The Daily Hailey

As Rowan went to bed this evening, I stood by his door, saying final goodnights. More than anything else that is part of bedtime routines, he is most attached to me closing the door for the night. Even when we occasionally go to bed with a strain or tension between us, he will express to me that when I close the door, he feels safe and calm. So. Safe and calm it is.

Tonight he was feeling particular silly, and was getting into his bed, blanket flying around, all tangled and flappy. I stood patiently (on the outside, but it was waning on the inside) in his doorway, waiting for him to get settled. I didn’t want it to drag for too long, but I didn’t want to cut the fun just because I was kind of over it.

Finally, I said something along the lines of “Ok, you got it?” And he responded with something new.

“I’m still funkiful, but I’ll be ok.”

Funkiful.

Being the adult in the room, I heard that as the technical term for “full of funk,” which to me 🤷‍♀️ would mean gassy.

This whole thing grew into a somewhat lengthy conversation where I encouraged him to fart in his own space, because what better place is there, really, for sure a funkiful boy to expel that funk?!

Yes. I am tired.

But I got to make a stupid joke, and he got to laugh like a fool at it while laying still in his bed without realizing it. And he got to feel calm and safe when I closed the door 💜

Everybody wins.

I did not expect to be this tired today.

🥱

In fact, all of us are completely beat today. And while, yes, we were away yesterday, its not as though we over exerted ourselves in some big crazy way. There is no good reason for it, yet here we are, beat.

My poor mom. She came over in the afternoon, and we all just sat and stared at each other. SO tired.

The vibe is cozy.

And a little bit of fighting 😅 But just the appropriate brotherly amount.

Personally, the countdown is on until I can tuck everyone in – early – knowing full well they are just as tired as I am, and justifying it with an impending school day tomorrow.

Rest well, all 💜 Tomorrow, reality kicks off again!

We spent the day at Kinasao 💜

The main focus of the day was participating in the marketplace, which I did, though have no postable pictures of as every single one includes a baby whose face is not allowed on the internet. Anyway. You’ll have to take my word for it that it was fun and pretty and that I made a couple bucks doing it 🙂

I could not have done the market without all the loving help with the kids! Brady and our dear Dahlsjos so willingly took the babies around with them, kept them busy, fed, and as away from underfoot as possible. There were definitely times I heard “Mummmmm!” being called from a ways off. The tears flowed, which was sad and also totally heartwarming. I love to be loved by them 💜

After lunch, Brady and Sadie (rhyme!) put the toddlers down for a nap. I got a text from Brady a while later telling me had lost a shoe in the room the babes were sleeping in 🤣 He only noticed when he realized his knees were at different heights, hahaha!

My boy spent the morning in the dish pit with Jaxon. I loved that so much.

We had supper at the camp as well, and LD tried to eat the centrepieces, which resulted in VERY sparkly lips before any of us realized what had happened, lol!

A pretty adorable problem to have, if you ask me!

We drove the loops after supper and enjoyed the BEAUTIFUL twinkle tour of lights put on by the camp, but 95% orchestrated by, once again, those amazing Dahlsjos of ours 💜 I’d post pictures, but you could also see them for yourself over the next couple of weekends. No spoilers! 🤣

We drove home with laughter and action until we were through PA, and then it got a bit quieter. The music continued but the conversation slowed. We made it home, unpacked the van onto the dining room table, and tucked everyone in. It is peaceful and dark and quiet. We are all tired, but man it was a fun day.

It was great to be back at camp 💜 How we love our home away from home.

Dekker is countonable.

We are away tomorrow, and there was much to prepare. He wanted to drop in at the church after school, but I said he couldn’t this time because I needed everyone home and helping. He was disappointed, but he understood, and when he came home, he was ready to work.

