Summer Vacation ~ Day 68

Day 68 ~ Monday, July 31st 

BK and I stealthily left the house at 7 AM and headed 70 miles away to the pediatric hearing clinic.  While we were gone, LM spent some time with Jim and some time with her aunt before Jim took her to swim lessons & on some errands. 

In our hour & 45 minutes at the clinic, we accomplished a lot!  Hearing test - stable.  Aided hearing test in noise - 99% accuracy.  Learned about new hearing aids and ordered them.  Discussed so many possibilities of keeping one pair at school & one at home, which one where, and then which receiver to have in which pair of hearing aids (one receiver goes to our FM microphone and one goes to the school's).  Still lots of questions. 

Had the most delightful conversation with another mom who was in the waiting room.  3 of her 4 children have some combo of hearing aids and cochlear implants.  We had an instant bond. 

Drove-through CFA to get breakfast just before their lunch rush. Filled up with gas at Sam's. Home by 11.40.  

Several business phone calls.  Several! 

Catan Jr. with BK.  Pool from 5.15-7.  (Well, truth be told, I was poolside.) LM was asleep by 8. 

Sorted through so many papers, trying to find what I need for some paperwork to get on wait lists.  Threw away a ton!  (Motivated by reading the book, "Downsizing the Family Home." HIGHLY recommend! I want to downsize our house!)

We only have 7 more days at home before school starts, but tonight I wondered if I can make it those 7 days.  We're so close to the finish line of this summer marathon, but I am hanging on by a thread.  God knows, and He will provide.

Summer Vacation ~ Day 67

Day 67 ~ Sunday, July 30th

Sunday School, worship service, 5th Sunday lunch at the picnic pavilion (with a foam party!!), and home.  LM took a l-o-n-g bath.  I read.  Jim napped.  Eventually we went to the park, ordered Casey's pizza, and ate it at the grandparents', coming home at 8.30 PM.  

Summer Vacation ~ Day 66

Day 66 ~ Saturday, July 29th

Our day was pretty uneventful.  Post office, library, & Dollar General in the morning. Delicious lunch of chicken patties, farm fresh corn on the cob, and salad.  The children both took long baths (one at a time, so it took most of the afternoon).  I divided up & labeled all their school supplies.  Same menu for supper.  

Good morning!

When LM has had 11 or 12 hours of sleep, she clomps down the stairs and turns the corner into the kitchen with a grin from ear to ear.  She comes right to me for a morning hug, sometimes singing the BSF song, "Good morning, God! This is your day. I am your child. Show me your way."

She says excitedly, "I not wake you up [in the middle of the night]" and we celebrate that (on mornings it's true). ;)  And she makes a beeline to the corner of the living room where the bookshelves are. On her way she calls over her shoulder, "May I please have a sausage wrapped in pancake and a waffle?" 

And she settles down on the floor, looking at books, asking questions, announcing, "I found a wombat," listening to the Usborne classical music books, pulling more books off the shelves, "reading aloud" some with a sing-song voice that mixes I love you's and Amens, exclaiming about a certain handful, "I love these books!" And on it goes. 

The trick is getting those 11 or 12 hours of sleep! :)

Summer Vacation ~ Day 65, Part 2

Day 65 ~ Friday, July 28th

Can we go one day without swimming?  Hmmm...  Keep reading to find out.  

I remember telling Jim last summer that there's no way I would take both children to a pool by myself (although I did it once).  We have come a LONG way!! So, I'm celebrating that!  And thinking that next year we need to purchase a season pass to a pool. :) 

I was awake again at 4, but fell asleep soundly until after 8.  My body needed that! 

A leisurely morning before leaving at 11.15 to take BK to an appointment.  While he was there, LM & I attempted to get his eyeglasses repaired & successfully purchased a pair of sandals for her to wear to her cousin's wedding.  After picking BK up, we ate a very late lunch at CFA, and went to the city library to stock up on Playaways (audiobook on an MP3 player) for our road trip to TN.  

Then we tried out a city pool we had never been to! 5-7 PM for $5/person.  It is now the top pool on BK's list and has his vote for where we buy a pass next year. :)  (Disqualified because it's 26 miles away.)

No swim lessons today. No VBS. No working on the farm (for BK).  Every day of this summer has been different.  We are all ready for more structure in our lives. :)

Summer Vacation ~ Day 65, Part 1

Day 65 ~ Friday, July 28th

Almost 90 years ago on this day, a baby girl (the third of five) was born to a poor country preacher and his wife in rural New York State.  Her career opportunities were teacher or nurse, and she chose nursing.  

