Finally getting a decent sleep makes it easier to have a productive day!
This morning, the kids and I sorted, folded, hung, and put away two loads of laundry, and I have another load going. Laela and I did a little bit of figuring about Frozen while Rowan and Solly did dishes, and then everyone went off to school! Cher came for coffee shortly thereafter, and we enjoyed each other’s company (and coffee) for an hour and a half ish. It was a really nice restful time together 💜 But now she has headed off to accomplish her things, and Wavy and I moved downstairs so she can play toys and I can accomplish some of my things.
While Frozen II is pumping, I’m doing this blog up quick, and then I have a handful of things to work on. I have some homework to do. I have to run downtown for an errand or two. I have two doctors to contact today. I need to fill in the latest Frozen Jr schedule into the calendar. I will need to hang this load of laundry thats humming next to me, as its not an easy “straight into the dryer” kind of load.
Conveniently, Wavy was invited out this afternoon, so I can use that time to do some of my work if I so desire! I really need to make granola bars, and I have a big list to compile for a large Costco shop coming up. Yet, those things could also be bumped to tomorrow if need be. I also really want to organize some paperwork into binders. But that doesn’t have a timeline on it, so it may wait. Or I may work on it later if I want some downtime, because I can definitely do that relaxedly.
Aaaaanyway, thats the day! I feel like its definitely doable 💪 So wish me luck!! I hope you have productive, happy days yourselves, friends 💜
Rowan and Laela’s new patches came in the mail yesterday, so they were oddly excited to get them on this morning!! Laela’s face doesn’t show just how jazzed she was about it, but she was actually quite amped up!
Our kids don’t like the busy patterns. They both wanted solid colours, and for some reason, they are SO hard to find. There are basic tan ones out of just about every drug store, but they are SO rough on skin, and we will never ever use them again. These ones came off of Amazon. Blue, green, pink, and yellow. They are cheaper in price and also in quality, but since the kids wear them for shorter stretches of time rather than a full day, they don’t have to be super beefy. They aren’t as sticky, but they stay on as long as we need, and then removing them doesn’t hurt at all! Both of the kids are really happy with these! So we’re going to have to find some more and stock up! We go through four a day (before and after school), so the 80 we just bought won’t even last a month! Whew!
When it was time for church, off came the patches, and off we went! It was a decently peaceful morning. Brady and I sit in the centre of our bench, and we both manage the kids on each side of us. Its a really nice way to split the work and also sit together 💜 I had the pleasure of sitting beside Laela today, too! She’s a peach. She coloured quietly, and when she was done, we held hands. It was really nice.
After church, Brady and I visited with friends while the kids ran around in the gym with their friends. It was a really nice, relaxing stretch. For us, anyway. The kids were not relaxing. They were sweaty from all the hockey and tag.
Everyone lunched, and had some quiet time. And now all the jobs we didn’t get to yesterday have to get done!! Sooooo wish us luck!
We had some plans for the day ahead, and in preparation for the busyness, I had a VERY bad sleep. Because why not, right? Lol! Ah well! Onward and upward we went!! Brady worked on taxes through the morning, and we coffeed with Cher. Somehow, the kids played peacefully and happily together, downstairs, all morning. It was bananas, and I LOVED it.
We all ate a quick lunch before loading up in the bus to do a handful of things!
We stopped first at Value Village to drop off a few boxes of things. Of course I totally lapsed and forgot a garbage bag of clothing I meant to bring. I even went specifically into the right room to grab it. I wonder where I sidetracked… Anyway.
Then we stopped at Giant Tiger where I bought a decorative viney trellis on a whim. I’m sure you’ll see it in the months to come, but for now, this is it in its packaging, hahaha!
One more stop before I took Dekker to his friends birthday party!!!
Have you heard of the Stoked Centre? That place is crazy, and overwhelming, but a RIOT for kids!! Its attached to Wilson’s Greenhouse and has all kinds of things to do. In today’s case, they raced go karts! SUPER fun!
Once he was settled and dropped off, the rest of us hit the nearest Walmart for a big ole restock of a lot of things we can’t get at Costco! I won’t lie. It was a bit like herding cats. And it didn’t help that it was a beautiful day and everyone was out, hahaha! It was SO lovely outside, and I LOVED it. The sun. The puddles. People in hoodies instead of jackets. It is so much nicer. But man that store was FULL.
