** Let’s all keep in mind that Hailey’s blog is 1000% a judgment-free zone 🙂 The Bambi rule is live as of right now, or always. Celebrate small victories with us!!

We used to have Rowan on a fabulous sleep schedule where he woke up once in the night. Since we’ve had so many gatherings this summer, that has disappeared completely. Rather, he would eat three times per night, and almost not at all in the day. NOT ideal. We’ve been trying a few different ideas over the last few days and last night, we managed to get an eight hour stretch!! With that behind us, Brady and I felt strong enough to officially begin the potty training process with Dekker. I know, I know, he’s four. Trust me, no one knows that better than I do, you don’t have to tell me. We’ve been gradually getting him used to the toilet for a little while now. Today, we simply added underwear. Well, and lots of other aspects. Special drinks, treats, change of scenery, etc. I won’t do a big post on all of the details unless anyone really wants it. Either way, we started the day off like this.

Dekker got chocolate milk at breakfast to ensure that he would drink extra. It worked.

He sat on the potty A TON! Most visits were pretty short but when he seemed content, we tried to make it enjoyable.

We spent lots of time out of the bathroom as well. The kids were very happy and agreeable for the most part. Even Rowan rocked out in his jumparoo more than usual. I colored. It was a good vibe.

All of the stats are in! Ten pairs of underwear later, we had SIX successful pees in the potty!!! I don’t know if thats good or bad, and I don’t really care. Its a HUGE accomplishment for us!! I’m a bit nervous for tomorrow being on my own. Not because I don’t think I can do it, but because its really nice to have some backup that he is super comfortable with, but we’ll be more than fine. It will be a bit different for me, but I’m thinking we will really hide out this week, and be super antisocial. His first outing will be on Saturday at a friends birthday party. I’m confident they’ll be super understanding 🙂 I’m so hopeful about this week. Dekker is amazing and I know he’s learning.

Another cool milestone happened this evening when I decided to try and feed Rowan some applesauce. Again, I know, I know, starting with fruit isn’t recommended. But honestly, I always do, and my kids are fine, well balanced eaters. I’m not worried. Fun surprise, he ate like he’s been eating from a spoon for years. He opened his mouth for his tastes and knew how to move the food around in his mouth. He didn’t gag once. Out of pure curiosity, I gave him a mum mum, to see if he was coordinated enough to eat it. For those who don’t know, a mum mum is a “cookie” that is basically styrofoam for eating, and it pretty much dissolves the second it gets wet, so its good for little ones to gum on. We call them surfboards. He wasn’t great at feeding himself, but when we would hold the surfboards to his mouth, he ate and ate and ate. He ate an entire cookie!!! We were pleasantly surprised 🙂

After supper, Laela accidentally poured milk all over her tummy and into her bellybutton.

This was both hilarious and sticky. Didn’t matter. It was bath time.

Unless this goober pooped in the tub.

What in the world is a person supposed to do when Kid #1 and Kid #2 are clean, and are playing in the tub when you stick the baby in, and he poops a flaky icky poop into the water?? I took his little sudsy, proud self to the sink and rinsed his hair and body off while Brady rinsed out the tub, ran new water, and washed the older ones off again.

So today was messy, hahaha! But I’d call it successful!! I’m definitely nervous about the upcoming week but jumping in with both feet! Of course, those feet are wearing rubber boots…

We had breakfast at my parents house again this morning. We were served cinnamon buns and muffins and coffee and other delicious things. I love the special sweet breakfasts we get there sometimes. Soon after breakfast, Brady and my dad went to the backyard and tore down their old decrepit deck. I tried to video it so I could do a time lapse thing, but apparently my camera has a auto shut off “safety” feature that I didn’t know about, and it turned itself off. Merp. But it was still a good time. The kids sat in front of the patio doors almost the whole time, and watched the action, waiting eagerly for any moment that their daddy or grandpa would look up and wave at them. It was positively riveting.

