The Daily Hailey

This morning, Brady informed me via text that he had forgotten his wallet at home again. We really needed a few grocery items, being that my parents were coming for supper tonight, and his parents tomorrow night. But life happens, we all forget, thats fine. So I got the kids ready to go and we headed into the city. I have to say, I was mildly passive aggressive about the whole thing, but not too ticked. I like my kids, they do great on outings now, so I figured it would be nice on its own to just be out together. We were just going to do Walmart, anyway, and the kids love Walmart.

I know you’re all probably expecting a story about how horrendous the shop was, and all the meltdowns that the kids had. But they didn’t melt down. Not once! Rowan sat quietly, wide awake in his car seat the entire time, even when I really messed around with his positioning. Turns out we have to get creative when buying tubs with three kids attached to one cart.

Laela sat incredibly beautifully and quietly the entire time as well. Looking back on the whole experience, I barely even remember her presence. I know that sounds awful, but she really was just quiet and user friendly.

Dekker walked alongside the cart, or rode on the end. He was eager to carry products I planned to purchase until I pulled another thing off of a shelf, when he’d switch off and carry the new one. He was polite when people would talk to him, and followed what I’d ask of him. Seriously, perfect group.

We got just about everything on our list, plus a few extras, of course, and then lined up. The woman in front of me in line was so very polite to place her one item at the very back of the conveyer belt so there was no way I could unload my stuff in any advance. When there was finally room, I unloaded and looked for my wallet.

It was in the diaper bag.

Where was that?

In the van.

Perfect.

I know I’m not the absolute very first person to do this, but I’m not sure its a common thread either. I told the cashierI was in a bit of a predicament, and to my relief, her eyes seemed to light up a bit. She seemed entertained. So I told her I forgot my wallet in our van, and she almost seemed disappointed.

“Well, thats ok” she said.

Huh. Ok, great that she wasn’t put off. So I asked if it were still possible to kind of hold onto my order and I’d run out with the kids, grab my wallet, and come back. She got all shiny and excited again and said “I’ll even watch the kids for you, free of charge.”

So this could be the part where you guys all completely judge me, but I decided to take her up on it! I knew Dekker wouldn’t do it, but I thought the others would likely be fine. I thought Laela might get upset, but she recovers much quicker and easier. So I quickly observed my kids – Rowan was bright red, holding his breath, taking a dump (perfect), and Laela was sitting there so innocently, full of smiles and empty of cares. I said “bye” to her, and she waved like a maniac, squealing “Byyyyyeeeee!” So I grabbed Dekkers hand and we bolted.

Deks could barely move by the time we got out to the van. I made it a big game of “runrunrunrunrun!” but I really did drag him and make him run the entire way. When we got to the van, I rifled through the diaper bag and realized the unthinkable. No wallet. *face palm* Awesome. So I sheepishly grabbed Bradys wallet that I was going to bring to him, and ran in to pay. More “runrunrunrunrun!”

When I arrived back at our till, it was as though no one had even missed us. The cashier said they hadn’t fussed once! I paid for our stuff as the people in line kind of chuckled at me. One woman offered up “Oh, we’ve all been there,” to which I couldn’t help but respond “Really, though? Have you?” They just laughed at me and suggested I didn’t tell my husband. Funny ladies. This was way too awful/awkward/entertaining of a story not to share!

I got the kids back to the van alive, finally, and put Dekker and Laela inside. I went to carry Rowans bucket seat to the other side when I saw Laela playfully chuck a ball out the door. Because I didn’t look insane enough already, here I was, chasing a hot pink ball through the parking lot. Because I already didn’t appear to be able to handle my kids, my cart full of purchases was rolling away.

Oh. My. Gosh.

Strangely enough, though, I have to say that my cashier was a HUGE help to me. I think its a big gift that she offered to keep an eye on my kids. What if they were terrors and wailed the whole time? She understood, and wanted to make it easier for me. I SO appreciated her. Of all the crazy parts of the day, I didn’t feel too wildly out of control. Woohoo for a weirdly successful day!!