We needed to restock some of our basic med stuff. Magnesium. Omega3s. Probiotics. Tensor bandages. Extra strength Voltaren. Boost. I needed toothpaste. There was more but I forget. Wavy ripped her new leggings so we found some for her. Chatted with a drag queen. Picked up some binders. Notebooks. Dividers. We hit the spring section and bought some new cold cups. We use them a decent amount, and ours are all peeling messes.
When we moved to food, it was our more standard stuff. Salad dressing. Some canned goods. Oats. Cereal. Frozen veggies. Ham in a hunk. Gravy packets. All that stuff.
I don’t do too many impulsive things, but I very thoughtlessly grabbed two giant bags of store brand corn dogs. They were dirt cheap, and I figured the kids would love an easy yummy supper almost as much as I would enjoy not fighting with them to eat.
We grabbed a few fresh things, paid, and left. I didn’t even go into the yarn aisle!! See me? See my restraint?
We retrieved Dekker and had a very quiet ride home. I took a picture of the one who was sleeping, but I realized her chest clip was in the wrong spot and I don’t desire to give anyone an outlet to come for me 😅 I fixed it, I promise.
We got home at the same time as Tom, and he happily made his way over across the street and helped us carry in our groceries 💜 Because he’s like that. We love you, Tom!
We unpacked and put away groceries while our corn dogs cooked in the oven. Kids ran all through the house, bringing things up to our room, down the furnace room, into the big freezer in the garage, and finally, into the pantry. Man, if we can ever build a new house, ALL the food is going to live on ONE level!
See my pretty cold cups?? 😍 No more weird peeling pieces!
I can confirm that the trash super of corn dogs was a total hit.
I even threw together a new dipping sauce that almost everyone preferred to the standard ketchup or mustard. That rarely happens, so I’ll take that win!
Laela did supper dishes, and the rest of the kids played or read until it was time to start bedtiming. They were all visibly tired, but its that good kind of tired that feels accomplished and happy.
I’m very happy with how today turned out. After one of my worst nights in a long time, I feel peace and contentment. Thank you Lord!
You know the funny things kids say when they’re just learning to talk. Or the funny pronunciations? I love that stuff. I never push to change them, because I know it’ll happen eventually and I will really miss them. For instance, right now, a couple of our kids call the junk drawer the drunk drawer. I definitely really enjoy that one. Though I promise, the drunk drawer is well out of reach! Lol!
When Laela was really little, she would lay on the armrest of the couch with her head hanging off the edge, and say she was “side up down.” I LOVED that one.
Aaaaanyway.
Today, Laela put her glasses on side up down, and it became a trend.
Dekker was too cool for it at first, but I talked him into it.
Solly was all over it. And also an easy target.
And Rowan already had his contact in, but could not be left out! So he took the hit of having a wild prescription for a few seconds to join the fun!
Once everyone had adequately played with their glasses, they all got a GOOD clean, and I sent them out the door.
Moral of the story is that the kids are cute. Period. And that there are some funny pros to them all having glasses, the biggest being that Rowan and Solly’s progress reports spewed amazing improvements on their reading and writing since getting glasses! Thank you Lord for technology and information and guidance!!
Today for lunch, Wavy and I both ate an apple, and when I went looking for further food, I came across some leftover KD in the fridge. Lately, I’ve been really enjoying leftover macaroni. I’ve always been willing to eat it, but we can all agree its best fresh, am I right? Well, these days, I fry the leftovers, and its been a total game changer.
I put a little butter in the pan and wait for it to sizzle before I unceremoniously dump the square block of noodles out of the container, and throw the lid on. Now I tend to helicopter parent the food I’m cooking, but with KD, I neglect it fully. When I start to hear it, I flip it around a bit to see if I’m getting a little bit of color. At that point, I throw on a handful of bacon bits and put the lid back on. Again, I wait until I hear it before going back to it. At that point, its pretty done.
Today, as soon as I pulled out the frying pan, Waverly excited asked for some. Our kids love their macaroni to be juicy (or as Wavy would say, doucey) so I warner her that it might not be her jam. But still, I dumped in enough that would allow her to have some, too.
And she LOVED it.
Yes, I promise, I know its trash. She eats very well, and she is more than welcome to indulge in some greasy leftovers with me once in a while.
She went down for a nap with a full warm belly, and I’m doing much of the same, hahaha! I’ll sit up and do something of value soon enough, but first, I’m going to just rest and let my belly be happy.
Some of you may know, and some of you may not, but Dekker has been working towards a goal for almost a year. He LOVED his little kayak, and it became clear early on that he needed to size up. So he has been collecting bottles and cans for months in order to earn money to buy his own kayak! All summer, he would go around the campground once a weekend, wagon in tow, to collect bottles from his regulars. His friends tipped off their families, and certain groups would save for him. One of our friends even brought ALL of his bottles and cans from home to give to Dekker!
