981. two days home (thanks to Little Miss's stomach bug)
982. time to launder our sheets, mattress pad, and blankets!
983. two days of cancelled appointments :)
984. time to rest, sit, and drink tea (with lots of honey & lemon)
985. the EASE of our life - ordering groceries online to pick up, washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher, frozen food, wifi, Tile, data for our phones, etc!
986. LM's new lullaby bear that sings Scripture and which she loves to cuddle
987. "Sing to Learn with Dr. Jean" album on Spotify (the phenomenal retired kindergarten teacher who leads Storytime at our local library uses her materials)
988. LM qualifies for 30 minutes/week of speech therapy at our local school
989. LG is now getting PT at his school for gross motor & sensory needs
990. paperwork has been processed for LM to have an OT eval for sensory needs asap!
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Barrier-free
For better or worse, our house is a form of open floor plan, but with enough walls that a child can have hours of fun running in circles or even in a figure 8 throughout the downstairs!
That translated into three baby gates (one of them very very wide) when Little Guy was a baby. It was a big day when the gates were taken down!
And then Little Miss started moving. The three baby gates went up again. One was actually a 6-panel play yard-fence-type-thing that blocked off a large opening. As we were getting ready for a family gathering earlier this month, we took the play yard out (and promptly sold it on Facebook!). The middle gate had been down awhile, and there was no sense to keep the third gate up. So, now we are completely barrier-free. It truly is freeing to walk freely throughout one's home!
Little Miss takes her freedom a little bit too much, and "escapes" upstairs at any opportunity. She has not yet learned to stay out of rooms, so you can imagine some of the escapades she has had, culminating in this morning's attempt at giving herself a bath!
UPS brought my Amazon order just in time this afternoon, and now all the upstairs doors (all 7 of them - the upstairs is decidedly not an open floor plan!) have door handle locks on them.
That translated into three baby gates (one of them very very wide) when Little Guy was a baby. It was a big day when the gates were taken down!
And then Little Miss started moving. The three baby gates went up again. One was actually a 6-panel play yard-fence-type-thing that blocked off a large opening. As we were getting ready for a family gathering earlier this month, we took the play yard out (and promptly sold it on Facebook!). The middle gate had been down awhile, and there was no sense to keep the third gate up. So, now we are completely barrier-free. It truly is freeing to walk freely throughout one's home!
Little Miss takes her freedom a little bit too much, and "escapes" upstairs at any opportunity. She has not yet learned to stay out of rooms, so you can imagine some of the escapades she has had, culminating in this morning's attempt at giving herself a bath!
UPS brought my Amazon order just in time this afternoon, and now all the upstairs doors (all 7 of them - the upstairs is decidedly not an open floor plan!) have door handle locks on them.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
The tale of two backpacks
The day before meeting Little Guy found us in Target, filling a shopping cart with items from a list of "Things you need for a baby." Ha! We were so clueless, but in fact many of those items were used for two babies, and some (like the bath towels & washcloths) are STILL in use today.
One item we purchased was a diaper bag. We chose a gray/black backpack with red trim, so that Jim could wear it just as easily. True to form, we used it for two babies. Then, when Little Miss transitioned to a small backpack she can wear, the diaper bag backpack moved to my closet. It has come in handy on trips, etc.
But today it is going to school on LG's back!! Who would have guessed?!
His "Junior Original Backpack" from LL Bean that he has used for 2.5 years is getting stuffed and hard for him to zip now with a folder, two journals, a pencil box, a lunch box, hat and gloves, and now his Roger pen case. So we'll see how this one works, 6+ years after purchasing it.
I wonder if he will notice that instead of his fun, bright-colored shark backpack, his is now plain, drab, & muted, compared to the backpacks his friends wear - dinosaur, camouflage, Paw Patrol, etc. And I wonder if he will care.
