Its been that standard full moon vibe for a couple of days, where everyone tends to be a bit more high strung.
Last night, for reasons unbeknownst to me, I did not sleep well at all. I’m blaming the moon. I wasn’t overly anxious, nothing was bothering me, but I was awake for a very large chunk of the night. I dozed in and out for hours and hours. And then when I did finally fall asleep, I must’ve slept hard, and weird, because this morning, everything hurt!
Such is life, though! Just an achy start to the day. The kids were in better shape than I was this morning, so that was a really nice pick me up 🙂 I got Rowan’s contact in without any fuss. Everyone ate, packed, brushed. Dishes got done. We even remembered that Laela needed to bring her skates. It was pretty successful.
Once the big kids left, Wavy got her stuff organized for preschool. Today that meant she wore fleece lined leggings and a tank top. Because, thats Wavy.
I dropped her off, and picked Cher up for coffee. We chatted and sipped until it was time to pick Wavy up, and then I dropped Cher at home. Kind of a convenient system! It was a nice way to spend the morning 💜
Wavy and I lunched together, and when she went down for naps, I went up for crocheting and Netflix. And smarties, because, I found some. There is a heating pad on my back, and some bright springy crocheting next to me, simply waiting for me to stop typing, sooooo I’m gonna.
Facebook showed me this picture today of Brady and I from nine years ago. We were 25.
I feel like, in this picture, we had really hit our stride. We had a lot of fun in our life!
For years, I would laugh at every one of my birthdays and say “I still feel like I”m 23.” I felt young forever. I don’t know what it was about 23, but it was as if I didn’t age for a while there, and that was always my number.
When Brady went to the hospital, and that whole new season of life came upon us, I aged so quickly. I was deflated beyond belief. Exhausted at every angle. It has always felt selfish to say it, but to be blunt, I was deeply suffering. And that first summer afterwards, when I turned 33, I remember saying “I feel like I’m 46.” I only realized way after that fact that I had subconsciously doubled the age I felt I was the year before. I can’t tell you what gave me those numbers, but they felt pretty significant to me.
I don’t know what happened. If it was the two year post-surgery mark, or just God’s perfect timing. Probably both. But we have once again seemed to have hit our stride. And its a gooder.
We both feel like our capacities have grown. We laugh more. We accomplish things easier. We have at least begun to hit a new normal, and it feels really good. Really hopeful. And thanks to that, we have some fun things we’re working towards this month! I don’t know how long its been since we’ve felt like we can actually add things, but its been a gradual climb, and its feeling good.
There is no one else I’d rather eat a casserole out of the dish at the island with.
If you are the praying type, and you think of us, please carry us with you! We are working hard to follow God’s leading! The future is bright 💜
It definitely is a different feeling over here today. Brady is at work. Weird, right? Its a whole long thing, I won’t even attempt to explain why. It won’t last forever, but for now, he will work the occasional Sunday.
And its weeeeeeeird. 😩
Last Sunday, we skipped church. Brady and I both really needed to. And the kids were so disappointed. I can’t tell you how many times this week the kids made mention of missing church and their hope to attend again soon.
So we decided to go today, even though Brady couldn’t join us. It was a busy morning, but we all got ready in time!
We got out the door in time to pick my mom up and bring her with us.
Church was smooth. The kids did really well, for which I was grateful and relieved. After church, we headed home, where Cher was working on her own stuff, and the eight of us settled in for a quick lunch before the little ones went down for rests.
The afternoon has held Skip-Bo, reading, drawing, and lego. There is still some crocheting to come, as always. And supper will be easy. Brady will be home in time to join us 💜 And tomorrow, he’s home! Woot!
I hope you have a beautiful end to your weekend, friends! Our week ahead is actually not bananas! Going to be a nice change of pace. *knocks on wood*
Our kids are homebodies, if you didn’t know. They like to be cozy and comfortable.
Which is great, but there is also definitely a time and a place to shake that up a bit. With the weather being so much milder than earlier this calendar year, we kicked them outside this morning. Waverly was stoked. The others were pretty meh about it. Dekker was devastated, as he is. But still, it was a good plan.
And being that its been a while since we enforced outside time, I ran out to take a couple of pictures.
*whispers* No one tell Rowan he doesn’t have to wear his patch outside. He forgot it was on!!!!
And this is not the best picture of these two, but I had just broken through the top layer of snow, filling my boots and freezing me to my core. And these suckers were into it! Hahaha!
We’re enjoying a little peace and quiet, though there are still things to be done! We need to do some laundry. Make sure everyone gets baths. Do a little light cleaning, and some online work during nap time.
Since I started typing this, three of the five kids have come in to see if they can come in sooooo I’m thinking my quiet time is almost over 😅 Was fun while it lasted haha!
