A while back, I wrote about our garage, and how much a heater would simplify things. It would negate the need to warm up Brady’s vehicle every morning, while also keeping our bedroom warmer. Brady did a lot of research and tried to set up how we could get a natural gas heater plumbed in, but it just wasn’t going to happen without spending hundreds of dollars on install. Many people suggested a couple of electric heaters, but our garage was only wired up with smaller outlets.

We landed on secret option #3, which was re-wiring an outlet in the garage to run a stronger electric heater. Will it cost more to run an electric heater than gas? Yes. Will it cost more than the space heater we had pumping out there 24/7? Nope. So it was our next best option after letting go of the natural gas heater plan.

Brady got in touch with an electrician friend of ours, to confirm he had thought of every part that he would need to do the wiring, and our friend lovingly offered to come help. Brady didn’t fish for it whatsoever, he just offered 💜 Which was really nice.

Saturday morning, the two guys, along with the three younger kids, worked in the garage, to the furnace room, and back to the garage, getting things redone in a way that made it possible to run something stronger. Brady had purchased a nice beefy garage heater from Zak’s, and they installed it up on the roof in a corner of our garage, and put the thermostat within reach. Only a couple of hours into it, and we have a nicely warmed garage.

Brady is so happy to have his vehicle warm and ready to go every morning.

I am so happy to sleep without a heating pad.

The kids are happy with their winter gear living in the garage now, and being able to get dressed in a bigger space. I am also very happy with that setup!

The garage being heated is something we’ve wanted for a nice long time, and this winter, it was time to find a solution. We are SO grateful for helpful friends, as well as Brady’s job at Zak’s and the convenience it offers.

Yet another project down!

With winter comes dry weather. Thats not news. We’ve turned up the humidity in our house in an effort to save everyone’s throats and skin. But my little Laela is starting to rock overnight nosebleeds like I did as a kid.

She had her first one a few days ago. She actually woke me up to tell me about it. She told me she had cleaned herself up the best she could but her sheet had blood on it. That was fine, I told her, and assured her I’d help her clean it up in the morning. She confirmed that it was fine and she was fine to go back to bed. All was well. But man alive, when it was time to get her up!!

Blood was smeared along her bed frame, and her sheet was soaked. It was THICK. I pulled the sheet off and it was as though it had never been there. Her mattress was thick with blood, right along the seam. It was crime sceney. I put a rag on it and it squelched. It was SO gross.

I spent a lot of time that morning scrubbing that mattress with cold water, trying to lift the blood out. The water in my pail was as dark as the blood had been on the bed. It was wild how much there was. But I got that sucker good and clean! I left her room feeling like I had accomplished something big.

Except the next time I went into her room, I saw more blood. Which felt weird, but I figured I had probably just been looking at it too long and didn’t realize there was more there. So I scrubbed at it again.

And then again. Finally I took a picture when I was confident it was clean, and I left for a few hours. And then I came back, it was bloody again!

That is how much she bled. Enough that it kept growing and spreading and coming to the surface.

I worked at that sucker all day, and got it nicely cleaned and dried. There may be a pinkish hue right along the underside of the seam, but even that is debatable. Frankly, it was all overshadowed by Laela’s story, where she went to the bathroom in the night, thinking she needed to blow her nose, and seeing her face absolutely covered in blood in the mirror! Ack! Poor girl!

Aaaaanyway. Last night she had yet another nosebleed. Thankfully she caught it in time and it was a lot more manageable than the last one. But the shop for a humidifier is on! Ours recently caved, so we need to acquire another one asap to try and help get her face under control, lol!

Sorry about all the blood talk. Just what we’re working with these days!

Hydrate your faces, guys!

Today went a whole different way than we thought it would, but it was really exciting! I’ll tell you all about it! With some backstory, to catch you up.

Brady takes a medication for spasticity in his right leg. I’ve mentioned clonus a lot – when Brady’s leg jumps on its own. That, paired with some unceasing tone, is a real pain. His medication makes him incredibly drowsy, and has negative effects on his nights of sleep and the morning to follow. It works, but its not ideal. So a few months ago, Brady started seeing a new physiatrist, and they talked about botox.

