The Daily Hailey

I haven’t updated on this years big events in a while. Dekker’s collarbone is nice and healed up, as far as we can tell. I can thump him in the chest and shoulders playfully and he just laughs. He’s good to go! The short version about my pain is that there is continued progress, but I’m still working on it. I have a bigger, more in depth post about that coming, but I need real time to actually get it all written out and these days are not the days for long blogs, becauuuse…

Everyone has colds, lol! I’m sure you’ve caught onto this. Laela missed a chunk of school last week and then passed everyone her cold over that weekend. Such a generous girl, she is. 

Yesterday, I took their snotty faces into Saskatoon with me for an appointment that I had booked for myself a month ago, and Brady sat in the van while with them while I saw Dr. Guselle. I took a full hour of her time, but thank goodness, the kids were exhausted and lethargic and no one got too antsy. 

I was SO relieved everyone stayed awake for the drive home! I lay them ALL down for naps (everyone except Laela, who was at school) and they all slept. It was lovely. Solomon and Wavy slept longer than anyone else. When it was time go in and get Solly, he was wailing. He had woken up and cried on and off through his nap, but just those tired, mournful cries that just tell me he’s super overtired. But when I finally went to him, he was SO betrayed.

“MY EAR HURTS!!!” 😩 He cried and cried and cried. 

And that left me calling Dr. Guselle’s office, trying to scrounge up an appointment for the next day. As if she hadn’t heard from me enough already that day. I called the front desk and as usual, they told me she was booking far ahead. The SOONEST I could get on with someone in her group was the 19th. That felt like a LONG time to just leave him crying on and off. Dr. Guselle has discussed this not too long ago, and she told me exactly what to say to get them to listen to me. To basically go off of their script. So I did. 

And they STILL wouldn’t find me an appointment sooner!

So I had to call Dr. Guselle’s desk. Which I HATE doing, because I always feel like I’m overstepping or pushing boundaries. But she always reassures me that she gave me her desk number for a reason, and I can use it anytime. 

She called me shortly thereafter, and booked us an appointment for the next day over the lunch hour. And thats today!!

What a whirlwind that appointment turned out to be. I had expected to take Solomon in for his ears, but he was already feeling a lot better. Meanwhile, Rowan came home from preschool a ball of tears, wailing about his ears! He would cry SO hard, and then stop, and then CRY, and stop, and CRY and stop. On top of all of this, Wavy didn’t really show symptoms of an ear infection but she was super sick, so I decided to just embrace it and take them all in. I knew Dr. Guselle wouldn’t mind. 

Cher had offered to come hang in the van during the appointment, since it timed out so well with her class finishing up, but turns out I made her come in with us instead. 

The kids cried so much. The boys did NOT want their ears checked. They were overtired and upset and did not want to be poked at. We did get it done, however, and both boys have good solid ear infections. We’ve only had one before, and it was Dekker in kindergarten. So while its not new, its been a while, too, without much practice. 

Solly was doing SO much better than yesterday, and we learned the reason why is because his eardrum is perforated. *sigh* So it went from pain to perforated in less than 12 hours. Which is pretty frustrating, because how could we know?? But Dr. Guselle figured he was feeling better with that pressure released. But now he has that open spot in his eardrum. Antibiotics it is! Rowan, on the other hand, has a red, angry, bulgy eardrum. If its going to perforate, we’d rather it happened while he was already on medication, so antibiotics for him too. Waverly looks the worst of the three but has nothing crazy beyond a common cold virus. Thank goodness.

It was a LONG drive home to that banana medicine, but thank goodness, everyone is sleeping and content now. Wish us luck! Medications are changing up all over the place here, and I can’t forget these three doses a day! Who wants to remind me?? 🙋‍♀️ 

As part of my “resolutions,” I made a to-do list for this year. Its a bit odd, admittedly, haha, but I like a good list 🙂 Some of it is simple. Some of it is a lot bigger. Some of it is in my control, and some isn’t. But I thought it would be a fun idea to see how far I get! The first month of the year wasn’t particularly gentle, and I didn’t have many opportunities to accomplish anything. While thats been kind of hard to swallow for me, I’m trying to remind myself that its just that first month. There are many more to go. And frankly, January was spent working on the first item on the list! So, in no particular order… 

1. Physical restoration. Thats a pretty big goal, but of utmost importance. I’d love to be back in good health as soon as possible. So I did that for a month, and I can tell you I’m still working on it. I can confidently say there has been great progress, and I’m so grateful for that 🙂 Win! 

