The Daily Hailey

Yesterday was Dekker’s first day walking to school on his own!

He was SO excited! I was too, though I admit I emailed his teacher in the morning to confirm that he had arrived. Not that the school wouldn’t have called me had he not, but still. I was “that parent.” Lol! Don’t judge me!

I had offered to come pick him up as I was sending him off that morning, and he politely declined. He had looked me in the eye and told me “I think I’m ready. I think its time.” VERY grown up of him, as usual. We all waited eagerly by the widow to watch him come home at the end of the day, not knowing how long it would take him. It wasn’t long, and he was within view. The kids knocked on the window and waved like crazy. He waved back and ran the rest of the way.

He ran our carpeted stairs with his wet rubber boots upon arriving home. Before I could stop him, he burst out that he had flowers for me. I was a bit caught off guard, to say the least. He ran back down the stairs and put his boots away, and came back up, reassuring me he’d put them in water.

Is this not the CUTEST thing you’ve ever seen?!?! Ack!!!

Two little pink weeds in a medicine measuring cup!! And yes, he put water in it.

It probably seems small (literally and figuratively) but it thrilled my heart!!

After the flowers were set up “properly,” he unpacked his backpack and lunch bag. He made his way to the living room, where he spent the next half hour or so snuggling with his siblings, pretending to rock them like babies, playing peekaboo, etc. It was like the first day of school, only better!

I love our new system. Our new normal. I just love my family so so much.

I was originally going to write today’s post about Laela today, and Laela yesterday. She is fevering! It started yesterday evening. It is SUCH a bummer, because her first day of school is later this week and I don’t want her to miss it!!! Prayers for her would be very much appreciated! Even in the midst of her sickness, she is so calm and pleasant and friendly.

She looks SO pretty, and SO sick! Poor dear.

This last year-ish has been tricky for my little miss. Being two and three didn’t phase her, but she’s struggled through being four. Its felt like a solid year of a power struggle between she and I. I’ve ached for our mother-daughter relationship to strengthen but it has seemed to get weaker and weaker as we stretched further apart.

PRAISE THE LORD that in the last couple of weeks, I’ve started to get her back. 💜 I made a few tweaks in the way I was parenting her and talking her through things, and took more time to reassure her how much we loved her. There was one particular day where she got herself all twisted up in anger, and couldn’t seem to pull it together. She just couldn’t wind down, lower her voice, relax her angry brows, etc. Just couldn’t get there. So I walked to her room with her and just snuggled in her bed for a bit with her. She went from being super tense to just resting. We didn’t talk at all. I lay beside her with my arm over her and my face touching her arm. After a good few minutes, she finally reached out and put her hand on my arm. She rubbed my skin and told me how soft it was. Her voice was quiet, and her face was restful. We whispered together for a while, and the conversation turned over to what was making her so mad. We talked about it calmly and in a way that helped both of us understand what was going on.

Folks, this was a kick off.

Since that day, things have been so much better! They’re not perfect, because no one is, thank goodness! Communication has been clearer and calmer. Oftentimes now, Laela comes over to me just to sit on my lap and snuggle. She hasn’t done that in so long. I’ve missed it SO much. I’ve missed HER so much! While I’m positive this won’t be the last time we’ll butt heads (Lol! Buttheads.) it was a good learning experience for both of us.

Today, my feverish little sidekick is napping with her brothers. She was disappointed, but in our quiet little face-to-face chat, she agreed that it was important she let her body rest and heal a little extra so she can for sure get to school on Friday!!! Way to be a grown up, Laela! Feel better soon.

Its been a really nice day.

Our last day with Brady home before his work picks back up.

Solly is currently chasing Dekker around the living room, whapping him with a pool noodle. Dekker is squealing and egging him on. Its always so nice to have him home from school. School is SO GOOD for Dekker, and he just continues to blossom before my very eyes.

While he was off galavanting at school, the rest of us went to the city. I had a wax and nail appointment…

(Keeping it classy with traditional nail pics, of course)

…and while I was in it, Brady took the kids to an auto shop to finally get our van assessed after that mad hail storm. They even took a picture of the door ding our van received somewhere down the line, so  maybe that’ll get worked out as well! They made a quick trip to Costco, and the kids ate some snacks/lunch while they waited for my appointment to wrap up.