Off to school,
J-
One item we purchased was a diaper bag. We chose a gray/black backpack with red trim, so that Jim could wear it just as easily. True to form, we used it for two babies. Then, when Little Miss transitioned to a small backpack she can wear, the diaper bag backpack moved to my closet. It has come in handy on trips, etc.
But today it is going to school on LG's back!! Who would have guessed?!
His "Junior Original Backpack" from LL Bean that he has used for 2.5 years is getting stuffed and hard for him to zip now with a folder, two journals, a pencil box, a lunch box, hat and gloves, and now his Roger pen case. So we'll see how this one works, 6+ years after purchasing it.
I wonder if he will notice that instead of his fun, bright-colored shark backpack, his is now plain, drab, & muted, compared to the backpacks his friends wear - dinosaur, camouflage, Paw Patrol, etc. And I wonder if he will care.
Off to school,
J-
Monday, January 27, 2020
It's only Monday
This week ~
8 appointments (Monday ~ Thursday),
2 after-school activities,
3 evening meetings,
+ 2 evening performances of the middle school play (in which Jim and I will take turns attending).
This morning I had three lengthy phone calls, either in the van or at the allergist's office, while waiting my 30 minutes after my (4) shots:
I ask myself every week, "What could we do differently?"
We are probably skipping a funeral &/or visitation this week. We skipped one last week also. (Apparently I am not my father's daughter.)
LM will stay with a friend on my carpool day this week. That will make carpool exponentially easier. One less person changes the dynamics. Also another carpool mom commissioned a friend to make a huge foam divider to separate the two who have been getting into fist fights from their 5-point car seats?!?!
I may skip the middle school play.
The three evening meetings are for spiritual vitality. One (for both Jim and me) is twice a month, and has an abundance of benefits! The second is twice a month for Jim and is a refreshing service opportunity. The third is only a few times a year for me, and Jim is adamant I keep it for my mental health. :)
Yes, this is a season. Yes, we have cut out lots of things, including basic cleanliness of our home (I'm not talking mess [well, that, too, actually]; I'm talking dirt), personal hygiene, cooking, exercise, correspondence, time with friends, play group (by default most weeks), library visits, and even visiting Grandpa, for Pete's sake! Yes, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, God's mercies are new every morning.
But it is still hard. I practice thankfulness, but that doesn't negate the fact that it's hard. Every line in the lists above is a reason to give thanks! God has graciously given us so many professionals to help us in so many areas of life. And He has given us a village.
It is hard. So we pray for sleep, hydration, and nutrition. And we pray for strength, grace, wisdom, endurance, patience.
8 appointments (Monday ~ Thursday),
2 after-school activities,
3 evening meetings,
+ 2 evening performances of the middle school play (in which Jim and I will take turns attending).
- Little Miss's 6-month follow-up with ENT to check her tubes
- my allergy shots (two appointments; I'm on the fast-track to build back up to maintenance level)
- oil change & routine maintenance on our van (94,000 miles - Woohoo! It's only been off the assembly line 2.5 years!)
- LM's first weekly speech therapy (YEAH!!!!)
- Little Guy's (twice-a-year) speech perception testing in the sound booth
- meeting with the school social worker
- meeting with our post adoptive counselor
This morning I had three lengthy phone calls, either in the van or at the allergist's office, while waiting my 30 minutes after my (4) shots:
- school speech therapist to follow up on LM's evaluation & make a plan for her speech therapy,
- Honda dealership to clarify an issue that came up at my last maintenance appointment (that conversation took immense levels of concentration because the guy might as well have been speaking Swahili!), &
- very lengthy & complicated first-steps conversation with the new director of special ed for our school district, regarding preparing for LG's enrollment in 1st grade in the fall.
I ask myself every week, "What could we do differently?"
We are probably skipping a funeral &/or visitation this week. We skipped one last week also. (Apparently I am not my father's daughter.)