2. Make noodles. I’ve been wanting to make my own noodles for a long time now and for whatever reason, I find it super intimidating. I have a great noodle roller machine and everything, but I’m just spooked. I’d love to get over that and at least try it once. If anyone wants to noodle with me, that would go a long way! 

3. Kids in new rooms ✅ Dekker and Solly room together downstairs now. Laela and Wavy share the bigger room on the mail floor, and Rowan has his own room now! When does the middle kid ever get their own room?? And he’s the middlest middle kid!

4. Tidy up the Christmas mess in my room ✅ 

5. Organize craft stuff. This is an area of my house that I find SO overwhelming! I can make it beautiful and organized and SO clean, and it gets trashed so fast. As our house comes together, we’ll soon be buying a particular cabinet that will hold some of the craft stuff. We don’t have it yet, and I’m pretty confident that our craft area will be overflowing until we have that extra space, no matter how much I purge and tidy. Its just too many things in one space. The craft cupboard holds ALL the craft stuff, extra packs of paper, the printer, external hard drives, and extra cans of coffee, haha! Maybe this one should actually be called “Buy IKEA cabinet.”

6. Wash high chair ✅ My mom just did this for me the other day. It was HORRID and she soaked it and scrubbed it and made it like new again ❤️

7. Wash car seat covers. Ugh. This should be done from time to time, right? 

8. Anniversary plan ✅ I had a plan in mind a long while ago and never brought it to fruition. January was NOT my month, wow. I had a backup plan for a home date, and then Brady surprised me with a date night, flowers, and earrings. So, I didn’t do this, but Brady did! 

9. Pinterest board for backyard. Ok, I’ve juuuust started this. Like I have one pin. But I’m working on it 🙂 

10. Pinterest board for garden. Am I crazy to think about putting in a garden this Spring, assuming we get the fence and grass all put in as early as possible? Might as well save ourselves having to dig up fresh grass and just throw that garden down early, right? Who wants to help me garden?? 🙋‍♀️ 

11. Retrieve blanket box ✅ 

12. Get knocked up. Lol! This is a high priority, yet its also completely out of my control 🤷‍♀️ Sooooo its on the list, but if I don’t reach this goal by December, I guess I don’t. But, let’s just say I will. Ideally the goal it so carry a sustainable, full term pregnancy.

13. Plan trips! I have a couple of little weekends/day trips I want to go on this year, and I would really love to plan them in advance so nothing gets missed 🙂 

14. Dining floor. Ugh. I have to wash that thing. I hate mopping, and that floor is beyond a mop. It needs a scrub by hand. And I’m willing to do it, except that my hands are currently in no shape to be scrubbing crusted on gunk off of such a large space. That one is going to have to wait. 

15. Meal plan? Question mark because I’m trying to be realistic. This is something I think I could do, but in the past, I’ve done it and enjoyed it for a solid week, and then it all drops off and I feel like a failure. This is something I’m not sure is worth prioritizing for me right now. I think I could be great at it, and meal prepping, when I have no kids at home. But, no promises. Rather, I’d like to do a month where we get super creative and eat out our freezer and pantry completely, and see what we end up with. Then I could see us meal planning and only buying what we truly need. This one is more something I want to think about and consider. Not necessarily do. 

16. Price drop ceiling ✅ We have the price, but we’re not in a rush. Likely, the ceiling will wait until our yard is done.

17. Price fence and shed. These pricing ones are more for Brady, but still, they’re on my list so I remember to ask. If we have the information, we know roughly what to save for each project. Our fence is 1/3 done thanks to our lovely neighbours, so we’re only on the hook for two sides. And the “shed” will be the area we close in under the deck. Its pretty tall in there, so we figured, our yard isn’t so big itself, we may as well use that space up! 