Once the deck was down and loaded onto the trailer, we had a pizza lunch together, and then we headed home. We could have probably stayed longer and visited for a while, but I had made plans with Kim for the rest of the day. When we got home, I changed my clothes, kissed the kids, and drove back to the city to meet her at Michaels. We proceeded to do some shopping for both of our kids upcoming birthday parties. Laela’s bday party still doesn’t have an official date, but her middle sons party is this coming weekend! I think we got most of what we needed, so thats good.

We also made it a priority to just sit and have a little visit over coffee, rather than being on the go every moment of our time together. It was nice to just sit at Starbucks with our iced lattes and take a load off. After a while, we took a quick lap through the mall, bought one of two things, and headed out to our next destination across the city. We had less success there, but there was certainly no loss.

We were wracking our brains about what to do for supper afterwards, as we were both feeling super growly. We knew her bay boy wouldn’t sit especially well in a restaurant, but weren’t feeling especially Wendy’s or McDonalds – esque. So we ate my favorite kind of meal! We ordered deep fried pickles and KAPOW (lol!) shrimp from Montana’s. Then we stopped at a 7eleven and grabbed slurpees, corn dogs, and potato wedges. As I type this out, it sounds pretty gross, haha! It wasn’t, I promise. We were going to go park by the river and eat overlooking the water (yes, still in the van) but it was getting a bit later and we figured we shouldn’t doddle too much longer than necessary. Embarrassingly enough, we ended up at Costco. We parked until a tree in the parking lot and cracked all of the food open on the dashboard. We sat and talked with the music playing quietly in the back, keeping the baby asleep. It was SUCH a nice visit. Usually, when we hang out, we’re wrangling six kids between us, and its hard to actually converse! But this was such a good uninterrupted heart to heart. I loved it. Things are so funny. I think I can speak for both of us and say that it feels like we’ve known each other for years. And years.

I eventually drove her home and headed home myself. I was greeted by a loving husband and a hot bath that this blog is keeping me from!!! So off I go! But it was truly a lovely day in every way. Its just convenient that it rhymes. It doesn’t make it any less true.

Shoot. No cute selfie to insert here. Next time.

This morning, I got the kids up, dressed them, and took them out to the van. Dekker doddled a bit by the table and asked why we weren’t having breakfast. I told him we were going to have it at grandmas instead, and those kids beat me to the entrance.

A cute thing that usually happens with my kids is Dekker picking out Laela’s shoes. I usually have an idea of which shoes I’ll be putting her in that day, and based on her outfit, Dekker can usually figure it out, and he passes her the shoes he picks. If she grabs a different pair first, he’ll gently encourage her to the pair of his choice. Its hilarious, really. This morning, however, he was obviously in too much of a rush. By the time I got to the entrance, he was struggling to put his own shoes on (he even got them on the right feet!) and Laela was sitting on the bench with some pretty little white sandals in her hands, looking from them to her socks, over and over. I offered her some runners instead, which she accepted.

We got to my moms shortly after 9:00 and had breakfast and coffee. The kids played for a bit before we had to get on with the day. My mom had an afternoon of errands, and I just needed Costco really, but I needed the extra hands now that Rowan isn’t in a bucket, but also isn’t sitting up in a cart, or anywhere for that matter. So I asked the kids to tidy up the toys they had taken out. This is never their favorite task, especially when it means leaving grandmas, but the incentive of Costco prevailed, and they tidied nice and fast! We had to take separate vehicles to the city, but they knew we’d all be together while we shopped.

My mom pushed Rowan in the little stroller, and I pushed the cart, and we had a really nice shop together. The kids did awesome, which is always a treat, and we got everything we needed. It all was pretty seamless, except for the fumble with the flat of eggs, which crushed three or four, and cracked five others. But it could have been worse, thats for sure.

I gave the kids each a banana on the drive home, which made for a nice quiet drive with happy kids. Upon arriving home, I found my daughter was out like a light, still holding a chunk of a mushed up mostly eaten banana. I unloaded the whole van before finally plucking her from it. There is no sleepy transition for Laela. As soon as she lulled as I pulled her arms out from her straps, she started swinging her legs and chatting. Its this immediate thing that happens. I’m happy she has such quality sleep that just a little nap rests her up so well.