Quick thing first – a physiatrist sounds made up, but it isn’t. Its a physician who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. They hang out in the brain, spinal cord, nerves, etc. A very important position to fill for someone in Brady’s position.

Botox! I know some of you will have feelings about botox and injecting crap into our bodies. I totally get it. But hear me out. Botox is actually a pretty common thing for paras and quads when it comes to mobility! Bradys nerve damage in his spine directly affects his muscles, specifically in his right leg. That sucker is either spasming, or its seized up and stiff. The meds he’s been on do not in any way enhance his quality of life. His physiatrist said he is a fabulous candidate for botox, but the only hangup was the cost.

Botox is expensive. YIKES! If it became a good solution for Brady, he would need it every three months, and it would be about 2K each time. There is just simply no way. Dr. Guselle insisted it should be covered by Sask Health, but City Hospital rehab told us it was considered elective and would be out of pocket. So in Brady’s conversation with his physiatrist, he expressed that one issue, and his doctor said he’d have someone dig into it and apply for some funding on Brady’s behalf. Hopefully we could at least get some off the top, and if we had to cover the rest, we would find a way, because the man needs and deserves to function the best he can.

We were notified a while back that Brady had a followup appointment at his physiatrist, presumably to discuss going forward with the botox treatment. But a few days ago, Brady received a call from a pharmacist, asking some questions in order to get things going for his upcoming injections 😳 His injections we knew nothing about. Brady asked her if he was covered for it financially, and she didn’t know.

Over the weekend, we were a little annoyed that this appointment was already booked without funding. Who knew how long it would be until we were actually covered, and then we’d have to wait however long to actually receive the treatment. But there was no way to confirm anything until Monday, which was appointment day.

As Brady was on the road, driving in to his appointment today, he received the call that he was covered financially. FULLY. Between the Saskatchewan drug plan and the SAID program (Saskatchewan Aids to Independence) he is 100% covered for the treatment!!!

So Brady found out about 20 minutes before his appointment that he was getting botox!

Ok, so, by “botox” I actually mean Dysport. Its basically the same. It spreads easier and it better for larger areas, like in Bradys case, his calves. Botox is more concentrated for little areas like crows feet. So in this case, Dysport is the name of the game!

From Brady: “The cleaning process was cold, which I assume means wet. I felt the ultrasound wand on my leg. The applicator was an average sized syringe with a 4″ long needle. The injection felt like a pinch next to my shin, and then there was an ache deep inside in the muscle. Only one injection on the front (anterior tibialis) and four or five in the back (gastrocnemius.) I was back in my van two minutes after my appointment was set to begin.”

Brady says his leg is very tired now, which makes total sense! It feels under pressure, like its wearing a compression stocking. But its not uncomfortable, and he feels optimistic! If this is all is takes, quarterly, to keep his leg in check and his body off of his spasticity med, we are here for it!

We will keep you updated as time goes by! Apparently botox peaks around the six week mark, which will be right around Christmas! Here’s hoping for more comfort and control in the coming season!

This was such a welcomed surprise today. Happy Monday, friends! 💜

It was a beautiful morning for setting up Christmas in our home 💜 Enjoy the photo dump, a la Cher, and the occasional caption, a la moi.

Brady assembled the tree immediately after breakfast, and Dekker jumped in to help him get the lights up.

While they worked on the “bones” of the decorating, the other kids got all the ornaments untangled and on hooks. It was not the smoothest, and some things definitely broke, but such is decorating with small kids!

Beard Guy and I worked hard not to cringe or micromanage.

Finally, all the ornaments were prepped, and the tree was ready to be dressed!

Big kids helped little kids, which always does my heart good to see 💜

As always, each kid hung their ultra-special hand painted glass ornament from my mom 💜

I can trust Dekker to not drop stuff now, I may have pestered him just a little.

He got me back, though, so all ended well, hahaha!