18. Price out grass. We’re looking at hydroseeding, based on a recommendation of a friend. Have any of you done it? What do you think – before or after fence? 

19. Order Vitex. 

20. Back up laptop ✅ The backup, however, did not solve our problem. We’ll either have to take it in for diagnostics orrrrr buy a new one 😩

21. Keep saving blog books. I can’t do this without a working laptop, so it has to wait. BUT! Did I mention I ordered some a while ago?? I was SO behind in ordering them, but I had FIVE completed and waiting to be ordered!! Woot!

22. Quarterly report ✅ 

23. Create system for the island. The island is our dumping ground for whatever junk doesn’t have a home. Its also the centre of our home, and pretty much the first thing people see when they enter our house. Those people include me, and I haaaaate how messy it always is. Whether we find specific homes for the things that always fall there, or just a system where its tidied every evening, something like that, it needs to change. 

24. New toothbrush setup ✅ This one is moot, actually. For the longest time, we had a cute little toothbrush drawer that fit everyone, until there was Waverly. We chucked her toothbrush in with someone else’s, and it was fine, but I wanted to make a setup that fit her better, and no one’s tooth goo had to touch anyone elses. But then Dekker and Solomon moved downstairs with their toothbrushes! So the drawer upstairs happily fits the three it needs, and the two boys have theirs downstairs in the drawer. Easy fix.

25. Hose off living room rug. Ok, so we have that black and white IKEA rug that just about everyone has. It used to be white, and now it isn’t. When our basement was still concrete, Brady took it down and drove a carpet cleaner on it over and over and over again. It used SO MUCH cleaner and the water never came out clean. It was SO gross. We never managed to get it even close to back to its original colour. My plan, this Spring/Summer is to ask a friend with a concrete driveway if we can put our carpet out on it and spray the heck out of it with a pressure washer. That should do it, right? 

26. Knit something wearable. I know. I’m kind of “off” knitting right now. But I’m SO eager to get back to it. In moderation 😉 I’ve had a couple of different items in my head for such a long time now and they just do not exist on this earth!! So I guess I have to make them! And I’d love to get the ugly newb stuff out of the way early on so I can actually make comfy cute things for next winter 🙂 

27. Get contacts. This was a goal last year, but money was just too tight. I haven’t had contacts since high school and I miss the convenience of not fogging up in winter and not sliding down in summer. 

28. Set up my Fitbit. I got a Fitbit a while ago and I tend to not pull that stuff out until I’m ready to set it up completely and understand it fully. These times where I’ve been laid up in bed would be those times, except that I wasn’t ready for the thing to tell me I only took 30 steps that day. Lol! So maybe when this whole pain thing is over but I have some time.

29. Clean carpets

30. Get more gravel to level out our driveway until we can actually pour one. (Notice pouring a driveway is not on this years to-do list. Maybe next year.) Last fall, we said how many times that we NEEDED to get some more gravel before winter came, as our van presses it down SO quickly, and then there’s a significant badump when we drive in. But we didn’t get there. Hopefully in spring!

See me with my reasonable goals? These aren’t so crazy! And let’s be real. Its a pretty haphazard list. But maybe I’ll be super on the ball, and we’ll look back at it together in December and see how much I did?? Orrrrr how many things are left? 🙈 Also a possibility! But, positive thinking!! Lots of these things are fun, or easy, and not stressful! But in the times of pushing myself, GLORY STRENGTH! Right guys?? Its going to be a great year! 

Whats on your to-do list for 2020?

Five year ago, Dekker had his eye surgery! If you’ve been here that long, this is old news. I remember feeling, even a year after his surgery, that I would never really even consider my wedding anniversary again because Dekker’s surgery felt like such a huge event. That February 11th would overpower February 7th, not in importance, but in emotional toll, maybe? Our marriage is hugely important! But Dekker’s surgery felt traumatic. Here we are, five years out, and while I can’t and won’t discount those feelings I had, we’re through that. We learned and grew a LOT from that experience, and I really wouldn’t take it back. The anger I held, I don’t anymore. 

