First of all, I was SO happy to have more people sign up for our handmade gift exchange!! Eek! Its not too late to sign up (I’m looking at YOU, everyone saying you’re not creative enough) so I’m going to perpetually remind you guys 🙂 Be prepared.
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Sometimes, because many of you are my Facebook friends, things will get repetitive. For instance, this post! Hahaha! YOU know about Dekker’s lost tooth, but the blog doesn’t, and the whole point of this thing is memories for me!! So, I’m writing about it.
A couple of days ago, we drove into the city for some last minute school supply shopping. In an effort to save time and money, we brought food for them to eat on the way. It was basically lunch, haha! We made them sandwiches, chopped veggies, and cheese strings. We were driving down the highway towards Saskatoon when Dekker suddenly pulled a broken record move.
Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Whats up, Dekker” Mom! Mom! What??? I bit my cheese string and my tooth came out!
I looked back at him, and he was SO pleased with himself, smiling his big bloody smile. Nothing says pride like being covered in blood, right?
I told him I didn’t even know he had a wiggly tooth, and he said “I guess I did!” He and I are SO different. I hated when my teeth came out. I waited until those suckers were literally hanging by one corner. I would NOT pull them out. I’m SO impressed (and thankful) that Dekker is happy to lose his teeth. I definitely expected him to be considerably less fond of it!
On the note of teeth, in the last few days, Waverly has cracked two of her eye teeth!! The top ones! Her bottom eye teeth have been bulging underneath her gums for weeks, yet the top two are scratchy and less swollen now that they’ve made their way through. No wonder she’s been sleeping more recently.
Alright folks, we’re all caught up on teeth for now! My children are at the island making Christmas ornaments out of toilet paper rolls, sooo excuse me while I go take part in that.
A while back on a post titled “This Post is About Christmas,” I spitballed ideas about doing an unconventional gift exchange. I’ve had the idea for a long while but couldn’t really imagine how I’d put together such a thing. How could I do a gift exchange between people who didn’t know each other? Well, maybe they don’t have to… As I wrote that post, ideas started flowing, and I got excited all over again! Imagine my surprise when people actually went for it!!! Ack! I’m SO excited!!
I currently have a list of EIGHTEEN PARTICIPANTS! I’m SO happy its actually happening! But I want more 😉 I’m on the verge of making a Facebook group with a list of “rules” for participants to go by, such as a date to have either mailed, delivered, or arranged with me to drop off their gift by. I’m going to ask everyone to answer a few basic questions so people can learn small details about the person they’re giving a gift to, if they don’t know them personally. I think I’m also going to include a buyout. It seems harsh, but since we’re doing it so far in advance, I can’t have people bailing out a month down the road, leaving someone without a gift. So there’s going to be some kind of buyout. I think I’m also going to add a list of ideas, in case people are stumped 🙂 There are a few other guidelines, but I’ll get to those once the group is formed.
The stipulations of “homemade” will have some flex. It will differ for everyone. Gifts can be made from scratch, or could be upcycled from something else. I want to put a price on it, but that will also differ if people have materials in their home they can use. So I have to put more details together, but I want it to be affordable and fun for everyone.
I think I want to do this Secret Santa style. There are gift exchange generators online where I can put in peoples names and emails, and they’ll email you your person. So even I wouldn’t know who got who! Would that be smart? Or should I pull names from a hat and contact everyone personally? Either way, even if I don’t know, if a person is truly stumped, you could, of course, always come to me to ask for help!
Basically, this is me giving you another chance! I called a couple of people out who didn’t respond, so you’re currently not on the list, but I’d love for you to be! Anyone who wants to should feel totally free to join! It doesn’t matter how close of friends we are or where you live! We can work with you with shipping if necessary, and I’m happy to help with local delivery. I want anyone who wants to be in to be able to be in!
One week!!! One week until school starts! I’m honestly so ready for it 🙂 I’m not ready for the early mornings, or the after-school hours before supper, or the lost time with my big kids. But I’m excited for my big kids to see their friends every day! For them to get back into the swing of learning and growing! For Rowan to start preschool! For Solly and Wavy to get to know each other, and to see Solly in the “big brother” role more often!