LM will stay with a friend on my carpool day this week. That will make carpool exponentially easier. One less person changes the dynamics. Also another carpool mom commissioned a friend to make a huge foam divider to separate the two who have been getting into fist fights from their 5-point car seats?!?!
I may skip the middle school play.
The three evening meetings are for spiritual vitality. One (for both Jim and me) is twice a month, and has an abundance of benefits! The second is twice a month for Jim and is a refreshing service opportunity. The third is only a few times a year for me, and Jim is adamant I keep it for my mental health. :)
Yes, this is a season. Yes, we have cut out lots of things, including basic cleanliness of our home (I'm not talking mess [well, that, too, actually]; I'm talking dirt), personal hygiene, cooking, exercise, correspondence, time with friends, play group (by default most weeks), library visits, and even visiting Grandpa, for Pete's sake! Yes, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Yes, God's mercies are new every morning.
But it is still hard. I practice thankfulness, but that doesn't negate the fact that it's hard. Every line in the lists above is a reason to give thanks! God has graciously given us so many professionals to help us in so many areas of life. And He has given us a village.
It is hard. So we pray for sleep, hydration, and nutrition. And we pray for strength, grace, wisdom, endurance, patience.
So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Introducing Roger
Roger is the newest member of our family ... and we all are in love!
Roger is a pen-shaped microphone I wear around my neck. Roger takes my words and transmits them directly into Little Guy's hearing aids.
If I speak in the kitchen, Roger helps LG hear me upstairs in his bedroom! If I am driving the van, and LG is in the very backseat, I don't have to yell for LG to hear me. If LG is wearing headphones listening to The Boxcar Children, Roger makes my voice more audible than The Boxcar Children.
If I don't have to yell, I feel happier. If LG can hear my every word, even when he can't see my face, he should feel more content.
LG's teacher uses it at school, his Sunday School teachers & Children's Church teachers will use it, his soccer coach (in the future) will use it. [Too bad his swim instructor can't use it.] And LG has asked me to be sure to use it ALL THE TIME!
Roger entered our home the same time that LG's new (and very improved) hearing aids (HAs) did, so we're all getting used to lots of new things all at once.
Instead of keeping his HAs in a Dri-case at night (which we stored in the front pocket of his backpack, in case we were on our way to school and remembered he hadn't put them in), now he puts them in a charging pod, that plugs in to an outlet in his room. Last thing he does at night. First thing he does in the morning. His responsibility.
I also have to remember to charge Roger each night (in the kitchen).
In the morning, I put Roger's lanyard around my neck, turn him on and off we go, hopefully remembering to mute him if I'm having a conversation that LG doesn't need to be part of!
When we pull up to the school, Roger goes into his bed (a hinged-lid plastic pencil box with a divider; the smaller compartment has a black felt lining to keep him comfy & cozy ... and safe!) and inside LG's backpack. Due to the marvels of technology, the teacher doesn't wear 5 or 6 Roger pens. She wears the first one that is handed to her that day, and then goes around the room, pairing it with each Roger-compatible device in her classroom.
At school, when LG goes to 1:1 speech therapy or reading group or social skills class, etc, he takes Roger and hands him off to that teacher.
Roger wears a label with my cell phone number, and the case is well-labeled as well. Roger may even end up with a rider on our homeowner's insurance, and his case will probably become home to an Amazon Tile in the near future.
We are so happy that Roger has joined our family!
(I don't know, but I imagine that the manufacturer chose his name from
Roger is a pen-shaped microphone I wear around my neck. Roger takes my words and transmits them directly into Little Guy's hearing aids.
If I speak in the kitchen, Roger helps LG hear me upstairs in his bedroom! If I am driving the van, and LG is in the very backseat, I don't have to yell for LG to hear me. If LG is wearing headphones listening to The Boxcar Children, Roger makes my voice more audible than The Boxcar Children.
If I don't have to yell, I feel happier. If LG can hear my every word, even when he can't see my face, he should feel more content.