I thought a simple photo montage would be an excellent way to mark five years 😁 

So we’ll start with right before his eye issues presented themselves. He was just two months shy of two years old. 

Then they crossed, and I didn’t post pictures for a while because I was SO devastated. This picture comes from the blog post where I basically “announced” that Dekker’s eyes had crossed, and we were sad and struggling. 

This was Dekker’s first pair of glasses. They were way too big, but what did we know? He never fought wearing them, though.  

So glasses weren’t making any headway, and we had to start patching his stronger eye, to make the weaker eye work. This picture was his first day in patches. We bought them just out of the pharmacy section and I will say 🙅‍♀️ these were HORRIBLE! They tore the skin around his eyes. I cannot believe they sell these in junior sizes! 

Very quickly after this, we learned about Ortopad and started buying his patches at the hospital. They cost a fortune but they were WAY gentler on him. 

Surgery was next, because nothing we were doing what making any difference. You’ll notice those bloodied eyes are perfectly centred!!

Shortly after surgery, he got new glasses. To this day, they are the BEST fitting glasses he ever owned! We chose them from the store, and then he cried when we had to leave them there to actually get ordered and made for him. 

Then Superstore glasses for his next prescription, because they were free! Woot woot! 

Eventually, they broke, so there were these from Walmart! These also fit him really, really well. And somehow, they gave him a new confidence! He loves them. 

And for good measure, because its so different, here is my favorite current-ish picture of Dekker without glasses. He looks like a sweaty teenager, just back from hockey or something. 

I know this is old news for many of you, but I like having it all in one place for my own record. A history of sorts of Dekkers eyes and the progress he’s made. I’m SO thankful to God for how smoothly its gone 💙

Remember last week when Laela missed three days of school because of a nasty cold and fever? Well, everyone else caught it over the weekend. 😩 Doesn’t that sounds fun? 

I’ll be more specific, and go down the list. 

Brady is SICK. Snotty, sore throat, the works. 

I am not overrun with illness yet, but I feel it in my throat. I could tell first thing in the morning that it’s coming, but its not here yet. 

Dekker was in rough shape yesterday evening, and I assumed in advance that he wouldn’t go to school today. He woke up in decent shape and I sent him to school after all. Aaaaand came home just before lunch. He is now snotty, coughy, and feverish. 

Laela is pretty snotty, but she is in much better shape than the other kids, since she did the fever part last week. Her spirits are up and she’s just a bit sniffy. 

Rowan has a super gross cough and one weird swollen red eye 

Solly is pure snot. And also has a chesty cough. His voice is super high and raspy. He is also fevered 

Waverly has the raspy voice, super snotty nose, and the gross croup-like cough. 

One thing EVERYONE has in common is fatigue. EVERYONE is exhausted. 

🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱

Nap time went long today. I walked into every single bedroom at 3:30pm, and tip toed out slowly immediately after. Everyone (at home, the four kids) was cashed right out. Dekker was asleep, laying as if he had just laid down, flat on his back. Everyone was snoring. 

By now, they’re all up, and all fighting 😆😩 Emotions are running high, as no one is at their best. At least there were some nice lulls in the morning.

Supper will be some form of toast, I’m sure, and bedtime will be awkwardly early. Last night, the whole group went to bed at 6:30, and that was a QUIET house for that early!! 

My hands are so dry from all the hand sanitizer I’ve used today. I’ll take the chapped hands over a chapped nose any day! 🙅‍♀️ Stay away, illness!!

Thank you to my friends who were brave enough to come over, in spite of my house full of sickies. I appreciate you, and also I’m sorry…

So I mentioned a funny reading story, and figured I should share. It’s SO funny to me and Brady, so hopefully you’ll get a kick out of it, too. 

I should say, its funny now…

***

Back in the day of dating, Brady and I would go drive to random locations, park, light tea lights in the car, and read to each other. We read old Gordon Korman booked I had read when I was in junior high. There are some REALLY good ones that I hope my children enjoy one day, too. We’d park in neighbourhoods that weren’t very built out yet, or by the river, or in the country. Once we parked outside the airport so we could watch the planes while we read.