Thanks to my egg fumble, we had breakfast for supper tonight. Jerilee came for the evening and enjoyed bacon, eggs, and toast with us. We had a really really nice visit for a few hours before the kids went down, and we got settled in with some dessert and coffee. Its always lovely to have Jerilee over, and I’ve so enjoyed keeping up with our trashy tv shows together, but we haven’t had a good down to earth visit in a while. So this was fabulous 🙂 The perfect kind of Friday night.

But as you can see, I’m writing this post after midnight, which means we had a really nice evening together, and time got away on us. We’re all old now, haha, and we can’t stay out very late anymore. We’re all sleepy. But today was great, and tomorrow will be great too!!!

I FINALLY got to visit with my mom today. We talk on the phone a decent amount, and really, we see each other a lot compared to many of my friends whose moms live in different locations throughout the world, or in heaven, and I’m very grateful for what I have. Lately, though, my mom and have seen each other through gatherings with others, in busy situations, or for very short periods of time. I can’t remember the last time she came out for the day to play with my kids and visit with me. Today, we finally got to have that day!

Mom came in the morning, right after the kids were done their breakfast. They were clearly suffering from Grandma withdrawal, and latched onto her like tiny little love magnets. So began a few solid hours of tickling, kissing toes, showing off toys, story telling, eating, and honestly, screeching. The kids were SO HAPPY to be reunited with my mom!

Of course, she and I did get our visiting in amongst all of the loud talking. Dekker was particularly polite and when I’d ask him to wait a minute until we were done talking, he would just say “Ok” and sit quietly until there was a milliseconds pause, when he’d chime in. It was adorable.

Mom stuck around until the mid afternoon, and then I loaded her up with all of the random dishes I’ve acquired from her in the last month or two, and she was off. It was sad. But the kids were feeling low key at that point, so I left them downstairs with The Magic School Bus on, and I got some supper together. I defrosted the fish, made a pasta salad, made dressing and chopped broccoli for another salad, and even fried up some bacon so we could have fresh bacon bits in the salad. Brady fried up the fish once we got home and honestly, supper was delicious! Dekker fussed through parts of it, which we expect, knowing its not his favorite meal, but Laela ate her entire serving without whining at all!!! That always feels like a win.

Now that the kids are down, i’m feeling really dizzy, and there is still stuff to do around here before the evening is over and I can sink into a bath. Hopefully that time will come sooner than later!!

I am thrilled to report that we FINALLY had a rockin’ playdate out here with Kim and her kids!! We always enjoy their company, of course, but Dekker is fairly reserved, and doesn’t participate too much. I was a bit nervous for today, since the kids are still pretty exhausted from our weekend away, but they seemed to be anticipating the company.

Dekker: Is Kim comin’?
Me: Yup, they’re driving right now.
Dekker: She’s on the highway?
Me: Yup.
Dekker: Why she’s not in the driveway?

When they did arrive, the kids did their usual. Laela squealed in delight all over the place, pointing at our guests, and Dekker cowered in the corner, asking me to hold his hand. I helped the two older boys get in and kick their shoes off, and they blasted downstairs right away. Kim made her way inside with some treats, her diaper bag, and the baby. We grabbed some coffee and slowly made our way downstairs to see how the kids were playing. It was the usual scene – toys spread everywhere, Laela playing with Kims boys, and Dekker sitting on a chair, watching it all happen.

We did that for a while, but it was soon lunch time, and Kim and I went upstairs to get some chicken strips and veggies. WE laid out a blanket, put their plates on it, and turned on Cars. From there, the fun began!!! Dekker FINALLY started visiting with the boys. He actually initiated a few conversations, which is a big deal for him. From lunch, they began playing, and sharing with each other! At one point, the loudest game in the world broke out, and we thankfully got it on video. Its won’t be on here, as I don’t have the time or desire to load it onto YouTube, but they all just talked and yelled gibberish words at each other. It doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, but they were howling with laughter!!! It was so lovely to watch. There was no fighting, very few misunderstandings, and just lots and lots of play.