After living at home 5 (?) years while working at the VA, she responded to an ad, got the job, and moved to New Mexico where she worked in a small mission hospital for a number of years.  Those years were full of a multitude of adventures with her two housemates.  The three J's camped under the stars all over the southwest! And even flew to Mexico City and from there on a MAF plane out to a village where they spent Thanksgiving with a woman they knew who was translating the Bible. 

Eventually, she made her way to Cleveland to earn her BSN and enjoy lots of new experiences - the symphony, a very organized housemate situation, Nurses Christian Fellowship, and then a new job.  A year into her new job, she met a man (at a Christian camp) ... and the rest is history.  

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Summer Vacation ~ Day 64 (19 more days)

Day 64 ~ Thursday, July 27th

If I had ever read a blog post by this title 5 or 10 or 20 years ago, I would have been very judgmental.  But I had not walked a mile in these moccasins at that point.  We are in sheer survival mode.  

I was up again for 1.5 hours in the early morning hours ... 

Today's complicated scheduling was eliminated when a 9.30 AM appointment was canceled.  BK went to work on the farm.  I took LM to swim lessons.  Stopped by to see the grandparents for 10 minutes.  Had a 10 minute phone call with my own mom.  And FB memories showed a precious photo of BK walking with my dad in the (Tennessee) barnyard 6 years ago. ❤️

Lunch of chicken thighs, hash browns, & various veggies (instead of the cooler I had packed for our complicated schedule).

After Mom's quiet time, we went to the pool (on this Real Feel 122* day!) for a couple hours, came home, changed, and the children were off to the final night of VBS.  

I am enjoying a decluttered house (thanks to the accountability of having a housecleaner), the station "Old Christian Radio" on the Tune In app, anticipating upcoming opportunities to pray with others, air conditioning in this heat wave, and the blessing of sharing unneeded books, activity books, sweat pants, suit ties, and even Flintstones vitamins with friends!

What are you enjoying these days?

Summer Vacation ~ Day 63

Day 63 ~ Wednesday, July 26th 

After LM's swim lessons, we dropped off a box at the thrift store ... and went inside to shop, as one does. :)

BK worked on the farm from morning until mid-afternoon.

Most of my day was spent managing THINGS!  The housecleaner came at 2, so I had my work cut out for me. ;) In order to have the counters empty, I had some dishes to wash, dry, and put away.  

Various bags were in various stages of being unpacked after our return from WI a week ago (!).  I don't mind having a laundry couch when she comes, but all the toys & stuffed animals, etc. had to be picked up off the floor.  Although the children did that part, it requires a lot of my supervision & encouragement.  

And it was nice to have a day mostly at home to keep putting laundry through.  

It became very clear that one of my big tasks when school starts is to purge our children's book collection.  I pulled a large stack off the shelves in BK's room that he has outgrown.  As the gap between the children grows, I'll put them in the basement until LM is ready.  It's just hard to refrain from buying books at thrift stores when I find such as these: 

I think I will need to purge the ones that are more fluff and can be found at any public library (or any thrift store, tbh), and keep the quality ones.  What is your criteria for keeping children's books?

We also added to our game collection at the thrift store today. (Math Animals & Bank on it!).  The other three I found in my closet when I went searching for Settlers of Catan.  I buy ahead on Prime Day and Black Friday, and was sure I had Catan.  But it's not in my closet, and it's not showing up in my Amazon order history, so I must have been thinking of Catan Jr.  But, hey! We have five new games to try. :) 

BK was disappointed that I didn't pack Battleship when we went to WI.  It's on my packing list for TN, with the hope that he and I can play it in the van (?).  Any other suggestions of games we can play in the van (when we're in different rows)?

If you've read between the lines, Mom was in task mode today, so everyone suffered relationally.  But every day is not perfect.  And Mom is not perfect. (Amen?)

VBS from 6-8 PM. :)

Summer Vacation ~ Day 62

Day 62 ~ Tuesday July 25th

Despite being awake from 3-4:30 AM, I was up early, put lunch (crack chicken) in the crockpot and left before anyone else was awake to get quarterly blood work done (a month late) 20 miles away. I picked up a grocery order before I went home.

Time by myself in the car meant podcast time! And not children's story podcasts. :)

I listened to a great podcast on the Lord's Prayer and started listening to one that gave 100 ideas for children to do instead of having screen time.

BK worked at the farm while LM had swim lessons. We were all home for lunch until Jim took LM to Grandma's while BK and I went to an appointment … an hour and a half late, meaning we missed it. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Since we were in town and had time, we ran in the kids' consignment store and found some great books and B&N to use a gift card he had.

Home in time to pick up LM before the children went to VBS.

BK and I fit in a couple games of Catan Junior throughout the day. :) And he tried on the $6.50 suit I had purchased at the consignment store earlier this month. I was relieved to see that it fits him!

