The Daily Hailey

I was SO grateful for all the positive feedback on last weeks series post! I’ll be honest, I expected a bit of flack about the mice, but not a single person said anything. Trust me, I know, mice are dirty and I was pretty unhappy when we discovered they had been there, but I’m SO thankful to have had my supportive people nearby and willingly support the mouse poop removal! Woot! Our trailer is officially mouse-free!! 

The day after my last post, we had already done a bunch more work, and holding it all in has been something of a nightmare, haha! Not the nightmare I’ll talk more about later, but a difficulty, nonetheless. So I held it all together and here I am now, sharing with you!! 

The first thing we tackled was removing the cabinets in the room that will be the kids room. We had hoped to complete that the week before but at the time, we were hoping to salvage them and wanted to take our time and be extra nice to them. Unfortunately, they needed to be completely disassembled, so we won’t be reusing them. Ah well, we tried! 

At least we have that wall free now! 

Next, we ripped up the flooring. 😳 THAT was our nightmare. 

We lifted a few pieces pretty seamlessly, and figured it would be a pretty simple job. How hard is removing click laminate anyway? Turns out, when the people who installed it glued just about every piece down with PL Premium, its VERY hard. I would hammer a skinny little pry bar under it to separate the glue from the floor, lift the pry bar, and it would just break a little chunk off of the board. It. Was. Miserable. 

So what should’ve been a half hour turnaround took a LOT longer. But, we got it there! Our diligent little kids carried the boards out and stacked them in a pile while we ripped those boards up, flaking little chunks into everyone’s hair. It was a mess, but it was good! Victory! We did it! 

Thanks for nothing, Gayle Wood. Da. 🤷‍♀️

I figured we were close to done gutting the camper at this point, and I moved onto the stereo system. By “stereo system,” I mean we have a radio and tape deck, lol! First of all, I didn’t love the weird blue upholstery that it was mounted in, but I was also curious if we could somehow many it Bluetooth capable. Because of those things, we decided to pull it out and see what we could change/adapt. Aaaaand we found more mouse poop. *sigh* Sooooo Brady got on that for us again. Or did Solly? 🤔

We ended up cutting out the blue “wall” and Cher cleaned the back walls for us. (Thank you both for doing so much dirty work!) 

As weather permitted, Brady continued to seal the outside of the camper. 

He FINISHED it!!! 💪

We did a bunch of burning…

And what we couldn’t burn, we took the dump!

Hopefully just the one big dump run!! 

The day of the dump run, we went to Saskatoon for a BIG materials shop!!! We had received a quote for our flooring, wall panels, and MDF, so we were VERY excited to go pick it all up!! We were disappointed the learn the flooring we had been given SUCH a good price on was not in stock :/ And the employees weren’t especially willing to try and help us order more. Merp. But! Brady was able to acquire his big stack of MDF, as well aaaaaaaas beadboard for the walls!! 😍

Its SO pretty!!!

Believe it or not, beadboard was cheaper than regular RV wall panels! So I don’t even have to feel guilty about having it look pretty in there!

We pulled the futon mattress apart and tried to save what we could. The foams were stained, so we threw them out, but we washed the nice couch cover, as well as the mattress cover, in hopes that we could just replace the foam and move along. Unfortunately, the covers fell apart in the wash – zippers completely ripped off. Merp. So I guess no futon for us! We’ll have to find something else! We’ve got time!

Speaking of mattresses, though, we found a solution to the kids beds! At least for now, while they’re little. We purchased a stack of those tri-fold camper mattresses, and they line up perfectly in our plans for their room! YAY! They were also cheaper at Costco than at Walmart, so, take note of that!

Brady redid some of the plumbing underneath the camper this week, too! A pip had ripped off completely, and had been lovingly 😳 taped back on 😳 So he fixed that up good and proper!

Brady drove into the city on Thursday morning to run a few RV errands. Firstly, our camper came with a hefty hitch adapter, but since we’re parking it permanently somewhere, we don’t require the adapter. Brady managed to sell it for a nice chunk of money to someone who really wanted it! YAY! On the same errand run, he picked up a new AC unit, as our camper unit’s fan still ran, but it didn’t cool beyond that. He had done some research in advance, and picked up a really nice looking one from an autowrecker. 

