1000 Gifts, Vol. 6, #59

581.  a back yard

582.  children with active imaginations

583.  and all these toys + water balloons and a stomp rocket and bikes and the swing set with playhouse which God provided in 2020

584.  morning shade from the pine trees

585.  the cool of the morning & the joy of smelling the pine trees, hearing the breeze, and watching the crops grow

586.  the best of both worlds - living in "town," but with two sides of our yard looking out at 1000s of acres of cropland

587.  freedom of summer days to explore outside

588.  inaugural summer trip to Wisconsin

589.  road trip, hiking, simple play, church, coffee shop, beach, no cell service

590.  a day after our trip to slow down & be still

The Whole Bible in 12 Verses

Which 12 verses would you choose to tell the whole story of the Bible?

After you choose yours, see what someone else chose here.  

What do you think of that list?

Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!

From our evening with Fanny Crosby...

1 Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed through His infinite mercy,
His child, and forever, I am.

Refrain:
Redeemed, redeemed,
Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;
Redeemed, how I love to proclaim it!
His child, and forever, I am.

2 I think of my blessed Redeemer,
I think of Him all the day long;
I sing, for I cannot be silent;
His love is the theme of my song. [Refrain]

3 I know I shall see in His beauty
The King in whose law I delight,
Who lovingly guardeth my footsteps,
And giveth me songs in the night. [Refrain]

Easiest Meal

In the spirit of easy, and even lazy, meals, this is my new go-to:

I found them at ALDI...They are shelf-stable, come with a spork, are available in 4 flavor options, and don’t need to be heated.  I've been taking them to the ball field as a great alternative to eating supper from the concession stand.  

Just sub these in for Mom's lunch in my summer meal plan. :) 

Quick & Easy (Lazy Genius) Meals

Have you ever listened to the Lazy Genius podcast? She teaches you to be lazy about the things that don't matter and genius about the things that do. 

A friend recommended I lazy genius my summer meal plan. 

Make one weekly meal plan. Eat it every week of summer. 

It simplifies making the grocery list. 

I don't have to think. 

The plan is comprised 100% of meals my family likes. 

Ready?

Lunch: homemade lunchables or ham & cheese, pb or tuna sandwiches, veggie sticks with hummus or guacamole minis, fruit, yogurt or chips

Snacks: homemade granola bars, ALL the fruits & veggies, cheese & crackers, yogurt

Suppers:

1 - bbq chicken thighs (slow cooker), peas, salad, rice or hash browns

2 - pork roast (slow cooker), sweet potatoes, broccoli, fruit salad

3 - chicken patties, whole wheat buns, veggie sticks, green beans, fruit

4 - pizza or Bosco sticks, veggie sticks or salad, fresh fruit

5 - chicken patties, whole wheat buns, veggie sticks, green beans, fruit

6 - leftovers

7 - fast food or ?

If I'm feeling energetic, we might have "special" salads like spinach salad or broccoli salad. Otherwise, it's simple all the way! 

What's on your summer menu?

Summer daze

Today is the last day of school!

Our June looks to be quite full with VBS, a week of camp, a day of daycamp, weekly speech therapy, 6 swimming lessons, weekly library program, baseball practice & games, and a few medical appointments. 

But on days we need ideas ... and in July ... I have more plans than we can do.  It's the first year I feel proactive.

Daily List:

daily room pickup

brush your teeth

Do you need a bath/shampoo? (Mom gets to answer)

daily play a game

daily work a puzzle

daily chore - Mom's choice

summer BrainQuest workbook

LG - typing practice (summer homework from the school OT) &/or summer math & language arts apps from school

LM - learning activity

30 minutes reading 

20 minutes art

Read aloud 

Devotional book (Exploring the Bible)

Memorize books of Bible with Awana song

Prayer cards

{Screentime, on days we have it, will only be permitted after completing this daily list.}

FUN Ideas or Ideas for bored children:

water play

sidewalk chalk

bike riding

go to park

playdate

cooking

library

work on farm

visit Grandpa & Grandma

do the mile loop - your choice: walk, run, bike, or scooter

practice baseball

write a letter

write a thank you note

learn to tie shoes

learn to swallow pills (practice with sprinkles & then mini M&Ms)

science experiments 

hike 

nature center

Chore ideas:

empty trash

wipe sinks

bring down dirty laundry

take up clean laundry

clean out van

sweep garage

empty dishwasher

wipe light switches & doorknobs

 

What else would you add to this list? :)

 

Next to the last day of school

I heard someone today mention taking "Last Day of School" photos.  That doesn't fit in the category of "survial," so it's not on my agenda... 