LG's teacher uses it at school, his Sunday School teachers & Children's Church teachers will use it, his soccer coach (in the future) will use it. [Too bad his swim instructor can't use it.] And LG has asked me to be sure to use it ALL THE TIME!
Roger entered our home the same time that LG's new (and very improved) hearing aids (HAs) did, so we're all getting used to lots of new things all at once.
Instead of keeping his HAs in a Dri-case at night (which we stored in the front pocket of his backpack, in case we were on our way to school and remembered he hadn't put them in), now he puts them in a charging pod, that plugs in to an outlet in his room. Last thing he does at night. First thing he does in the morning. His responsibility.
I also have to remember to charge Roger each night (in the kitchen).
In the morning, I put Roger's lanyard around my neck, turn him on and off we go, hopefully remembering to mute him if I'm having a conversation that LG doesn't need to be part of!
When we pull up to the school, Roger goes into his bed (a hinged-lid plastic pencil box with a divider; the smaller compartment has a black felt lining to keep him comfy & cozy ... and safe!) and inside LG's backpack. Due to the marvels of technology, the teacher doesn't wear 5 or 6 Roger pens. She wears the first one that is handed to her that day, and then goes around the room, pairing it with each Roger-compatible device in her classroom.
At school, when LG goes to 1:1 speech therapy or reading group or social skills class, etc, he takes Roger and hands him off to that teacher.
Roger wears a label with my cell phone number, and the case is well-labeled as well. Roger may even end up with a rider on our homeowner's insurance, and his case will probably become home to an Amazon Tile in the near future.
We are so happy that Roger has joined our family!
(I don't know, but I imagine that the manufacturer chose his name from
)
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Red tape
We went on a cruise last month.
We realized sort of too late that Jim's passport had expired. No problem; we could use his birth certificate.
Two days before we left, I woke up in the middle of the night wondering if his birth certificate was official enough. It was issued at the county court house, not the state vital records office. I texted a picture of it to another member of our party and she assured me it looked just like what her daughters have used on cruises.
Fast forward through a few very stressful days, wondering if we would ever get packed, ever find a motel the first night, ever find a motel the second night, ever make it to the port on time, etc!
While the rest of our party of 18 was already onboard relaxing, we were sweating bullets in line, when the check-in clerk questioned all three of our birth certificates (my passport passed muster). She really went over them with a fine toothed comb, got a supervisor, etc. We were standing & waiting a long time.
She was (amazingly) most worried about Little Guy's, which is actually the most official looking of any of ours. I was basically speechless (and texting our family onboard to pray!).
In the end she wasn't as worried about Jim's birth certificate, which is not even on a standard sized piece of paper (it's like 2/3 of a 8 1/2 x 11), with a coffee stain, and issued at a county court house! There is no foil, color, or design. It just looks like it was printed on a desktop printer!
And so, today I am mailing four envelopes to the Vital Records office in four different states, requesting two birth certificates for each of us! Each state has a different application form, a different fee schedule, etc. One state charges $20 each. One state has a bulk rate, so for $17, you can get two. One only takes credit cards or cashier checks, no personal checks.
Hopefully we will soon all have our most basic legal document in order .... just in time to apply for REAL IDs and passports!
As I was filling out forms, making copies of photo IDs, etc., I was amazed that that was my life for so many years ... keeping track of expiration dates of passport, visa, period of stay, alien registration card, foreign driver's license, US driver's license, etc.! I have given almost zero time to any of that in the past 9 years ... as evidenced by one lapsed passport, and two sketchy birth certificates. (Jim's may be coffee-stained and not the most official, but mine is almost 50 years old, typewritten, and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't pass muster for my REAL ID!)
We realized sort of too late that Jim's passport had expired. No problem; we could use his birth certificate.