Now, I’m not dumb. I know it sounds like we were going to just go park somewhere and make out. And yes, we did that. “Star gazing.” “Storm watching.” Obviously just covers for making out. But reading was legitimately reading. 

One night in particular, we had pulled off of a gravel road onto what looked like a little side road, but was very much more of an approach into a field. We parked his gross little two toned Tempo, lit our little candles, and grabbed our book out. We read for a good long while before we decided it was time to go home. We realized, at that point, how mucky the ground around us was, and rather than backing up from where he came (we weren’t so far from the main road) Brady decided to turn around. 

Try to turn around, I should say. He was instantly stuck DEEP in mud. Could not get back onto that little path to save his life. He tried to hop out and push while I drove, but the car needed to be rocked, and guess what. I don’t know how to drive stick well enough to make that happen. 

Aaaaand thats how I ended up knee deep in the mud, furiously trying to push a car out of a farmers field. 

Spoiler alert. We worked like that for about an hour. 

Spoiler alert number two. We didn’t get it out. I actually did better than I thought I would, but I just couldn’t get it out of that thick mud :/ So we made our way home, myself covered in mud, in the dark, in the country. It felt like a walk of shame moment. I was SO angry. I hope I’d laugh about it if it happened now, but MAN I was pissed to have been the one in the mud thanks to Brady’s decision that I wouldn’t have personally made. I specifically remember I refused to hold hands with him 😂 I was such a jerk, haha! 

Of course, as one would expect, we needed help getting the car pulled out of the field in the morning, which meant (ugh) retelling the events of the evening. 

“Reading, huh?”

YES!!! JUST READING!! 

Lol! Its funny now, don’t worry 😉 But I was SO embarrassed in the moment! Wow! 

Would it have really mattered if we were out, smooching in a field? Frankly, that was more realistic in a junky little car than it would be now in our bus 😳 If we were to go park that thing somewhere for some smooching now, it would look suuuuuper suspicious. Maybe smooching in vehicles is behind us now. But reading to each other is resurrected!! I’m happy to have it back! 

Thank you all for your love yesterday on our anniversary post! Weren’t the photos amazing?? It was pretty crazy to get back into our wedding gear from eleven years prior, and relive some of the poses, while doing a few new ones 🙂 No burn AT ALL on our wedding photographer, but I like these SO much more than our original wedding photos! But I also like us better now than I did then ❤️ I think thats a good thing. 

So, about the day. I truly didn’t think we had any plans, so I had a new movie in mind and we have steaks in the freezer. I figured we could have an extra special at-home date night. But as it happens, Brady had planned presents and a date for us!! I admit, I felt a little sheepish, not having any gifts for him, but he still loves me so it works out 😆

The morning was a bit chaotic, waking up late (where did my alarm go???) and getting the kids to school. Brady had asked me to call him when I was home and settled. So I did, and he sent me upstairs to find a pretty white bag with a present in it for me! 

Pretty 😍 He did good. 

Shortly after our phone call, a vehicle pulled up to my house, and wouldn’t you know it – another delivery for me! 

Again, very good. I love the vase, too!! 

I watched a movie with Cher while the kids napped, and once it was over, we hung out together in my bathroom while I got some makeup on. Then I brought my curling wand, hairspray, and a mirror down to the kitchen and curled my hair there so I’d be available to greet the big kids upon coming home from school. 

Jerilee showed up around 3:30 to be our babysitter for the night, and Brady was home right around there, as well. He got cleaned up a bit, we chatted for a few minutes before hauling out. We wanted to go to a new restaurant in Saskatoon, and they weren’t taking reservations, so we figured the earlier the better! Who goes out for supper early on a Friday, anyway?! 

Everyone. The answer is “everyone.”

We waited for about an hour to get into our new location of The Old Spaghetti Factory. New old. Humor. But, my friends, it was SO worth the wait. We got a spot in a teeny little booth overlooking a busy street. 

We ate BIG food…

And finished it off with that super delicious ice cream!