That same day, Thursday, Brady went to install the AC unit but realized he was short a gasket. Thankfully, we have an RV dealer about 15 minutes away, and he ran there to see if what he needed was priced reasonably well. Turns out, every little part he was needing was priced WAY better than he had anticipated, and he came home with a small haul of necessities! 

Seals, covers, etc. He was SO stoked about his haul, and about getting the AC unit installed!

Aaaaand then it didn’t work. He checked and rechecked his wiring, and it was all correct. He researched how to test it, but then couldn’t find his multimeter. Saying it was frustrating was a bit of an understatement. 😬

We troubleshot a little bit after the kids went to bed, but to no avail. We’ll figure it out. It was a nice date, though! Can’t complain!

Today, Friday, Brady went into Saskatoon to pick up a couple more big ticket items!! First was our glass, to replace the windows that were broken. 

Installing them is proving more difficult than anticipated, so hopefully I’ll touch more on that next week.

And second was our flooring. That’s a gruelling story. The long and the short of it was that our contact at Coop who gives us great deals has left. We knew he was leaving, and he gave us our quote in advance, but the flooring was discontinued and they didn’t carry even half of what we needed. Brady ended up on the phone with another employee who worked hard for him. She tracked down a box here and a box there, at different Coop locations and at her supplier locations. When she found enough, she called. And today was the day he could pick it up! YES!

I’ve been saying that the weeks we accomplish flooring and walls will be by far the most exciting weeks! No one will care after those updates, hahaha! But I guess with that, there will be cabinets, bedrooms, and decor. So maybe there is still stuff to see….. 

Week two…

We’re still having fun, in case anyone is wondering! No regrets!!! 

In case you missed yesterday’s post, it was Cher’s birthday! The big 3-0 that she’s been anticipating for years. And all she wanted to do was hang out together. Nothing more. We arranged to have a sleepover, eat yummy food, and watch 13 Going on 30. That was it. And that, we did!

The day began with breakfast!

Last year was the first time I really did Cher’s birthday with her. She’s not a big fan of birthdays, so to try and hit the proper middle ground, I simply made her some bright “birthday” scones. They were a hit, so we decided they would be a tradition!

We added bacon to the mix, because who would ever say no to bacon?

We dropped some bday scones off at her moms and my moms, and then we headed out for our day together! While we were gone, Brady got the kids outside and they played while he did some camper work 🙂

It was productive and everyone was happy! Win!

Cher and I did exactly what we had planned. We watched some shows, ate yummy food, and generally just enjoyed the downtime together. Eventually, we decided on a change of scenery, and ended up sitting out on the porch and playing a game.

It was pretty blissful until the mosquitos moved in. So we opted to move in as well.

Our whole evening was really slow going, and this morning was the same. Luckily, we had no deadlines or need to rush. It was an awesome time of quiet rest, and I think both of us welcomed that.

Meanwhile, Brady had loaded the kids up and done a quick errand or two that he could with the kids, and then he played outside with them until Cher and I showed up with breakfast.

It was sad to see her go, as it always is after we’ve spent really nice time together. I anticipate we’ll have another chance sooner than later 😘

Cher turns thirty today!! She and I have been friends now for about two years, and we’ve spent those years, specifically the last six months or so, getting ridiculously close 💜 She has surpassed “best friend” into my sister. We lead completely different lives, but our hearts are the same. It is SO clear to us both that God designed our friendship, so when stuff comes up that isn’t so easy, the only option is to work it out. And I LOVE that. I LOVE her. We’ve learned a lot about each other, and I thought I’d list thirty of those things right here, in honour of her thirtieth birthday. Some of them roll over, but bear with me! I can’t not brag about her.

Cher was SO EXCITED to turn thirty! She is not afraid to age. Quite the contrary. She anticipates the future and what it brings positively and with enthusiasm. 