They even bought me flowers at Costco!

Brady dropped me off at my moms when we got back to town, and our quick visit turned into lunch and a slightly longer visit. She drove me home in plenty of time to get to school, pay fees at the office, and go pick Dekker up from his classroom. He was in a super upbeat mood. When I asked for his favorite part of the day, he said he loved everything. We enjoyed our walk home together. I know he won’t walk hand in hand with me forever, so I’m soaking it up as long as I can!

Supper will be chicken fingers, fries, and salad. Yum!

This morning has felt so nice. Its not quite realistic for “normal,” because Brady was home while I took Dekker to school, and that will obviously not always be the case. But he’s off to work locally today, and I’m here with the remaining kiddos. I’ve had a cup of coffee. Waverly is napping. The dishwasher is running, as is laundry, and the kids are playing surprisingly happily. Its SO nice. They’re snuggly today.

And also silly, of course!

I was soaking up the warm vibes from the kids, happily anticipating this new normal we had struck, when I realized this isn’t it! Laela will be in school by the end of the week, going half time, but still, she’ll be away. It’ll be just me, the little boys, and Wavy. Which will feel SO WEIRD!!! But also really nice, I think. Rowan will get his shot at being the “oldest” for the day. He and Solly will become better friends. And Wavy will continue to be the cherry on top, who will be pretty uncomplicated and will just watch the world rush around her.

Either way, I’m starting to feel like we’re settling in to school. I might kick myself in the butt for saying that over the coming weeks, though. I so desire for Laela to walk to school, and I think she and Dekker will go together, but for the first few weeks, I assume we’ll all go together. That means having everyone up, fed, and dressed WAY earlier than usual, and walking together regardless of the weather. I’ve been spoiled having Brady home this last week, too. I’ll be on my own 99% of the upcoming school mornings. I’m going to on top of it!! Yikes! Wish me luck on that, guys.

Until then, though, I’m going to enjoy my kids quiet playing, and the whirring of the few jobs accomplished. Bliss.

We don’t normally prefer to do lots of household chores on a Sunday. Especially not a Sunday that was our church’s Fall kick off Sunday!! However, with Solly fevering a bit over the last couple of days and Wavy sleeping virtually day in and day out (I assume recovering from her vaccines) we weren’t going to make it to church anyway.

Over the last week or so, I’ve been overwhelmed with our house getting a bit too messy and out of control. Its not actually super bad, but was growing more and more cluttered. Wavy sleeps in her cradle in our walk-in closet, so we’re quicker to leave clothes lying around rather than putting them where they belong, since Wavy still sleeps so much. So our room and en suite is a MESS. That, plus the boi water advisory last week set us back in doing dishes, and its just taking a while to catch up from that, so the kitchen is a mess. Aaaaand with Dekker being back in school, his leaves ALL of his little papers on the island, so that’s a mess too!! Gah!!! It was TIME to fix this place up!

So today has turned into a bit of a work day! Laundry is going, and there is a LOT to do! We have a load of Dekker and Rowan’s clothes, one for Solly and the girls, one for all of Wavy’s receiving blankets, one for Brady’s and my jeans and hoodies, one for our tshirts and lighter stuff, and we have four kids worth of bedding to wash, too. So like I said, there’s a lot. So thats currently whirring away. Brady cleaned off the island and is working to get all the kids important papers and stuff from over the summer filed away, and making a space for Waverly in there, too. I unpacked the dishwasher and did a lot that was legit only travel mugs, bottles, and ziploc containers. Does anyone else always leave tupperware and stuff like that for “the next load” and then it just lives on the counter for days and days? Thats what I do! But they’re all washed up now! I still hope to clean out the dishwasher and do one more load of dishes today to get the remaining pots off my counter, plus the dishes we’ve dirtied up today. Some days I wish we could just use disposable dishes and call it good.

My dryer just sang its little ditty, FINALLY, so I’m going to go switch it out!

Boom. Switched. Plenty more to go!

What do you guys think? One big laundry day every week, or a little bit of laundry every day?

I’m not even sure why I’m telling you guys this. But I’m gonna.