I’m excited to get into the swing of the new school year with some of my new goals about being brave, being involved, and trying new things.
Not only do my kids start school next week, but Cher’s next semester kicks off next week! She and I finally got around to our “birthday date” yesterday evening. We grabbed a thing or two at a mall, ate some subs, and went to Landmark to see The Lion King. Can I just say, it was SO much better than I thought it would be?? I had heard good things, and was excited for it, but once the aspect of talking animals dawned on me, I was a bit nervous it would be cheesy. It wasn’t! It was so accurate to the original, really heavy in some parts, and Timon and Pumba were hilarious!!! I loved it. We laughed a lot. It was awesome. It also helped that the recliner chairs were SO farty, and we were SO mature… 💨 Popcorn may have even been thrown. But thats what happens when you get there too early and need to entertain yourselves! Happy birthdays to us!
All thats left for me before school actually kicks off is getting the kids some last minute things. They both need indoor shoes, and a couple of other things. Dekker’s school supply list contains both a “fancy notebook” and a dollar store journal. Not sure what to make of those just yet. How big? Should they be coiled or nah? How many pages? I don’t get it… But I’ll figure it out, hahaha! Hopefully didn’t wait too long!
My kids like to have what they call “dark parties.” Solly coined the name. It basically means they take any light-up toys and close up in a dark bedroom and “party.” Dark parties usually end in blood, or at least tears and fighting, so they’re outlawed from time to time. With Dekker’s recent birthday, the kids all acquired some new light-up toys, so dark parties were back on.
On a particular day, they all piled into one bedroom for a dark party, and I remembered the last time around had become a bit of a control freaks paradise, or a control freaks worst nightmare. Depends on which control freak is winning, haha! So I figured I’d try to harness some of the crazy before it began.
In this next part, I should be read in a cheesy announcer voice, and the children’s answers were all cloaked in maniacal laughter.
Me: Does this remain to be a positive dark party?
Them: Ya!
Me: ‘Tis important to remember this dark party belongs to each individual member. No party-goer shall tell another party-goer how to party.
Them: Hahaha!
Me: Do all party-goers remain to be happy?
Them: Ya!
Me: (makes eye contact with each kid individually) Do YOU have your grump on?
Each kid: NO!
Me: (stares for awkward three seconds) Carry on!
And then I closed the door on my belly-laughing children.
It was the BEST way we’ve EVER resolved a conflict. It was the BEST way I could’ve made these suggestions to them without anyone needing to defend themselves. It was just AWESOME. I felt really good about it as I left their party and headed to the island to prepare some stuff for lunch.
And maybe fifteen seconds later, their door opened and the kids filed out in an orchestrated fashion and attacked me in the kitchen with a big giggly group hug. We all laughed and hugged and I kissed each of them. And as fast as they showed up, they filed back into the bedroom and continued their dark party.
And I cried in my kitchen. Because I felt such love. Such unprompted, genuine, joyful love. The love you can’t force or count on, but is just SO extra special when it comes along.
Today is Sunday. We are horrible at getting to church, especially in the summer. There’s always a reason not to go. But we really, really wanted to go today! Our pastor was speaking on something we really wanted to hear! That, and just the basic need for Jesus and community. There’s even a lunch after!
We got the kids up early and bathed everyone, dressed everyone, and fed everyone. Some of the kids weren’t in the best of shape, but we can’t always demand perfect. Its not fair to us, or them. Its too important. So we decided to power through.
Except then there was Waverly. In her little dress, laying on the floor on her blanket, unmoving except for her little hand playing with her hair. She lay so still, and smiled at us, but didn’t want to move. She finally sat up, and yawned one of those goooood baby yawns. A couple of minutes later, she was rubbing her ears and her face and crying. Just a tired little fussball. And I knew that if we brought her to church, we’d pace the whole time, and even with that, I knew she wouldn’t be settled. So I decided to stay home with her.
I sat on the floor a bit with her, but she didn’t want anything. I’d hold her but she’d push me. I’d set her down and she’d cry. We listened to music and she wiggled for a minute before plopping back down and rubbing her face all over again.
