The high school in our town had its annual Welcome Back BBQ this evening. Brady made it home shortly before 5:00 and we all headed out to the school together.

Except Laela. She’s in volleyball this year 😍 so she had to leave early for practice. Her schedule is sooooo much fuller than it used to be 🤣 but she is all about it.

The rest of us went to the school for the BBQ, and the moment food was in hand, most of our kids took off. So Brady and I sat with the big wagon of babies and chatted with a couple of teachers, parents, etc. It was quite relaxed where we were. All the rowdy was elsewhere, which was actually pretty nice, haha! After a little while, Dekker asked if we wanted to go see his locker. So we moseyed through the school and slowly made our way around to his spot. Well. First we stopped at Laela’s locker, but she wasn’t with us.

Then to Dekker’s. Its still just a hair taller than him 😂

We meandered past the gym on the way back and caught a glimpse of our girl 💜

She is SUCH a cutie, man alive 😍

We didn’t stay long, however. We had a prescription to pick up downtown, so we left and all went in that direction before walking home just in time to start bedtime stuff for the young ones.

It was a nice outing. Nice to see the teachers and other parents. Its good to be connected. But while I do enjoy that part, I also really anticipate just being settled in for the year.

Today was mostly centred around a visit for one of the babies. It is one that tends to not be my favorite schedule, where I have to drive to the city twice, and not be home when the kids arrive from school. And today, that visit cancelled first thing! This is bittersweet, because it means that the parent and child don’t get together, which is hard :/ But the silver lining was that my day was less broken and had no deadlines.

So, rather, we moseyed. I sat at my table while babies had breakfast, and I printed off pictures that I want to hang. I made an errand list. I did a little emailing and texting that was necessary. I got some answers about camping, and got some tracking for some packages I was anticipating. I researched how I want to print pictures for the living room, what method I want to use, and where I could order from. I put a cart together online. And once it was all good and organized, I loaded up the three babes and we took off!

I ran a handful of errands. Stopped in at both of my pharmacies. Picked up med supplies. Took out some cash. Brought Brady coffee at work. Dropped by the high school. And then home. Parcels had arrived at my door, and babies were hungry and tired. I plopped small bodies into high chairs and hit them with goldfish so I could go unpack my items from the van. Definitely still left some in there but thats tomorrows problem. My one high chair free babe was needing me, so that came first. I went and went and went and suddenly, they were ALL down.

😳

So I puzzled.

I picked a puzzle my mom recently gifted me that she found thrifting. As she would say, she knows its a me puzzle, but not a her puzzle 🤣 I knew I could finish it today so I tidied off the island and did it right on there. It was fun, and I did in fact finish it!

One edge piece missing, as tends to happen with thrift store puzzles. I’m very comfortable with that risk. Still fun!

Now, the day is mostly wrapped, and I’m feeling a tad congested, which I do not care for :/ Maybe a nice hot soak is in order in the coming days.

This was my day this week that was not riddled with timelines, and I’m glad I got to take a little time to puzzle and do something different and fun. Laela came up to me at the island and said “Not even joking, mom, I LOVE that you did a puzzle today. I bet it felt really nice.” And she was right.

Solly asked to help me make supper tonight. I said yes, and offered for him to crack eggs. He said he’d rather do bacon. In fact, he kind of insisted. I told him bacon kind of spits and burns, but he was determined. He was up for it. I figured it wouldn’t last.

Except it totally did.

His attention span did not disappoint, and he finished up a whole pack of bacon, a handful of little burns endured. He didn’t seem put off.

It was a nice reminder that kids CAN help. Even the ones with attention spans the size of a grain of rice can help. Especially when they WANT to!!! So many wins 💜 Thank you for cooking, Solly. I really, really enjoyed sharing the kitchen with you 😘

How bizarre that it can be SO fall one day and SO summery the next?!

It was sunny and still and lovely today at Kinasao. Not all the way summery, I suppose, but the sun was beautifully warm. We still enjoyed a hot fire and most of us wore hoodies. Still. It was so lovely.

We left the lake shortly after lunch. Everyone was game to go home and wash up and get ready for school tomorrow. Honourable mention goes to Dekker for being truly thoughtful and helpful with Bradys transfers and chair support. Once I help Brady into the van he does everything else, happily.

We got home. Unloaded. Unpacked. Kids washed up. Babies napped. We ate leftovers and easy extras. Dishes are doing and everyone is winding down. I’m ready to do much of the same.

Watch a little Wednesday. Snuggle up and eat toast with my man. Sounds like my favorite time of day is fast approaching!