I delighted my heart to see Dekker so in there, being so friendly and fitting in so well. I knew he could do it!!!

I love our kids. My kids, her kids, all the kids. It was a great day.

Guys, it is SO nice to be home! I know we have the comfiest bed in the world here, but it has never felt softer, or so perfectly formed to me as it did last night. No, I haven’t been sleeping in uncomfortable beds or places, but my goodness, my bed is the best. Its an interesting perspective to want so badly to be living somewhere else, yet this really is a soft (see what I did there?) place for us to fall. I’m comfortable in our house, in this aspect anyway.

I needed to do laundry today, but then I reevaluated what “need” means, and decided what I truly needed was rest. So thats what we did. I got the kids up and told them we were going to play downstairs quietly and watch some tv, and they were both SO ready for that kind of day. They ate a ton of breakfast and then sat and played with their links for probably a solid hour before moving on to more active play. But really, they were just as tired as I was today.

After snacks and playing with Rowan a bit, Dekker pointed out that he figured it was nap time. That is almost unheard of, so I went with it. I said “Oh, you’re right! Let’s go upstairs for a rest,” and he said “Ok!” and headed on up! Laela followed him up, put her toy on the counter, and they ran off to their room. Dekker climbed up into his bed immediately after taking his glasses off, and Laela lay on the floor beside her crib. I got everyone situated, and Dekker kind of lovingly forced me out of the room. “Ok, ok, goodnight mom.”

I had a really nice phone call with my mom once they were down. We caught up and made some datea to see each ther, but soon after that, I went and tucked myself into bed. I watched some YouTube, and looked up some recipes for Laela’s upcoming birthday, and was generally cozy and lazy and comfy.

Brady is hoping for a similar evening of lazy, cozy, comfy time as well, so I’m cutting this post short. Time for diong very very little. Its been so long since we’ve done nothing for a few hours. I can’t wait!

I don’t have too much to say on todays post, but hopefully the pictures will speak for themselves. We had a very long but lovely day of travel, and it is positively DELICIOUS to be home! The kids willingly got into their bed as soon as they were in jammies, and I don’t expect much of a wait to get them to sleep. Regardless of the time, we are DEFINITELY running a bath tonight, because I have so missed my bathtub. I feel like I’ve hardly had soaks in August, and now its September!!

So all you get today is pictures of how well my kids fit in with their extended family <3

Sorry, I petered out in caption writing. I’m just pooped!! Time for bed. But I hope you can tell just by looking at the pictures, even without the captions, how much love there is in this family. Such a fabulous time <3 I hope we see all least some of you guys again soon!!

We head home tomorrow, which I have mixed feelings about. Truly, on a total surface level, I am so sleepy and ready to get home and back into our normal routine. But being here has been lovely for everyone.

I think Brady has really enjoyed catching back up with his siblings. We all lead pretty crazy busy lives, so we don’t keep in particularly close contact over the phone or even really texting. Its been really nice to actually hear about everyones lives again, and in person. I’ve also enjoyed being able to spend time with my brother and sister in laws and get to know them a bit better. With distance and life, come to think of it, we haven’t seen them all too terribly much since we got married! Like, yes, more than a couple of times, but not lots. Its been good to be around everyone, all together, and get some good visits in.

Dekker and Laela have had SUCH a good time! They are making friends with their cousins, playing incredibly with them, learning new games, playing with the puppies, and they even had their first quad rides. (I’ll be honest. I missed the whole quadding experience, and am a bit sappy over the whole thing 🙁 I didn’t know Dekker and Laela had their first quad rides until they were over. Wish I was there to take pictures. *tear* ) They’ve had lots of new experiences, and it seems like they grew up a lot in these few days. Rowan has also grown and changed since arrival. He is SO bouncy and wriggly, and loves to be held by anyone up for the challenge of hanging onto him. His cousins make him laugh almost constantly, and he likes to chew on any unsuspecting auntie or uncle who holds him. He’s incredibly social, and I would say he’s gotten goofier since we got here. This visit has done the kids very very good.