*Side note. My wallet was in the console. The. Entire. Time. I guess we’ll just chalk this all up to life experience!

I try really hard not to live filled with worry, but sometimes, things come up. You guys know I’ve been struggling with a few things recently, but today, I feel quite a bit better Not about everything, or even half of the things, but about a very important thing. My son, Dekker.

I’ve been putting a lot of pressure on myself, thinking he HAS to be doing or knowing certain things by this age, or he HAS to get into preschool, and we HAVE to be in a certain place to get him there, and blah blah blah. If you don’t know, my lovely friend Jerilee is a teacher, and I had mentioned to her a couple of days ago that I was stressed out and wanted to talk to her in person about it. And believe it or not, she calmed my nerves COMPLETELY! I’ve worried that Dekker is behind sometimes, and it turns out that lots of kids I’m around are actually further ahead of where they’re expected to be upon entering kindergarten, so maybe Dekker isn’t QUITE as far ahead, but he’s right where he should be Through our discussion, I realized how my mindset needs to change, even just on a more surface level. We’ve struggled a bit with Dekker and his fears. His shy nature turned fearful after his eye surgery, and its been a very long road coming out of that. I was thinking he HAD to get into preschool if I had any hope of him being able to socialize with kids in kindergarten. I was never hellbent on my kids going to preschool, but I thought it would be a GREAT benefit specifically for Deks. But in the last few months, my boy has grown. He likes other kids, and doing activities with them. He is great at sharing with kids that aren’t his siblings, haha! He remembers names and learns so fast! He would thrive at preschool, but he would no longer crash and burn without it. Its a choice, not a necessity.

All of this being said, I think he’d have a total hoot at preschool, and if we can get him there, we will. BUT I feel the pressure has lifted, and it is less detrimental that he attend. That alone has lifted a huge weight off of my shoulders.

You, Jerilee, are a gem. Thank you for your wisdom and experience in the world of kids. You know so much more than me, and for that I am TRULY GRATEFUL!

I was still feeling pretty bummed this morning, but I didn’t want to let it get to me. Thankfully, the kids were adorable and decently agreeable. I mean, Rowan is struggling with the cold we all have/had, and he’s working pretty hard on his bottom teeth, so he’s got his reasons, thats for sure. But really, the kids were pretty user friendly today. I was able to do dishes and visit with them while they ate, and that took up a decent amount of time.

As the afternoon wore on, I realized I had been chewing away at my nails, unbeknownst to me, and had done quite a number on them :/ I have always been a nail biter, but I’ve gotten better over the years, and have had it pretty under control specifically since Rowan’s birth. But my goodness, I have a few rough ones now They already ache so much with that very specific ache that only nail biters can understand. It hurts to type this, I’ll tell you that.

So while the kids played, I fooled around with some crocheting I’m fiddling with and a pattern I’m tweaking. Not only do I like crocheting already, but it kept my hands busy so I wasn’t chewing away at my poor fingers. I also texted a friend of mine, who was able to calm me down a bit and talk me off a ledge. Its funny, as she is a brand new friend, but she was very understanding and encouraging. I don’t know if you read this, considering I’ve known you for less than a week, lol, but if you do, you know who you are Much appreciated.

That lovely friend of mine has ordered me to basically go drown my sorrows in chocolate or something equally as delicious. I’m thinking nachos wish salsa and sour cream, and chocolate. Thats following the rules, right? Sounds right to me!

Before I get into talking about todays festivities, I’ll say first that I was really discouraged earlier in the day. A few things have come to light, and I’m scared we won’t get to move Not everything turned out to be as bad as I originally thought, but it is evident that we are no longer just in the waiting game, but also having to jump through a few flaming hoops. Nothing worth waiting for is ever easy, right? Ugh. Can it just be this once, though? That all being said, I kicked off Fathers Day with a big embarrassing emotional breakdown in my parents kitchen.