My mom was a real asset in this area, taking Dekker to Sarcan multiple times, as well as taking him out for drives to look for recyclables that had been discarded in ditches or out in the country. I really appreciate that, mom. And to our friends who have saved for him and dropped them off to us one way or another, we are SO grateful. A couple of months ago, a loving family member sent Dekker a cheque “in place” of the recyclables they had saved for him, and it officially pushed him over the edge into kayak purchasing territory!
Brady began checking our Zak’s online stock, and finally, kayaks showed up! Dekker had a budget, and he was not buckling on his few stipulations, which I actually think was awesome! He did NOT want to just jump at the first thing he could afford. He was intentional 🙂
Dekker wanted an adult sized kayak. Somewhere in the 10-12′ range. He wanted to like the colour, lol! Something darker, he figured. Blue, maybe. He wanted compartments to bring things along with him. And he wanted it to be a sit-in kayak rather than a sit-on kayak.
And the right thing finally showed up 💜
Dekker is the proud owner of a 10′ Pelican blue/green sit-in kayak! And he is THRILLED!
Yes, its wrapped in a bag. And it still is, haha! So there isn’t a better picture of the kayak itself, but Dekkers face is really all you need to see here! He is SO HAPPY.
He loved going to pick it up at Brady’s work. It seemed like everyone knew it was happening, and they were all SO excited for him. They beamed almost as brightly as he was. He was so proud to hand over his wad of cash to the cashier, and she chatted him up, saying she had seen his kayak in the back earlier and was excited for him to be able to bring it home. He was a star!
All of this being said, its not quite over! Dekker has a bit of money left over, and he’s still saving for a bit longer. Not a single one of us thought about a paddle 😅 So we laughed about that, haha! They’re not super expensive. He’ll get one soon!
Beyond that, his plan has always been to get set up with a kayak, and then a music player. He wants to go for kayak adventures and listen to music. Which I can completely get behind! We found an awesome little device called a Mighty, which is basically an iPod shuffle, but for Spotify users, which we are. Its meant for kids, can hold a bunch of songs, and doesn’t need an actual device alongside it to make it play. No wifi or bluetooth necessary. Just a battery. Its perfect for what he is looking for! So he still has some saving up to do, but this was the BIG part, and he is SUCH a happy guy!!!
I thank you again, friends, for putting into him and his excitement this way! He is learning a lot about money and working and responsibility. He’s thinking smart, and making good choices, and I am SO proud of him. And he couldn’t have been this successful without everyone’s help 💜 So thank you. Very much.
Its been about a month since the kids got their glasses! Rowan went for his checkup early because he got his contact a couple of weeks after the fact. Solly and Laela had their checkup yesterday after school. I loaded up all the kids and took everyone along. Luckily, our eye place welcomed us with open arms 💜 As they always do. We didn’t wait long before we were called back to do the initial tests, to the back waiting room, and finally into the exam room!
Solomon went first. He was super cooperative and did a super good job. Our eye doctor told me his prescription had changed. Not specifically that his eyes had changed, but since he was familiar with the process now, he handled it better and she could get a more accurate answer. She told me we could’ve gotten that answer the first time around if she had done drops, but vastly preferred it this way where no one is traumatized. I loved that 💜
The plan for Solly is to order new lenses, and because its within the appropriate window of time, its free of charge! Woot!
Laela was next, and she was jazzed, as she is. She loves having glasses. Unfortunately, her glasses aren’t doing all our eye doctor had hoped. Her eyes are quite different from one another, and like Rowan, her brain hasn’t been using one of her eyes. Her prescription isn’t as high as Rowan’s, so we were hoping the glasses would do the trick, but they haven’t. So, yet another new development!
Yup. Laela will now be patching with Rowan!! No contact for her, though. Just her glasses and a patch when she’s at home. I was SO impressed with her response to learning this plan, though. She was optimistic and totally 100% accepting! She smiled and nodded eagerly! Not that she was thrilled, but she was down for whatever needed doing. This will be a HUGE asset to Rowan, who has been struggling lately with being the only one who needs to patch 💜 This shift has removed the “Its not fair” option, and I’m pretty stoked about it! I know they will lean on each other when they’re feeling overwhelmed and uncomfortable. We often call them the twins, and this only really solidifies that.
Our eye doctor was also able to get a clearer reading on Laela’s prescription, and she too is getting fresh lenses!
