Spring has sprung!

What I saw on April 23rd:

70*F on my car thermometer

Daffodils & crocuses blooming

A lady walking on the sidewalk in a short sleeve shirt

Tractors in fields

My farmer planting his first field of the season

Schoolchildren playing at the park after school

A lady sitting in a chair in her yard enjoying the early evening weather

Day in the Life ~ Sandwich Generation

7 - wake up the children (one piece of bread in the sandwich)
7.30 - pull out of the garage
8 - drop-off the 4 year old
8.20 - Starbuck's drive through
8.50 - appointment for fitting of custom orthotics (I'm the sandwich filling -  middle-aged!)
9.20 - leave
10.10 - 12.10 visit Grandma in the nursing home (another piece of bread in the sandwich)
12.20-12.50 1 yr old falls asleep during the car ride home
1-2 Moms in Prayer meeting via phone
2-2.30 return phone calls (one regarding a meeting with the school for the 4 yr old)
2.30 - leave to pick up LG
3 - 3.15 talk with my friend who drives LG
{sometime} - arrive home
The sandwich filling collapses!

1000 Gifts, Vol. 5, #68

1000 Gifts, The People Edition

671.  Little Guy's feeding therapist, who emails me with answers to my questions, encouragement, and ideas

672.  the two moms from his school with whom I pray each week

673.  a former colleague whom I hadn't communicated with in a decade, yet with whom I had a very encouraging correspondence this week

674.  small group members praying for LG's teachers

675.  the moms at play group, from whom I learn so much about parenting littles

676.  our pastor who warned us that he will step on toes in his sermon series on I Timothy

677.  furnace repairman who restored our heat last week (albeit by replacing the thermostat)

678.  family from our church who is spending a year serving on the mission field with their children (including teenagers)

679.  librarians who help LG & LM have good experiences in the library!

680.  relatives who still write newsy letters (via email)

Finally

It was a Wednesday.  In 2007.  In a multi-purpose room in suburban Tokyo metro area.  A dozen or so missionaries were eating packed lunches at a folding table.  A co-worker visiting from the USA told us of a new children's Bible story book.  By Sally Lloyd-Jones. 

I immediately ordered a copy from Amazon for my nieces.  His recommendation was unreservedly strong!

All my friends raved (and rave) about it.  I gave more copies as gifts.

Eventually a committee on which I served helped get it translated into Japanese.

As a newly married woman, I used it to supplement a primary Sunday School class I taught.

Little Guy received a copy as a baby gift.  I was so happy!

We have read over 1000 unique books to him ... but not the Jesus Storybook Bible.

I purchased a set of Jesus Storybook Bible DVDs ... but he hasn't watched them.

I have the Jesus Storybook Bible on Audible to listen to on our long commutes ... but he hasn't liked it when I've played it.

That all changed one night this week, when he was picking out his 3 books to be read before bedtime.  For the "one about Jesus," he said, "We have a new one!  We have this in Sunday School!"  [The copy on our shelf was not new at all ... he just saw it for the first time because he recognized it from Sunday School!]

And so we are finally reading The Jesus Storybook Bible in our home.  

Experience Book (or Social Story)

Starting School:
Before Little Guy started school last year, a friend loaned me the book she made for her little guy before he started school. 

The book consisted of a series of photographs she took of her son on the day they visited the school: kissing mom good-bye at drop-off, walking in the front door, getting on the elevator, hanging up his backpack, saying the pledge, etc, all the way through to waiting on the bench in the lobby until his mom pulled up for pickup at the end of the day.

The photos were in an old-school 24-photo vinyl photo album with no captions.

Little Guy and I toured the school and staged similar photos, I got them printed, and put them in an album, and we read it over and over and over again.  "Little Guy goes to School," we call it, and he still likes to read it!  For a 3 1/2 year old who had been with mom almost 24/7, he made an amazing transition to all-day school 3 days/ week, in part due to our book (and prayer!!). 

Eye doctor & dentist:
I have purchased (from Teachers Pay Teachers) experience books for the eye doctor and dentist, which I had printed on cardstock at Office Depot. After I laminate them, I'll have OD bind them.