I was not. I was very busy in the middle of a few things and didn’t have the brain power to delegate at that very moment. But rather than wait, or stare, or disappear to go be busy somewhere more fun, he told me where he was going to start, and then he went and did exactly that! He made some judgement calls confidently, and they were all right! He started getting the van packed, and was eager to do the running back and forth for me. Once he was out of ideas, I opened up the laptop and we looked at the list together. As he read, he muttered quietly “I can do that, yup, that’s easy…” He gathered up diapers, snacks, and jammies for the drive home. He got the other kids to load up all of their outwear, and he grabbed snow stuff for the babies. He did all the things, and reassured me we could fit a sled or two in at the end if we want.

Here is that dear boy of mine, wearing a car seat cover.

Thank you for always being someone I can count on, Dekker. You are SO MUCH like your dad 💜

My heart was really warmed this morning.

I drove to Saskatoon with the toddlers this morning to bring one to see their mom. I have grown a nice relationship with this particular mom. Its always very comfortable to drop off and pick up.

I was ten minutes early or so, and decided to wait inside instead of in the van. Munchie Mix hung back home with my mom, so I just lugged the two toddlers inside to play a little bit.

When our mom arrived for her visit, she greeted everyone so warmly and we chatted a little bit on the floor. She was so smitten with our other little one, who she has interacted with before but only from the door of the van. This particular kid is truly the definition of charming, and today was no different. In no time, shopping bags were dug into, and the mom of one of my toddlers was giving gifts to my other toddler. Things she brought for her own children were going to my other little one. She insisted there was extra, and this sweet kid could simply not be left out.

I drove home with one toddler and a stack of presents – a toy, a stuffed penguin, new mittens, and a fistful of popcorn twists. It was SUCH an warm little visit, and an unexpected show of generosity from a mom who just wants to shower all the babies with love, even if they’re not of her own womb.

To which, I relate 💜

Most of my kids like summer or fall. Rowan doesn’t like the heat in summer, but he likes the free time. Dekker prefers fall to summer as well, but the others would choose summer, I believe. Some of us LOVE being warm. While I usually get some pretty beautiful “first good snowfall” pictures of them, winter is still not my favorite season.

While walking past the whiteboard on the fridge today, I had to giggle a little.

My kids are such dorks 🤣

But also – pick a side!!! Are you team winter or nah??? You can’t have snow and a bathing suit at the same time. Unless you’re in a hot tub. But then Olaf would die…

Maybe Olaf can die. 😒

In summer, we make a lot of salads for supper. When the sun is HOT, something cold and crunchy is just the ticket! Today did not feel like summer, per se, but it felt like a good day for something fresh. The pepper disagrees. But it also died so.

Dekker helped me chop veggies. Lettuce, peppers, cucumbers, and celery. We refilled some of our topping shakers, threw a big pan of chicken in the oven, and made a batch of dairy-free ranch. Once the nuggets were done, the garlic bread went in and we set up our little buffet.

It was yummy and fresh and it really hit the spot! I miss salads around the campfire. But I’m grateful for salads around our big table, Christmas lights twinkling through the house.

I really had no idea how today would play out. I had a few things locked down that needed doing, but no specific timeline for any of these things. So I made a list of those items, and as tends to happen, it grew longer and longer. However, it wasn’t a list of things that had to get done today. It was a list of things to not forget in the near future. Less pressure.

I am SO grateful for how the day ended up going. Every “need to do” was done.

Winter tires were installed on the bus ✅

Prescriptions were picked up ✅

A local Christmas gift was picked up ✅

A marketplace pickup was done by Brady after work ✅

And then other things that needed to happen happened! Or at least got scheduled to happen 😅

A loving man in town got in touch about getting our ramp railing installed ✅

A friend who is also our accessibility expert got in touch about coming to look at our garage lift and hopefully see what is and is not working ✅

I got to see my best friend for an afternoon java and chat ✅

I did not get done any of the work I’m trying to help Brady with. But there is no time crunch on that.

I did not get a nice supper going ahead of time. But everyone still ate.

I did not book Rowan’s eye appointment. But there is time, and we can usually get in within a reasonably short timeframe.