Another full and emotionally and physically exhausting day!

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Summer Vacation ~ Day 61 (of 83, but who's counting?)

Day 61 ~ Monday, July 24th

After spending 3 to 4:30 AM with a wide awake LM, I was thankful I fell back asleep because that isn't always the case.

Jim and BK spent the morning at the farm, and I took LM to day one of her third two-week session of swim lessons.

I fielded an insane amount of calls, texts, and messages today … scheduling &/or rescheduling lab work, hair appointment, play dates, babysitting, etc. plus confirming coverage with insurance.

The good news is that it's all working out (despite the constraints in our schedule), that BK & his friend both enjoy doing fun outings together, that I have mom friends who can help me out (& vice versa), and that we found out our insurance coverage for pediatric hearing aids has improved and is almost unbelievably fabulous!

The down side is that we just added a lot more to the remaining 22 days of summer vacation (which already included a lot!).

LM always wants to play a game together, and I'm trying to be a "yes" mom. This afternoon she pulled out Catan, Jr. We had never even opened it, but the three of us had a lot of fun playing, and I think BK might be ready for "the real" Catan.

The children have been eagerly anticipating VBS at a nearby church, and it started tonight! Thank God for VBS volunteers! (And all the unchurched kids in our community who will hear about Jesus!)

Summer Vacation ~ Day 60

Day 60 ~ Sunday, July 23rd

Well, I can't say it was a better day. But we met together with our church family to worship our Lord. We ate lunch. I rested. I kept in touch with what is going on with my mom. We visited the grandparents, and the children watched lots of ninja-type adventure TV.

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Summer Vacation ~ Day 59

Day 59 ~ Saturday, July 22nd

Let's focus on our fabulous meals today (and ignore the rest, while praying for a better day tomorrow).

Lunch - pork burgers, buns, roasted potatoes, peas, cherries or fresh applesauce.

Supper - small group cookout- burgers grilled to perfection, gluten free bun, cowboy caviar with tortilla chips, cooler corn on the cob, 7-layer salad, fruit salad, and coleslaw (with craisins, honey roasted peanuts and Marzetti's poppyseed dressing).


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Summer Vacation ~ Day 58

Day 58 ~ Friday, July 21st

We met friends at the ninja park / high ropes course from 10:15 to 12:15.

Took lunch to a fun playground. 

Home & did a little work to fight summer slump. 

Then I needed a nap! So the children had screen time. 

From 5-7 PM we went to the closest pool. 

I feel like I’m running a summer camp, and the theme is “Operation Wear Them Out,” and it’s wearing me out also.  

 

Summer vacation ~ Day 57

Day 57 ~ Thursday, July 20

Our morning appointment was canceled, which turned out to be very good. BK worked on the farm in the morning while LM went with me to pick up a week's worth of mail at the post office and also our Walmart order.

LM had an afternoon hair appointment 3 minutes from our house.

Frozen Udi's gluten-free lasagna for supper. Everyone went to bed early.

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Summer Vacation ~ Days 50 ~ 56

Day 50 ~ Thursday, July 13th

We headed out for a week in Wisconsin, stopping on the way to eat lunch at a delightful (& delicious) restaurant in the I&M Canal Visitor Center. And I got one more stamp for my National Park passport. :) Then we hiked at Starved Rock State Park. It felt great to hike in the woods!

Eventually we arrived in Wisconsin, unpacked, and Jim with LM set out for groceries. Almost immediately the tornado sirens went off! BK & I were without a vehicle, internet, or an interior room. Thankfully we found an AM radio station on the antique radio and I had picked up a Wisconsin state map at the welcome center. The tornado turned before it reached us, but that was more excitement than I was anticipating!

Day 51 ~ Friday, July 14th

6-8 AM tea time & also Walmart … because life. (Mucinex & Sinus Rinse, and a chapter book - we neglected to bring any.)

Read-aloud time (thankfully I found a 4-in-1 "I Survived" book for $9.99) while LM played with her imagination. Library (bought some chapter books at the used book sale, while LM made a friend in the children's room). Lunch. Reading. And then the beach for 4+ hours. Baths. Books. Bed.

The children always find friends at the beach, but the highlight this time was that BK found a group of friends on the dock and spent the last 45 minutes playing with them.

Day 52 ~ Saturday, July 15th

We spent 6 hours at the Milwaukee Zoo! Highly recommend! Beautiful summer day before the wildfire smoke returned.

On the way there and back I read aloud the book How to Eat Fried Worms, thanks to yesterday's library used book sale. It brought back memories of my third and fourth grade teacher reading it aloud.