She feels other people’s feelings. An empath, she says. Sometimes I can see how challenging that is for her, because she hurts so deeply when I hurt, but her sensitive heart just loves. Its a challenge for her but a blessing to her friends. 

Cher is driven!! She is a super hard working, goal oriented woman! I’ve never known another friend to TRY the way she tries! To WORK the way she works! 

“Artistic” doesn’t do her justice. Her “quick little sketches” are bananas. She paints and colours and draws and photographs and edits and photoshops. She knows her way around art on paper and screen SO well. 

Part of that is that she pays very close attention to detail. She’ll go that extra mile to do something to the best of her ability and not cut corners. 

Cher laughs at herself! Or she turtles her head into her hoodie, haha! That too 😉 But she can definitely laugh at things that are hard or mistakes she makes. Sometimes in the moment, and sometimes after. If she and I have a difficult conversation or have to work out something hard, we can always crack jokes about it later. I love that 🙂 Not too serious, but not too casual either. 

Cher is VERY generous. I have to be careful with this one. I’ve witnessed it in my home countless times, where she will fulfill just about any need she can! Whether its a missing ingredient for a meal I’m thinking of making, a gift for the kids, something she’s noticed on her own that we could use, or time spent.

She LOVES our children. LOVES them. She has an extra special bond with Waverly, having been in the room when she was born, but I know for a fact that she would step in front of a moving vehicle for each and every one of them. She is their auntie, because she is my sister.  

I have NEVER had a friend who wants to take responsibility for their place in a disagreement or a struggle. I never want to let her have any, but she insists. She hears what I say, actually considers it, and then I see the obvious efforts! Its crazy! She is SO humble! 

On the flip side of that, she is honest. This is a big one, and I’ve seen its grow in the recent past. Honesty is HARD but its SO worth it! Its made our friendship way stronger!

Can we just address the fact that Cher is GORGEOUS?!?! My goodness!! Her eyes are striking, with that popping blue, and her hair is so long and annoyingly perfect ombre. She is SO soft and warm. You can see her heart just by looking at her!

Cher is very considerate. She respects our time so well, and respects how our home and family works. She occasionally offers Brady and I some alone time, to go for walks in the evening or things along those lines, because she knows we don’t get that terribly often. I really appreciate that. 

She is always growing. She is the opposite of stagnant. Her quest for self improvement is amazing to watch. I am SO proud of her!

She has an excellent tolerance for yucky stuff! Lol! And I mean anything from cleaning up mouse poop in our camper to wiping Laela up after she threw up in our living room to wiping noses to cleaning our house. Its crazy. 

Cher puts into her people. Science Saturday? ALL her. Just because she knew the kids would love it. She brings treats, or takes them out for treats and walks on her own! If there is a job around here that she knows I’m dreading, she often just jumps on it, or encourages me by doing it alongside. 

I won’t go into this one in too much depth, but how that woman is still standing, I simply do not understand. She is easily one of the strongest people I know. She has lived through more in her 30 years than MANY live through in their entire lives, and she still stands tall. Still works on herself. She doesn’t play the victim, even when she could totally justify it. No excuses. She WILL succeed! Ugh. SO proud. 

Cher is very self aware. I think that’s a huge part of how she’s made it through some her struggles in the last few years. She knows what her body and heart need to be healthy, and she’s not afraid to ask for those things. 

Cher is hilarious. So many jokes. So many movie references. My goodness we laugh SO MUCH together! Our senses of humour have melded together since we’ve become so close, and I think everyone (or at least she and I) can agree that we’re both extra hilarious. Watch out, world! 

She loves wholly and completely. I don’t know if she specifically pays attention to stereotypical “love languages” but she hits the nail on the head every time. She knows how every member of my family likes to be loved, and showers it down on them! She is crazy invested, and it shows!  

Cher is completely selfless. Sometimes she feels otherwise, but I know she would move Heaven and earth if I asked her to, even if she had her own stuff on the line.  