She was still dressed for church, so I decided to change her back into jammies. I wanted her as comfy as she could be. And the moment I lay her down…
This is her token sleepy reaction. Those three fingers in her mouth and her hand to her hair. Always. Once she was laying down, she was happy. So I knew what she needed.
While I had her laying on the floor, I looked inside of her mouth. That brought some clarity. She is pushing ALL FOUR eye teeth right one. One has just cracked through (YAY!) but the others are bulging under her gums! Poor dear is just feeling it. She is SUCH a tough cookie!
So Waverly is napping a little earlier than usual, for obvious reasons, and I’m working on her scarf for winter. Since I’ve added new yarny skills to my repertoire, I want to make them matching toques and scarves. Did you know thats TEN things?!?! Yikes! Hence why I’m working on it in August. I’ll show you when they’re done 🙂 I’m actually really excited. But I’m getting off track! Gah!
I’m sad to miss church today, but I’m glad Brady was able to take the kids and I got to have a few little minutes with Wavy to myself. She’s so strong, and so animated, and so close to walking! Eek!
A little late, but here’s the skinny on Dekker’s eighth birthday party!
Dekker had a list of what he wanted to do on his birthday. It read:
Montanas Grandma, Aunty Jerry, Cher Bike ride
In the beginning of the summer, he was “planning” for a really lavish party somewhere expensive with EVERYONE he knew attending. This was much more our style. I was so relieved that he was truly happy with this! Lol!
So while his bday was on Wednesday, we made our way to Montanas on Tuesday, because in case you didn’t know, kids eat free on Tuesday!! Also, our amaaaazing balloon twister alternates Montanas locations on Tuesdays 🙂 We couldn’t not go on the right day!! We made a reservation and arrived shortly before 5:00. The manager served us, and informed us right off the hop they were understaffed and overbooked. We had noticed, haha! It was hoppin’ in there, but we never had to wait long! Our server was basically running the entire time, but she was super friendly, and addressed each kid individually rather than just counting on me to tell her what they wanted. I liked that.
While we waited for our food, I tried to take pictures of people. Didn’t work out great, but it was alright 🙂
Yup, Wavy sucked on a butter knife for a second there. #dontjudgeme
We missed you, Cher!
Then the balloon guy came. He is always a total riot, but I think I can pretty confidently say he remembers us! We haven’t seen him tons and tons, maybe five times ish, but he remembered Dekker’s name, and he knew that Rowan was a boy! Thats not especially common, so I think he remembers us 🙂 He made ALL of us a balloon! Photos after the fact:
Dekker got a dirt bike. Laela got a monkey in a banana tree, Rowan got a goat (my fave,) and Solly got a hammer. My mom got a little guitar, but unfortunately Dekker got SO excited that he took it. Mom forgave him 😉 And Jerilee and I got bracelets. Because we’re fancy ladies.
So Dekker was MOST excited for the song and hat and the whole Montanas’s shabang. Last year was the first time we went through with the actual production of a Montana’s birthday and he had rocked with it. He was SO excited for it this time again 🙂 He did great, and did even greater at eating his two desserts! Lol! He was SO jazzed on sugar, it was pretty cute. The other kids indulged in their cookies and wagon wheels and beat on each other with their balloons and had a generally energetic, happy time.
Thank you, Jerilee, for taking pictures from a better angle than I could!
Dekker opened a STACK of presents. He hauled in the bday gift department this year, WOW! Lego, books, lazers – some lightup and some noisy, a card, and a skateboard!
My favorite picture, easily!
We had a LOT to carry out of there at the end! (And that was only the gifts from that day! Yikes!) We took a VERY energetic bunch of children home to bed.
Except a certain birthday boy had one more item on his wish list for his birthday.
Dekker and Brady went for a post-bedtime bike ride.
She came home with a nice light cool sweat and a huge happy smile. He was SO settled. Content. He felt loved, and it showed.
Guys. We had SO much fun at last nights coffee house.
Once again, we had a really wonderful group of people come out to support us, many familiar, and some new. One couple in particular sat right next to where we played, and then patted their laps and tapped their feet through every song. They clapped and cheered along with our friends. They were some of the best front row audience members we could’ve asked for!