Two days before we left, I woke up in the middle of the night wondering if his birth certificate was official enough. It was issued at the county court house, not the state vital records office. I texted a picture of it to another member of our party and she assured me it looked just like what her daughters have used on cruises.
Fast forward through a few very stressful days, wondering if we would ever get packed, ever find a motel the first night, ever find a motel the second night, ever make it to the port on time, etc!
While the rest of our party of 18 was already onboard relaxing, we were sweating bullets in line, when the check-in clerk questioned all three of our birth certificates (my passport passed muster). She really went over them with a fine toothed comb, got a supervisor, etc. We were standing & waiting a long time.
She was (amazingly) most worried about Little Guy's, which is actually the most official looking of any of ours. I was basically speechless (and texting our family onboard to pray!).
In the end she wasn't as worried about Jim's birth certificate, which is not even on a standard sized piece of paper (it's like 2/3 of a 8 1/2 x 11), with a coffee stain, and issued at a county court house! There is no foil, color, or design. It just looks like it was printed on a desktop printer!
And so, today I am mailing four envelopes to the Vital Records office in four different states, requesting two birth certificates for each of us! Each state has a different application form, a different fee schedule, etc. One state charges $20 each. One state has a bulk rate, so for $17, you can get two. One only takes credit cards or cashier checks, no personal checks.
Hopefully we will soon all have our most basic legal document in order .... just in time to apply for REAL IDs and passports!
As I was filling out forms, making copies of photo IDs, etc., I was amazed that that was my life for so many years ... keeping track of expiration dates of passport, visa, period of stay, alien registration card, foreign driver's license, US driver's license, etc.! I have given almost zero time to any of that in the past 9 years ... as evidenced by one lapsed passport, and two sketchy birth certificates. (Jim's may be coffee-stained and not the most official, but mine is almost 50 years old, typewritten, and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't pass muster for my REAL ID!)
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Games
Last night Little Miss had an early bedtime, and Little Guy had a late bedtime, so we played a game.
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game was his choice, and he had been eager to play it, ever since I found it at the consignment store for $5!
To be honest, although I know the benefits, I'm not a huge game player, but there's something about this game that I think I could play for hours and not get bored or just be biding my time til it's over.
Seek-a-Boo and Roll & Play (by Think Fun) were his favorites as a toddler. LM has had a very different childhood (basically spent in her carseat, thanks to LG's school), and so she hasn't played as many games. Also, she only recently stopped putting small items in her mouth. So there's that.
Zingo was his next favorite.
I had seen an organized game shelf or closet online, so when I was putting away The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game last night, I took five minutes to transform the top shelf of our toy closet ... from uneven piles of precariously stacked games that looked like they could all topple down at any moment ... to this!
I'm not a KonMari fan necessarily, but this does spark joy for me! It motivates me to play more games with my children. In the process, I think we'll discover which games we DON'T play, and we can donate those.
Besides the three listed above, and the Discovery Toys ones, only one has been intentionally purchased (and it was a disappointment). Most have been garage sale finds. Some of those are classic children's games, some I remember from my childhood, and some are the children's version of games that our adult relatives play. So, I'm pretty confident in the fun-value of most of them.
But now I'm pondering what games to intentionally add to our collection. LG recently did a plotting exercise at school, so I think he's ready for Battleship. :)
I don't think I have a favorite board game. My favorite games are actually solitary strategy games - Bananagrams, and the Think Fun series of logic games, many of which I've picked up at the consignment store.
What games do you play in your house? Any recommendations for a 6 and 3 year old?
The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game was his choice, and he had been eager to play it, ever since I found it at the consignment store for $5!
To be honest, although I know the benefits, I'm not a huge game player, but there's something about this game that I think I could play for hours and not get bored or just be biding my time til it's over.
Seek-a-Boo and Roll & Play (by Think Fun) were his favorites as a toddler. LM has had a very different childhood (basically spent in her carseat, thanks to LG's school), and so she hasn't played as many games. Also, she only recently stopped putting small items in her mouth. So there's that.
