Reality and Rainbows

Finding out that you're about to have another child forces you to re-evaluate a lot of aspects of your life. In the first week after getting the news, we looked at other houses because we feared we wouldn't be able to afford this place. We talked to a financial advisor who assured us that yes, we could stay in our home, and helped us create a budget. 

We've signed our will (finally) and are looking into getting some more solid life insurance in place (finally).

We're letting go of lots of stuff we've been holding on to in preparation for another set of clothes and toys that will inevitably arrive with the baby.

It's all good. We feel like we're being dragged into adulthood, finally, and it's not as bad as we thought! Let's just say, this news has given us a good dose of reality.

May is always super-busy in our house, with end-of-school-year events and obligations (Kindergarten "graduation", school trips, recitals, report cards, and so on). We also celebrate two birthdays within ten days of each other. Phew. To say I feel a bit burnt out by the end of the month would be understating it a bit. Add to it all the deep exhaustion of early pregnancy, and I can barely drag myself out of bed in the morning.

 Every dose of reality should be tempered by the magical, the fanciful, the just plain beautiful. My Violet wanted a rainbow party for her fifth birthday, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to add some fun and colour into what has been a crazy month. This year I decided to keep things simple, following the inspiration of a friend who has five children. Frozen mini pizzas, tortilla chips and salsa, paper plates, and very low-organization...perfect!

I always make homemade cake or cupcakes because of Jude's gluten and dairy intolerances, and like to serve fruit in lieu of sugary treats. So, rainbow wands and rainbow cupcakes were on the to-do list this morning.

Homemade buttercream icing, store-bought coloured icing, and mini-marshmallows for clouds...sweet!

Ten little kids in rainbow-coloured clothes chasing chickens and manhandling kittens, running around on a sunny day, five pretty candles on colourful cupcakes, and one happy little girl...just the dose of the magical we were craving. We are reminded to continue seeking out the beautiful, and to keep squinching our eyes shut and making wishes with all the optimism our happy hearts can summon.