Things looked up a little bit afterwards, and we rocked our Fathers Day plans. Instead of outings or gifts, my mom and I opted to spend good money on good food!! We planned everything out so we didn’t really have to start doing anything until shortly after 4:00. All of the kids napped at the same time, and my dad took a nap as well, so Brady, my mom, and I played cards all afternoon until we headed for the kitchen.

I won’t keep you in suspense. Both Brady and my dad said separately that this was the best Fathers Day ever. I’m going to for sure say it was the best tasting Fathers Day ever!

Yup, we had bacon wrapped steak. It was Father’s Day!! We made a baked shrimp thing with small shrimp, tomatoes, green onions, cheese, sauce, and garlic, which it SUCH a treat and painfully easy. Stuffed potatoes with broccoli and cheese, and corn on the cob. Delish.

The older kids ate at the table with us, while Rowan entertained himself on his play mat.

After supper, we ate the dessert I made with Brady yesterday. And guys, I don’t mean to toot my own horn here (especially because this is definitely a recipe I found online) but this dessert was on for the record books. Or at least a recipe book. It was DELICIOUS!

This dessert had everything in it. Oreos, peanut butter cups, cream cheese, whipped cream, etc. So. Dang. Good.

A bit more playing with grandma and grandpas toys, and it was time to go. It was sad to leave, but the process of waving and joking through the window always helps. What a fabulous day.

And of course, last but not least AT ALL, happy Father’s Day to the father of my children. We love you, and all you do for us. I am confident that Rowan would thank you for all the nighttime bottles you feed him, Laela would thank you for learning how to put ponytails in her hair, and Dekker would thank you for wrestling with him and still being strong enough to carry him. And I thank you for raising these children with me, and hopefully more down the line. Thank you for working hard so I can stay home and watch their lives unfold, as many aren’t able to do. It has always been my dream, and you make it happen, Capt’n.

We love you!

<3 + <3 <3 <3

While I don’t have pictures to share of the serious Bachelorette date we had with Jerilee this evening, I do have a few pictures from earlier today. Not too many, or anything super duper riveting, but I have some adorable ones from after the kids took a bath, and also, from the flowers around our place. I only have a few lovely flowers that I make any attempt to maintain, but I really love those few.

But first, this is how things look immediately after bath time. Definitely my favorite thing about bath time

Laela has taken a very serious liking to the new/old chair we picked up recently, so I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of her. She is so sweet and soft and photogenic.

*sigh* Love her.

As for our flowers, like I mentioned, I only have a few.

First, my day lilies. They were given to me by a friend a few years back and they grow on either side of the stairs up to my home. So far this year, they’re a bit uneven :/ One side is blooming beautifully and looks like it might already be on its way out, and the other side is mostly just buds. Who knows. But what we do have is pretty beautiful.

The next ones are our random peonies that grow next to the house, almost under the garage. I LOVE peonies. Some years, we get one, and other years, we get lots and lots of different colors. So far, we just have buds, but there are LOTS!

Lastly, my rose bush in the front yard has started. But the time I found out there was a rose on it, it was pretty done. I had to hold it up for the picture.

Of course, the second I let go, it did this…..

So that was awkward. Luckily, there are more on the way!

Its nice to see some colorful summer things taking shape in and around our home. Maybe someone will see them and love them, and want to buy them and they house around which they reside.

I have appreciated the well wishes from you guys for my kids and our family. I thought I’d update you and let you know just how sick everyone is and/or isn’t.

Brady isn’t sick. Of course. And if he got sick, he’d get over it on the weekend. That man recovers SO quickly!

I’m ok. I have a tickle in my throat, which isn’t my fave, and I’ve blown my nose a few times today, so it could either be coming, or maybe this is as bad as I’ll get? I haven’t had a good nasty cold in a while, so its definitely my turn…

Dekker is the snottiest of all of us. Today seems to be his emotional breakdown day. Its partly sad, and partly endearing. Just about anything can set him off today, but not in a screaming rage kind of way. Just in a bottom lip quivering kind of way. And can easily be fixed up with some cuddles, soft words, and made up words Those are his favorite right now.