Today was a very autumn kind of day. 

It was all centred around a hot fire that burned all day long. We shivered outside while our heaters positively PUMPED inside the camper. 

We had protein waffles dipped in syrup for breakfast. Easy and yummy. 

Lunch was leftovers. 

And supper was potatoes, ham, and carrots. Carrots done on the camp chef are SO good!! 

As I’m sitting by the fire, with the sun all he way down and the site lit by beautiful hanging lights, a baby drinking a bottle in my arms, this is the natural time for LD to randomly have a pants free party 🤦🏼‍♀️ because why not? Oh. And LD has also pooped. Cool. Cool cool cool. 

No rest for the weary! 

Duty doody calls. 

💩 

As Brady headed out for the day, this was our text conversation.

His bum was out and something was wrong with his toe! 🤣 It gave me a stupid, tired giggle.

Ha! TIREd.

😅🥱

Apparently I’m still at that point.

I’ve not always been very confident in the kitchen, as you likely know. Cooking on our camp chef griddle has been another learning experience for me, but I would say I’ve finally gotten in the groove of it. Cooking chicken will probably always scare me 🤣 but I even did that on the camp chef the other day! So I felt pretty proud of that, haha!

I realized yesterday just how far I’ve come when I got into making supper. I so badly wanted to go make it out on the deck on our Blackstone!! For a handful of reasons, I couldn’t right then, so I have a great big stove I can work with, and a convection oven that fits the bill as well. Even just typing that out, I almost feel guilty about having so many amazing options. Ugh. But anyway. I didn’t cook on the griddle, I just cooked inside. And I MISSED it!!!

Once upon a time, cooking on the griddle scared me, and now I miss it. I think thats pretty darn cool.

A small victory is still a victory! 💪

Welp. I have a handful of random stuff to show you that doesn’t fit together. But I’m gonna show you anyway 😅 Sorry not sorry.

First and foremost, someone wrote a greeting in our butter, lol!

Brady got all stocked up on some protein drinks, and I remembered I can stock his things in the island drawers so he can access them better!

Heyooo!

Cher brought garden tomatoes and cottage cheese over for lunch today!! YUM!!!!

Aaaaand this was a fun comparison to make during a discussion about the details in our children that look like which family members. Rowan mouth is ALL Brady 🙌

Ok. Thats it thats all! Nothing special! Just some observations from the day! Carry on.

The time has come, the walrus said, to send your kids to school!!

And we be listenin’ to that walrus, let me tell you! 🤣

I’ll admit I cheated on the pictures a little this year, since the elementary school had a welcome back BBQ early where the kids could meet their teacher, find their classroom, and drop their stuff off. So I took the backpack pictures last week. But. Still counts.

So! My youngens…

…their gigantic backpacks…

…and their grades!! Solly in 4, Wavy in 2, and Rowan in 5. Both of the boys are in 4/5 splits! Different classes tho.

Aaaaand today!!! TWO to high school!! 😵 My biggens…

… all of their stuff…

… and their grades! Dekker in 9, and Laela in 7!!!

Everyone had a great first day. Good teachers. Good friends. Birthday invites already floating around. Everyone is safe and tucked back at home now 💜 Thank you, Lord, for our small town and the happy schools we have.

Our family left camp early today, as did the Dahlsjos. We planned to meet at Lil Bean in Rosthern for ice cream around lunch time. Our family had never been there before, but likely like many of you, I have drooled over the pictures they have posted online and was eager to go!

Not only were we eager because who doesn’t want specialty ice cream for lunch, but also, this is our last weekend to see Piper before she leaves for college 💜💔

There are about a million pictures from this short hour together that I can’t show you, thanks to the rules of foster care, which I both respect and hate. Take my word for it when I tell you our group LOVES their group 💜 There is no shortage. Since I can’t show you much of Piper, I’ll show you my kids and the ice cream they got.

On our way back the vehicles, it seemed to strike Wavy the finality of Piper leaving. Not that we’ll never see her again, but her heart could barely take it that Piper was going to be gone now 💔

Goodness girl we’ll miss you 💜 It feels like we all JUST got you back from the busyness of summer only to say goodbye again so soon!

But.

I feel SO confident that you are heading to such good things, and I am really excited to hear about them along the way. Your new friends. The classes you take. The music you’ll inevitably get into. Books you read. Lessons you learn. All of it. I am committed to praying for you.

We already miss you, Pip.

Thanks for inviting us to ice cream today 💜 What a precious last date with you.

See you at Christmas 🎄😘