Sometime in the last week or so, the Bluetooth in our van quit working. It wouldn’t attach to my phone at all. Not to mention, the Sync system appeared to be glitching. The things it would normally say out loud when summoned were garbled and incomplete. I gave it some time to work itself out and tried a few small things, but I was quickly becoming annoyed with having no music on, the inability to answer phone calls, etc. I took some time after Wavy’s vaccine appointment to try and fight my way through the menus, but to no avail. I could not get it fixed! Grrrrr!

I asked Brady for help a couple of times but we’ve just been SO busy, and when we’re not, we forgot. Yesterday evening, we decided we HAD to figure it out because we were going to run errands the next day, and music is half the fun. But we forgot. Instead, we had a soak and a snack and got settled into bed. And then we remembered. And decided to make a date out of it.

So thats how we ended up in the garage,
in the van,
in our underwear,
sipping apricot brandy,
googling our van issue.

Sigh.

We searched and clicked through the menu over and over again. Brady finally found the right article that told us how to do a factory reset. We got it started, and chatted and sipped while we waited. And waited and waited and waited. And the stupid screen insisted it was resetting! But seriously, we waited forever. I did a bit more searching online, only to find out to my dismay that the vehicle had to be running, not in accessory mode like we had it. That involved opening the garage door so we didn’t die of carbon monoxide poisoning. We weighed our options.

Was it worth going back into the house to put pants on?

Nope.

Should we just open the door and risk it?

Double nope.

Sooooo Brady just reset the thing this morning while the kids ate breakfast, and it was good to go.

The moral of the story is that its hard to get dates when you have a bunch of kids, so take what you can get.

The secondary moral of the story is wear clothes in your garage, always. Because its just weird not to.

Separately, not together, of course.

I mentioned the other day that this week has been consistently full, but with good things! Today was more of that 🙂 It began with Brady being home for breakfast before leaving to finish some work he had started yesterday. I was able to walk Dekker to school again, which I’ve SO enjoyed! When I got back, Brady left to work and I did a few dishes before Cher came by for coffee. Its SO special having such a good friend here in town! Will be a sad day for us when she moves for school in the new year, but we’ll still see her, I think 😉 Plus, its a GREAT move for her, and thats the biggest thing. So we’ll soak up all we can of her over these next months! Thanks, girly, for always documenting my hilarious kids!

Cheeeeeeese!!

She ducked out before lunch, and I got the kids fed. Brady finished his work around that time and helped get the boys down for naps. Shortly after everyone was down, Laela’s kindergarten teacher came for a visit! She got acquainted with Laela, they read a story together, talked some details about school, etc. Laela showed off her backpack and some toys that she likes, and we chatted about any questions or concerns any of us had. It was super informal and relaxed and so so nice. Laela waved at the window like a crazy person when her teacher left. She commented “I like her.” It all bodes very well.

I left just a few minutes later to take Waverly to the clinic for her first set of vaccines. We hit up the weekly walk-in vaccine clinic, which also happens to be where our family doctor works, so its super familiar. It wasn’t too full when we showed up, so we didn’t have to wait too long. Wavy hung out patiently in her car seat.

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. She is SUCH a content little girl. She smiled and smiled and cooed at me while we waited. What a sweetheart.

She wasn’t too terribly fond of her vaccines. Cried a little with the first one, more with the second one. Took the oral one like a champ. The little bandaid thighs always get me!!

She is SO cute!! And she’s getting SO chunky!

We waited our 15 minutes and then headed home. We could’ve juuust made it to get Dekker but it was cutting it so close. Brady rather walked with the rest of the kids and they all went to pick Dekker up together. We all got home at relatively the same time.

Just about supper time over here! Is anyone else eating their body weight in corn on the cob out of the Hutterite colonies? We are!!!

Its officially September, so naturally, I’ve got my mind on Christmas! Haha! I’m embarrassed, and also I’m not at all embarrassed. I LOVE planning for Christmas!

We all know Christmas isn’t about gifts, so I like to get planning on those sooner than later, so when its actually the holiday season, I don’t have to put any thought into them and can focus on much more important things!

Usually, I have a savings plan set up through the year that leaves us with a good chunk of “Christmas money” on November 1st. However, that slipped pretty hard this year and we only have a few hundred set aside. Its much better than nothing, but its a good motivator to get myself organized in advance, leaving me time to be creative, and wait for sales.