Even when we go out on dates, Brady and I have a hard time slowing down and savouring our time together, especially in a restaurant. Because at home, with a bunch of kids, you get used to speed-eating in between serving different kids more of different things and just being extra hands on. But with the long wait to be seated, and then to order, and then between little courses, we enjoyed about 2.5 hours at the restaurant. It was super nice. 

After supper, I had a few things in mind I thought we could do, just the two of us. We have some gifts in mind that we should be buying for people sooner than later, but Brady insisted, no errands. It was a rule. I don’t think he gets how cathartic it is for me to get into a grocery/department store without kids 😆 But I was also fine with it. Rather, we went to relive a regular date night that we did a lot more before we had kids. And you guys won’t even believe me, but try. 

We used to go park somewhere nice, and read books to each other. 

I know. I know. It sounds like we said that to cover up the fact that we were going to just go make out somewhere. We definitely did that, but reading books was not our cover. When we said we were going out to read, we legitimately read. Brady bringing that up to me yesterday actually sparked a memory that is SO funny and I’m going to have to share on its own post. My goodness 😂 We were so weird. 

So, we drove to the train bridge, threw the van into park, and turned on the interior lights. We like that area because we like to people watch and at least in warmer weather, watch the water. Last time we lurked at the train bridge for a while, we saw cute people who appeared to be newly dating. Lots of runners and joggers. Kids. Its fun. It was dark and nighttimey this time, but it still worked 🙂 Brady had found our old books that we used to read, and we chose “The Twinkie Squad” by Gordon Korman. He’s SUCH a fun author for those junior high type of books. 

We read for about 1.5 hours. 

It was fun ❤️ Buuuuut then we had to pee, so we left, lol! We hit up a nearby Safeway for a pee break and some snacks, but were unsuccessful in finding the snacks we wanted the most. Maybe Costco can help next time we get there. 

All in all, it was a really really lovely evening out. Eleven years of marriage feels really good. Its not perfect, I know I don’t even have to say that. We’ve of course come across some hard times, but who hasn’t? I’ve always been content in my marriage, and I’ve always been able to say we’re happily married. While its not new, this last year was a time I really saw how healthy my marriage is, and for that, I am SO grateful! I know things only stay healthy as long as you care for them, and care for my marriage I will continue to! I praise the Lord for my healthy, happy, loving marriage ❤️

Today marks eleven years since Brady and I got married ❤️ We were SO young, and so in love. We acted on faith, and continue to. Our road hasn’t been a perfect one, but no one’s is. I wouldn’t trade ours. 

I’ll admit that this post is a year late. We had this fun blog idea for our tenth anniversary, but as it happened, if you remember, last February was unbelievably cold. Not fit for photos in the slightest. But thats ok, because eleven happens to be my favorite number anyway 😊 

We loved our wedding. There is very little I wish had been done differently. It was a spectacular day. VERY us. More than our wedding, though, I love our marriage. 

I love our relationship and how we’ve melded together. We’re both so different, but as tends to happen, we’ve become more similar over time.

I feel so fortunate to have a husband who is happily invested 100% in his family.

A husband who shares my goals and my heart.

A husband who never takes the easy way out or cuts a corner.

A husband who loves his family fiercely.

A husband with his priorities in order. God. Wife. Kids. Everything else. It seems that kind of man is hard to find, and I’m grateful to be forever united with Brady. 

We laugh a LOT.

I love our perfectly imperfect bond. Keep it tight, Lord! 

Eleven years in, with hopefully SO many more left! 

*

Thank you, Cher, for taking these pictures for us. In winter.

When your back was on fire. We now have photographic evidence that we’re just dorky as we were on this very day, eleven years ago! ❄️ 

I’m confident today is Laela’s last sick day. Her spirits are way up, and I’m sure if I had told her she could go back to school, she would’ve been all over it. But she was still a little fevered, so I figured one more day. 

Yesterday was a rough one. 

Thank you, Cher, for taking these pictures, unbeknownst to me ❤️ 

She just lay. If I offered her a book, she’d take it, and read it, and then lay it on her lap until Waverly inevitably toddled by and took it. Her fever was pretty persistent, and I could tell she was starting to feel pretty miserable. I gave her Tylenol and it didn’t break the fever. I sat beside her and wiped her face and neck with a cool cloth. She LOVED that. I could’ve probably done that all done. She loved it, and I felt peace being able to do something for her in the moment. She was looking pretty ok, but she started to drag hard towards the end of the morning. Still gorgeous though. 