Day 53 ~ Sunday, July 16th

Solid sermon on an overview of Exodus, corresponding with the VBS lessons this coming week. Delicious lunch at a restaurant we enjoy. Then we tried a city pool. Success!! Hours of fun!

Backyard hitting practice. Kitchen table play doh and books. I boiled eggs (planned to do it the day we arrived, but better late than never).

Day 54 ~ Monday, July 17th

Happy 13th to us! 💕

I wanted to hike along the shore path, so the children and I hiked 3.5 miles. It was supposed to take one hour and 15 minutes, but took us one hour and 35, which I'm counting as a win!

Jim met us there at a favorite restaurant for lunch, where we ate outside, looking over the lake. After playing for a while at the red park next door, we went home, changed into our swimsuits, and Jim dropped the children and me off at the beach, while he continued to work on the house.

I had forgotten how much of a difference there is from the weekend to a Monday afternoon here. Weekends are crowded, but Monday afternoon there were only a half dozen other children at the beach.

Pizza supper, books and at least one bath. Operation Wear Them Out was a success. No one needed melatonin. :)

Day 55 ~ Tuesday, July 18th

4 1/2 days into our vacation, my mind started slowing down and being refreshed. So my Tuesday morning two hours alone was the best yet! I journaled, I thought, I planned, and it turned into office hours as I sent six emails-! I'm excited about the new school year and the opportunity to rethink how we do things, what we do, what our big rocks are, and how to best facilitate growth!

Jim and BK golfed in the morning while LM and I walked to the library and corner grocery.

The children and I (& an aunt who came for the day) spent the afternoon at the beach, where Jim joined us for the last hour or so.

I had many emails back and forth with BK's audiologist and a speech therapist at our pediatric hearing clinic. We're making progress on problem solving… and now have an 8:30 AM appointment (70 miles from home) in a few weeks… Sigh!

Our day also held lots of 📚.

Day 56 ~ Wednesday, June 19th

We packed up the van, cleaned the house, and left by 10:15 or so. We arrived at the water park around 11:30, and stayed until it closed at 6 PM! The children's first experience with a water park was a success! I even rode one slide with LM twice and walked 8 laps of the lazy River, staying by LM who preferred to swim it.

Home around 9 PM with hearts full of seven full & active days of mostly just us.



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1000 hours outside

There is a 1000 hours outside challenge that has an Instagram presence and probably a website and podcast, etc.

At the beginning of each year they provide logs so that you and your children can color in a square every time you spend an hour outside. These logs are very creative. Some of them are like bar graphs, whereas others are gorgeous designs from one sheet of typing paper all the way up to a big poster you can put on your wall.

We have never done it officially, although this year I wish we would have. Because I think we're on track to hit it!

We have spent hours at swim lessons, swim practice, swim meets, the beach, & pools. We have spent hours at baseball practice and baseball games and throwing a ball in the backyard and playing with all sorts of other flying objects in the backyard. And of course hours and hours at parks. Plus the occasional hiking. And that's just this summer.

We took a vacation in February that included hours at the pool, hours at the pool on board the cruise, and hours at beaches.

One time on their Instagram, they listed how many hours per day in spring, summer, fall, and winter you would need to spend outside in order to reach 1000 hours in a year. They had different charts based on whether you live in a place with cold winters or a place with really hot summers. I found that fascinating and would like to go back and look at that again.

I think the challenge was started by a mom who read a statistic that kids spend 1000 hours on screens, and she wanted to change that. I don't think our children spend 1000 hours a year on screens… unless you count the time they spend on screens at school 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️.

But I want to start tracking both statistics, and I don't need to start till January 1. We might start August 1! :)

Have you ever tracked hours for something like this?

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Thy Will Be Done

Lord's Prayer

IN THE EPISCOPAL ORDER OF WORSHIP, the priest sometimes introduces the Lord's Prayer with the words, "Now, as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say..." The word bold is worth thinking about. We do well not to pray the prayer lightly. It takes guts to pray it at all. We can pray it in the unthinking and perfunctory way we usually do only by disregarding what we are saying.

"Thy will be done" is what we are saying. That is the climax of the first half of the prayer. We are asking God to be God. We are asking God to do not what we want, but what God wants. We are asking God to make manifest the holiness that is now mostly hidden, to set free in all its terrible splendor the devastating power that is now mostly under restraint. "Thy kingdom come . . . on earth" is what we are saying. And if that were suddenly to happen, what then? What would stand and what would fall? Who would be welcomed in and who would be thrown the hell out? Which if any of our most precious visions of what God is and of what human beings are would prove to be more or less on the mark and which would turn out to be phony as three-dollar bills? Boldness indeed. To speak those words is to invite the tiger out of the cage, to unleash a power that makes atomic power look like a warm breeze.