But tomorrow we go home. Eleven hours in the van, but hopefully they go as smoothly as the drive here. It will be good to be home. I believe this is our last big gathering/trip for a while. Still lots going on to look forward to, but its all close to home. It’ll likely take the kids a while to wind down from this, but its been so good for them. Cousin bonds are finally forming on our end 🙂 Jonquil and Keith, John and Julie, Dan and Char, you all have FABULOUS children!!! <3

The idea here is that basically, everyone is camping on Bradys parents property. The kids have basically lived outside. Its been a fabulous day that has been completely out of the ordinary for us. I don’t think Dekker saw the inside of the house between breakfast and bedtime. We even ate outside, so our kids went from freezing and in jackets, coats, and mitts, to hoodies in the sun, to covered in ketchup, to all cleaned up for family pictures! Someone was going to come take our pictures tomorrow morning, but plans changed, and tonight was better. I was pretty nervous, since the kids hadn’t napped, were already totally bushed, and then were expected to sit still for pictures, which is always a challenge with the little ones.

Fun surprise, though! Pictures went SO WELL! No, we weren’t dressed all cute. I had no makeup on, Dekker still had ketchup on his nose, stuff like that, but it was a huge win 🙂 The photographer called Dekker by name and teased him through the pictures. I know it was because he wasn’t listening well, but it was adorable, and he felt so important. Because of that, grandma and grandpa were able to get the cherished grandkid picture! I won’t give details, in case they’re meant to be kept under wraps (I don’t know the rules) but they display so well exactly where this whole big family is right now. Its going to be perfect. I think Phil and Elvira are pleased 🙂

We put our kids down pretty much right after pictures, and they were furious, and then asleep. Well, Rowan and Dekker were out within moments of being put to bed, but Laela cried for quite a while. She was SO worn out. The rest of us sat outside and visited. The other kids played more and we all drank hot chocolate. But I was just too freezing, and I’m not downstairs in bed, trying to help my feet recover and, lets be honest, waiting for Ro to wake up. This poor kid is pretty over all the busyness of the last several weeks. He needs some normalcy and a routine again so badly! But we’ll soak up family gatherings for a few more days before reality strikes again. We’ve got time. It helps that he’s so cute.

After eleven hours in the van, we have arrived at Brady’s parents house!! We were greeted by the entire family, dogs included, right out of our van. They received us so warmly, though the weather disagreed at a brutal 9C. We shared hugs and greetings until our kids got a tad overwhelmed, and then we all piled inside.

In no time, both Dekker and Laela were in there with their cousins like they’d been together for a week already. It was endearing to see it all happen so fast! Dekker paired up with his cousin whom he lovingly refers to as “that yellow kid,” thanks to his minion shirt. Laela was great and social with pretty much whoever came her way, but I’ll just say that the girls are quite outnumbered, but they sure stuck together 🙂

All of the kids went down relatively soon after we arrived, and most of the rest of us stayed up for a visit. We didn’t last too long, though, Thankfully everyone seemed ready to call it at a reasonable time. Everyone went their separate ways, and we headed to our room downstairs.

It was then that we discovered a massive packing oversight. We have no formula for Rowan. Correction. We have one pre-measured container of formula that will make one tiny bottle. That is it. There is no way it could get us through a night. It doesn’t help that we came to this discovery at 11:00pm. So as I type this, I have a wakeful and very angry baby on my lap, and we’re waiting for Brady to get back with something. Anything!!! Hopefully Shoppers is still open and can save us from what this night could turn into. It’ll still be at least an hour though. Hopefully his tough tummy can handle a new brand, because we’re short on options!

Today has been fairly smooth until this point, and that is taking into account a day in a van with a four year old, a two year old (almost) and a six month old.

Biggest parent fail yet, hands down.