She opted out of lunch and went down for a nap. After her nap, she was noticeably happier and lighter in the heart. She was in WAY better shape! Dekker even brought her some homework (her teacher knows how much she loves school that she sought him out to bring her some!) and she completed it immediately. One journal entry, three pages of math, and three pages of spelling. 

This morning, she really seemed a lot better. She sat up, coughed up some gross morning phlegm (I know, delicious) and then popped out of bed. At first, I thought if was obvious that she should go back to school. But I felt her neck, and she was toasty. Too toasty. I double checked as she ate her breakfast, and she was definitely warm. But! She ate breakfast better than she has in a couple of days, and coughed less. So I know she’s on her way back! 

This morning, it appears she is giving Solly a turn being sick. For the record, he isn’t sick. Yet. But Laela tucked him in on her little couch with her blanket. She gave him his water bottle and appointed herself his caregiver, sitting beside him and reading him story after story. Even Wavy joined in. 

Hopefully this is the end of Laela’s bout of sickness! And hopefully no one else gets it 🤞 Wish us luck!! 

I am SO thankful for how this morning has gone. 

Now that we have a basement, all the rowdiness lives down there. All of the toys and games are there. Dress up. Noisy toys. Messy stuff. Upstairs can get plenty messy too, but upstairs is for reading, colouring, and puzzles. That general idea. So you can imagine the kids are usually ravaging the basement all morning. 

Except this morning. This morning was extra special. 

Laela is home from school again today, so she opted for a couch, a water bottle, a blanket, and a book. Rowan followed suit with his stuffed fox and some Little Bear books. Solly is here by default, haha, because he doesn’t care to play downstairs on his own very much. He loves our pink wingback chair, so he’s been stretched out across it most of the morning. He also is on his way to Laela’s cold. And Waverly likes to be where the action is. Plus, she likes to dance to the music I play most of the day on the Echo. 

I admit, as I sat on my chair and looked around at my peaceful children, I had the worry that naps would be a total bust because no one was expelling any energy. And then I sent that worry packing, because I’m SO grateful for these special moments when everyone chooses to be close to one another. 

Its like a really good friend. How many of us have said that a good quality in a friend is when you can be around them totally comfortably, not talking? I know I’ve said that! And that is these kids today. When they do speak, its either quiet whisper-reading, or a whispered “Can I read that one when you’re done?” Its amazing. And for the record, the only one in the room who can read is Laela. But they’re all SO content. I refuse to overthink. It is TOO GOOD!

Its good for my heart to know these times are possible. Its in there! ❤️

In order to mix up the posts about who is suffering from what, we decided to keep Laela home 🤦‍♀️ 

Its really nothing serious. She’s been clearing her throat a lot for the last couple of days, and while we haven’t heard her cough really at all, she said she has been through the nights, and keeps saying she thinks she’s lost her voice. Now, she hasn’t, but she’s pretty loaded up on phlegm. I know. Yum. 

This morning, I went in to get Laela up for school, and she was SO tired. She was awake, but she had NO get up and go in her. And her cough was out for all to hear. Throaty and chesty and deep and growly and gross. I asked her how she was feeling, and she insisted she was good. Did she want to go to school? Yup, she did. But 🙌 could she roll out of bed? Barely. I sent her to the table with her water bottle to wait for breakfast while I got the rest of the kids up. 

She barely ate, and it was clear she needed to stay home. Just coughing and coughing. She’s pretty diligent at covering her mouth, but it wouldn’t have made sense to send her to school, where she could cough on all of her friends. So she stayed. She even has an admirer here. 

Miss Sickie Pants and Fakity Faker over here 🤣 They’re pretty cute. 

We’re ready for a super slow moving morning with paint and stories and music and chatting and eventually, naps. I hope your day is as relaxed as ours, ideally with less coughing 🤞