This was only our second time playing at Clearcut Coffeehouse, and they are SUCH amazing hosts. They were super happy to see us, and offered to help us move furniture around. As with last time, a second employee came in after not too long to help lighten the load. Apparently we “bring a big crowd” when we come. And guys, thats YOU!!! Thank you so much for coming and being our crowd.
We sang for about an hour and a half, with clapping and cheering between each song. It was SO encouraging. People even laughed along with us when we messed up, which felt pretty perfect 🙂 It was super casual but it also felt like people were happy and entertained and engaged. We loved it so much.
Definitely need to be prepared for an encore next time! Was NOT ready for that, hahaha!
This band thing is feeling more and more real, honestly. I’m thrilled with the gigs we’ve played, and the few upcoming ideas we’re growing. One guest in particular expressed that she had really enjoyed our set, and she was glad she had come, even though she couldn’t find any info on us to learn what kind of music we played. She said we needed a Facebook page or YouTube video at least. I think she’s onto something. So in the near future, I think I’ll putter my way through making a Facebook page 🙂 And maybe we’ll up the quality of our teaser videos. That qualifies as professional, right?? 😆
We really, really enjoy playing and singing together. Its kind of a project that I didn’t realize we needed, but I would be SO sad if suddenly it was gone. Thank you, Lord, for these opportunities!!
Today is National Rainbow Baby Day. A day to celebrate the beautiful blessed children that come after the loss of other children. In our case, the loss of two.
I was pregnant three times in 2017. I knew nothing of loss when I lost a baby in January. Theo. What a shock to the system. I didn’t know how I would ever stand up again, much less continue living my regular daily life. Then, losing another in August, Jamin, was completely overwhelming. I was flummoxed. Bewildered. How could I, after SO easily conceiving and delivering four children, completely lose my ability to carry a child to term? Me, who had been told over and over I was made to do this! I carried a load of guilt on my back, wondering what I had done that changed everything so drastically.
We conceived again in October 2017, and I walked on eggshells for the next nine months, truly expecting my baby to die. Our little Bambina, we called her. I was SO sure she wasn’t going to come home after all. I didn’t even feel pessimistic. I felt like I was being realistic and honest. I made the conscious effort to document my pregnancy, to try and enjoy it, and to show myself some real love and grace in that time. I was allowed to be scared, but I had learned that worry added nothing positive to anything. I believe the bible, and in Matthew 6:27, it asks “Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” No, we cannot. And we cannot add an hour to anyone else’s life by worrying, either.
Our Bambina did come home, in fact. Waverly Violet was born on July 2nd after a beautiful day spent with Brady, one of our closest friends who photographed the grand event, and our two doctors who we LOVED, and if I can be so bold, who loved us. They stayed five hours after their shifts in order to be the ones there with us. Our birth experience was calm and exciting and jubilant! I love all of our children desperately, and all of their deliveries stand out for different reasons. Waverly’s delivery was victorious! She was FINALLY here, safe and sound. She just lay on me, her arm around my side, like she had been waiting to hold me as long as I had been waiting to hold her.
Its tricky. I would NEVER wish baby/pregnancy loss on anyone. It was a pain unlike any other. A grief unlike any other. I wish no one ever had to experience what I did. I would never ever have chosen for 2017 to go as it did. I have no doubt both Theo and Jamin would have been amazing additions to our family. But. I couldn’t be happier with the baby we did add to our family.
Waverly Violet. Wavy.
Waverly means “quaking aspens.”
Aspens represent facing challenges, and surviving. Overcoming fears and doubts. I had no idea the meaning behind aspens until long after we had named our baby girl. God knew, but I didn’t.
I don’t know why we had to lose our babies. We never found out why they passed away. Not knowing is hard. But, it couldn’t be more clear that this baby – Waverly – was meant to be here at home with us.
I love all of my children the same. But I did anticipate Waverly’s birth in a different way. Some of my innocence was stolen when we lost our babies. Things that were supposed to reassure me along the way were no longer reassuring. Because anything can change at any moment. I survived that pregnancy on faith, because I had nothing else to hold onto that actually mattered!
Looking at Waverly reminds me that God is listening. He hasn’t forgotten us. He knows what we need when.