So the current plan is this – a followup appointment in three months for the three middles, and in the meantime, we wait for new lenses for Laela and Solly, and a fresh box of contacts for Rowan.
I won’t lie. Its a lot. But when I think about me a year ago, I NEVER could’ve handled this. No. Way. I am so incredibly grateful for how far God has brought me, and that I can add to my life. I feel more normal. Whatever that means. But I think we’re on our way. Praise God!
Lately, these mornings have been BRIGHT and awesome, but glaring! We end up closing the front curtains during breakfast because the sun is right at that point where it is in everyone’s eyes. You know what I mean in terms of driving, I bet. Well, this morning, I expected to close the curtains, but its surprisingly overcast this morning!
Yet, as I sit in my living room and observe the sky, and the roads, and the general greyscale, it feels like spring is on the horizon.
Don’t worry. I know where I live. I know there is more winter to come. But I looked at the 14 day trend on the Weather Network, and the next two weeks look SO nice. Warmer temperatures help SO MUCH. Even when I’m out and about running errands, being bundled up versus running in somewhere in a hoodie makes a world of a difference to me. And the next two weeks are looking beautiful for the appointments and busyness we have on the books.
This overcast weather feels like rainy season. I know that rain right now would be bad. But I do anticipate the rains that will come when its appropriate and won’t freeze and ruin everything.
Yesterday, Brady and I worked on our course until about 4:00, and then I completed some laundry. It even got put away.
Today, we’re up for church early (which rarely happens) and the kids are occupied. Solly is reading. Laela is doing sudoku. Dekker is doing a word search. Wavy just finished getting dressed and is helping Rowan do dishes. Brady is doing some research on booster seats, and I’m working on the blog and occasionally helping Laela with her puzzle. She’s in expert level, and she is awesome at it, but something she gets stuck. I felt energy to make granola bars this morning before church, but with dishes still going, I think it would be unnecessarily busy in the kitchen. So it’ll wait. But I can’t tell you the last time I felt motivated to work before church. So I’m loving that.
The day is fairly planned already. Church, then coop for toilet paper (because we’re super out,) and then home for rest time and Cher visiting, and the oatmeal for supper.
This coming week holds a few meetings, an appointment or two, and lots of school practices. And more, but those are off the top of my head. I’m feeling a little overgrown, but I think this next week, I’m going to schedule a hair appointment as well as a leg wax. The hair appointment at least will be a ways off, but as long as its on the books, I’ll feel like some refreshment is coming. I’m also feeling purgy these days, so I may spend some time this coming week getting rid of clutter. I have a couple of boxes in the transit already to donate somewhere, so I’m thinking I’ll add to it and drop it off somewhere later this week.
I don’t know, guys. I feel more capable these days, and I like it. And when I feel less capable, I have the resources I need to manage that. I’m learning where to give myself grace but not feel selfish. I’m learning how to manage the symptoms I have that make me feel anxious. For instance, when I was in the pit of despair (like the albino in The Princess Bride) I would be freezing at the beginning of an anxiety attack. So now, when I’m cold, I get nervous. But I have a heated sweater, and a weighted heating pad for when I take a break. I have cozy warm nordic socks. I have an understanding, loving supportive family. I have implemented a routine that we all manage well, and I think I manage my priorities well, knowing where to cut and where to add. I have a craft I LOVE that helps keep my hands busy when I feel picky. I have what I need, and I’m feeling capable.
PRAISE GOD!
Church is still an hour away and everyone is content and doing well. I know every day won’t feel smooth, but I am grateful for my morning feeling under control and peaceful thus far.
Brady and I spent the bulk of the day doing a course online. We tucked up in our room and video chatted from 9:00am until about 4:00pm. We got out a little early, which was a pleasant surprise for both us and our brains. Whew! What a full day!
I found this mug at Value Village the other day. It gives me summertime vibes. I want to take it to the camper to be a camp mug, but it also makes me happy and I want it to live here! Either way, I’m happy with it 🙂 It added some nice summer feelskies to my morning.
But then there is Laela…
She’s a Christmas elf. So. Thats happening, apparently. But I can forgive it, because she’s so cute.
And because there is still snow on the ground. One day, there won’t be. Until there is again, hahaha! But truly, I can’t wait for spring, if you hadn’t noticed. I want to walk the kids to school again. I want to have coffee on the deck in the morning. I want evening walks as a family. I want all the fun things in the works to come to fruition. So much on the go, and so much to look forward to 💜
Thank you Cher, Rae, and Tom for being with our kids today so we could be present online. We couldn’t have done this day without you and your willing hearts 💜
