We all know foster care is not gentle. Its hard and sad and filled with desperation. I feel like the majority of the time, when people hear that we are a foster family, they say something about the system being broken. They’re not wrong, it absolutely is, but the kids are frightfully innocent in it. THEY are not broken.

As “broken” as everything is (and believe me, the break doesn’t start in the foster care system) I can honestly say I LOVE fostering. Sure, the red tape is annoying. There is a lot of waiting. A lot of unknowns. A lot of injustice. But I would not trade my job for just about anything. I LOVE it. Today, it was SO FUN.

I’m sorry to say I have to be a little cagey about the details in this next story, but bear with me.

I had an idea a while back. One of those “Oh man I could never get away with that” ideas. Something fun I only dreamed of doing with one of the kids in my care. It was a total extra. Unimportant. Maybe even a tad controversial. But FUN, and something I would totally consider if this kid was indeed mine by birth. But, since they are not, I wrote it off.

But it stayed in the back of my mind. So one day, while I took this kid for a visit, I said to their mom (who I have a really warm relationship with, actually) how much I wish I could do something like that. I said it totally playfully, and said “DON’T worry, I would NEVER do such a thing with your kid!” And she lit up, appeared to consider my suggestion, and told me to go for it!!! She and I both went to the worker separately, and I got official permission to go forward with my plan!!

I held off for a little bit, though, because I actually had two kids I wanted to do this with. The other one, however, sees less of their parents, and I don’t have the same rapport built with them. I couldn’t shake it, though, that this could be a really fun milestone that these two kids could experience together. It felt siblingy, and I wanted that! So, at my next meeting with the second kids worker, I mentioned it to her. I said I knew it was silly and unimportant, but since I got consent for one kid, I wondered if it was feasible. She thought about it for a second and then grabbed her phone to text one of the parents. And within half an hour, she texted me back and said it was all a go!!! I confirmed with friends of mine who are well connected to the other parent, and they wholeheartedly supported this, knowing their friend would be happily on board.

So today, we hit that milestone. Me and the two of them. And auntie, who came and helped 💜 I WANT to share about it, so PLEASE if you have interest, message me so I can tell you and show you! It was SO fun and exciting. The kids clapped for each other and celebrated.

There is a griefy side to this. Their parents weren’t there. Its a special thing. At their age, they would only do this with their parent. And in this case, it was me instead 💜 Their caregiver. Which is an honour, by the way. But a sacrifice, in a way. Its not lost on me.

What a precious day today was. I’m so grateful to have these beautiful children in my care, supportive helping hands, a familiar face doing the dirty work, and parents who are willing to let me have a hand in their childrens special firsts.

My kids don’t care about spirit days, but when Dekker found his way over to high school, he fell hard for anything but a backpack day. So understandably, Laela was eagerly anticipating the day herself. Unfortunately, her master plan was dashed when she forgot to bring home the spare coffee carafe from camp in which she planned to pack her lunch. She rallied and stuck with her next best option, and Dekker’s initial choice in his grade seven year – the hand truck. Dekker used the grass seeder. They were both dorks.

I’m not sure I could love these two sweethearts any more than I already do, but I’ve said it before and they’ve foiled me over and over 💜 What an amazing problem to have!

How beautiful is it that they’re both at youth right now, also?? 🥰 I know I’m supposed to hate that they’re aging, but I’m really enjoying some pieces of it. They are such good kids.

If you haven’t read yesterdays post, thats ok 😂 You’re not missing much. It was just a short anecdote about getting burned by sparks and coffee simultaneously. I felt personally victimized that morning. I digress. That was yesterday’s post.

Except today could’ve totally been part of yesterdays post! I just didn’t know it yet.

I drove to Saskatoon today to take a baby to a visit. Ten ish minutes or so into the drive, I put my hand down on my leg and my hand got poked by something super sharp. Like, surprisingly sharp! I shook my hand, as you do, to free it of whatever pokey piece of vegetation I figured I had brought into the van on my pants somehow. I couldn’t find a thorny, thistley, burrish thing anywhere near me, and that is when I noticed the ENORMOUS hornet sitting casually against the window on the passenger side of the van.

Perfect.

Except it wasn’t perfect. The perfectest part of it was that no one was driving anywhere near me, so when I swerved and panicked like a crazy person, I didn’t run a single person off the road.

I opted to open the window calmly, and let the stupid dickfaced jerkwaffle out that way. And man did that guy hang on for dear life! He was DETERMINED to stay with me.

But no.