He knew we needed her.
We needed her peaceful nature, and her calm energy. We needed her cheesy smiles and arm waving dance moves. We needed her mischief and her goofiness. We needed her long hair and her blue eyes. We needed her snuggles and wet fingers. She has added so many beautiful little details to our family. So much love, and so many lessons.
And I’m SO grateful. I cannot imagine my life not knowing her.
Truly a gift after stormy weather 💙💙 For that, we praise the Lord.
I cannot believe that Dekker is eight. Cannot believe it. My first born, Dekker Thomas, came into the world after a beautiful day of labour, mercy, rest, and birth. You can re-read his story here if you’d like. I don’t need to. Its imprinted in my mind like it happened yesterday.
Look at those three kids. We knew nothing. Neither Brady or I had ever even changed a diaper. Dekker was our guinea pig baby, and he was the most graceful, content little man for the job. We were, and continue to be SO blessed to have him as our son.
His last year has been FULL, of change and growth and learning.
Dekker floated beautifully through grade two, and is ready for some grade three action! He likes number work more than letter work, but he works hard at everything he tries. Work ethic is not lost on him. I think he got that from his dad. He LOVES to help, to do jobs, and to take care of Waverly in any way he can.
I’ve said before, Dekker is an old soul. I stand behind that.
Tucked in on a recliner, with a blanket, like an old man.
He is my most sensitive child to date, and while sometimes thats a challenge, its also such a beautiful quality. It means he feels big. He has always been this way, and in these years of him growing up and maturing, I’m seeing how he cares for others in a different way than some might. He is an absolute gem.
I asked him the other day if he figured, one day, he might be too nig to snuggle with me. He got kind of a critical look on his face and quietly asked “Why would you say that?” Thank goodness!!!
I am SO proud of you, Dekker!! You are an AMAZING son, brother, and friend. Our family NEEDS you! We all love you so much!! Happy birthday!
You’ve been warned. If you don’t want to hear about Christmas, pass right on through!
As I said the other day, my body is ready for fall. Not so much winter, but cooler days, and a new season.
Being myself, I’ve made a long list of who we’re wanting to get Christmas gifts for, and I’ve jotted some gift ideas next to them. With my recent talk of being brave, there is a sting that sits with me, where one time it was said “You can always count on Hailey to give you something homemade or second hand.” And it wasn’t said with love. And that SUCKED. Because I do love giving homemade things! And if I find something second hand that is awesome that I think someone would love, yes, I’ll gift it. That stigma sat with me for a while. Until now! Its still there. but I’m trying to be brave, and trust that my people know me, know my intentions, and choose to see the best in me. I can hope, anyway! Lol! I have a bit of anxiety as I write gift ideas that I’m (gulp) making myself on my list, but I’m going for it! Hopefully everyone understands 🙂 Consider, if you get a homemade gift, from me or anyone else, that a lot of work and love went into it! A homemade gift is NOT the easy way out at all!!
Another thing I’m considering, with the theme of bravery behind it, is doing the Christmas marketplace here in town 😬 It feels SO scary to even consider it, because then my “trying new things” will be completely public. And it will be clear if they’re good or not. Freaks me out even thinking about it, but I want to trust my community, too. So there’s that. Gah! So many weird scary things on the hypothetical docket. Goodness!
I have in my head that I would love to do some kind of gift exchange among my friends/readers/community, but its pretty clear that you don’t all know each other. I feel like a Secret Santa would be SO FUN! I don’t know! Is that too crazy to think that people would buy gifts for people they didn’t know? What if it was a handmade Secret Santa?? Could be anything from food to wood to cloth to a service to Pinterest crafts to whatever else! I don’t know! But its been on my mind for a while 🙂 Anyone find that intriguing? If there was actual interest, I would LOVE to set something up! A Facebook event/group, where everyone could answer a few “what I’m into” questions. I’d pull names. There would be a low cost entry. I could even commit to driving things to people if mailing costs was an issue. Seriously, I think this sounds SO fun!
Is anyone in for something like this? ✋ I know its August, but in the spirit of handmade things taking longer to “acquire” maybe its socially acceptable 😉 PLEASE let me know! This would be SO fun!