Its a bit of a secret, but Cher is sentimental. Everything has a special association, and I really enjoy being part of her life in that way. Special memories sit a little deeper in her heart. I’m so excited to see her be a mom one day and tear up over first onesies, finger-painted pictures, etc.  

When a problem needs solving, Cher is your girl. Period. And being that we’ve lived pretty different lives thus far, when I’m explaining stuff to my kids, she has new angles that add a whole new level of learning! I LOVE that about her!  

Cher offers reassurance like none other. I feel like there is some built-in crappy thing where people don’t want others to feel good or secure about themselves. I have never been so reassured, complimented, and comforted by a friend. I never have to wonder where we stand. I always know. And if I’m being a girl and questioning it, she will tell me in my eyes. Its amazing. Everyone should have that. She is SO encouraging. Its crazy.

Cher is NOT a mean girl. Not even a little bit. She doesn’t do passive aggressive, silent treatment garbage. She isn’t gossipy or rude. She doesn’t hold grudges. Huh. Funny how being a nice girl fits with 1 Corinthians 13 so smoothly.

The amount of life experiences Cher has had are pretty crazy. With them come the reality that she has overcome obstacles one after the other, and she has gained great knowledge and strength from that! She has the ability to help SO MANY PEOPLE in her life, thanks to those obstacles. When it feels the deck is stacked against you, its actually awesome in some ways!

Cher appreciates! Everything! If you’ve spent any amount of time with her, you know this, but Cher is the BEST person in the world to cook for. She always appreciates anything we make, and thanks us profusely. I never have to wonder if she’s happy with what she has. She always is, and she always says.  

Something really special about hanging out with Cher is that she taught me more about being present. I’ve never been a crazy phone addict, but she next to never looks at her phone when we’re together. Even if we’re just watching a show, we’re intentionally watching together! Its SO nice to be so present, and its been a good lesson for me. That being said, its also really nice to occasionally just sit and scroll phones together. Once in a blue moon we do that, and its also really really nice 🙂 

Cher rocks wisdom like its going out of style. If I’m wondering something, she is on the ball to research online, consult the bible, ask friends, ask her mom, or direct me where to check. Or, often, she knows the answer! Its bananas how informed she is!

My Cher never ever gives up. When I say I’ve failed, she reminds me that failing only occurs when someone quits trying, and that is something she NEVER does. I am often amazed at the endurance she has.  

The most important one! Cher seeks Jesus! With God, ALL things are possible, and she knows it!! He is at the centre of EVERYTHING. I know love that she lives that way. 

Something I’ve gotten better at during Covid is prepping stuff in advance. I don’t ace it, by any means, but I’m way less overwhelmed by it. Its one of the really good things that has come from this whole thing for me. I’ve had backup the entire time, and I’ve been able to step away and prepare food or blogs in advance. I know, when real life kicks back up, I won’t have the constant help, but I’m way less afraid of puttering with those jobs and getting stuff done. It is SO worth it.

My list for today is big! I have food to prep for this evening and tomorrow, and a couple of blogs to write out. I have some calls to make, as does Brady, as he tries to make plans around the camper repairs. I also have a couple of items to list on a buy and sell (Anyone need a fridge or a really strong futon frame?) and some events or organize next week! If anyone has a spare hour or two next week to help transfer some stuff across town, or to hypothetically watch my kids, even post-bedtime, please let me know!!

So, in case it wasn’t clear, today is a full day! And I’m gone tomorrow, so nothing can get left! Eek! Hence why this is a short post!

🎶 Werg werg werg werg werg, something something werg werg werg werg werg 🎶

It is strangely difficult to write blogs these days. We work on the camper every single day, but I’m trying to save all of those updates for the Friday series! So if I can’t talk about that, what can I talk about??? Thanks to that very question, you’re getting a pretty odd-duck random post today. You’re welcome.

Every time we walk by the pond, I see this rock, and I think “steak.” We laughed about it once and now whenever we pass it, Solly announces “That rock looks like meat!” Wavy joined in recently with yelling “meat rock” as we walked by. I like it. Do you see it too?

I get a kids cup of flowers almost every day. “Flowers.” I love it.