You need to be bold in another way to speak the second half. Give us. Forgive us. Don't test us. Deliver us. If it takes guts to face the omnipotence that is God's, it takes perhaps no less to face the impotence that is ours. We can do nothing without God. We can have nothing without God. Without God we are nothing.

It is only the words "Our Father" that make the prayer bearable. If God is indeed something like a father, then as something like children maybe we can risk approaching him anyway.

-Originally published in Whistling in the Dark and later in Beyond Words

13 years

13 years ago today we made our marriage vows before God and witnesses.

As we look at pictures and remember the details of our special day, one thing we have thought a lot about this year is all the people who came to celebrate with us.

Everyone who came is special! But I thought specifically of a pastor's wife in a wheelchair who told her husband that summer she wanted to do two things, and one of those was to attend our wedding. She is now worshiping around the throne. But her legacy lives on. She and her husband sent some very nice Christian books as baby gifts when our children were born and introduced me to a publisher from whom I still order today. And years previously, the women's group in her church (no doubt under her leadership) sent me this refrigerator magnet which still hangs on our fridge.

Jim asked me who came the farthest to our wedding, and the Japan contingent won hands down. Next was my cousin from Hawaii. And then, I said, "Well, it would have been your family and friends from 1400 & 600 miles away." Other than siblings, I remembered my mother's high school friends from her hometown and that's 630 miles. But finally I remembered that even though it feels like my cousins live closer, they drove from 660 miles.

At any rate, we are blessed to have so many people who continue to stand with us and pray for us and rejoice with us and encourage us.

Summer Vacation ~ Day 49

Day 49 ~ Wednesday, July 12

Before my nurse arrived at 8 AM I had done a load of laundry and started the dishwasher and eaten a nice hot breakfast. 

After the children woke up, I used screen time as a babysitter, while I was hooked to the IV until my nurse left at 12:15. That is not ideal for many reasons, but it was our reality today.  

The next two hours were a little rough (partially because our afternoon plans had been cancelled) but we got the house tidy for the house cleaner and we left and went to a small town pool which we had to ourselves!! $5 per person including me, even though I did not take my swimsuit. But that was actually cheap babysitting, since we stayed for almost 3 hours and (until others came at the end) the lifeguard kept her eyes glued to the only two swimmers - BK & LM!

A quick & easy dinner of eating up leftovers + some frozen salmon in the air fryer.  I put some apples in the crockpot to cook down to applesauce while we were doing our bedtime routine, and before I went to bed, I had almost three pints of homemade applesauce!

Two of the last three infusions have been harder on my body, so I took a Benadryl at bedtime and was fine when I woke up.  Hopefully, going forward, the children can have all-day play dates if they're home on infusion days.  And we are already rearranging our calendar to provide margin around infusion day.  

Park & Pool Tour

With rec league baseball & summer swim team, I have visited a lot of parks and pools in central Illinois this summer! 

Some ball fields and pools have great concession stands.  Some have a vending machine.  Some small towns are near a McDonald's. Sometimes you stop at Casey's gas station afterwards for a slice of pizza & a Gatorade.  

Some concession stands have hotdogs, some have corndogs, some just have nachos. Some have sub sandwiches, and some even have Gondola subs from a famous local restaurant! We scored one evening when the gondolas were half-price near the end of a swim meet. Lunch for the next day - check! 

And then there are the bathrooms.  Well, you can imagine the variety.  Some have overhead lights; some don't. Some have toilet paper; some don't. Some have doors; some have shower curtains. I keep a roll of toilet paper in the car for emergencies, and let's just say I donated that roll to the cause at one local ballfield's restroom!

I feel like I should have kept a log to add to my Parent Orientation Notebook that I'm always threatening to write. :) 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 48

Day 48 ~ Tuesday, July 11th

I started the day by filling out two inventories for one of the children. Jim will fill his out later today hopefully.  Monday I spent time registering them both for next school year. Thankfully it's electronic, but it's still a very convoluted process.  LM's only took 5 minutes.  But I did BK's first, and because it's a task I only do once a year, it probably took 30 minutes to remember how to do it.  

We left shortly after 11, got drive-thru, ran an errand, dropped LM & a booster seat & parking pass off with a friend who would take her to speech therapy at the university clinic (but I forgot that I always pay when I check her in for speech; thankful my friend covered for me!).  BK & I went to another appointment (both appointments were 1-2 PM) and got the car wash.  After we picked LM up and got gas, it was 3.45 PM by the time we arrived home. 

Left again at 4.10 PM for BK's last swim meet (in a rural place 45 minutes away).  Picked up Grandma on our way, and ran into an extended family we know from our previous church.  Home after 9 PM.  