Zingo was his next favorite.
I had seen an organized game shelf or closet online, so when I was putting away The Sneaky Snacky Squirrel game last night, I took five minutes to transform the top shelf of our toy closet ... from uneven piles of precariously stacked games that looked like they could all topple down at any moment ... to this!
I'm not a KonMari fan necessarily, but this does spark joy for me! It motivates me to play more games with my children. In the process, I think we'll discover which games we DON'T play, and we can donate those.
Besides the three listed above, and the Discovery Toys ones, only one has been intentionally purchased (and it was a disappointment). Most have been garage sale finds. Some of those are classic children's games, some I remember from my childhood, and some are the children's version of games that our adult relatives play. So, I'm pretty confident in the fun-value of most of them.
But now I'm pondering what games to intentionally add to our collection. LG recently did a plotting exercise at school, so I think he's ready for Battleship. :)
I don't think I have a favorite board game. My favorite games are actually solitary strategy games - Bananagrams, and the Think Fun series of logic games, many of which I've picked up at the consignment store.
What games do you play in your house? Any recommendations for a 6 and 3 year old?
Thursday, January 16, 2020
The Body of Christ caring for my body
Today was infusion day. There always seems to be a glitch.
The first month I had a pretty violent reaction and only got a partial dose.
The second month I had to leave home at 6.30 AM, drive Little Guy 65 miles to school, drop him off at before care, retrace my route 45 miles, drop Little Miss off, and THEN go to my 9 AM appointment. A dear lady met me there to sit with me and be with me. And a good thing, too, because I had 4 Benadryl in my system, and just as the infusion ended, LM's sitter texted that I needed to pick her up because it looked like she had pink eye. My dear friend drove my van to pick up LM AND 45 miles to pick up LG AND 45 miles back AND went with us to the ped's office. I am blown away by her sacrificial generosity.
Last Tuesday was my scheduled January infusion. I was supposed to drive carpool all week, so my friend's sister was going to drive on my infusion day. But in the end, LG was the only child in our carpool going to school that day. And her sister STILL drove (!!!), "because I know how much you two rely on each other." ... After I had dropped off both children, I got a phone call that my infusion was cancelled. I had a few emotions.
Today was infusion day. Last night at 6, I received a text that LM's sitter's son had a fever. After checking out at least 5 possibilities for back-up, in the end we just decided to take a gamble and let LM go to the sitter's house anyway. I had a few emotions.
Today another dear lady went with me. I was very thankful for her presence, especially after two veins blew, and I was on edge, wondering if they would get the IV in, and if not, how long would I have to wait to reschedule?
You might think it takes a doctor, a nurse, and a pharmacist for me to get my infusion.
But it takes the Body of Christ! It takes my friend who drives carpool. It takes her sister. It takes LG's teacher. It takes LM's sitter. It takes sisters in Christ who sit with me.
There are a lot of moving pieces to my infusions. Not only am I praying for insurance approval (new pharmacy & my request to start going to an infusion center), but I pray for healthy children (mine and my carpool friend's and LM's sitter's children!) so that everyone can be taken care of so I am actually able to go to my scheduled appointment.
The first month I had a pretty violent reaction and only got a partial dose.
The second month I had to leave home at 6.30 AM, drive Little Guy 65 miles to school, drop him off at before care, retrace my route 45 miles, drop Little Miss off, and THEN go to my 9 AM appointment. A dear lady met me there to sit with me and be with me. And a good thing, too, because I had 4 Benadryl in my system, and just as the infusion ended, LM's sitter texted that I needed to pick her up because it looked like she had pink eye. My dear friend drove my van to pick up LM AND 45 miles to pick up LG AND 45 miles back AND went with us to the ped's office. I am blown away by her sacrificial generosity.
