Master Sollyman turns TEN today!!! He was welcomed to the day with the loud singing of the birthday song as well as an aggressive tickle from Rowan. He squealed happily and Rowan showed no mercy. It was a fabulous kick off to his day. Another year of Solomon in the books!
This last year, Solly has grown and changed in all kinds of beautiful ways, and in many other ways, he is still the same boy 💜 he is delighted by all kinds of fun things. Fidget toys. Playing with a soccer ball in the front yard. Biking. Reading Big Nate. Laying on the floor and chatting with Munchie.
In the recent months, he has a larger interest in helping with the handy jobs about the house. He will run any errand. Make any effort to pitch in. Any request I send his way is met with a hearty “aye aye, captain 🫡 .” He may get a little lost along the way sometimes. I can’t say he never defers off course and ends up talking to himself in a mirror for a cool 20 minutes before I realize. But alas, those are the details that make Solly Solly. I wouldn’t change him.
I love you, Solly boy. It is so easy to love you. You are so full of joy and wonder and kisses for your mom. Thank you for being so sweet and gracious to share your birthday with Sadie’s grad celebration at camp! Well get you all your birthday food going next weekend 😘💜🎂
The poplar fluffies are absolutely nuts out here today! Yikes man! It feels like it’s snowing, and we are ALL done with THAT! 🙅♀️ almost worse than the snowy vibe, though, is the constant tickle on one’s face and in one’s nose. I think most of us here at Bornsjo Sites are a scooch miserable with all the slow moving tickly bug like itchy feeling things flying all up in our business. 😮💨
But the show goes on! I just finished tidying up our site a little bit. It’s not perfect but it feels better. Lots of the fluff that has gathered today is hidden away, though I know there will be much more tomorrow. The dishes are done. The garbage has gone out. Most of the chairs are put away. The patio is swept off. And the clutter I am able to have control over is under control. I got some sun today. A yummy drink. Happy kids who aren’t fighting. Close friends just through the trees, c/o the path we’ve formed over the years.
As I sit here for a moment in the quiet, only me and Munchie Mix, it is clear that we are so unbelievably fortunate to have the gift of this place. Fluffies and all.
We hope and pray for a smoother night tonight, and tomorrow, we celebrate Sadie officially completing high school and moving on up in the world! 💪
(Also tomorrow is Solomon’s birthday but we’re pretending it’s next weekend 🤣)
I was not hoping to see a fire ban sign upon driving into camp this weekend, but learning how close the fires are and how fast they’re moving, I can understand why. We’ll have to coexist with the mosquitos for this weekend at least. We’ll smoke them out another time.
Regardless of this one detail, it is always a treat to be back at Kinasao 💜 we were greeted at our site with supper being cooked up on our grill by our dear friends, all of our chairs set up around our fire pit. It felt like home. It always does.
Everything got unloaded and the kids went to scope the new playground equipment while the adults sneakily got our food and ate a bit before the rest came searching for supper. We ate bison burgers and fries. It was delicious.
Everyone is tucked in now, and the camper should be quiet soon. At least that’s the hope 😅 the air conditioning is finally cooling the place off, and I’m feeling pretty close to ready to call it for the night.
We’re due for another hot one tomorrow! If there happened to be some rain in the middle there, I wouldn’t be mad.
Today was the girls’ ballet recital – the official wrap-up of yet another activity for the kids. ‘Twas a mad dash after school to get the girls out the door around 4:15 with grandma, who lovingly offered to bring them in for their 5pm arrival and practice. She also held a spot in line! Thank you, mom!!
We picked Rae up about an hour later and headed in together. VERY grateful for the AC in the van because WOW is it hot out today and even WOWWER it was hot in that auditorium! Hahaha! The last recital was frigidly cold, around -40, and today was +35 ish, hahaha!
The girls danced beautifully. It was very special. Laela helped with a younger group this year, as well as dancing in her original group. During the final bows and thank yous, she was recognized along with the other assistants/helpers and was presented with a gift from her ballet teacher 💜 It was really special. Meanwhile, Wavy danced super well, missed no steps, and was in the very front of her group, making her feel like a total rockstar.