Laela is constantly crusted over with snot and tears, but she’s playing beautifully and happily, and doesn’t seem too bothered by her cold. She is the one of the three who haven’t required any medication yet. She’s just toughing it out. The only part that makes her upset is when I wipe her nose. So she’s definitely taking it like a champ and is still pretty friendly!

Ro is a hard one to read, which makes sense, since he’s the least communicative. He has no visible snot, and rarely coughs, but he is so growly. He’s not sleeping awesome, but is in obvious need for as much as he can get. And for the life of me, I CANNOT get milk into him!!! He’s eaten maybe half of what he’s normally had at this point in the day. And I mean, its fine, but it just bugs me! My mom reminds me that this is what Dekker always did as a baby when he got sick. He slept. He woke up to eat once in a while, and then slept again. I guess I should be thankful that he’s not been miserable and awake when he needs to be sleeping. He can still lay on his back and sleep comfortably, it seems, so I’m thankful for that. And even with that cold inevitably brewing inside of him, he’s still so dapper and charming.

I love my troop over here. We’re making it!

A while back, my mom and I had a really awesome shopping day together. Mothers day, to be exact. We had great success, but we didn’t quite get everywhere we were hoping to go. My mom is going on a trip soon, and she needed a few staple summer clothes, among other things, so we planned for one more shopping date before her trip.

It came!!! I was getting my makeup on while the sick kiddos napped when I checked my Canada Post tracking and found out that my Ipsy bag arrived today!! In case I haven’t explained it in the past, Ipsy is a makeup subscription that I get each month. It comes with a small zippered makeup bag, and four or five sample products, with the promise of one being a full sized product. Brady picked it up from the post office on his way home, and I promptly tucked its bright pinkness into my purse and brought it with me to my moms.

The contents were really good

From top to bottom, left to right, I got a vitamin C oil to rub on my face, a gel type nail polish in a bright red color called “alarm,” an eye shadow stick that claims to green but is really more of a gold/charcoal color, a Too Faced melted lipstick in “Melted Candy,” and some face masks. The bag is neoprene with a neon pink zipper. Boom. I’m pretty excited to play with most of this  My mom and I had such a nice time out and about. We only had a few places in mind where we wanted to go, and fun surprise, most of them were closed. *rolls eyes* Not our finest moment. However, it worked out so well! The few places we hit were incredibly successful! My mom got some wonderful pieces to fill out exactly what she needed, and I even got my hands on – you guess it! – makeup!

I wasn’t being unreasonable, I promise. I have been waiting for this particular mascara to come back in stock for a while, and it finally did! As I perused the rest of the display, I decided to snag a micro brow pencil since mine is a weird color. And yay for Nyx! Because I spent $20 today, for whatever reason, I got a free lipstick! I got this weird purple lilacy dusty color that looks a bit lame in the picture but pretty awesome on Tame but not at the same time.

We grabbed some Starbucks, a few groceries, and headed back to my moms. She tried on a few things she hadn’t had a chance to try yet, and I showed her a few music videos on YouTube before we went our separate ways. What a fabulous evening! I’m feeling so refreshed and happy after an outing and some date time with my mom. All is well in this house.

Well, despite the fact that we all slept better than we expected, all three of the littles are now down for the count. They’re all still quite friendly and in good spirits, but they’re noses are flowing and the dry cough is almost a constant white noise. Good fun.

I expect to be graced with its presence in the next few days, but hopefully not quite yet. If I could still be healthy tomorrow, that would be great, because my mom and I are going on a date, but then I could be sick Thursday to Saturday, and if I could be healthy again for Fathers Day, that would be great. Sooo if any of you have any say about that kind of thing, put in a good word for me!

