14 Jun A backpack, a hammock, and a cleaning product.
We were all playing outside a few weeks ago when Corban spotted it. The red kid mower, broken…and in the neighbor’s trash pile. We played with it for the last hour before its demise, and then we returned it to its resting ground. Corban still talks about that “wonderful red mower; it’s okay if it’s broken, Mom.” Ah, his depraved life.
Corban’s been asking for a backpack the last several weeks. I really couldn’t tell you why; school fever? It’s the wrong season for that, bud. Well, I finally got around to making him one. Perfect size for the little guy. If you can sew two pieces of fabric in a straight line, you can make this backpack! (<–Seriously, click that link and take an hour tops to make your kid a backpack. They’ll think you’re amazing, and of course, they’d be right.) I made this one for Abby years ago, and she’s still using it:
And this is the one that kept Corban up all night from excitement to use it. See, I made the mistake of giving it to him at 7:45pm, which is exactly when I finished it…and also his bedtime. He gasped when he saw it and wore it for teeth-brushing and potty-going and pj-dressing (although that was a little more difficult). Then I told him he had to sleep…without it. I put it on his door knob so he could gaze at it and promised that he could use it when he woke up.
Unfortunately, I didn’t specify… “in the morning.” At 9:45pm, we hear this little pitter patter on the stairs and a sleepy voice whisper, “Good morning.” I march right over ready to deliver the Go To Bed speech, when I see a sleepy little boy…wearing his new backpack. It was all I could do to not wake Jaeda with my laughter. “Sweetheart,” I whispered, “it’s actually still bed time.” “Oh no, Mom, I can’t sleep; it’s morning!” “Daddy and I will be going to bed soon; we’ll see you in the morning,” I continued as I guided him back to his bedroom. Reminded me of my childhood Christmas Eve sleep…where very little sleep actually happened.
The next day, he packed it full of odds and ends to take to Grammie’s house and could most certainly NOT take a nap due to having a new backpack AND a family trip. I told him he could just rest on the couch. Hehe. 
This morning was one of my favorite mornings in the history of mornings. Baby Lucy was sleeping through that open window, and Corban and Jaeda had discovered the hose, a watering can, cups, and buckets. They played and splashed and sorted through the water for AN HOUR AND A HALF while I laid on the hammock and READ. Every once in a while, Jaeda would come and refresh my hammock swinging. People. WE’VE ARRIVED. 
We’ve been using Shaklee cleaning products for more than three years now. Safe, harsh chemical-free. A mom can appreciate that! This is our hand dish soap. The FIRST bottle that we’re finally nearing the end of. To be fair, we’ve had a dishwasher these three years, so the majority of our dishes is done through that. But when we do dishes, we literally use DROPS of this stuff for a whole sink of suds. Even if the safe aspect doesn’t draw you in, the price will! Shaklee has lots of other products (vitamins, protein drinks, etc.) that we haven’t tapped into…and probably won’t in the foreseeable future, but it feels like a good baby step toward clean living!
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