The Promise of Spring

This morning we woke to sunshine and gusting North-Northwest winds. The birds abandoned the swinging feeder and resorted to picking seeds from the ground instead. The puppy begged to be let in as spruce boughs thrashed about. The birch tree bends with each gust, practically touching it's tippy top branches to the ground.

Inside, Cooper has decided he would like to reside on my hip all morning, so we are thawing in the warm sunlight streaming through the kitchen windows while bagels are mixed in the mixer. Lily has ventured over to Gramma's house to hold the new baby chicks. Soon the stove will warm the house as the smell of fresh bagels fills the air. My nose is already tingling with the scent of Spring blowing in through cracked bedroom windows as curtains sway with every gust of wind. 

With Spring on the horizon and the promise of warm sunshine on my face, my mind is awakened with a desire to dream about the many things I want to accomplish in the garden and greenhouse this year. 

I'm grateful for the gift of each new day, and for the hope the sunlight brings!

Sunset Skate

We are so enjoying the extra sunshine and warmth after such a long Winter! Cooper adores being outside, so we usually sneak out for some fresh air before naptime. 

After dinner some of the boys asked if I could bring them into town to go skating at the ODR. I had to run in for a basketball game anyways, so we all loaded up. As I was buckling in Lily I discovered some new artwork on the back of my van seat...

Not sure how I'm going to get that off.

I hung out at the rink for a few minutes to watch the boys skate around a bit. The light was magical!

Then we scooted over to the school to catch Camilla's game!

As we were sitting in the bleachers Lily was telling me how shy she is. After sitting for a second, she then turned to Sawyer and said, "Sawyer, let's go make a new friend!" They walked down the stairs to a little girl and played pass with her on the sidelines.

As it got closer to bedtime, I snuggled Cooper in the baby carrier and bounced him to sleep while cheering for our big girl on the court. The boys walked over and met me at the school when they were all done skating and then we all went home together after the game. These nights are so busy and full, but I wouldn't trade them!

 

Nursery Musings

This morning we woke to the most beautiful sunrise! My favorite is when the kids notice it at breakfast and point it out to me or ask to use my phone and take a picture of it. Our day was busy with a special dentist appointment in Red Deer for Miss Lily. The extra driving and time away from home really didn't help with how tired I've been feeling.

As I rocked the baby to sleep I couldn't help but ponder how it's not the quiet task it once was in my early days of mothering. Tonight as I snuggled Cooper to sleep I heard the TV blaring in the next room, the boys laughing together over their game, the washing machine spinning beneath the nursery and a fight breaking out downstairs...And in that dimly lit nursery, I still felt peace as I felt Coopers little body snuggle in close to mine after he passed me his finished bottle.

His one cheek puffed out as he nestled into my arm, and his hands were resting so sweetly on his chest. He let out a huge sigh to finally be going to bed after such a long day driving and playing. Tears stung my eyes and gratitude filled my heart for little moments just like these. 

Once the littles are in bed, I'm usually in the kitchen tidying up for morning and the big kids will often find me. I enjoy the whisper chats we have while they sit at the island or on a counter top and tell me everything that's on their mind. I'm learning to pause and enjoy when they open up and express themselves. Having big conversations at the most inconvenient times is always the best!

Deep Clean

Today I woke and emptied three puke buckets, rearranged a few bedrooms, mopped bedroom floors and slowly began disinfecting the house. It was another beautiful day...almost ten degrees. I opened bedroom windows and aired out the house. Then I changed and washed all of the bedding, tidied the basement and burnt a batch of croissants. 

In between all of that, Cooper kept me on my toes! He loves to play with the mini sticks downstairs while I tidy. He also likes to throw everything down the stairs...my wallet and keys, all the baby wipes, toys from Lily's room. He also loves playing chase around the kitchen island and laughs and laughs. He has a great sense of humor for a thirteen month old! He also threw every article of clothing left on the bathroom floor into the toilet today and I couldn't help but laugh. Lesson learned for some big kids I guess. He is so curious and busy and I just have to laugh at him. He's always lugging around something or walking with a hat or box over his eyes and running into things and giggling. 

I managed to tuck everyone in around 8:30 and then tidied some more in the basement. When I just couldn't function anymore I let the dogs out pee, locked the doors, and turned out the lights. This week has been exhausting with all of the illness going around. The kids are still tired!