On 5/25 (our last day of school) I have my monthly infusion, so I won't be accomplishing any great household tasks. 

On 5/24 (which we'll call "my" last day of school), LM is home recovering from a fever & tummy bug... We worked some puzzles, and then she has gotten to do ABC Mouse & watch Right Now Media.

I have kept moving ... putting things where they belong. How can so many items NOT be where they belong?!?  (And, of course, I have filled a huge garbage bag for the thrift store!)

As my body continues to fight scelroderma and mysositis [Edited: those diagnoses have been ruled out and replaced with morphea and eosinophilic fasciitis], the Lord has provided a one-day-a-week babysitter this summer and now, in answer to prayer, a girl who can clean our house.  But a housecleaner can only do her work if the surfaces are clean.  Ahem!  That is the sticking point in our home.

And I have washed the winter coats.  Hopefully it's not too early for that! :) 

My next goal is to wash the soft-sided fabric lunchbags that were used in the tractor and are waiting, dirty, in the garage, to be used again.  They're not being used now, so if they don't survive the washing machine, it won't be any different.

My afternoon goal is to cut LG's hair (many weeks overdue...) and then take him & the second cousins to their various sports activities, arriving home just in time to put LM to bed.

Off to hydrate! {see part about IVIG tomorrow... need to have good veins}

An Evening with Fanny Crosby

I don't think Jim & I ever went on our post-harvest date (because our babysitter cancelled due to a family emergency & 6 or 8 others couldn't do it), so the children went with us to the Christmas mansions (& we all had a great time & the children want to go back).  Then we had Christmas and Covid and a long winter and a road trip to Florida and spring break in Chicago and kidney stones, influenza, pneumonia, and planting.  Whew!

This week Jim & I finally had a date night, and it was marvelous!  We went to An Evening with Fanny Crosby.  

An older cousin babysat.  The children were ecstatic!! And, more importantly, asleep when we got home!

The evening was a fundraiser for CEF, with a concert by a local musician/ singing group, and held at a nearby church.  I'd say the average age of the audience was at least 75. ;)  The songleader is great; the hymns can't be beat; the CEF testimonies made me cry; and afterward we ate special local ice cream (that sells for $9/pint) at a table with Jim's dad's really close friends. 

Hopefully we won't wait until after harvest for our next date!

Sleeping in ... or not

It's 5.30 AM Monday, and I know LM is awake ... She woke up at 12.30 and announced cheerfully at my bedside, "I'm glad to see you!"  And at 4.30, she was there again, and just needed to be tucked in again.  When Prednisone woke me at 5.15, I tried to close her door which was ajar, but she sat up in bed with a smile ready to wake up.  I told her I was just checking on her, and she quickly frowned and said, "I not okay."  :)

...

Now it's 5.50 and I've only had to go back and put her back to bed once. We'll see if she can stay in bed until 6.30.  It could be a long summer!!

1000 Gifts, Vol. 6, #58

571.  garage sale season!

572.  starting to collect boys' size 10 jeans

573.  new with tags boys' Lands End church pants with an adjustable waist!

574.  several like new pairs of swim trunks!

575.  finding the game Blokus for 50 cents (I had put it in my Amazon cart, but thought, "Maybe I can find it at a thrift store.")

576.  LL Bean hanging toiletry case for $1

577.  Thermos brand stainless travel tumbler (50 cents)

578.  some jigsaw puzzles to do or give away

579.  a lunch box for the farmer to replace one that broke (50 cents)

580.  a few soft-sided lunch box coolers

1000 Gifts, Vol. 6, #57

561.  insurance, experienced doctors, and medicine

562.  a lab 20 minutes away that does not hurt when they draw blood

563.  MyChart app and good quick communication with my rheumatologist's office

564.  monthly labwork that helped my rheumatologist know that I needed more medicine

565.  a referral to a tertiary care facility, insurance approval, & an appointment scheduled

566.  family & friends that pray

567.  the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases

568.  opportunities to trust Him

569.  opportunities to give thanks to the Lord

570.  H•O•P•E

Summer at the lake

We are fortunate to be able to return to the same spot each summer, even multiple times each summer.  True, it is a lake, although I'm not a lake person.  I'm happy to walk along the edge of the lake, but I'm not an in-the-lake person.   