Sports:
While I didn't make a social story for swim lessons, I found some good ones that can be read online.  I'm kicking myself (pun intended) that I didn't make one for soccer lessons. 

Current problem:
Earlier this week, when Little Miss successfully pulled out one of Little Guy's hearing aids (after weeks of attempting), I emailed his team at school for tips.  Surely LG isn't the first HA-user to have a younger sibling wanting to pull one out?!?  Part of the issue is that LG never moves away when she goes for the grab.  So, I also wanted to work on advocacy skills with him (something his school is very good at doing).

Immediately, one member of his team emailed back suggesting that the school make two experience books: one from LM's perspective to help her, and one from LG's perspective to help him!

She gave me a list of photos to take (the two of them playing happily side by side, LM reaching for a HA & LG frowning, LG giving her a toy to play with and LG smiling, etc.) and asked what language I want LG to use in that instance. 

I can't wait to read them each their experience book!!

Have you ever used social stories? 

Resources for you:
If you scroll down on this page, this blogger has suggestions about social stories.  (There are several examples on her blog, too.)

Some days

Some days you put one child in the play yard while the other has free reign, so you can clean in another room, and have the knowledge that no one is getting hurt.

Some days you turn on a Daniel Tiger episode on your computer, and let the 4 year old watch it.

Some days the 1 year old (who "will never see a screen til she's 3 years old") watch it, too, while standing in the play yard and looking over his lap.

Some days you let him (ahem, them) watch two episodes in a row.

Some days you go and sit ... alone (!) ... in the room you just cleaned and enjoy the peace and quiet (oh, and the Daniel Tiger episode in the next room).

Sunday Lunch

Need a nice meal that's ready to eat when you walk in the door from church?

This is my go-to.

Sweet & Saucy Chicken (or a family pack of 4# of boneless, skinless, chicken thighs and an 18 oz bottle of barbecue sauce) in the slow cooker

Rice in the rice cooker on timed cook

Slaw - a bag of broccoli slaw mixed with half a jar of Marzetti's poppyseed dressing in the morning; tossed with honey roasted peanuts & dried cranberries just before serving.  (Alternatively, here's a cheaper homemade recipe.)

Corn - frozen, heated in the microwave while setting the table.

It's even better if you have rolls.  Walmart subbed my bag of frozen Sister Shubert's heat & serve dinner rolls for another brand last week.  I didn't realize until I was ready to put them in the oven for 5-10 minutes that the other brand requires hours and hours to thaw first.  Oh, well. :)

15 months

Little Miss, you're 15 months old now!

You say "Daddy!" All. The. Time!  If you are on the far side of the living room, and hear the door from the garage to the house open, you make a beeline, saying, "Daddy! Daddy!"  Or, if you're running errands with me for 4 hours, you say, "Daddy!" all the time. 

You are very happy to ride in your red Chicco carseat ... for hours a day.

You love to hug and kiss your dolls and stuffed animals.

You sleep about 12 hours at night and 1 1/2 - 3 hours at naptime.  You go to bed happy and wake up happy; both times babbling away saying who knows what.

You are not a fan of table food (except for shredded cheese and graham crackers).

You drink 16 ounces of whole milk daily and some water.  You are still not a fan of sippy cups, so mostly drink out of a bottle with a spout-like training nipple.  And sometimes from a 360* cup with handles.

You have a lot of hair ... and it's wavy (and yes, it is naturally curly, dear stranger who asked me!) ... and you do not like hair clips or bows.

You put *everything* into your mouth. (A friend says it's because you never took a paci.)

You love to visit Grandma.

You have just moved into 18 month clothes

You can climb stairs pretty quickly, but I only let you when I'm right behind you to catch you if you turn around. :-O

You like to carry small toys around and pretend they are a phone, and say "Hi!"

You sign  your version of "All done," with a vocalized, "Aah..." and surprised me by coming home from nursery signing "more." (They did tell me you chowed down on cheerios at snack time. Ha!)

The common word people use to describe you is "chill."