While the kids worked to decorate the tree, Brady worked on lights around the railings. We always had beautiful lights wrapping our railing, until last year, when Brady came to really need to railings. This year, we wrapped the bottom of one railing (movie theatre style) and the top of the other one that no one actually uses for balance.

I decided to leave full “after” pictures for a separate post, because the lights will all be the most beautiful as the day wraps up and it gets a little darker 💜

The kids are 110% ready to be in the holiday season! I admit that I have some catching up to do in that regard, but I will get there, and Christmas will come sooner than I anticipate, I am confident!! But it can 🙂 At least the house is ready!

Wavy: Sunny, say “butts.”

Wavy: (as Sunny) *whispers* Butts.

Wavy: *sternly* Sunny, that’s enough!

Poor Sunny, lol!

No love was lost 💜

After a pretty sizeable stretch of sickness over here, I could tell I was starting to wear yesterday. Thankfully, my evening with the kids was actually just SO nice. Silly. Low key. Fight-free. We all hung out together in the living room for the last stretch of the day. Laela and Solly pulled out the boogie boards. Her practiced his alphabet while Laela showed he and Wavy the handwriting versions of the letters.

I think I can finally confirm that Solomon is right handed!

Rowan and Dekker found… something… to do. 🤷🏼‍♀️

They were hyper but not grossly disruptive, which is a delicate balance to find, haha!

Bedtime was smooth, which I was incredibly grateful for 💜 Dekker really wanted to tuck Wavy in, lol! Neither picture is “good” but I think they’re both gold in their own way.

When it was time to tuck the big kids in, their roommates were fast asleep.

Little sweeties 💜

I am so grateful that our evening was smooth and cute. I am so fortunate to have these children. That fact is not lost on me. Neither is the fact that I am incredibly lucky to have a husband who is almost always home in the evening. But this was good for my heart 💜 to see I can still do things.

Thank you, Lord, for the strength You provide.

Todays morning is brought to you by none other than Brady himself!

Brady works a super weird shift today, which is far from our ideal, but it gives him the morning at home with us 💜 Its also a one-off work event, so it won’t at all be a regular thing. That helps both of us.

The morning together meant getting kids up and off to school together 💜 It meant morning coffee together. It meant lots of extra hugs and an extra adult to talk to. It also means that Brady can finally put the winter tires on the bus! That has been a whole ordeal, but its finally possible, and happening as I type this! Woohoo!

Meanwhile, Brady’s morning at home means he is working until well past bedtime. The kids’ bedtime, and also mine. And also his. Ugh. Not our favorite type of evening, but we can roll with it once a year. I guess I don’t mind crocheting in my bed for several hours while I wait for him to come home. I could be talked into that. I joined a “crochet along” where new steps are released every week or so, but I joined super late and have a lot of catching up to do anyway.

Its a different kind of day over here, for sure, but its been very nice having Brady home in the morning 💜 We were so spoiled for so long, spending the days together during covid, and then the time through recovery and chemo. I miss him. So this is a treat 💜

We are no strangers to fevers around here. We have had our fair share over the years of having children, but I have always been very prone to long running, exhausting fevers. Behold 🙌 Yours truly as a grandmother child, rolling out a ten day fever.

Nowadays, I have kids who fever pretty hard for decent stretches of time. As you know, we spent their school break being very lazy, limping our way through the same virus absolutely everyone we know is getting through. Such is life. Four of our five kids took that hit last week, but it has finally knocked Laela down. She is truly one of the toughest cookies.

This is as far as she’s gotten today. Laying on the little couch in her robe. She has water nearby and a bucket for barfing. (To be clear, no one has barfed. But she’s aware and nervous, so she takes it along.) Her fever is managed to a degree, but she isn’t complaining or asking for much at all.

I thought it was worth noting on here what she can stomach, because there are such specific ideas out there of what we “should” eat when we’re sick, and hers are SO different!

Maybe you’ve heard of the BRAT diet. I think its so funny that its called that, lol! But BRAT stands for bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. Bland, simple foods that are a good jumping off point for kids who are sick and don’t feel like eating.