Wavy has become a bit of a flasher these days, lol! But look!! A rash-free belly!!

I wonder if I updated you guys on her rash! Shoot! Its all gone, lol! We put her on an antibiotic for four days. She stopped scratching, and improved so fast! It was awesome! We are all SO relieved for her! She still asked for medicine often, as it became part of her routine there for a bit, but then we remind her she’s all better now, and she just says “ok” and moves along. Yay!!

Here are a couple of pictures of Waverly crying that Cher edited, to really bring out the details. Crazy!

I guess there is a lot of Waverly in this post! But she’s my kid who is usually closest by, and the most cooperative with pictures! Lol! Anyway, the other day we were all going outside, and as tends to happen, it was a bit chaotic trying to get everyone out the door at once. She wanted to wear shoes, not sandals, but needs help tying on her runners, obviously. She got tired of waiting and went to the closet to exchange her shoes for rubber boots, which she knew she could do herself. I LOVED that. Look at my two year old being all resourceful and independent.

I’m a pretty big fan of her.

There has been a lot more going on than just these little tidbits, but this is what you’re getting today! Lol! Enjoy the rain and the overcast weather today! I know I will!

In general, I don’t dream very much in my sleeps. I dream more when I’m pregnant, which isn’t uncommon at all, but in my regular, non-pregnant life, I rarely dream. I remember a small handful of times growing up, where my mom would wake me lightly in the night to make sure I was ok, having had a nightmare herself. I understand that well, as a mom who occasionally has horrible dreams involving her kids. And last night would’ve been that kind of night, but thankfully, when I woke up from my dream, it was morning.

I don’t really want to remember too much about my dream, so I’m not going to detail it all out on here. I will say that, in the dream, Solomon went missing. It was obvious he had been taken, not that he had wandered off. And what made it just that much worse was that everyone was speculating what had happened, but no one would help me. No one seemed concerned as they spitballed things like “Someone probably took him to hurt him at a party or something.” The dream did not resolve. It was just awful.

When I woke up, Brady was so understanding. He brought me a coffee and we watched a show to try and shake it off. It kind of worked, but I was pretty rattled. Part of me wanted to just hide up in our room for a bit, but the other part of me wanted to see my kids. Solly, specifically. Conveniently, we always get him and Dekker up first.

Poor Solly, haha! I lay on top of him and didn’t let him get up for a pretty long while 😆 He was completely fine, of course, but I wanted to hold him juuuuust a little bit closer. It grew into a massive tickle fight that Dekker eventually joined. We took our sweet time actually getting them up and starting the process of the morning.

Rowan is the next to wake up. He was still all snuggled up in his bed. I went and lay on top of him, too, which he loves. One of the first things he said to me was regarding the evening before. He had broken rules, and he wanted to address it immediately. He confirmed his consequence and was very graceful about it. Then he put on a brave happy face, and involuntarily accepted my tickle fight invitation 😉 He did really well this morning. We just took our time.

The girls were last. I greeted Laela tickle-fingers first, and attacked her armpits and neck. She just squealed! Wavy yelled to be in Laela’s bed, and she joined the tickle fight. So. Much. Girly. Screaming. It was awesome. Laela is a very soft, loving little snuggler, so she would just wrap me up in a big hug, and while I LOVED that, her little pits were all exposed, and I’d take advantage and restart the tickles. She would just howl. It was so fun. Again, we didn’t cut anything short. We just went with it.

Getting the kids up took probably five times longer than it usually takes, but my heart needed it, and we all just loved it.

I never want to stop having fun with these kids! Thank you Lord, for my children. Please keep them safe.

I was pleasantly surprised at the feedback on yesterday’s post! Thank you, friends, for being excited along with us about our new camper! We are truly SO excited, and its nice to know we have a whole slough of people in our corner, eager to see the outcome! Very very encouraging. Since yesterday’s post, we’ve already done more work, and I wish I could share it all buuuuut you’ll have to wait for Friday! Lol! 

