A lifetime in one day

Yesterday was a doozy!!  Cemetery, surveyors, IEPs, drums, and allergic reaction. Oh, my!  I feel like I lived at least one lifetime in the space of that day.

Family cemetery (phone call, texts, emails, set up private FB group for descendants of people buried there to facilitate communication).  At this point I'm investigating the best legal & tax-free way to own/manage one (both the land & the bank account) when very few people live within 100 miles of the cemetery.

Surveying a 200+ acre tract of land (which I do not own & the deed for which has not been updated in almost 125 years!).  Multiple emails, phone calls, texts, and pondering.  (It's like I have a new part-time job with the cemetery & land.)

TWO (2) IEP meetings at school. (IEP = Individualized Education Plan, i.e., the legal document outlining a child's special education goals, services, etc.) Basically I spent 1.5 hours in the principal's office (because the school conference room is being used by staff from the high school who have been displaced due to last week's fire at the high school, which is affecting our entire community in many ways, including having to stop weekly after school tutoring for the most vulnerable, including our daughter). 

1.5 hours in the principal's office with the principal, school psychologist, OT, speech therapist, special ed teacher, and each child's classroom teacher (in turn), plus the hearing itinerant (for BK's meeting only).  

1.5 hours focusing on each child's weaknesses.  Every person in that room knows our children have strengths, but that meeting is reserved for looking at their weaknesses and how to address them.  So, that alone is exhausting. 

But I also need to be on my game, paying attention, responding appropriately, questioning when I don't understand, sharing insight when I have it, etc. 

Thankfully, those were the absolute best IEP meetings I have ever attended (and I've attended quite a few!).  Both children have a good plan moving forward, and I am increasingly thankful for the professionals in their corner.  Let's just say we're getting a lot out of our tax dollars. :) 

It was prize night at Awana for BK's age group.  He chose a desktop drum set. Oh, my!!

And on our way home from Awana (25 miles), I had an allergic reaction to a piece of candy.  It was a sour twist-type candy, and I thought nothing of eating it.  But as soon as I reacted, I pulled into a parking lot to read the ingredients.  #2 on the ingredient list: wheat flour.  I had no idea I would have such a reaction (though honestly it could have been to another ingredient). My throat was tightening, and I didn't realize I had Benadryl in my purse.  As soon as I got home, I took two Benadryl, and it subsided. But it was very scary.  

I slept well, though! ;)

Oh, I also spent time yesterday tidying the whole house (in prep for the housecleaner to actually clean surfaces) and navigating the multiple meltdowns that one child has each day. 

Another day ... another 24 hours of the Lord's mercies.  

Spring Break!

During spring break, we spent 3 days in Chicago!! 

Jim always finds the BEST places to stay on AirBNB or some such site.  We were in the Loop, in a tall apartment building, with windows looking out toward Lake Michigan.  

We started at the Children's Museum, which we all enjoyed! It exceeded our expectations, and the children did not want to leave. 

That evening we went up Willis Tower just before sunset, and the children went out on The Ledge with zero fear.  :) We have some great photos of that! 

We got smart this year, and took our own breakfast foods with us.  That was a huge help!

The next day we did the Museum of Science & Industry. We had tickets for two IMAX shows (Michael Jordan & Everest) and for BK & I to do the submarine tour.  Jim brought Gino's pizza to our apartment for supper. 

The last day, we spent the morning at home, while I regained strength.  And then we spent the afternoon at the planetarium, where we saw two fascinating shows, and toured the exhibits.  

And, of course, we ate Chick-fil-A on the way TO Chicago and the way HOME from Chicago. ;) On the way home, I opened my app to scan it, and lo and behold! there was a free CFA sandwich because the Cubs had won. :) 

Medical Day

I found this in my draft folder from six months ago.  Every day isn't medical day, but it seems that most days have some medical task.  

Yesterday was my medical day:

a video visit with my rheumatologist at Northwestern, 

a call to insurance, 

two calls to my immunologist, 

multiple texts with my infusion nurse, 

a call to my local dermatologist, 

one message and one phone call to my PCP, 

one message to Northwestern, 

one phone call to schedule labs, 

two messages sent to my local rheumatologist,

and one phone call from their office. 

 

Whew!! It's great to know things are moving forward, but, boy, is it a lot to manage!

 

School Daze for Mom

After the long weekend over Easter (& weeks & weeks of an upper respiratory infection), I have no shame in saying that I went back to bed every day Tuesday - Thursday, after I dropped the children off at school.  

This week has been more of a reality check. :) 

Monday (granted not until noon) I had a 45 minute Zoom interview with a college student.  And then I made a quick trip to the nearest grocery store (10 miles away) to stock up on meat for the week.  As soon as it was in the fridge, it was time to go get in car line. 

