I’ve experienced an odd mix of emotions this morning. I’ll talk more about it another day. But in the midst of me feeling a little bit extra roller coastery, Dekker said to me, “Do you want to come inside with me and have a snuggle?” Who is that kid???
I took him up on it. And I’m SO glad I did.
As I was just sitting down in my recliner, Dekker was standing in front of me, arms out in front of him, waiting to lay down in my arms. I scooped him up as I simultaneously pulled the footrest up, and we lay together for a good long stretch. Probably close to an hour.
Of course, the snuggle changed over that hour. He moved around a bit. I tickled him. He got super smoochy and kissy. We talked, but not that much. We just rested together.
Dekker will be nine years old this summer. On one hand, I’m not ready for him to be so grown up yet. But on another hand, if he continues to let me snuggle and smooch and tease him, let the boy grow!! He is SO loving and affectionate and warm.
I asked Dekker several months back if he would ever be too old to stop holding my hand or snuggling with me. And he looked back at me, almost offended, and responded quietly with “Why would you say that?” I will NEVER ask again, my son ❤️
We have this big, tall, beefy deck in our backyard, and the dead space under it needed a purpose. I don’t know if I’ll always feel this way, or its just the stage of life that I’m in, but I NEED space to be practical. So, rather than using up another big chunk of the backyard for a shed, or keeping our garage messy with outdoor things, we decided to close in under the deck and use it as a storage area!
Brady worked on it all last week, first levelling the ground
putting a water drainage solution on the underside, then framing the side walls, floor, and front wall.
Then sheeting.
Then a gutter, and a door. There is even a spout in anticipation for a rain barrel! Woot!
Let’s talk about the obvious. The exterior is not so pretty at this point. We’re not too worried about it. There are options. For this moment, I think we may just end up coating it with a weatherproofer. We may also paint it. I vote purple 😂 Who’s surprised?? We may also decide to throw siding up, but that would happen maybe next year. We have enough planned for this season, and as we all know, money isn’t exactly flowing in excess. We saved for our projects, but we also have to be smart. So, for now, we go cheap. Its worth it to have that storage space. Now that this is build and the garage is mostly finished, we can see what in our garage actually has a home here and what to get rid of for good.
I’m rabbit trailing. I am SO happy to have our backyard storage completed!!
So is Rowan 😂
Today is blustery and grey, so all things considered, we’re going to enjoy a different kind of day inside. My beautiful sun-kissed family needs a cozy day together ❤️
We speculated all day whether or not it was going to rain. The forecast seemed to think it would, but the chance kept getting lower and lower. And really, can you predict a “storm” and say its going to rain less than a millimetre? I’m not sure that constitutes a storm. But, sitting out on the deck, we flip flopped all day about whether or not it was going to come.
We did eventually resign to going inside for supper, but we kept the kitchen window cracked and the living room curtains open. Just as we put supper on the table, I looked outside. It was grey and a bit windy, and the road was darker. Spotted. SPOTS! RAIN!!!
I bellowed “Raaaaaaain” before running outside. The kids ate while we sat on the step and watched the rain. Watched. Listened to. Smelled. Felt. Man, it was SO good to experience the rain again. Don’t get me wrong, I am LOVING the sun. Even in the chilly morning wind, I’m determined to be outside. This is me right now!
But the rain was GLORIOUS! Albeit short lived. But SO refreshing and beautiful.
It doesn’t hurt that the rain didn’t result in icy roads and devastation either. Maybe winter is finally over. Maybe.
We should probably get our winter tires off soon 😆 Whoops…..
We’ve been outside so much these days, and I have a lot to show you! However, a lot of pictures include our current project, and I’m saving those for their own post. Which hopefully won’t be too far away! We’re making great time on it, which is both thanks to Brady’s work ethic and also the fact that we have no deadline 😆 Because, quarantine. Because, unemployed. So todays post will just be sweet outside pictures from the last couple of days.
Solly is ALWAYS under the deck, close to the action.
This man is also always close to the action, for obvious reasons 💪
These two are virtually inseparable these days 💙💖
Thank goodness for these empty lots beside us as we work in the yard! I secretly hope the one next to us stays open forever 🤞
Solomon is SO handsome!
This swing set was gifted to us in the fall, and it is lifesaving these days! It was great last year, but adding Wavy’s swing to it has made it even better!
Waverly occasionally breaks up the work by taking Brady for walks. “Hand? Hand?!” She’ll call to him, and off they wander. Its cute.
We’re embracing the muck these days, which is not something I’m great at, but I’m trying, and I’m learning! So if you see us around and everyone is filthy, just roll with it.
Aaaaand these kids are almost impossible to photograph, because they’re WAY too busy, but we love them, too!!!
Everyone is tan and energized and sleeping better and suuuper grumpy when its time to come inside 😆 Its all as it should be. Its strange how it can almost feel like all is right in the world when it is so clearly not the case. But I’m thankful for my family, the fun we’re having, and the things we’re getting done together!