Last month you graduated from baby nursery to toddler nursery, and all the grandmas in baby nursery are so sad. :(

You are strong, rough and tumble (thanks to Little Guy!), "chill," happy, delightful, cuddly, affectionate, and did I mention happy?

We love you, Little Miss!

Apps

I never thought I'd be talking about apps, but here I am.

Four recent ones I've been using:

FEMA (get weather alerts for several locations)

Paul Tripp (lots of his material)

Voice Memos (recording sounds for LG's speech therapist & audiologist)

Lifeway Kids (songs that LG learns in Sunday School)

Do you have any apps to recommend?

Resuming normalcy

After 6+ months of not using the library, I have 10 (mostly children's) books checked out of our library and 9 on my hold list. 

I've accepted an opportunity to serve (in a small, one-time-only administrative task) at church.

I made a meal plan last week, and stuck to it!

Once last week and once this week there has been a brief moment of NO dirty dishes and NO piles of laundry!!

I've run errands (in actual stores, not just online ordering) two weeks in a row ... with a toddler in tow!

I actually mailed a couple birthday gifts and purchased a shower gift (which I plan to wrap and actually deliver).

I've bought greeting cards for some upcoming occasions.

We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel of the intense first year of Little Miss's life (combined with a 3 yr old big brother who felt his displacement severely, and, on the heels of that, started a 65 mile one-way commute 3 days/week).  Life will return to somewhat normal, I think. :)

Restaurant bag

We have boxes and boxes of crayons (both gifts and ones I picked up during back-to-school sales).  Plus we've collected dozens over the past few years from restaurants. 

But Little Guy really doesn't like to color.  So last summer I started carrying a mini-container of PlayDoh in my purse. It was really helpful in countless restaurants.

As Little Guy grows, I've changed my bag of tricks, and currently try to remember to take his BoogieBoard e-writer and container of WikkiStix.  [For Christmas I specifically asked for activities he can do in his car seat, which conveniently enough also work for restaurants or any place where we have to wait.]

I found this idea on Pinterest for a Restaurant Kit.  But so far I just throw an activity or two into Little Miss's diaper bag.  (My purse is too small. I've learned in this stage of life that it's best to use a small cross-body purse with valuables, Epipen and inhaler, so it's always on me & I don't lose it.)

Do you use a restaurant kit?  What do you include in it?  What kind of container do you use?

Tea as a mom

Tea and I go way back, but being a mom has changed our relationship.  I received this lovely mug when I became a mom.  And being a mom changed the way we vacation. 

The summer LG was a year and a half, I started slipping away to a coffee shop every morning we were on vacation.  Of course, I order tea, not coffee.  And this shop serves The. Most. Amazing. Tea!  I look forward to summer every year, so I can drink it!  Although they sell packages of some of their teas in the shop, they do not sell my favorite.

Fast forward to Black Friday 2017, and I looked up the company that sells the tea... and bought myself a little pre-Christmas gift of 1/4 pound of my flavor (on sale + free shipping).

This morning I dumped the last little bit of tea leaves (mostly crumbled) into my special tea cup with a strainer (a gift I received upon LG's birth!).

It was a rough mom morning.  I savored every sip of my last taste of this tea til summer ... and then I refilled the cup, not once, but twice!  Two more months, Lord willing, and I'll be sipping it in my favorite coffee shop in the world, lost in my own little world, with my Bible, a book, a pen, and a journal ... and probably a delicious oatmeal bake also!  Mmmmm!

The Ride

After the morning hustle to get a 4 year old and 1 year old (not to mention their mom!) out of bed, dressed, semi-fed, in the car, and buckled, we set out at 7.30 (7.15 on mornings my friend has Bible study)!

Pull out of our little U-shaped street onto the backroad to "town."  Pass out gum, adjust the speaker to the backseat, and choose a selection from Audible. It might be Little House, or One Morning in Maine, or Blueberries for Sal, or Paddington, or Aesop's Fables. 

If I remember to declare, "Mommy's music until the stop sign," then I can get two good soul-strengthening songs out of Christian radio, that lead to literally hours of meditating throughout the day.