I did not get into the city for the random batch of errands I need to run. But I knew I wouldn’t, so that remains on my list for another day, guilt free.

All through the day, I continued to keep my babies alive, planned and researched some things for Christmas, and fielded a couple of calls from the school. The day was good, but goodness it went and went and went! 😅

I am ready for bed now. Anyone else?

Last week at church, I spoke to a friend, and we commiserated on church mornings being hard sometimes. And its very true. Sometimes, the day starts SO hard, or the sleep was SO rough, or the kids are NOT doing well, or the babies are NOT having it, or I have NOT washed my hair in weeks 😬 All hypothetical, of course… And sometimes, we still make it there! We really love going to church!!

But some days, all I want to do it stay home.

Its been a fighty, struggly time in our home. All normal stuff. Not all scary cancer stuff. Just, life stuff. But its hard. So getting everyone out the door when kids are less cooperative or thoughtful is just a huge challenge. And then the babies, who obviously need help getting themselves dressed and fed and ready 🤣 So when no one will help, it all falls to me. (NOT because Brady is unwilling! He just can only do so much on that home front without abs to hold him up) Its all doable, but by the end of getting everyone ready to go, and likely doing some arguing and refereeing along the way, I am finished and all I want to do is stay home. Not every Sunday. But some.

However! If I don’t go, no one goes. The kids can’t all fit in the minivan with Brady and his chair. And Brady can’t get into the bus himself.

And if we DO all get to church, I am oftentimes in the back, walking/rocking a baby that will not stay in the nursery without me. Not always. But sometimes.

Its a whole thing.

Anyway. Last night, this friend texted me and offered to drive the kids to church. Which. Was. AMAZING. She picked them up early for Sunday school even! So Brady and I had some quiet time before he left for church. I spent the morning with the babies. And we RESTED.

When Munchie Mix went down for a nap, it was like LD and Spoons just knew the vibe was different. Spoons played SO well, quite independently, coming and going with books for me to read. LD was in rare form, a total squish, who just wanted to sit with me and kiss me and shower me with affection 💜 It was incredibly sweet and soft and I just soaked it up. I accomplished next to nothing and I LOVED it.

I was so grateful for this break. I don’t want to sound like I don’t love church, because I truly really, really do. I LOVE going and being part of our community. I love sitting and listening and singing and being fed a little. Its a treat to get to church!

But let me tell you. It was a treat to be home, quiet, sitting peacefully with my three little ones, doing nothing but spending time 💜 What a gift this morning was.

We’ll be away for the next two Sundays, but I have no regrets. This was lovely, and I feel more prepared for the week ahead. It is a beautiful thing not to feel dead exhausted today.

Thank you, Lord, for thoughtful people who care about our family.

I had a really yummy supper plan, and I even had it in the plan to make a version for the dairy-free kid. I signed up to make both options, even though I’ve never been one to elect to do that type of thing. But I was down, and I knew everyone would be stoked.

Today turned out to be a bit of a challenging one. They really are pretty common around here these days, unfortunately. I’m not sure how to pull my family out of the funk we’re in but WOW. Even I don’t like us right now. Its hard times. The petty side of me didn’t want to cook something yummy for anyone. I briefly wished to be a “screw it, you’re on your own” mom, but I decided to rise above it and go forward with my plan. Even if those around me were unappreciative, I could still show love and make something a little extra.

In the midst of cooking, I realized that the part I was willing to make twice to satisfy the dairy-free kid was not the only part that wouldn’t work. There was obvious dairy in the entire meal that, in my short time trying to feed my child this way, I hadn’t thought of or encountered.

So we switched gears. Brady suggested rice and curry. Super simple. Totally dairy-free. And nothing I had done already went to waste.

Dekker helped. I was really struggling, and he stepped in and stayed put with me in the kitchen. I imagine I wasn’t a bundle of fun to be around, but he took direction happily and easily managed at the stove.

Time to make up some powdered “cream of anything” soup base.

Oh and more ranch. Definitely more ranch.