Tuesday at 8 AM I had a 30-minute phone call.  One phone call led to three phone calls, several texts, some internet searching, and a long email.  I had not quite finished breakfast before the phone call, so at 10 AM I finished my boiled egg and the other half of my toast, and boiled more water for another cup of tea.  

Wednesday after lunch I have IEP meetings at school for both children.  So I need to spend time in the morning gathering my thoughts ... and no doubt praying for the Lord to help me keep my mouth closed when I need to. 

Thursday I need to make sure I'm drinking a lot, because ... 

Friday my nurse is to arrive by 8 for my 4 - 4.5 hour infusion, and I need to be hydrated. 

Friday evening around bedtime (6-7 PM) is LM's second baseball practice. 

Praying for relief from fatigue, clear thinking to do the paperwork I need to do & be alert for the discussions I need to have, and energy to go to baseball practices & games (4 nights/ week!).

Missions ... 14 years later

I have been surprised by four opportunities lately to talk about missions, and they have each been life-giving.  

During Missions month, in 3rd grade Sunday School, I was the special speaker, and had 1.5 hours (yes, our SS classes are long!) to engage with the children & hopefully get them enthused about God's glory, saddened by how little worship He receives in Japan, and excited about a different culture & how they could be involved in God's work there even now!

During winter adult SS electives, I was given 1.5 hours one Sunday morning to "share about missions." That's pretty broad :), but the missions chairman asked me to talk about all three stages - preparing, staying, and returning.  I came straight home and wrote six pages!

14 years after leaving the field gives me a different perspective.  And I realized that I really was sharing from five decades of experience, as the "preparing" stage started from my earliest memories ... a church & home that prioritized missions.  

Not knowing if those in attendance would be preparing for the field or just interested in our church's involvement in missions, I worked at making application points in each of the three categories that would work for either audience.  It turns out that all my applications were basic Christian discipleship. :)

After that, I received an invitation to speak to the monthly ladies' mission circle.  That isn't until next month, so I'm still pondering what angle to take.  Any ideas?

And today I had a 45 minute interview on Zoom with a college student who grew up in Japan (& whom I have known his whole life!).  He is interviewing current & former single missionary women about gender roles and their experience on the mission field.  It was such a fun interview, and I have definite thoughts about that and not a little passion. :) 

My thoughts can be summed up by the motto, "Strong women under authority," this article by John Piper (Opportunities for Women in Ministry), and the plea, "Men, if you're concerned that women are doing too much on the mission field, GO!"

The coffee

It's been a rough few days weeks months. 

One day recently I dropped a child off to school late.

I had been crying, and said child had been crying. 

After I had typed everything in on the computer, and the secretary had given the child a pass, and the child had gone down the hallway, the secretary & I had a brief conversation. 

"Well, don't go home and cry," she advised. "It's not too early to have a glass of wine."

I was a bit taken-aback, but I did go to Casey's (our local gas station) and decided to get a cup of coffee.  

I'm not a coffee-drinker, except if served on the mission field ;) or if I'm having an asthma attack.  And I don't think I've had coffee in over a year. 

But I pulled a small cup out of the stack, set it under the coffee machine, selected "medium roast," and was intrigued to see that they grind the beans for each cup.  I selected "leave room," and added two sugar packets and a few pumps of French Vanilla creamer. 

That was the absolute best cup of coffee I have ever had!!  I can't remember how much it cost, but it was less than $2, and maybe less than $1.50.

I'm not a wine drinker, but (if it weren't for the $2 x 365 reality) I might become a Casey's coffee drinker! :) 

What is your drink of choice?

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #81

801.  sunny days & highs in the 80s

802.  getting to see the cherry blossoms (on their peak bloom day!) when we had to make an unexpected trip to the audiologist 70 miles away

803.  leisurely afternoons at the park, 5-10 children running & playing, 2-5 like-minded moms sitting & talking

804.  a housecleaner

805.  our church

806.  Easter!!  ~ such an exuberant worship service, hosting an easy-to-host lunch, the thrill of hope remembering the resurrection power that continues to this day

807.  a warranty to replace my electric tea kettle (I probably use it twice as often as the typical consumer)

808.  Moms in Prayer

809.  a system that's working well for packing field lunches

810.  a great spring break getaway!

Spring Break, Monday morning

On Monday morning of spring break (last week), what did I do before 10 AM?

Sleep in until almost 7.

Have a phone conversation. 

Call two professionals.

Write a few emails. 

Make cinnamon toast for LM.

Send BK out the door to "work" on the farm with Jim.

Move 3 loads of laundry through.

Unload the dishwasher & load it.

Purchase tickets for the Museum of Science & Industry and the Planetarium. (Not only do tickets have to be purchased online, but you have to choose which shows or special exhibits you are going to do and at what times and purchase those also.)

Start listening to a podcast episode on one of my favorite hymns: Jesus, Thy Blood & Righteousness!