Today carried the promise of rain, and I don’t know if you’ve been outside, but its SO HOT out there. I can’t imagine rain is actually on the way at all! Maybe we’ll get more done. But also, I have a couple of projects inside the house that need completing that I’ve been ignoring. I have some things to write and schedule. Some crocheting to wrap up. Some lists to make. Some videos and photos to transfer. My room to tidy up, as its been a mess since Waverly’s birthday. Whoops! Not to mention I need to check the garden. And there are so many weeds in our driveway, I should get to maintaining our property. There is never a shortage of things to get done! 

When did we become these people?? I remember watching TV aaaaall day on Saturdays. Where did we come from?!?! 

Welcome to our series, “RV There Yet?” It will be a six part series, where I will update you every week on the progress we make in the remodel of our camper! I hope you enjoy coming along for the ride with us! Whew! Good thing we have a camper so everyone can fit! (See me? See my lame joke? Ya ya do.)

We’ve had our camper for ONE week! Wait. 🤔 No. We’ve had access to the lot beside our house for one week. Lol! We got our camper on Sunday. Still counts. I’m calling it a week.

We don’t have a ton to show for our first week. Not tangibly, anyway, but its been a crazy busy week behind the scenes! The first priority was getting the obvious garbage out and getting the first layer of grime cleaned up. The worst of the mess was dust and dead bugs. Cher and I wiped and Lysoled up a storm, and the shop vac was never turned off for more than a couple of minutes between uses. Broken wood, nails, papers, old dishes, manuals, etc. lay everywhere! That first clean was a big job, but it was worth it.

Here you have it, folks! The “before” pictures. 😬

Unfortunately, as we cleaned and opened everything up, we discovered at one point or another, there had been mice in our trailer. Unsurprising, but still. Booooo 👎 There were none at the time we got it, and nothing was chewed anywhere that we could find! But there was poop, and one empty mouse nest. I was pretty nervous and discouraged, but Cher and my mom were SO encouraging that it wasn’t a loss, and Brady stepped up to the plate, pulling up the carpet and getting rid of all the mouseness.

Honestly, it looks so much better now.

There was a mattress in the bedroom that is in surprisingly good shape, so we’re going through the process of trying to salvage it and make sure its really good and clean before making the final decision on whether or not to keep it.

It is SO soft, stain-free, and has no chew marks whatsoever!

We’ve been doing a lot of demo this week, too! All trim and window valances have been removed, and decorative floral glass pieces (🤷‍♀️) have been pitched. Who knew gigantic moths like to hide behind stuff like that? 😳 I did not, but I do now. Its possible our shop vac has eaten a handful of alive things also. The things that were too big to eat with the shop vac were disposed of in other ways…

Brady took on the enormous challenge of the exterior!

Some of the siding had pulled away and edges needed resealing. It was pretty intimidating. He spent a ton of time researching and managed to find the best way to close up the sides really nicely and keep us safe and dry for as long as possible. Contact cement! He peeled back the siding in some places, replaced the plywood underneath, and has been cementing it all back together. This was a really big stretch for him, as he had never dabbled in anything like it before, but he was game to try!!

He’s such a hard worker.

That was a HUGE job. I’m positive Brady could write a whole post about just redoing the siding. You can see, he peeled it back to reveal the yucky plywood inside. He cut it out and replaced it with fresh new oak plywood. Its oddly pretty, hey? Piece by piece, he painted it with contact cement, let it cure for 10-20 minutes, and pressed it down (all sweepy) as hard as he could. It was labour intensive, and he crushed it. I’m very impressed.

Speaking of Brady and research, he has also been working hard on getting some prices for us! He’s been in contact with our materials guy for flooring, wall panels, MDF, etc. Meanwhile I’m looking online for second hand materials, like countertops and a kitchen sink. We’re making judgement calls about what to leave for another year and what we can make happen this year. In case you hadn’t heard, there is a pandemic on the go, so money is something we need to be careful with. I know it seems like we’re rolling in it with all of our projects this Spring and Summer, but we were fortunate enough to be able to use from a project fund we had been saving up. But as the project fund dwindles, we have to be aware of what can wait another year or two or five. But we have information and knowledge now.