I anticipate the upcoming days, weeks, and months together. I hope we build, blow bubbles, run, play, garden, and run through water. I hope we eat a ridiculous amount of freezies, as well as cheese and crackers and meats. Fruit and veggies. Picnics. Water water water. Hats and sandals. Shorts and tank tops. Swimsuits.
This morning, as Brady and I lay in bed and woke up slowly to an episode of “Life in Pieces,” a notification popped up on the laptop screen.
“Preschool helper.”
A small, but glaring reminder of how recently everything was normal, and how fast everything changed. There is definitely some grief that goes along with the shutdown, and all of the little things we’ve lost. Our normalcy was taken. I KNOW many people have things a lot harder than we do here, and I am so grateful to have a truly happy family that is doing well living together, day after day. Its not perfect, but its not unpleasant. But, our routine and our normal was ripped out from under us, and thats the undeniable truth for just about everyone.
I don’t have much to say on the subject, but it was a bit of a bizarre, surreal “Oh ya…” moment this morning. I can’t believe we’re doing this. A pandemic. I never even considered this happening in my lifetime or that of my children, but here we are, making history in a crazy way!
We enjoyed our first truly beautiful spring day yesterday ☀️ Brady worked on the project we currently have on the go – closing in under the deck, effectively making a shorty storage shed. While he worked on that, I got my tan on!
I am the whitest thing to ever walk this earth, so pretty much every spring, I get a nasty sunburn to kick off the season. It isn’t pleasant, but it happens literally every single year, and its become a bit of a rite of passage.
Yesterday was that day.
Also yes, Brady gashed his forehead pretty good and proper. He walked square into a board that was screwed to the deck. He’s ok now 🤕
I spent almost all day yesterday outside in the sun. In the morning, I lay on a blanket next to the house, where the sun was shining and the wind was blocked. Also, through nap time, I took some time on the deck. After nap time, we were going to take the kids for a walk to go wish a friend a happy birthday. I invited my mom to join us, and she decided to walk our way rather than drive. So I walked to meet her, and as soon as she got to our house, we all left for our walk! SO much outside time!
I ended up walking my mom home and enjoying the walk home, as well. By that point in the day, most people I came across were in pants or sweaters or both. Friends even poked fun at me, in my shorty shorts and tank top, but I was DETERMINED to enjoy the heat while I could!
When I finally made it home, my poor calves were screaming. Not from all the walking, but the burn! My knees are cherry red! I declined a soak in the tub knowing it would hurt way too much.
Most of the tingling skin had resolved by this morning, and my face looks like we’re heavily into summer already! We are not, but I’m pretty ok with it 🙂 Trying to embrace my freckles that have only come into play in my adulthood, too!!
Hopefully there are MANY more hot sunny days to come!
About a week and a half ago, I started starters for the first time ever! I was intimidated by it, but I had help and encouragement and support! I planted a ton of beefsteak tomatoes, a good handful of cherry tomatoes, and a bunch of yellow peppers. Here’s how we’re doing!
Big tomatoes are THRIVING!!
One solo cup worth just has teeny little sprouts. I’m not sure yet whether its just a little behind or its not going to work, but as you can see, I have TONS of big tomatoes to come! Who wants to help me learn to make salsa?! 🙋♀️
My other tray of seeds didn’t do so well. After about a week, I noticed many of the seeds had risen to the top of the dirt. I sprinkled some more on top of them and packed them ever so slightly, to try and keep the seeds under the top layer of dirt.
Since then, just in the last few days, I’ve had some cherry tomatoes coming up!!
Yesterday there was only one baaarely visible sprout, but this morning I have three! Woot!
And my peppers. 🤷♀️ Go figure.
I’m giving them time, since I just redid them on Saturday, but I’m not holding my breath for them to thrive, or even live at all. Ah well. The price of the seeds makes it easier to roll it off my shoulders. I’m not worried.
I’m calling my starters a great success at this point! I’m SO happy to have even tried my hand at this, and it all feels less intimidating now.
I still need to acquire strawberry plants, potatoes, and peonies, but I have time 🙂 I’m just SO thrilled that spring is in the air! My sunburn from yesterday feels victorious 💪
We got some good outside time in the other day ❤️ The Spring melt is upon us, and the weather makes it possible to get out and enjoy it! Today’s post will just be pictures of some of that 🙂 A quick disclaimer: There are less pictures of Laela in this post. She was very occupied and therefore, not as easily photographed. We love her, too!
Behold! Cute, wet kids!
My handsome crew of boys! 😍And the lovely ladies! 🥰
Both Solly and Waverly took turns repping their daddy’s new job! (PLEASE still be there post-pandemic!)
Aaaaand some bonus Wavy pictures, because she was the easiest target 😆
We had a wiener roast, which was a great success! Waverly opted to forego her hotdog bun and dip the wiener into her water cup 😂 It was both disgusting and adorable. She loved the attention she got from it, too!