It was a fantastic season of summer swim team!  The team is so supportive, and it was a great experience for BK.  Last night he competed in the 100 yard medley relay,  50 yard freestyle, 100 yard freestyle relay, and 25 yard breaststroke.  

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #85

841.  people who pray for us

842.  professionals who help us

843.  hope as we anticipate some answers & strategies

844.  all the light & beauty & tastes of summer

845.  working appliances

846.  dressing LM in bright (& even some neon) clothing 

847.  no bolting so far during summer vacation

848.  seeing fields of tasseling corn (after a drought)

849.  crop dusters

850.  anticipation ... of trips, a wedding, and school

Summer Vacation ~ Day 47

Day 47 ~ Monday, July 10th

Everyone slept in ... really late. It was a leisurely morning. 

It must have been awhile since I had done my laundry because I had 5 capris, 2 pairs of shorts, and 2 dresses to hang up.

Late afternoon the children and I went to a beautiful park full of shade trees so they could ride scooters.  85* F with 47% humidity ~ absolutely gorgeous day!  BK worked on his "double scooter" skills, sort of like skiing or roller skating with tall handles. :) 

My mom continues to wait for paperwork to be transferred to a rehab facility. 

We ate well today ~ sour cream chicken enchilada casserole for lunch and chicken patties and roasted potatoes for supper with lots of veggies.  

The living room floor is literally covered with magnatiles. I'd say it was a good day for imaginations!

Summer 2023 Potluck Decide Once

The Lazy Genius talks alot about deciding once. 

This summer for potlucks, cookouts, etc. I decided once. I take a pan of gluten-free brownies from a mix (Aldi) and a big bowl of marinated veggie salad. (Recipe here.)  I haven't found summer squash, so I just use two zucchini.  And I don't usually have green pepper, so I use another color.  It's very forgiving. 

People who eat gluten-free are usually happy to find something they can eat (+ I am happy to have a dessert and filling & delicious side I can eat). 

And the veggie salad helps our vegetarian friends and dairy-free friends who can't eat veggie casserole (depending on the Italian dressing I use).  I usually take the empty brownie box so people can read the ingredients.  And I take the dressing container, to add more as desired, and also so people can read the ingredients there as well. 

Do you have a potluck contribution that you decided once?

Summer Vacation ~ Day 46

Day 46 ~ Sunday, July 9th

LM went into Sunday School with only a little struggle.  Worship has moved to the gym for the next few months during remodeling, and that went well. (We sat on the back row.) 

LM chose McD's for lunch. 

Leisurely afternoon ... games, stories, naps (for Jim & me), park time, and grandparents'. 

And then it was bed time. 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 45

Day 45 ~ Saturday, July 8th

One of the questions my friend asked me at dinner Friday night was if I'm using a visual schedule with LM this summer.  No ... But honestly I should, because every single day is different!  That's the main reason I started blogging our summer.  Every day is so full yet there's no real routine, and I didn't want to get to the end of the summer and wonder, "What did we do? Nothing got done."

Apart from the whole "performance mentality," we are achieving lots of goals - survival first & foremost!, swim team (a new & successful experience), swim lessons for LM (her first experience with group lessons ~ and she can handle them!), we are eating (albeit sometimes less healthy meals), we are traveling, and we are maintaining the basics (such as dishes, laundry, picking up the yard toys, etc.).  

Our morning started slowly, and the dreary weather outside contributed.  I played UNO, Connect 4, and Battleship. I made popcorn. I declared it a screen day, while I s-l-o-w-l-y worked on dishes, laundry, and prep for a cookout tonight.  Jim wasn't home for lunch, so those days are longer & lonelier.  But we made it. :) 

The cookout was so much fun!  One of the families on BK's baseball team invited all the families to their house out in the country for an end-of-season cookout.  About 45 (!) of us ate, hiked, played Capture the flag & wiffle ball, played with the dog & cats, fed the chickens, made s'mores, etc.!  No one wanted to leave such a fun & relaxing time and the great group of people. 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 44

Day 44 ~ Friday, July 7th

Called the pediatrician's office as soon as they opened at 7 AM to secure an appointment. 

Left at 8.30 for the last summer swim team practice 20 minutes south of us. 

Then drove 30 minutes northeast to the city.  Fed BK, and then dropped him off for an 11.30-2.30 appointment. 

Ran errands with LM (including the kids' consignment store where I had 10 minutes & found a suit for BK & a fancy dress for LM for an upcoming wedding ... for $25!), visited a park, and went to her pediatrician's visit.  (Internal stye; use compresses multiple times a day.). Picked up a happy BK, and headed home.