Laela wants none of that, lol!

She doesn’t like bananas in general, so thats out. Applesauce is sometimes ok, but she struggles a bit with some textures, and thats only amped by her sickness. Rice is the same. And of all things, she specifically does not want toast when she’s sick, because to her, the throat scratching that comes with it is painful, not relieving like it feels to many of us.

Her main go-to at this point is milk. Most people say to stay away from milk for the sake of a possible upset stomach, but its all she wants, and I totally get that. Its comforting. So that one is a win for her.

Sometimes she wants an apple. Not this time around. Not yet, anyway. I wouldn’t normally offer an apple, but she swears by it. I think the crispy texture is good and refreshing, and hey, there’s liquid in there so she can have at it.

Yesterday, she had crackers and cheese for supper, which felt like a win. She ate eight crackers with some cheese on them, and went right back to the couch.

None of our kids like the standard electrolyte drinks. No diluted juice. Not even really broth. They’re milk and water kids, period. Which makes it pretty simple.

I teased a smile out of her this morning 💜 See her cute little freckle on the end of her nose? She got that one this summer. I love it.

I could fry an egg on this girl, but she doesn’t complain for a second. She just rests, watches Wavy play, and tries anything I suggest might help her feel better.

Her single worry is getting her hot lunch on Friday. I’m sure I would’ve felt the exact same way 💜

Do you remember when you were a kid, and getting mail was SO FUN? And then you got older, and it turned into bills and bank statements? And then everyone went paperless, so all you ever get is flyers? Let’s be real – mail got dumb.

Unless its something fun! These days, I’m eagerly waiting for things to come in the mail. None of them are too terribly thrilling but I’m still going to tell you about them.

I found some cute Christmas jammies for the kids for a really good price! I’ve had a bit of a miserable time trying to find them matching pjs, so I abandoned the idea last Christmas, and it definitely was still so fine. But this year I found some, and I am SO excited! They LOVE the novelty of it even more than I do, so I’m very excitedly waiting for those! But don’t tell them. They’re for Christmas.

I’m also very eagerly waiting for my Walmart order to show up, as I am less than one row away from being done a blanket, and I ran out of my color!!!! Ack!! I couldn’t find it locally, and its been sold out online for a good while, also. But recently, I discovered it was back in stock online, so I ordered it! Woot!

As I type this, I’m listening to music on our Amazon Echo Dot, and it is horrible. At least one of the speakers blew, and it is gravely and muffled. Unfortunately, my bluetooth speaker had the bass give out, and my old head unit amp and speakers that I used to listen to is also having some kind of wiring issue. There is NO way to listen to music in the house!! So during Black Friday, we ordered the cheapest Echo we could for about $35 to replace ours.

With that Amazon order, it offered us a smart plug for $5 down from $35, so we’re excited for that too!

Beyond those things, Brady ordered warranty replacements for our cracked phone screen protectors.

Aaaaand I’m pretty sure thats it! Whew!

I wish I was more organized for Christmas gifts, but I am not. Those are not on order. This is the first year in a good handful that I’m not so prepared. But I’ll get there. Our kids are absolutely NOT without 💜

Anyway.

I’ll be here.

So this is a winter day I can get behind. Its snowing consistently and beautifully, but its not miserable and blowing. Its not as cold so I slept better in our chilly room.

Also, the kids could get all bundled up for school in the garage instead of the entrance. Who knew that would be SO much easier?! We’re still trying to sort out whether to get a natural gas heater installed in our garage, or changing the electrical in there so we could run a stronger heater that way.

There is nothing I can do about that today, but its still actively in mind and in the plans.

Instead of worrying about the pressures of winter and many other swirling anxieties, today is actually going to hold things more this speed…

Lego. Music. Crocheting. Rest and recovery. I’ll see my doctor and my counsellor this week. Lots of time to sort out big things. Today, we do the small things, and I’m here for it 💜

Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful snow and the ease with which we get to spend our day.