Last Tuesday was my scheduled January infusion. I was supposed to drive carpool all week, so my friend's sister was going to drive on my infusion day. But in the end, LG was the only child in our carpool going to school that day. And her sister STILL drove (!!!), "because I know how much you two rely on each other." ... After I had dropped off both children, I got a phone call that my infusion was cancelled. I had a few emotions.
Today was infusion day. Last night at 6, I received a text that LM's sitter's son had a fever. After checking out at least 5 possibilities for back-up, in the end we just decided to take a gamble and let LM go to the sitter's house anyway. I had a few emotions.
Today another dear lady went with me. I was very thankful for her presence, especially after two veins blew, and I was on edge, wondering if they would get the IV in, and if not, how long would I have to wait to reschedule?
You might think it takes a doctor, a nurse, and a pharmacist for me to get my infusion.
But it takes the Body of Christ! It takes my friend who drives carpool. It takes her sister. It takes LG's teacher. It takes LM's sitter. It takes sisters in Christ who sit with me.
There are a lot of moving pieces to my infusions. Not only am I praying for insurance approval (new pharmacy & my request to start going to an infusion center), but I pray for healthy children (mine and my carpool friend's and LM's sitter's children!) so that everyone can be taken care of so I am actually able to go to my scheduled appointment.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2019 version
Places where I spent one (or more) nights in 2019:
I-75 south of Atlanta, GA
near Orlando, FL
Madeira Beach, FL
Chattanooga, TN
somewhere in Kansas
Colorado Springs, CO
east of Denver, CO
somewhere in Missouri
Blountville, TN
Smyrna, TN
somewhere in FL
on the Caribbean
somewhere in GA
south of Cincinnati, OH
*Williams Bay, WIKingsport, TN
and home!
(italics - stayed there more than one night)
(* stayed there on more than one occasion)
2019 was the Year of the Road Trip!
We drove 8,460 miles as a family on four road trips! (This of course is in addition to our 100-130 miles/day 5 days/week driving to school or our carpool spot!)
Spring break in Florida not only included the beach and a children's museum, art museum, jungle park, and lots of playgrounds, but also four visits with relatives. July found us sharing a large house (with amazing fun backyard for children) in Colorado with five other family members, celebrating a wedding! September was our (late) summer trip to my parents'. In December we drove to get to our Christmas cruise with all of Jim's side, and then drove to my parents' on our way home.
I'm not sure where we spent the night many of those nights because it literally was whatever motel had a room available. (We had a few adventures finding rooms, but now Little Miss begs, "Go in there! Go in hotel!" every time we see one, even the ones at the exit near our closest Walmart!)
I don't think I added any new states in 2019 (and we only were in 11! I saw online a map for going through 26 states in 8500 miles!), but cruise ship stops in Dominican Republic, Nassau, and Turks & Caicos were all new.
We didn't make it to Wisconsin very much, maybe 3 times (?), once with relatives, once with small group, and once with Jim's cousin's family whose children are similar in ages to ours.
We didn't make it on a pre-planting getaway either {sigh} ...
And I didn't stay at my parents' on more than one occasion, although we visited them twice. The September visit was right after a huge health scare, so I stayed in a motel. :)
Where did you go in 2019 for the first time?
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2009 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2010 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2011 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2012 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2013 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2014 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2015 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2016 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2017 version
Oh, the places you will go! ~ 2018 version
Friday, January 10, 2020
1000 Gifts, Vol.5, #98
971. Grace and strength for the first week back to school after Christmas break ... including driving carpool four out of five days
972. Drop in childcare for Little Miss
973. All I Have is Christ (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V0vfz5lr37g)
972. Drop in childcare for Little Miss
973. All I Have is Christ (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V0vfz5lr37g)
974. His Mercy is More (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ijsjA5Yf8XA)
975. He Will Hold Me Fast (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0345Ls4IJf4)
976. Moms in Prayer special needs prayer call with 5 other moms from all over the country
976. Connecting with more moms from Little Guy's school
977. Gluten free iced gingerbread kettle corn
978. Clearance on toys at Farm & Fleet :)
979. Getting most of the rest of our Christmas cards in the mail (on January 9th!)
980. The flooding, ice, and snow isn't forecast till the weekend
Monday, January 6, 2020
Back to school
Barring sick children and winter weather, I'm on carpool duty 4 days this week.