We stopped by the library & post office (mailed a hearing aid). 

Home at 3.30.  Whew!

Throughout the day there were lots of phone calls to/from Tennessee, where my mom's surgery on her elbow went well.  

I left at 5.20 to drive back to the city for 6 PM dinner reservations with a friend I haven't seen in years at a delicious restaurant that none of my family likes.  We sat and talked until 9.30.  Sooooo good for my soul!

Summer Vacation ~ Day 43

Day 43 ~ Thursday, July 6th

Last morning of swim lessons!  LM was registered for two 2-week sessions (4 days/each week).  We missed one day when in WI, one day when it was cancelled due to poor air quality & we missed the app alert about the make-up lesson, and one day for 4th of July.  Instead of focusing on the days she missed, we'll focus on all the AMAZING progress she has made in such a short time this summer.  And! We're looking forward to two more weeks of swim lessons the end of July!

Hopefully we can continue with lessons after the summer.  It's hard to find lesson spots outside of summer, i.e., in an indoor pool.  Since the pandemic, there is a long waitlist.  But providing safety skills for a girl with no fear is important.

Jim stayed with the children half of the afternoon while I had a hair appointment and adult conversation.

Our calendar gained a few appointments today - my next hair appointment + an annual ENT appointment for BK around the time school starts.  And, after talking with the pediatric hearing clinic, I'll be mailing in (via insured mail) the hearing aid that was damaged at camp when another camper sprayed sunscreen on it... Thankfully it's under warranty.  Please pray it's repaired by the start of school.

We spent 5-7 PM at a local pool.  We've had swim lessons, swim team practice, swim meets, and afternoons at the beach, but this was our first time to just go to the pool.  Best decision ever for today!

BK had swim practice after supper. 

And our minds & hearts were in TN much of the day, after hearing that my mom had another fall... 

Summer Vacation ~ Day 42

Day 42 ~ Wednesday, July 5th

Today is the halfway point of summer vacation.  Thus far has the Lord helped us.  

It was a rough day, but ...

swim lessons ✅

grocery shopping ✅

school supply shopping ✅

housecleaner came ✅.

Summer Vacation ~ Day 41

Day 41 ~ Tuesday, July 4th 

Happy Independence Day!

At 9.30 AM, dressed in our red, white, and blue, LM & I dropped BK off by the water tower to ride on his swim team float.  We wove our way through the streets of the small town, parked in Grandpa's driveway, and carried two chairs less than a quarter mile to the spot where four generations of Jim's family sat to watch the parade together.  Jim came in from spraying in the fields to watch part of the parade. 

Afterwards, the children rode carnival rides with their cousins, we ate pork chops or hot dogs for lunch, they rode more rides, watched the softball tournament, & played on the playground.  Then they both competed in the kiddie tractor pull (BK won 5 free ride tickets for coming in 3rd place!), we split a lemon shakeup three ways, and they each rode one more ride, before coming home at 3 PM for a rest from the "feels like" 105*F temps and the constant commotion of being at a festival!

After a home-cooked supper, Jim took the children back for more rides, while I had an hour respite.  I met them at the park with red, white, and blue glow sticks and flashing necklaces and brought LM home, while Jim & BK stayed to watch fireworks.  

Another non-stop day with a late night. Thankful for our freedom, small town living, and celebrating with four generations!

Summer Vacation ~ Day 40

Day 40 ~ Monday, July 3rd

I woke up around 5.30, thanks to a blackout panel not hanging straight down. I came downstairs to condensation on our windows.  It's going to be a muggy one today!  And then I walked into the kitchen and came face to face with the fact that our dishwasher quit draining over the weekend ... the sink is piled with dishes.  The world is broken.  And then my mind went back to all my parenting mistakes (and sins) of yesterday ...  The world is sin-filled, and so is my heart. 

And then the Lord reminded me of the Scripture & sermon I heard yesterday and the hymns we sang and the Lord's supper which we partook of and the body & blood and new covenant of the Lord which we remembered.  And the conversations with fellow believers who are holding our arms up by their prayers and the example of fellow believers who are pressing on to know the Lord in the circumstances of this life and with the hope of eternal life. 

LM and I dropped BK off at the tractor pull in the park next to Grandpa's and went on to swim lessons. We were early, so I availed myself of a hot tea and gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffin at a coffee shop near the pool. :)  Back to the park, happy to discover that BK had found a family from our town with two children around the same ages as ours (& they had friends' 3 children with them also).  We stayed awhile, eating pork chop sandwiches & hot dogs, mostly so the children could be occupied and I could chat with the mom.  

