This Week (Painting/Play Date/Double Date/Christmas Tree/Gargle Test)

 Naturally we've been busy and I've hardly seen Dave at all, but it's been a good week so far! Since last Thursday we've done lots. 

Friday evening Ashleigh and I went to the women's sign painting night at church. It's been two years since there's been one! I painted a sign and a door mat which I'm super happy with! I was somehow the only person in the whole building to do a doormat. Don't you all have enough signs?! Afterwards Ash and I went to Dublin to grab a drink - been months since we've done that! Since June 25 if I'm not mistaken.

Friday morning I was getting Eva up out of bed and all the children joined me in her room and I just looked down at this chaos that is my life. 

Sherlock's stress yawn as Eva touches his paw haha. Don't lay there then you goof!

Saturday I reached out for help. The big kids have been at each other's throats a lot lately and have been more "demanding" than usual and asking us to play a lot more. They were clearly in need of some time apart, and some good quality play time with someone that doesn't live in our house. In the morning I dropped Dom off at my parents' place and he played there, went and ran some errands, visited Uncle Scott as his new work, dropped by Great Opa & Great Oma's new house, and stopped in during Jeff & Marta's move to Cloverdale! His bucket was full.

No pictures of that so here's a nakey baby :) Gosh I love her.

While he was out, I took Emilia to Michaels with me for a little mommy-Emilia date. After that, we had some lunch and I brought her out to Aunty Ashleigh's mom and dad's place where she was planning to be with Phoebe. Emilia got to play with all of their toys and have some quality play time with Aunty Ashleigh. She played cars, Barbies, littlest pet shop, read books, etc. Over all it sounds like they had a great time! As we walked out after I picked her up later she said, "Mommy, that was really fun." Another great bonus to them spending time apart is that they missed each other so much they played beautifully the next two days! 

She wanted everything!

"We need to take a picture for Dom because Dom misses me." Ashleigh pointed out to me as I was talking about Dom & Em's relationship that they sort of behave like twins as opposed to "regular" siblings. That makes sense since they're just 16 months apart... and explains a lot about their interactions. It'll be good for them when Dom goes to KG next year!

"This is Uncle Jeff. He likes to party with wine."

"This is Mommy" - earlier I was also feeding my baby

"This is Uncle Jeff and Uncle Adam. They're thinking about their babies."

Saturday evening we had a sitter over and we went on a double date with Scott and Ashleigh! I don't remember the last time we went out with the 4 of us. Probably pre-2021 babies. Anyway, we met up at Camp Beer Co, had some beer and snacks, and then grabbed some more beer and visited Jeff and Marta in their new house! (Also known to us as Opa & Oma Gerber's old house). I had a blast. I let loose. I drank too much beer. Luckily we had no plans Sunday! Whew!

I got a bonus beer because they accidentally gave me the Pale Ale instead of the Porter!

Tin Can Nachos. Exceeded all our expectations

Jeff is blurry because he sensed the camera on his candid conversation and just couldn't let himself be candid!

Little O came to join the party! I love his bald noggin - it reminds me of Dom as a baby <3

Ugh he's so cute!

Sunday was a slow day as we recovered from Saturday's shenanigans. We puttered around the house and I took Sherlock for a walk and Emilia joined me on her bike. That night Dave and I watched Red Notice. It was cute and fun. Less action/drama than I expected, but I love Ryan Reynolds so who's complaining? Not I!

She can't wait to play with the kitchen! (Pfft and Dave wanted to get rid of this thing! I think not!)

Last week's Thursday post, I mentioned this little land slide in the ravine by our place. We checked it out again and the water was raging compared to normal! Crazy weather in BC; wettest November on record. Grateful for some sunshine today!

On Monday Eva started crawling, so that's fun. I have to train the big kids to not leave things lying around that she can eat or destroy! Dave was out filming Monday evening for a choir in Abbotsford, so I finished this season of Tiger King and did some crocheting. If you recall, I had ordered a Christmas tree just before the floods and then it was delayed for an undetermined amount of time. Kirsten lent me one, and then on Monday a big box showed up at our door. Our tree! I un-decorated the old tree, and planned to set up the new one :)

Nothing is safe.

"Renee... this thing is massive." 
We hummed and hawed about whether it was too big, but as I fluffed it out, took down the other tree, and pushed it more into the corner I think it's perfect! Love it so much.

Oh this reminds me... this week we also got hit with a $2,500 van bill! We knew it needed a tune up which would be over $1,000. It turns out it needed some other work done and parts ordered, and had to stay overnight at the dealership. Honda graciously offered to lend us a car. Umm... a car won't fit our family! Okay, then we can split the cost of a bigger vehicle! Dave says that's BS. Lo and behold, Dave did his job, and we got a giant new Dodge Ram for 24 hours at no cost to us! I know people drive these things all the time, but I felt funny in it. Like some sort of imposter.

Tuesday the big kids had preschool, I had some work to do, and got the lights done on the tree. In the evening we went to my parents' for dinner with Brian. It's been about 2 years since we've seen him too! So much has changed! Emilia was just a toddler and Eva didn't even exist! Dave was working all evening again, so I put my fancy ornaments up on the top of the tree where the kids couldn't reach and made sure they were secure. 

Accidentally used half the lights on the bottom quarter of the tree. Took me three tries to finally get them to fit properly on the tree. Yeesh! So many hours put into the darn lights.

Excuse me, I seem to find myself in some sort of predicament!

Ah. What a nice grown up half of the tree!

Wednesday morning I went to work. I came home, and did our first advent activity with the kids. They were very excited to open the drawer and find we were going to "decorate the Christmas tree". Again?! Yup. Lucky kids this year! We got every ornament we own up on the tree, and it was kind of nice that we had the practice round with the first tree - they were much better this time around haha. More focused, less frantically excited. And it meant Emilia got to put the star up again! What a day. Dave was out again on Wednesday night shooting at church, and then will be out again again on Friday night and possibly working tonight too. Alright! Time for a night off!

Emilia wearing her Christmas jammies dress. This is supposed to be for our Gerber family's Christmas where everyone has matching jammies, but she is obsessed with them. So she wears them almost every day now too haha.

Despite my notes of, "Emilia, I think that branch is full now," she kept going...

Today the kids are at school again and I developed a cough last night, so I got to go get a COVID test... Yay! I presume it will be negative. I decided to do it because my only symptom really is a cough and some tightness in my chest. Usually my colds focus more on my nose/head, but there's none of that this time. I also have a big work thing tomorrow and don't want to take any chances. Whatever I have going on is super mild so far, so I'm grateful for that and crossing my fingers for quick, negative results!

If you know, you know.

Our advent activity today was this goofy window snowman I got from the dollar store. Kept them busy for 15 minutes earlier, and now they're playing with it again before bed so I'd say it's worth the $1.25!

This was sent from preschool. Dom actually doing a craft?! And look at that focus <3

She was sooo close to pulling herself up today. Side note. I am loving my new vacuum cleaner so much! It works so well I can actually fold laundry on my bedroom floor (where the dog sleeps every night) after vacuuming. I have never been able to sit there and let the babies play there. Our old vacuum just didn't have the suction power to actually get the hair out of the carpet. Gross.