This morning, in true Hailey fashion, I made an annoyingly detailed list of who we’re buying gifts for. I pulled names for a few different groups I volunteered to organize things for. I listed the kids teachers, our doctors, and a couple of friends. I wrote out the categories for each kid underneath their name so each gift is on its own line. (If you haven’t followed for long, we’ve done the four gift “method” the last few Christmases. Something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.) I made a spot under each kid that specifies I want everyone to get new jammies, also. Its a LONG list but it excites me to see it! Its laid out clearly with gift ideas beside many of the names/categories. I feel at least somewhat prepared. Already! In September!!!

Something I really want to do this year is to send out a photo Christmas card. I am SO BAD for designing them each year, and even ordering them, but never handing/sending them out! This year, I have SO MANY people to thank and connect with. It has been such a long stretch of struggle, and a beautiful group of people have formed around us, and while sending them a picture of our family doesn’t really mean a whole lot, hopefully it feels a bit like we’re reaching out and that we appreciate their presence in our life! If you want to be on our list but I don’t have your address, message me!

Whether we like it or not, the cold is coming, and thinking ahead to Christmas helps me accept it all juuust a little bit more than I would otherwise 😉 Christmas, mukluks, and comfort food are what make winter great!

Dekker’s first day of school went smoothly, I’m pleased to report! He liked his teacher, was happy to have some of his friends back in class, and talked nonstop about the kids that were to new to him this year. Coincidently, he’s set up to sit beside kids that he’s never shared a class with, and thankfully he’s all for it!

All I know from his first day is that they had a welcome assembly. Thats it. This isn’t unheard of, though. It used to drive me CRAZY when he wouldn’t tell me whats going on at school, but its usually proven to be at a time when he’s a bit overwhelmed with ALL thats going on. Not even overwhelmed in a bad way, but just so so much that he can’t really sort out his thoughts. I’m positive it’ll come 🙂

Today, I walked him to school, just the two of us. He chattered away the entire time, excited to go back. He is totally capable of walking to school on his own, thats for sure! Likely, soon enough, he and Laela will walk together with no issue. But I’m enjoying the process of getting that ball rolling by walking with him myself, and soon with both of them, and likely the whole crew. Brady having a few days off couldn’t have fallen at a better time!

Once Dekker was dropped off, I walked home, had a cup of coffee with Brady, and headed out to get my hair redone. Its been about three months now and it was time for a refresh! I spent a morning and a bit of the afternoon at the salon, which is always SUCH a treat! Sometimes I wish I could get my hair redone more often, but its something I really look forward to, so its probably good that I only get there a few times a year. Was sure a great way to spend an afternoon, though!

The fun must go on, however! The rest of our day is nice and full, and tomorrow is much of the same busyness! And I mean that in a great way! I like when the days fill, but aren’t full full. Just nice full, with good things. There is so much to be thankful for!

Dekker turning seven felt just insane, but Dekker entering grade two is a whole other thing!! I know the two things often go hand in hand but, my goodness, he’s growing up. He’s no longer testing the waters of school. He is in it! Kindergarten was the kick off, grade one was the start of full time school, and now, he’s just an old pro! He knows the ropes. He knows the people. He knows his way around the building and the playground. He knows the expectations.

Still feels crazy, though.

I haven’t had a chance to mention it, but yes! My boy lost one of his top front teeth! Isn’t it hilarious?! I LOVE his new look! We were eating cinnamon buns the other morning when I noticed Dekker was bleeding out of his mouth a little. I asked if he had lost a tooth and he looked at me blankly. He had no idea the sucker was even loose!

Thanks for this one, Cher!

The one beside it is on its way out, too! Hopefully before picture day!!!! 😆

We walked Dekker to school as a family. Thankfully, Brady has some time off this week while we settle into our new school routine. We got there a little early, even, so we could find his classroom with lots of time for him to run back outside to play.

Dekker was greeted warmed by one of his teachers upon finding his classroom and dropping off his backpack. He’ll have two teachers this year, alternating days. He didn’t know her, but was polite and unafraid. What a strong, brave boy I have. SO proud!

It didn’t hurt my heart to drop him off. I am SO proud of him, and SO confident that he’s going to do well.

I love you, Dekker!!! I hope you’re having an AMAZING first day! See you soon!