Then to a CVS 20 minutes away, but it was closed for lunch, so we went to a playground near there.  A random mom (angel unaware?) came up to me and said, "You're a good mom. You're doing a great job." I dissolved into tears.  I told her of this prayer from "The One Year Book of Praying for Your Children" which I read today:

There we stood, two strangers at a playground, experiencing deep fellowship as we shared our confidence in our Lord and His grace and power, and as we encouraged each other with Truth.  

Around 4 PM we were back at the park for the softball tournament & a few carnival rides.  After Jim came home, I took a Tylenol and headed to bed early.

Summer Vacation ~ Day 39

Day 39 ~ Sunday, July 2nd

Our pastor opened our worship service with Isaiah 25.6-9:

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
    a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
    of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain
    the covering that is cast over all peoples,
    the veil that is spread over all nations.
8     He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces,
    and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
    for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
    “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
    This is the Lord; we have waited for him;
    let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Then he preached a hope-filled sermon from I Cor. 15.50-58.  (I even managed to hear parts of it [LM is in "big church" this summer], but hope to go back and listen to the recording so that I can hear all of it.)

After the sermon, we sang the John Newton hymn, "Let Us Love & Sing & Wonder!"  I first sang it at a winter retreat for Virginia college students held on the UVA campus in the early 90s and was stopped in my tracks by the words!  I think we sang it this Sunday to the Indelible Grace melody, but I can't say I'm familiar with either the old or the new melody. The words, though, are still just as rich!

We ended the day by visiting Grandpa & Grandma.  The children and women walked/ biked to the park, where we were caught in a torrential downpour.  We made it under the pavilion just in time! But then BK handed me his hearing aids and went out, riding around in the rain with a look of sheer delight on his face!  The noise on the tin roof brought back so many pleasant memories of the cabins at Bible camp, but was a little too loud for LM. Thankfully, Jim showed up with the van to take us back to Grandpa's house. :)

Another week has started. Another seven days of the Lord's new mercies. May they pour down like rain.

Summer Vacation ~ Day 38

Day 38 ~ Saturday, July 1st

The children and I were out and about here in our little village from 9.10-9.50 at the post office, library, and Dollar General. 

I started the mammoth project of going through BK's clothes - different seasons, different sizes, and preferred & nonpreferred.  I just dumped them all on our bed, with hopes of sorting to "current," "future," and "give away," and also hopes of finishing before bedtime!

LM and I read 16 books this morning! She has completed her basic 90 for the library program, but we're still plugging away on her last 100 for the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge. (Yes, we're a year behind, but we're still celebrating!). And we're still focusing on reading as much as possible everyday just for the benefits of it, too. :)

Delicious lunch of chicken thighs, various vegetables (finishing up a bag of salad, some leftover roasted veggies, and some veggie sticks), and tater tots.  Dessert of ice cream. :) 

I took the opportunity to rest awhile before Jim went back to the farm.  Then the children and I played in the back yard for over an hour (with a real feel temp of 92*F with 80% humidity!), culminating with a haircut for BK, before screen time was earned. 

BK went to a friend's birthday party at 5.30.  Jim picked him up at 9.45.  They started at the boy's house and then went to a local pool.  If you think of it, pray for him & the boys in his grade at school.  As the teacher put it, "There's a group of boys that likes to make bad choices."  There are some great boys in his grade as well, but it's a tricky situation to navigate.  

Another late night. Sigh!

Summer Vacation ~ Day 37

Day 37 ~ Friday, June 30th

Morning came early after an exhausting night last night.  The children and I left at 8.30 for 9-10 AM swim practice for BK.  Swim team has been using small community pools this summer, but I am so impressed with how well the coaches encourage & instruct, and by the wonderful spirit among the team & team families.

From there, we went immediately to a 2-hour appointment at the Honda dealership... where we ate a yummy lunch of free popcorn and Coke!  :-)  

Thankful for another thunderstorm this morning. The crops need rain. 

It was a lazy afternoon. I had two long phone calls, so Right Now Media and Daniel Tiger babysat.  

We're almost to the halfway point of summer vacation, and we haven't even made an official bucket list yet.  We hit the ground running and haven't stopped.  The only thing we're consistently doing is LM's reading logs for the library and memorizing various Proverbs via the NIV Kids Club songs.

6-8 PM found us back at the ball diamonds for an end-of-season party!!  "Pizza, snacks, drinks, and games" is what the invite promised.  I ate another stellar meal of chips and a Capri-Sun drink pouch. :-o Dozens of children happily played wiffle ball, kickball, water relays, water balloons, and yard Jenga for hours!

Thankful for all the people who volunteer to run the league and coach the teams, and for the great community spirit!

Baths for all at 9 PM made for another late night... Sigh!