Our day started with a quick trip the opposite direction to drop Jim off at the farm. He was supposed to be there at 7.30 to load hogs onto a semi, but when he went to the garage to start his car, it wouldn't start. So, we got to have family time, and see (or rather SMELL) the pigs, when we dropped him off. :)
With so many days away from home this week, I did my research, and my phone is full of notes such as the day and time of: story time at various libraries near the boys' school, open toddler gym, children's museum, and lunch time and snack time at drop-in daycare.
Today Little Miss and I enjoyed exploring the large and inviting children's area of a lovely library in a village of 3,000. Then she had a few hours at her "school." ;) Wonder what other adventures we'll have this week?!
Gas jumped 40 cents while I was in town today. Walmart was one of the lower prices, and while pumping gas there, the lady next to me told me about the rewards program. I went in immediately and signed up!
We came home to a big bag of mail that Jim had picked up ... including all our bills and Christmas cards that arrived after Dec. 16th.
We're all still recovering from our trip and adjusting to Central time, and getting used to being back in the school routine, so it's early to bed for all of us!
Our day started with a quick trip the opposite direction to drop Jim off at the farm. He was supposed to be there at 7.30 to load hogs onto a semi, but when he went to the garage to start his car, it wouldn't start. So, we got to have family time, and see (or rather SMELL) the pigs, when we dropped him off. :)
With so many days away from home this week, I did my research, and my phone is full of notes such as the day and time of: story time at various libraries near the boys' school, open toddler gym, children's museum, and lunch time and snack time at drop-in daycare.
Today Little Miss and I enjoyed exploring the large and inviting children's area of a lovely library in a village of 3,000. Then she had a few hours at her "school." ;) Wonder what other adventures we'll have this week?!
Gas jumped 40 cents while I was in town today. Walmart was one of the lower prices, and while pumping gas there, the lady next to me told me about the rewards program. I went in immediately and signed up!
We came home to a big bag of mail that Jim had picked up ... including all our bills and Christmas cards that arrived after Dec. 16th.
We're all still recovering from our trip and adjusting to Central time, and getting used to being back in the school routine, so it's early to bed for all of us!
Saturday, January 4, 2020
1000 Gifts, Vol. 5, #97
961. Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
962. 365 days of new mercies in 2019
963. anticipation as we begin 2020
964. safety during our 16-day, 2,860-mile Christmas vacation roadtrip
965. no children fell overboard during our 7-day Christmas cruise (seriously, that was a big fear of mine!)
966. Little Miss slept 13 hours every night the week after the cruise (at grandparents')
967. for the first time in my memory, I was not sick (as in steroids, Urgent Care, &/or ER) at Christmas (could it be that I'm seeing benefits from monthly IVIG infusions?!)
968. an amazing air purifier that is helping also
969. seeing aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents investing in our children
970. accountability for our church's read through the Bible plan
962. 365 days of new mercies in 2019
963. anticipation as we begin 2020
964. safety during our 16-day, 2,860-mile Christmas vacation roadtrip
965. no children fell overboard during our 7-day Christmas cruise (seriously, that was a big fear of mine!)
966. Little Miss slept 13 hours every night the week after the cruise (at grandparents')
967. for the first time in my memory, I was not sick (as in steroids, Urgent Care, &/or ER) at Christmas (could it be that I'm seeing benefits from monthly IVIG infusions?!)
968. an amazing air purifier that is helping also
969. seeing aunts and uncles and cousins and grandparents investing in our children
970. accountability for our church's read through the Bible plan
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