We run into so many people we love at ballet. Today we saw a dear friend of ours who we have the pleasure of being connected with through one of our foster children. It is ALWAYS a pleasure to run into those connections!! What a win! For me, and for her, and our little one who got to see her today!
Leaving these recitals is always a bit of a crapshoot. The foyer is PACKED and everyone is bumping into everyone. Its loud and sweaty and chaotic, but everyone is pretty happy and upbeat. However, it was indeed past bedtime, and not all of ours were feeling the appropriate level of happiness or upbeatery that they needed to feel in order to be in a public place 😬 Sooooo home we went!
It was a great success 💜 We sat front row. Rae brought the girls flowers. Everyone was proud of themselves, and now its done for the season and there is one less thing on our calendar.
We are tired, but we are happy.
Thats a wrap, girlies 💜 I love you all. I’m so proud of you.
It was a day of being home and kinda sorta puttering. I’m wishy washy on the wording because I definitely needed to get things done, such as organizing and packing some things for camp, tidying up the island, and making sure everything is ready for the girls ballet recital tomorrow. Nothing big or especially taxing, but just lots of back and forth, constantly moving. And WOW were the babes not impressed 😅😩 Still, I packed clothing for all three young ones, got some laundry in the washer, and packed up nonperishables. Decided what can wait for a different weekend and what needs doing now.
However, we hit a wall around 11:30, and Munchie Mix NEEDED some time with me. This particular baby is not a fan of the bottle these days, but the milk is still a necessity, obviously, and a comfort. So we took a little drink break. Munchie got a sippie of formula and I cracked a can of what resembles a carbonated lip smacker?
During naps, I worked on a crochet project with a deadline, and then got back up and at it when the kids got home. We worked for a little while, and Rowan and Solly took Spoons and LD into the backyard while I worked. Laela and Wavy packed together, and Dekker was in drivers ed, so he doesn’t count. Just me and the babiest babe finishing up the work for the afternoon.
Eggs, toast, and cantaloupe for supper. No one is very hungry on such hot days. What are your go-to suppers?
The island is a mess of things right now. Laundry. Things for camp. Stuff I just haven’t gotten around to putting away. Not half as bad as it used to get! But still messy. Anyway. I had Brady order these from Zak’s recently for transporting milk back and forth to camp, or for yummy things like cold brew or iced tea. They’re on the island, too.
Today, as the stragglers finished up breakfast, Solly walked through the kitchen and casually commented “Cute little jugs, mom!”
Have you guys heard the term “toddler shins?” It’s referencing how toddlers shins are often bruised up top to bottom when they start walking and beyond. Little ones are so clumsy and tippy and funny.
Welp. Rowan is rocking the toddler big boy shins.
He wiped out a handful of times today, spilling off his bite and taking a couple of tumbles during soccer at recess.
Not only are his legs beat up, but the palms of his hands are rough, he has some sort of rug/grass burn on his hip, and he had a nosebleed. But! He’s still smiling, because while he doesn’t love getting hurt (obviously) he gets a kick out of his battle scars.
I’m sitting here in my cozy chair while Brady showers off the day. I’m being all productive, and gathering up the lists we made over the weekend of things we need to bring up next weekend. I have a list and a video, but I use my list on my laptop more than my phone. As I transfer things onto my laptop, I’m doing a bit of online grocery ordering. I’m getting all good and organized. And I realized just now, I have no blogged.
So. Here I am! Blogging. In my chair. Instead of doing my jobs. They were mostly done, anyway. It was a bit of a tricky scene on the way out, but we had a lot of help, which I am IMMENSELY grateful for, and it was able to be free of fighting and big struggle. What would we do without you, Dahlsjos? 💜
The van was loaded up, and I’m impressed with how little we actually packed! Go us!!