The first five miles are unmarked with no shoulder.  Not necessarily a two-way, one-lane road like in many neighborhoods in Japan, but definitely a bit narrow.  Drive 55, and the people behind you will try to pass you, which is a harrowing experience!

The first 14 miles are basically straight and level.  At 7.30 AM, I've discovered that, after the first 5 miles, it's like a freeway full of commuters to "the city."  55 is merely a suggestion; 64 is often the speed of traffic, and then there are the outliers who go even faster. 

Little Miss is happy as a lark.  With a Taggie animal or two, and a blanket or fabric book, she is comfy and cozy, singing along to the music or pointing out the window.  Now that she can hold her own bottle, midway I ask Little Guy to pass a bottle to her. 

Little Guy points out, "No train today. Maybe tomorrow," as we approach the tracks.  While we do a little jog to get onto the interstate, he asks, "Where does that road go?" "Where does that road go?" and "Where does that road go?"

Once we are on the interstate, he points out any pig trucks or car transporters that we see, declaring each to be "my favorite!!" 

If we arrive before my friend who takes him the rest of the way, we read a book or "have conversation." 

[I wonder what others think when they see a minivan pull into the gas station parking lot next to another minivan, and one mom unbuckle her 4-year-old and buckle him in the other van, before both vans drive off.  Or when they see the reverse.  Or when they see that same action repeated morning and afternoon 3 days a week.  Rain, snow, sleet, or hail ... and almost always in windy conditions!]

Then Little Miss and I repeat the trip in reverse.  8:15 - 8:30 AM is too early for commuters to be returning from the "big city," so we rarely see any cars on the last 14 mile stretch. 

Another hour and 15 minutes or so in her carseat...  Ready to do it all over again in 4 or 5 hours?

Home!  And time for second breakfast! :) 

Spring?!?

Apparently, when I washed and put away Little Guy's snowsuit the last week of March, I was too optimistic!

But my snowman shower curtain is still matching the seasons, even though it's still hanging on the shower in early April!

Getting ready for school the first week of April, I told LG, "Better wear your winter coat, buddy. It's cold outside."  When he asked if it were going to warm up, honestly, I didn't know how to answer that.  Maybe in June???  ;)

Spring break

We had a hard time adjusting to the lack of routine at the beginning of spring break ... and we'll probably have a hard time adjusting to having a routine again when spring break is over ... but we've enjoyed it!

I made a list of six Easter activities we could do, plus an Easter egg hunt (which I put in parentheses, because I wasn't excited about taking two children, and it turns out it was cold and windy and damp).

We did three of the six activities. :)

We colored Easter eggs (not very exciting).

We made resurrection rolls (or "the-tomb-is-empty rolls," as LG called them).  That was a BIG hit!!

And we read Easter books.  A. Lot!

The Berenstain Bears & the Easter Story was a favorite.  It tells the Easter story, bookended by discussions about Easter candy.  (That's a little cross-cultural for us, because candy is, rather unintentionally, not part of our Easter celebration.)

The Parable of the Lily was on constant repeat in the "Will you read to me, Mommy?" list.

And The Bible for Me, Easter version was the absolute favorite. "Will you read the cross part, Mommy? I like the cross part."  He was very impressed by the crown of thorns.

My next book to add to our circulation is "The Thorn Bush."

How was your spring break? or Easter?

1000 Gifts, Vol. 5, #67

661. a pre-planting getaway

662.  sans children

663.  to a place we'd never been (the place was to have been a surprise ... except for the google ads that kept popping up on my computer screen (!) (and the phone call from the B&B owner to clarify a few things)

664.  that feeling when you drop the children off and get in the car

665.  amazing lunch at a tearoom in an old building overlooking the mighty Mississippi, including sights of barge traffic

666.  the pie!!!! (3-5" tall, DENSE chocolate silk; couldn't even eat half of it)

667.  B&B in a historic mansion ... with a 24-hour chocolate buffet (fancy way of saying they leave lots of bowls of chocolates sitting on the buffet at all times, but still - Mmm!)

668.  hours and hours stretching before us

669.  hours and hours to catch up on sleep ... on a gray, drizzly day

670.  in a really cozy bed with featherbed below and nice down comforter on top - zzzzz!