We thoroughly enjoyed the weather, and we’ve gotten even more sun since then.
Yesterday, as per our new quarantine school setup, Dekker helped Brady make baked oatmeal for breakfast. Laela was pretty furious that she couldn’t help, but she helps SO much that we wanted to give Dekker a turn to have the one-on-one time. He did SO well…
And we as VERY proud of the outcome!
It was delicious 🙂 He was SO happy.
In addition to that, our “schooling” is more about a routine for us than a high expectation of learning. Realistically, I’m nervous to teach new concepts. Not because I’m incapable, but I don’t want to teach them in a way that their future teachers will have to undo and re-teach. So Dekker had yet to touch on division, and I’m not sure I’m going to delve too deep into that unless it comes suuuper naturally!
Our current routine is that the big kids do some schooling for a bit during nap time. We were gifted an older iPad for the kids to work on, and Brady resurrected an old iPad as well, so each kid has a device. We try to jump around with them, not relying on the iPads every single day. We don’t want them to forget paper and doing things by hand. Laela received a TON of worksheets from her teacher, and Dekker’s teacher has him doing assignments and sending ideas from Google Classroom. Both kids have Raz Kids as well as Mathletics. Raz Kids is AMAZING because we don’t have ALL kinds of books in each of their reading levels, and this app provides that for us! Mathletics is a HUGE hit. Laela will opt to do module after module all through nap time, beyond the one or two we ask her to do. Its awesome. She loves it.
Beyond the apps and a few little assignments here and there (journal entries, games, and the occasional run through of flash cards) the kids read every single day. I like that I don’t have to force that at all.
I know what they’re doing is minimal, but its maintaining both their current knowledge as well as a routine. I feel good about it. I am proud of the system we’ve worked out, and that its stress free, for the most part. Who EVER saw this whole crazy thing coming?? Not me!
Yesterday, Laela made a beautiful little card for her teacher. I wish I had taken a picture of it. It was covered in stickers, hung by a little string, and was very bright and colourful. The message told her teacher that she loved her, and missed her, but it ended with an apology.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come to school on Monday.”
💔
The Monday that everything shut down, I kept both Laela and Dekker home from school. They had both picked up a cold and had deeper chesty coughs. I figured, with all the hubbub around the virus, I figured I’d rather be safe than sorry, so I kept them home. We were notified that afternoon that school was closing. Keep your kids home.
Laela has beat herself up about that ever since. She is SO sad she didn’t get to say goodbye to her teacher.
I went back and forth a bit about whether or not to actually deliver the card, because not everyone is accepting drop-offs. But I figured it was such a sweet gift, and Laela’s teacher had made her location known to her students for Halloween, so it shouldn’t feel too “invasion of privacy-ish.” If she was put off by the risk of covid, she could set it aside for a few days. All in all, I decided it was worth the risk.
We went for a walk in the beautiful evening sun yesterday, and Laela brought her card along. We went by her teachers house, and placed the card in the mailbox. While we were up on the step, a dog slammed into the door and started barking. We were hardly off the porch before someone came to the door. Her husband. He greeted us, and I told him we had just slipped something into his mailbox. He plucked it out, glanced at it, and pointedly looked at Laela.
“Wow! Mrs. Fisher will LOVE this!”
He did SO good. Laela just beamed 🙂 Too bad she couldn’t come to the door at that moment, but Laela understood, and was still really happy.
We walked a few more blocks, greeted Cher’s house, and started to head back.
As we were rounding our way back to our street, we heard a bellow “Laaaelaaaaa!”
I looked around, and saw our neighbour drive up to us. She had lovingly run an errand for me that afternoon, so we touched base and had a quick chat before she went on her way. It was weird that she had called to Laela, but 🤷♀️
Once she drove away, we kept walking, but seconds later, heard yet another “Laaaaelaaaaa!”
And I spotted her! Laela’s teacher, on her back deck, jumping up and down and waving her arms. Laela couldn’t figure out where her name was being called from, so I shouted “Wave bigger” and she did! Finally Laela saw, brightened RIGHT up, and waved back like crazy!
If you know Laela, she’s a pretty shy girl. Its mostly a facade, but she has always had a bit of a reserve. She didn’t say much, but her teacher shouted a thank you, and told Laela she missed her and hoped she was having fun being at home. I responded to her that we were trying to make the best of it. Her teacher just shrugged back at us. She, more than anyone else I’ve spoken to, has been hoping school will reopen. She misses her students, and it shows.
It felt like such a special exchange, and one I don’t want to ever forget. Our walk from the initial drop off to the conversation was likely a good 15 minutes. She was on her back deck with wet hair in the winter air, waiting to talk to Laela. And she had called to us, but we had stopped to talk to our neighbour for a few minutes in between. And she waited, and called out again!
Laela felt SO special ❤️ I doubt her teacher will ever read this blog, but if you do, you’ve made a real difference in Laela’s life!! I hope you know how much I appreciate that, as her mom.