 

Lily's First Skate

Today we enjoyed an afternoon skating with friends and roasting hotdogs! Everyone had a great time and Lily was so proud to have learned how to skate all on her own. It didn't take long before she was zipping around the ice and able to propel herself. They all enjoyed each others company and it was such a fun time!

Mike called me from camp after Dinner to let me know Hyrum had caught the pukes and they would be heading home early. Then Ollie came up to notify me that he had also puked and didn't quite make it to the toilet. I had just showered and lotioned my very cracked feet and wasn't excited to wander downstairs to examine the damage. There were two piles of puke on the floor in front of the toilet, one pile was totally salt and vinegar chips and the other pile was digested oatmeal from the nobake cookies Ollie had requested earlier. I joked that the kid really does have two stomachs, one for dinner, and one for dessert. I'm sure it will be a running joke for years to come. 

 

Fresh Air and Sunshine

The house was unusually quiet today with almost half of the kids away at sleepovers and Winter camp. With the warmer temps we ventured outside for some fresh air! The boys built a couple of snow men and Lily enjoyed making snow angels. 

We all thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine after a few days of the pukes! Sonny really loved us being outside with him too and soaked up the attention!

When we got back inside, it was time for afternoon naps. Lily tucked into my bed voluntarily and Cooper fell asleep on my shoulder shortly after. I seized the moment and snapped a few pictures of them together. As the afternoon sun poured through my windows, I admired their rosy cheeks from the Winter air and their long, dark lashes. The boys were still playing nicely, so I snuggled in on the other side of Lily, threw my arm over them both and closed my eyes for a few minutes. 

In the evening we caught the hockey game and cheered as Canada beat the USA with an OT goal by McDavid!

With the boys away at Winter camp, I've been taking advantage of the extra free time and pounding out blog books. I'm determined to catch up and keep the collection going. I've got lots of work ahead of me though as I just finished the first book of 2018 tonight. Wish me luck!

 

These are the Days

This boy slept almost ten hours straight last night! He's so grown up lately and understands so much! His days are spent exploring and playing. He will often grab my hand and pull me around the house showing me things. I'm cherishing these days!

"I always wanted to be a hero -- to sacrifice my life in a big way one time -- and yet, God has required my sacrifice to be thousands of days, over many years, with one more kiss, one more story, one more meal."

~Sally Clarkson

Bucket Holding

 Last night I got to practise the art of bucket holding. Lily  came to my bedside around 4am, "Mom, I'm not feewin berry well...I barfed in the toilet..." Oh dear. I hopped out of bed and grabbed her a bucket and then walked her back to her room to tuck her back in. As I'm pulling up her covers, I lean into the bed and ask, "Did you barf anywhere else? Or just the toile....GASP!" As I leaned forward, my foot stepped in something gooey and warm on the floor beside her bed. I peeled off my sock and hopped on one foot to the sink to wash. I came back to her room with some disinfectant and paper towel and got the small pile cleaned up. She DID make it to the toilet for most of it. 

Shortly after I had crawled back into bed, Cooper woke... I made him a bottle, grabbed him sleepily out of the crib and tucked him into bed with me. He soon went back to sleep, but not long after became restless. And then in the dark I heard... "Bleeeghhhh". My shirt was soaked in puke, though I did manage to lean him over the bed for the rest of it and save the sheets. I stood him on the floor in the dark and peeled off his jammies, then carried him one armed to the bathroom. I looked at my reflection, curdled milk all down my front and around his mouth and in his ear. We hopped in a shower, got fresh clothes, and then went to check Lily. She had already used her bucket and soon after arriving in her room, Cooper started shifting around uncomfortably again. I just knew...and took advantage of Lily's nearby bucket where he proceeded to puke for the second time. By now it was 5:30am and I hadn't slept in an hour and a half. I dumped and rinsed the bucket for Lily and found a second one for Cooper before heading to the couch with him in hopes of catching at least another few winks of sleep.

Family Day

For Family Day we hitched up a sled to the side by side and jumped across to the open field to pull the kids around! Those who weren't on the sled crammed into the cab and back. They had a lot of fun whipping around the field!

 

Sleepy Sundays

It was a very quiet Sunday. I woke with the sun and admired it's orange hue and the beautiful roses on my table top. Sacrament meeting was quiet and Lily spent a lot of it lying across my lap. I'm worried she's going to be next for this awful bug going around. And then Cooper zonked out at dinner again. Everyone seems to be extra tired lately!