Lastly, as I type this, I’m texting the always lovely Jerilee, and we’re talking about having a barbecue together. Its making me really REALLY excited and hungry and wanting to host some type of gathering. Anyone? Anyone? Burgers, grilled veggies, long island iced tea, maybe corn on the cob? YUM.

You’d think I hadn’t eaten supper yet, but you’d be wrong. I just REALLY want barbecue now.

Its been SUCH a weird morning!! All the kids are a bit off of their schedules from our big Saturday with family, and then no nap again on Sunday, so we expected a bit of backlash from that. Its part of having kids, as well as additional things going on in your life! Right? Thats what I hear, anyway.

Rowan woke up to eat around 1:00am, and then again shortly after 6:00am, which I still prefer to consider the night. He, however, loves this new thing where he’s awake from 6:00-7:30 and then goes back down for a few hours. Strangely, that is not my favorite time of the day to be awake, but such is life. I can work with it. So I had a decently early morning with my poor teething little guy. His day hasn’t run particularly smoothly.

Once he was back down, Dekker and Laela were awake in their room so I went in for them. Laela greeted me with such a big smile and “HI!” Her boogers also greeted me in a big way, running all down her chin and stringing over her mouth zombie-style. Its a shame, really, for her mouth is one I dearly love to kiss.

So that was two out of three down for the count. Thankfully, my Dekker Thomas was chipper and healthy, and didn’t really use the situation to his advantage. Instead of vying for extra attention, he’s kept to himself somewhat and played very well.

I am SO thankful for my children! Even on days like these, I see so many things that I am blessed by. Laela dripping her way over to Rowan with a burp pad when she sees he spat up a little. Dekker telling Laela how pretty she is. I’m SO thankful that my kids are obedient. Laela truly hates having her nose wiped, but never once have I had to chase her down. Sometimes when I would ask her to come have her nose wiped, she’s say “no,” but hers is the CUTEST “no” out there. Its new But when I would reply with “Yes, come now please” she just does! Its awesome. I’m so thankful that my kids sleep when they’re sick. I’m under the impression that lots of kids struggle to sleep when they feel so bad, but mine prefer to sleep through it and wake up feeling better on the other side. So when Rowan really started giving her, all I had to do was wrap him up and he was silent. Didn’t even whimper when I lay him down. And I’m so very thankful for Dekker, being my big helper, watching out for his siblings, and not really asking for anything. Until about 12:45.

The kids usually nap around 1:00, so they had a bit of time left, when Dekker kind of rolled into the playmat that was set up for Rowan, and knocked it over. Rowan was already upstairs sleeping, so I wasn’t concerned at all, and didn’t really pay attention to it. Dekker, however, was ticked, and burst out crying. I was very gentle with him and told him it was completely ok that the toy arch thing fell over. No big deal whatsoever! But he started to struggle with it, trying to put it back together. Unfortunately, its not as easy as just lifting it, but things have to go in places, and it just takes a bit of coordination that he hasn’t learned yet. I went to him and tried to show him how he could do it, but he wouldn’t relax. I asked him why he was so upset, and he just dropped his hands at his sides and cried “I don’t know!”

So in the moment, it made matters worse, but we all hauled ourselves upstairs and I tucked them in. I didn’t hear a single peep, not one complaint, nothing. It surprised me that my healthy one was the one who fell apart in the end, but I hadn’t even considered that he may be battling it too, but just be a few hours behind. Who knows what we’ll find when they all wake up…

So, two out of three are sick, one is likely on his way, and I’m pretty sure there is very little hope for Brady and I. All three are sleeping, but Ro is stirring quite a bit since he wouldn’t have it and was asleep earlier than usual. Brady is discouraged at work, and I’m freezing and sleepy from being up since 6:00. I know thats normal to many people, but not to me. I suppose things change…

Anyway, think of us! We’re already sick and tired of being sick and tired, and its only day one. But its a Monday, so it feels more like day five.