Brady has had a couple of friends come through and give him tips and information about the plumbing and electrical parts of the camper. Those were the parts Brady was a little less confident in, and I know it helped a ton to have input from people who knew those trades, and knew about campers. I am pleased to say that ALL of the electrical works! Woot!! 🥳 There are some small fixes to do on the plumbing, but it all feels more doable now that he’s been walked through it. Thank you, Braden and Marlen! You guys really helped!

While I don’t have a lot to show you, there was still a lot to share and be excited about! There is much more to come, but I feel good about all we accomplished in this short week. We did a LOT of the legwork, and now we just have to get our hands on materials and get to it!

Here are our progress pictures after ONE WEEK!

This is JUST the beginning!! Eek!!

To throw a shameless plug out there, if anyone is looking to purge foam mattresses or a beater barbecue out of their lives, please sent them my way!

There you have it, friends. Week one, done and done ✅ If it were you rebuilding a camper, what would be your must-haves? What am I missing?

Our whole crew has been a picture of physical health since Covid-19 became what its become, thanks to seeing next to no one for months on end. But as I mentioned a few days ago, Waverly came down with a crazy rash about a week or so ago. After a call with her doctor and some pictures being sent via email, she prescribed a steroid cream for the bad spots and we figured we’d just ride it out. 

The thing was, though, that Wavy wasn’t getting better. She was, in some ways. I guess. Her belly rash went down. Some of the fluid-filled spots on her legs seemed to drain and scab over. Some of the bizarre markings on her hands lightened a little. But our little Miss was miserable. Being the chatty little communicator that she is, she would approach us, half hopping on one foot, scratching the other, exclaiming “Itchy. Ouch. Bandaid. Foot. Lotion. Help please.” We were only “supposed” to use the steroid cream on her hands and feet once or twice per day, and despite her being on Benadryl consistently for days, it just wasn’t keeping up. That, and other spots were forming. Weird looking, leopard-print-ish spots. So I called and booked an in-person visit for her. And that happened Tuesday morning. 

It was pretty bizarre being in there, honestly. I called the “clinic cell phone” to check us in so they could ask the Covid screening questions. Our appointment was close enough that we were welcome to come wait in the waiting room. We were first stopped a table and asked the screening questions again. We both had our temperatures taken, were given hand sanitizer, and I was asked to wear a mask. We waited in a very spare, quiet waiting room. 

I knew it was all pretty strange for Waverly, but she was so brave. I nuzzled her a bunch with my mask and made it fun for her. I would try and kiss her through it, and she would giggle and giggle when the paper mask would tickler her. She did great. 

When we did finally make it into an exam room, we sang and played and she inquired over and over about my mask. “I want one,” she’d say, and then she’d grab my nose and try to pull it off. It was cute. 

Dr. Guselle finally surfaced, in scrubs and a mask, and she was nothing but light and airy and friendly, as always. We chatted a lot about Waverly’s ever-changing rash, and Wavy cooperated beautifully as I lifted limbs here and there, slipped her out of her clothes, and then held her hands so she couldn’t scratch at herself. Dr. Guselle agreed that her tummy rash was WAY better than the pictures I had sent her a few days prior. She was curious about her hands and feet, though, as they look quite different, and weren’t clearing up as quickly as they should. The priority was Wavy’s comfort, because she has none. She is SO clearly asking for help, and Dr. Guselle agreed that we need to help her with that. Its very likely a simple viral rash, but the way that the Benadryl and steroid creams are juuust keeping her comfort at bay suggests she could be fighting something else on the inside. Her ears looked fine. No obvious infections to be seen.

*sigh*

So we talked Covid. The chance that she had Covid was next to nothing, and none of her symptoms are standard Covid symptoms. Nothing respiratory whatsoever. But her rash didn’t look like anything else I’d ever seen, or that she had ever seen. Not in her derm book either. And realistically, the more they can know the better! If, hypothetically, she did have Covid, that odd rash could’ve been a new symptom to watch for. I consented to Waverly being tested for Covid. Dr. Guselle mournfully reminisced about the time she swabbed Dekker’s nose and it bled. I couldn’t believe that she remembered that event so many years ago, but she said it had NEVER happened to her before, and was somewhat traumatizing. Lol! Maybe for her! We recovered! 