Conveniently, my mom and Dekker had gone on a bike ‘n’ hike just the other day, and the tire pump was still in the front seat. I took that thing and started whacking it in the direction of the bug. But every time I took a peek, it was still there!!! I finally gathered up the common sense to pull over onto the shoulder, and with one slightly more aimed blow, my yellow-bellied poopoo canoe was GONE.

I zipped that window up so fast and punched the gas to get back on the highway in an attempt to make myself believe this was super easy and not at all rattling or scary. But it wasn’t the truth. I knew it, as did Stupid McDumbbum over there.

It had stung, of all things, the underside of my ring finger, right where my knuckle bends!!! Owwwww!!!

So. Anyway. Another harrowing tale. Bedtime.

This last weekend, I found myself in an odd situation where the campfire popped really big while I was sitting nearby with a fresh hot coffee in my hand. So naturally, I was burned well by both, catching the ember on my bare feet, and pouring hot coffee all down my body in response.

Don’t worry. We can laugh about it. Not then. But now.

I proudly wore my coffee clothes through the entire day, even when the dried blotches on my shorts still resembled pee stains. I still wore sandals by the fire, even though the wood was wet and poppy, because no little burn is going to steal the fact that we are FINALLY having warm weather in September, of all things.

I did pout a little, though, if we’re being honest.

‘Twas not my finest morning at camp 😅 But worth a laugh. Later.

It was a really, really lovely weekend 💜 REALLY. We found a really lovely balance of rest and work. Refreshment and productivity. The best kinds of balance. But truly 95% or more of the pictures I took, I can’t share. Which is frustrating because I have so few pictures to choose from, but also because the faces I can’t show are gorgeous and its very sad not to be able to show them. But. I get it.

Today, we started prepping for the Christmas event at the camp. Lights were strung, characters were painted, docks went in, and many people packed up their sites for the year. Those who were left after all the work were invited to a delicious poutine supper in the gazebo. It was truly the BEST group. All people we dearly love. It was amazing. LD and Spoons sat at the picnic table like big kids and were positively covered in gravy by the end of it. LD for sure. That is the messiest kid I’ve ever known.

We drove home later, in the dark, positively BLASTING the Wicked soundtrack. It was perfect. And now, we’re pooped.

Behold. A mushroom that looks like – a ghost!

Goodnight, all. Tomorrow holds a home day with the kids, a social worker meeting, and some catching up after the weekend. Sleep well 💜

It was such a beautiful day at Kinasao. Many people have come up to winterize, so we’ve had a chance to say some goodbyes and connect with a few we don’t always get to see. We sat by the fire and enjoyed the heat coming off of it, though it was not at all uncomfortably cold out today. Just, beautiful. 

We ate big salads and garlic toast for lunch…

and then we were finally reunited with our dear Dahlsjos 💜 we spent the afternoon chatting by the fire, catching up on all the comings and goings of the last week or two. I crocheted. So did Avery. Brady played guitar. Some of the kids played board games. Some played at the park. It was  really happy time. 

We cooked up a delicious supper of a plethora of yummy things we had laying around. Ham. Sausage. Gnocchi. Potatoes. Carrots. It was SO delicious 🤤 

After supper came more campfire chatting, baby feeding, crocheting, and even a rousing game of John Deere – opoly for the kids who were into that. 

I am positively exhausted, but today was so lovely. My heart is full. Unfortunately, so is my face. Time to take pain killers and fall asleep with a Kleenex shoved up my nose. 

🤧 

If you’re looking for me, I’ll be here 

All. Weekend. Because it is SO beautiful. The weather is beautiful. The light (and dark) is beautiful. The company is beautiful. The smell is beautiful. The sounds are beautiful. 

It’s perfect. I’m so grateful for Kinasao. 

Do you guys remember back in the day when Brian Regan was the height of clean comedy that us impressionable youths were allowed to enjoy? He had this particular bit about saying good luck and take care at once, accidentally saying “take luck.” It was one of my favorite laughs from his jokes. But he also had a whole thing about saying “you too” to people like servers when they offer their obligatory “enjoy your meal.”

Wavy left for her first piano lesson today right around 3:30. She was SO excited!! I was saying goodbye to her, but she was positively buzzing and just pulling to get out the door. I called after her “Don’t forget your manners!” to which she replied “YOU TOOOOO!”

And I loved it. It was SUCH a good giggle. She didn’t notice. She was already out the door. But Laela and I belly laughed 🤣

And she loved piano. Obviously 💜

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.