Our memories are more focused on together time, the house (with no internet or cell service) on a quiet tree-lined street, the backyard, simple play, the general area - i.e., the ice cream shop, the library, the church, a few people we know, and my coffee shop. 

Two years ago, as we were all home alone, I was counting down the days until we could go there.  And the relief was palpable once we arrived.  Just to be somewhere different was such joy!  Each year, as summer draws near, and especially as this becomes more and more ingrained in me as our custom, I start looking forward to Memorial Day weekend and our first trip to the lake (or the general area, as the case may be). :)

This year, we have other things on our plate, and we aren't sure when our inaugural summer trip to the lake will be.  It will be okay.  We will survive. And more than survive.  The children are in a different season, and so our early summer days will be filled with baseball and swim lessons, VBS, and preparing for summer camp, etc. 

But I follow "my" coffee shop at the lake on Facebook, and this morning as I was measuring the loose tea for my morning cuppa, I missed my coffee shop and the delicious tea I first had there ... and the cozy atmosphere of the shop itself, and the hours I have spent reading and writing and meeting with the Lord there. 

It must mean that it's almost summer!

From the Quick Meals file

My newest recipe that is a winner with all four of us is ... chicken patties.  

You can google and find actual recipes, but I just open two one pound packages of ground chicken and divide each into thirds, shape each third into a patty, and put six patties on the George Foreman. 

In a few minutes, I put a platter of patties on the table.  I eat mine without a bun.  Some prefer a bun.  Some prefer ketchup. I prefer mustard and pickles.  

Add some vegetable sticks and fresh fruit, and that is the simplest meal I have.

What is your simplest meal?

When Mom is sick ...

When Mom is sick for 2 weeks and counting (influenza A and the cough that never ends ...), things go downhill. 

I managed to load the dishwasher every couple days.  And we ate somehow. Any energy I had was spent on doctors appointments. (Seriously! Monthly IVIG, monthly labs, sick visit with PCP, sick visit with immunologist.) And a lot of energy I didn't have was spent on arranging childcare for said appointments (it was a puzzle!) and driving to & from.

Antibiotics helped.  And then thanks to an unrelated condition & new lab numbers, my prednisone dosage increased.  So now I feel like I'm re-entering life. 

What am I doing now? Taking lunch to the field.  Paying bills (that were untouched for 2-3 weeks - yikes!).  Holding the children's feet to the fire to do a few chores ... cleaning the living room which was a DISASTER area!  (And then I vacuumed for the first time in probably 3 weeks once the carpet of stuff was off the floor. It was as gross as it sounds.)  Ordering a Walmart grocery order to pickup.  Going to baseball practice. (Sigh!)  Placing a Sam's delivery order for all the paper goods we were out or almost out of (kleenex, t.p., and paper towels).  Thinking about summer, locating materials I have on hand, and ordering a few supplies (both educational & gross motor, i.e. outdoor play).  Gathering the dozens of library books & preparing for a big apologetic trip to the library with fine money in hand... (Sigh!)

Healthy Breakfasts

This school year, Little Guy has eaten breakfast at school. (Long story.) 

This summer will be an adjustment. (As will next school year.)

So I am on the lookout for healthy breakfast options for a picky eater.  

Meat is good ... sausage & bacon. 

Eggs are not preferred, which is not to say they won't be served. 

Carbs are the favorite. :) 

I'm looking into making homemade granola bars (& having *him* make them).

I'm planning on making hearty muffins. 

What other ideas do you have?

Kids' Consignment Store books

I miss three things from LG commuting 65 miles each way to school ... daily interaction with my carpool friend, the amazing education he received, and the shopping I did on days I drove.  One store on my rotation was the kids' consignment store in that city. 

Since then, we have a new kids' consignment store in the city closest to us.  I rarely make it there, but popped in this week.  I found $12 almost new Keen sandals for LG for this summer. Woo-hoo!

And I found books! :) 

Adventures of a South Pole Pig is one I read-aloud from the library last year.  We love it!  And have started re-reading it aloud. <3 

LM has another Muddle & Match book. This one scores higher because there are mermaids and fairies! 

 

 

LG is into graphic novels, so I was excited to find adaptations of classics!  And I'll be looking for others in these series, to request from InterLibrary Loan.

And for pre-literacy practice, we added a few new books to our rotation. 

I love finding deals on books! :)