I think I mentioned it a while back, but I was asked to test a couple of patterns for a crochet designer recently! I started one a while back now, but I ran out of one of the colors I need all throughout the pattern. Shoot! And then, because stocking shelves seems to be much harder these days, I could not locate this brand and color anywhere! Ack! So I ordered some online and while, I waited, I tested out a second, smaller pattern. I finished that smaller pattern yesterday afternoon, just in perfect timing for my yarn to be dropped at my door!! Woohoo!! Success all around!
So today, I will spend pumping out the first test pattern that’s been sitting for a week-ish. I’m very motivated to finish it because I’m participating in a fun local online art show this month, and I’ve purchased a pattern I’m really excited to get into! And I have a time crunch on it!! So, time to get working!
Plus the other two commissions I’m sitting on. Thankfully, I have a bit of time on those so they can wait a little. But not forever! I haven’t forgotten you, you know who you are!! 💜
I’d show you the pattern test I completed, but then I’d have to kill you. So. I won’t. But I will once the pattern it released later this month! I’ll leave you with this picture of Dekker and I wrapped in one of my blankets 🙂
Its really nice to have a couple in use in our living room 🙂 They just get softer and softer!
It has been another appointment-heavy week, but today marked the last one! At least for now, haha! Brady took a few hours off this morning so we could go in together. But first, we did the standard morning stuff together 🙂
The kids got up and ready for school, and to the breakfast table. While some of the kids set the table, Rowan brought me his contact stuff and I got his lens in! It wasn’t our first try, but that was on me. Contacts don’t form to my finger the way they used to, but they really perch on the surface! So being that I have to see Rowan’s face in order to put his contact in, I have to tip it up, and it kept falling off my finger. Gah! But we got it there after maybe three tries, and then he sat for breakfast!
While the kids ate, we went over the days plans. One kid had skating. One kid had curling. One kid had preschool. Laela needed to be two places at once after school, both for Frozen Jr, so unfortunately I told her she needed to ask around and see where was best for her to be. It was ok with her, though. She felt like a rockstar.
After food came medicine, and all the brushing and readying still left to do. Backpacks got lunches and water bottles loaded up. Dishes got done. The little time left to spare was spent loudly in the basement, haha! And then we kicked them out!
And as the kids walked down the driveway, my mom walked up it! She was on the hook to take Wavy to preschool today so Brady and I could run in for our appointment! Thank you SO MUCH, mom! 💜
Our appointment started a little late, but it was shorter than anticipated, and we were out in time to grab coffee, and still pick up Waverly from school! So we did! We had the pleasure of watching her run nonstop with her friends, being a complete goof, as usual. She was in a very tackly mood, it seemed, and was trying to wrestle everyone! It was REALLY funny to watch, because thankfully, her friends were handling her boundless energy really well. Though I did finally step in and call to her “Wavy, please stop sitting on your friends,” at which the other parents laughed. So, win.
Brady dropped us off at home before heading back to work. Wavy and I lunched, and the morning was officially DONE! What a big one! Wow!! But it was really good too 🙂 No complaints at all! It feels good to be growing my capacity again, and learning when and where I can push myself. Thank you Lord for discernment.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a blanket pattern I’m testing for a designer and I think I’ll be able to finish it today!!!! Off I go!
Remember a couple of days ago when I said we were all done with the vision stuff for a while, and that we were just waiting on the contact? Remember how it was supposed to be a few weeks out still? Welp. I got the message yesterday that it was in, and made an appointment for the next day. Today. This morning.
First thing in the morning, our eye care centre called and said our eye doctor had to stay home with a sick kid today, but they could put us with someone else. We agreed, and the appointment jumped by an hour. So as soon as kids were off the school, we drove Wavy to grandmas and drove Rowan and I to Warman!
We got all set up at the contact counter where people are taught how to wear and remove contacts. We washed up and got our stuff, and then the staff realized that they didn’t have to teach Rowan, since it was me who would be doing all the legwork for him. He is WAY too young to put in and take out his own contacts at this point. So I briefly waited for direction before I realized that I know enough to just get started.
If you’ve ever been a contact wearer, you know that initial appointment is kind of bizarre, trying to stick things to your eyeball, really leaning into it, that funny suction sound, too wet, too dry, the whole dang learning curve. Its quite the thing. We tried a few different angles of head tilts before we found a gooder, and then the trick was really getting his eye open enough to put the thing in there!! Its an average adult sized contact, and he has little boy eye holes, hahahaha! So it was a challenge, for sure, but guys. He handled it SO WELL!!!!! It took a few tries, but we got the contact in! With that squirty suction sound and everything!!
Again, contact wearers will know thats only half the battle. And I’d say its the easy part. Getting it out is a whole other thing.
When it was time to take it out was the first time Rowan kind of sighed. He didn’t like the idea of taking it out once we finally had it in. But I reiterated the importance of practice, and he willingly climbed on board.