Dr. Guselle stepped out to grab her stethoscope, and asked if I was ok if she quickly ran in and measured a pregnant belly before she swabbed for Covid. That made sense to me. While she was away, I told Waverly what we were going to do next, and you can say a two year old doesn’t understand that much, but she is SO smart and responded the whole time. 

Dr. Guselle is going to listen to your back and your tummy.
Ok.
And then she’s going to look in your mouth. Can you open your mouth for me?
Ya. (opens mouth)
Good girl! Will you do that for her, too?
Ya.
Great! And then, you’re going to have to lay down and she’s going to put something in your nose. Do you understand? You won’t like it, but it will be fast. Ok?
Ok, mommy. 

I could only hope she was understanding me. We practiced opening our mouths when asked, and sticking out our tongues. We played in the mirror, and she tried to take my mask again. It was cute. 

It finally came time, and Dr. Guselle and I were both truly amazed at Waverly. She cooperated with the stethoscope and didn’t try to pull it off or get away. Then she lay down and opened her mouth and stuck out her tongue. Dr. Guselle was wide eyed, and praised her up. Wavy tried to get up after that and I reminded her that she’d need to stay laying down for the test in her nose. She lay down and let me hold her hands up above her head. Dr Guselle cringed and said “Wavy, don’t look at me like that!” and then she went for it. 

Wavy flinched and grunted as the swab went in, and then just watched Dr Guselle intently as she stuck it aaaaall the way back and poked her throat. She coughed. And then it was over. 

The three of us in the exam room – 😳😳😳

She didn’t even cry. Dr Guselle was completely dumbfounded. She gushed that this had been the easiest Covid swab she had performed ever, kids and adults alike. I gave Waverly a huge hug, and she was immediately ok. Bizarre. I visited with Dr Guselle while I got Wavy dressed, and she was all smiles, telling Dr Guselle every article of clothing we were putting on. Pants! Shirt! Socks! Shoes! She was happy! It seemed crazy! 

We finished our appointment up with me bragging about my toddlers accomplishments, knowledge, development, etc. I made a crack about another one of my kids and Dr. Guselle laughed so hard that her mask sucked into her mouth and she slapped her knees. It was like old times. But, with masks, and weirdness. Finally, she typed up a prescription for something to help with Wavy’s discomfort and sent us on our way! We were told we’d find out our test results in 24 hours. 

It took two days, but we finally got our confirmation this afternoon that Waverly does NOT have Covid!!! Lol! It feels silly celebrating, because I knew she didn’t, but having it confirmed felt pretty good to me 🙂 Also, the medication Wavy is taking has lifted her itch, and her rash is lifting! Whew! Hopefully this ridiculous thing is behind us soon! I want my lighthearted little weirdo back! 

We’ve been really enjoying our backyard through this season of life and Covid. Goodness, can you imagine if we didn’t have our basement done when it started?? In winter, when its not even close to as easy to go outside?? We’d have all eaten each other alive! Thankfully, the basement is in good shape and we were able to put up a fence and a shed, throw in a garden, and even secure a swingset and a little trampoline. I’ll admit I’m pretty tired of a teeny tiny rain leaving us with pure mud in the backyard, but we’ll get to grass in the fall, or maybe in Spring, considering our new camper project. We shall see.

The big highlight of the backyard, at least for Brady, Cher, and t, is the fire pit! We are LOVING the fire pit! We regularly go outside in the evenings, just to burn wood. If that sounds silly, hear it from my perspective.

My life is built around function. I don’t remember the last time I made a purchase or spent time on a project that wasn’t directly for function. Function always wins with all of these children, and the fire pit has a function. But its also SO fun to just sit around it, with no agenda other than to watch it burn. Somehow, fires have become my letdown. My frivolous enjoyment. My clear headspace.

How did we live so long without one??