Last weekend when we went to set up, we didn’t have water. Which was tough. So when we got to camp this weekend and set up the water system, it didn’t work. Which SUCKED. Thankfully, we were able to get that all repaired and fixed up, and water did, in fact, flow! 🥳
But naturally, since the water was fixed, we all lost power today. ALL afternoon, evening, and SaskPower will tell us they still don’t have it back on :/ Which also sucks. Neither of these things make setting up our site easier, but alas, if we have learned ONE lesson in our lives, it is that we do not have control of most things, and we just need to roll with the punches.
We DID get the golf cart running just today, finally, which is a HUGE relief! I purchased a full three-point seat belt for it so Brady can actually feel comfortable driving it even without ab muscles. Crazy how much more he gets tossed around now. But we can adapt, and we will.
We spent some time today finally reorganizing the deck area. It felt like such a messy dumping ground last summer and while I do not hate our place being lived in, I don’t like how hard I tried to keep it nice and how it always looked a mess. So today, we moved some things, got rid of some things, and made it look so refreshed. Less stuff on the deck, and I got the whole deck and patio cleaned off a la leaf blower. What a difference.
Now we shop for a wash station option for outside. Dishes are just my nemesis at camp. No one wants to do them, and someone seems to always be napping. I want to have a big sink outside so its easier to do them and still be around and present. Then kids could do it without feeling left out, or I could do it without trapping the babies in the camper. It would just be easier. Anyway. That would be the cherry on top of our site, but we’ll see if something good comes along!
Why am I still talking? I’m so ready for bed. Goodnight all 💜
There were lots of lovely things today. While it has not been altogether smooth as a whole, we have already made memories and revisited traditions.
Spoons slept in the bunks last night. No crib. No playpen. Just a mattress and bedding. It was reported to me that it took a while for everyone to settle, but they all slept hard all through! So we’ll take that as a win!
We woke up and had a couple of our dear Dahlsjos already building a fire in our pit. We gorged ourselves on muffins and two bite cinnamon buns for breakfast.
Unfortunately, just for funsies, Brady had his tougher treatment this last Friday :/ so he slept through the morning. But he surfaced for lunch and hanging out for the rest of the day. Yay!!!
We kept a fire going all day long. It smelled great, and the brief moment in time when we were misted with rain was welcomed 💜
We ate a camp chef supper and then kids ran off with friends for literal hours. From the ark park to gaga ball to pickleball, they just ran. It was amazing. I love it here.
I will admit, I am so tired. Settling into the new sleeping arrangements, later nights, more outside time, etc is a lot for a person, much less ten people. We’re all running on less sleep and no one wants to work. Which I do get, and we will sort it out before long at all. We are all so happy to be here 💜what a huge gift it is to be here.
A few things felt like they were going to be too much for a minute. We were out of propane at the wrong time and had to run to town. Twice. The water was NOT working and sinks were filling. It was a whole thing. The golf cart wasn’t working. And almost everything has been resolved. I am pretty worn out but I’m glad so many things have resolved. Not the golf cert yet 😬 but it’ll come.
Tomorrow 🙌 our first smorning!!! 🥰 I am so looking forward to that. What a precious tradition to carry on 💜 we will have so many cute punks eating treats in our site tomorrow! 😋 I’m ready.
But not this moment. I REALLY need some sleep before then 😂
Ok, guys, one week late is better than never! We are on our way to a weekend at camp! We have been eagerly anticipating this for so long, or at least that’s how it feels! We are so entirely fortunate to have our home away from home at Kinasao 💜
I spent the morning with Cher and the babies. I had a bath and shaved my legs. I went into Saskatoon to take a babe to a visit, and shopped the time away at value village. Got some GREAT books, a few other small items, and dresses for Laela and Wavy for an upcoming grad party. It was a great success there.
We made it back in time for pickup, and had a really nice interaction there as well.
Made it home to find the crew gathering up the final stuff to pack in the van! Brady had an earlier afternoon treatment today so he was home as well! What a treat to be on the road a little earlier for our first weekend!
Have a great weekend, friends 💜 see you at the lake. And if not, you really should be camping.
