dresser for success

You know when you're trying to switch out your kids' summer clothes for the fall ones but their shared-among-three girls dresser is just too small to jam in pants? (Shorts were okay but pants just really pushed us past the limit.) And so you check Ikea but there's nothing in stock and in budget? So then you go on Facebook marketplace and there's a nice one and it's near where your husband is playing basketball that night and you negotiate a price and then 12 hours later after your first started switching clothes over there's a new dresser in the house? And then the next morning you decide to paint it, and so you go to the store to get the paint and supplies and then you start painting it? And then 12 hours after that it's all done and the clothes are switched over and the girls can pull the drawers out and push the drawers in so easily and it just makes everyone so happy? Twenty-four hours after you just wanted to do a quick morning chore? You know what I mean?

It's so great. 

he knows what he likes

A muffin and a slurpee. These are the love languages of Henry Francis Kantor, and that's all this guy really wanted for his birthday. And so we made his dreams come true. (But not a slurpee for breakfast because we're not crazy.) 

We celebrated this guy today and his 12 awesome years. School got in the way of a truly relaxed, read-in-bed, shoot-hoops-when-you-want kind of day but we ate our muffins in the morning, got our slurpees after school, ate some pizza and some (sour patch kids and poop emoji) cupcakes, and watched the Blue Jays play (they lost so that wasn't great... thanks a lot, Blue Jays). He's got a friend party coming up this Saturday and we'll just keep the energy level high with our slurpee sugar rush. 

Let's go!

 

birthday eve at the ballpark

Henry was supposed to have a baseball game tonight but it was cancelled because of rain so... birthday eve at the kitchen sink. Thanks for doing the dishes, Henry, when you would much rather be playing ball. 

When this guy does the dishes, he usually likes to set himself up with some music first. TobyMac is his favourite soundtrack to his soapy chore, and he sometimes has to stop scrubbing to look off into the distance to consider the lyrics and comment on the emotional state the words put him in. I love his thinking and thoughtfulness, and it perhaps explains his fascination with haikus. After learning about them in school, he set to work to write 100 haikus for the family this past Lent, employing his same stare-into-the-distance method to come up with syllabic sentiments. Some were funny. Some were serious. Some heartfelt. And a surprising number about food. But all were very accurate and a gift of his heart for the family - I'll keep them forever. 

Tomorrow this guy will be 12. I pray his heart is always right where it is right now. It is my favourite thing about him. We love you Henry! Happy Birthday Eve!

As a special treat... a few Haikus from Henry's collection...

A family dog

Some want it and some do not

It's controversial 

What is life's purpose?

To get others to Heaven

And always spread love

Our table manners

And table conversations

Could use some more work

Breakfast, lunch, supper

I don't need any of those

I need a good snack

Unfinished projects

They can happen easily

and they lie around

ain't over yet

Look at this - we're still at the ball diamonds! Henry was fortunate to make it on to a one-month-only rep team for some extended play. Mostly practice, with a few games tossed in, and some life lessons on how to handle losses graciously. They are playing a lot of older teams, and the scores are reflecting that. We're still there to cheer him on (and cheer him up). 

play ball

Henry's buddy invited his friends to go to a Blue Jays game for his birthday... and we spotted them on tv. I mean, you have to be the mom and know what they are wearing and where they are sitting spot them but... I found them. 

(May we never take for granted (1) generous friends and (2) that we live close enough to Rogers Centre to go to multiple Jays games a year.)

chums

Another round of sweet, giggly girls in our home, this time to celebrate Clara's belated birthday. We crafted and scavenger hunted and bean bag tossed and made fancy drinks. They chatted about important things, cheered each other, and were happy to include a little sister in all their games. They are the nicest friends and Clara is a lucky girl. 

they're the schoolest

Off they go... 

Grade 9

Grade 7

Grade 5

Grade 3

Grade 1

One morning a week at Wonderkids

don't bank on it

Well, here's an important life lesson. If, the weather is beautiful on the last Saturday of the summer holidays, and you think you are going to drive nearly 3 hours to see the gorgeous Sandbanks Provincial Park... you should probably check to see if the beach is on a by-reservation-only system because,  otherwise... you will not be seeing gorgeous Sandbanks Provincial Park. And it will be 1:30 and you will be eating your picnic lunch in the van and preparing everyone to drive 3 hours back home without having even touched a grain of sand. 

Fortunately, Wellington Rotary Beach came to our rescue. Not quite the Sandbanks, but we were determined to make the best of the hot, hot day. We played for the rest of the afternoon, kayaked a bit, picnicked with pizza for supper, watched the sunset, and loaded up in the dark. 

Do we make great decisions? No, we don't. But are we going to figure it out? Sure, kind of. Will we be pretty grouchy while doing it? Yes, I will. But would I do it again? Um, yes, but I would be smarter about it. But did we love our adventure? Well, parts of it. 

What I'm trying to say is, the day was hard, and I was not wise or patient or gracious in my response. BUT I think back to the circle of people eating pizza around the picnic table on the beach while the sun was starting to set and I am so very, very happy that God gave me this day.