Taking a contact out involved the person looking waaaaay up, and the contact being slid off their iris first, and then gently lifted off the eye. And every time I slid it away, Rowan would look somewhere, and move it back into its original place. Finally, I asked him to look at his brain. He giggled and looked as hiiiiigh up as he could. And we got the thing out!
So that became the method. Look at your brain. Really look at it. Is it in there? And he loved it.
I told him we were going to go through the motions a few times, and he complied. The second time through, we got it in FIRST TRY, and got it out FIRST TRY!!! It was a HUGE success! I pushed my luck for a third round, and it took until maybe the second or third try, but his eye was quite tired at that point so I really couldn’t fault him for that, lol! At one point, he stopped me and announced “hug break!” So, we hugged, and then kept working. Man, he was SO in control, it was just awesome!!!
Of course, I dropped the ball and forgot that a doctor actually had to look at his eye while he had a contact in, so back the thing went for round four, which he tolerated beautifully. It was already getting easier at that point, in the way that it was familiar and he was more trusting of me touching his eye. Not a SINGLE tear was shed!!!
Happy news! His contact is a PERFECT fit. It rotates that little bit that its supposed to. It lines up right. Suctions right. His vision is where it was expected to be. He wasn’t uncomfortable or in any pain whatsoever. No notes! Boom!
Basically, Rowan killed it today. It is just unreal how smooth it was. I can’t believe it. The eye doctor we saw gave us a solid explanation why the contact is a BETTER choice for him, and I hadn’t realized just how much smarter it was for him. Thats a very long explanation, but it makes perfect sense to me, and a contact he shall wear!
The boy earned a treat. There was no question about that. This boys self control is BOMB!
I have since dropped Rowan off at school, and Wavy is at Costco with grandma. What a whirlwind of a morning! Man! It was full, and hands on, and a total success!
As we drove home, Rowan said to me “I’ve had a very successful day so far!” And he was not wrong. I am incredibly grateful for his heart 💜 What a special one-on-one morning. Thank you Lord.
Yesterday was a little scattered for a bit. The Access guy came in the morning, which was SO nice! However, the lines were all frozen solid to the ground, and when he did manage to get even a piece of one, they wouldn’t tone. He tried everything and discussed a lot with me. I remembered back when the fence was being dug, the guy accidentally ripped out all of our lines, including the Access line. If that line wasn’t replaced properly at the time, its going to be a pretty decent undertaking to get to it and repair it. And that has to wait for the ground to thaw :/ So thats disappointing, but c’est la vie. At least we still have some signal, and lots of phone data when the wifi just cannot manage. So we have lots of options, and I am very grateful for that!
Since Access came and went in the morning, I could get in touch with our eye doctors office aaaaaaand… make an appointment to pick up Dekker’s glasses! Because they finally came in last week, but we couldn’t get there! We were notified Thursday after closing that they were there, and then we were at the Dahlsjos on Friday and we were on the road before the eye place opened. So we needed to wait for Monday. Assuming Access had already come and gone. You get it. I’ll stop jabbering.
Aaaaanyway. They came! And Dekker is SO happy with them!
Dekker got exactly what he wanted! He wanted black and square like his last pair. The last pair he had chosen that broke, leaving him in the older pair of round ones, anyway. He wanted what he used to have. And he most definitely upgraded!
He looks so much older. I’m not ready.
It was complete chaos while picking them up. Never have I see that many people shopping for glasses at once in their small show room, and then I added myself and my five children who, while being quite well behaved, still did kid things like sitting on the floor, meandered where they didn’t need to, and touched every inch of every surface. *sigh* We were not subtle.
But they’re super cute so that helps!
So. All of my glasses kids have glasses now. Wavy isn’t far behind, we’re all quite sure. Rowan is still waiting on a contact to try. But the glasses leg of the journey is settled for the time being, thank the Lord.
Guys. The BEST thing about today is the fact that it was light out this morning! Ack!!!
You know how I’ve been waiting for this!! We spent most of the week off sleeping, but now that we’re getting up for school again, I could really notice the difference. And I am SO thrilled! Its basically springtime now, right??
Why yes indeed, it is springtime! At least thats what we’re going to tell ourselves!
Kids are getting ready for school. Dishes are being done. Wavy is tucked into the couch, reading a new-to-us book about a little boy streaking around town. I have one kid skating today, and one skating and curling. So I need to remember that. And I don’t think anyone has Frozen practice today. Oh I wonder when they’ll announce who the crew is! And when skating is over for the season. I’m getting ahead of myself, hahaha!
The main goal of today is to write out the March calendar so I feel less upside down going into it! Also, NEW INTERNET!!! We are officially giving up on SaskTel today and jumping on the Access bandwagon! So I’m a sitting duck until he comes. If he comes during school, I may take the kids to Warman after school to pick up Dekker’s glasses! Assuming the van starts, unlike a few days ago when it bailed on us…
