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!

Shutterfly Math

Have you ever made a photo book?

I have started a tradition of making one each Christmas for our children's "new Grandma."

I made one to commemorate a visit to my parents' a few years ago.   

And I made one to cover my dad's last few months of life plus the family gathering for his funeral.  

The price varies widely. 

As I was making the one of my dad, the price at the top of the screen kept rising ... $70 ... $90, but then when I put it in my cart, the price dropped to $25.  So I bought two!  One for my mom, and one for us.  Then I had a request for another one.  The price was $90 but I had a code (in my app) for 40% off.  After ordering, a new code for 50% off showed up in my app (expiring that very day).  But the price never dropped to $25. 

I guess Shutterfly executives learned new math. :)

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #80

791.  sunshine over the weekend despite the snow & ice 

792.  Spotify playlist: 25 Essential Easter Hymns

793.  good report at the eye doctor & two other specialists

794.  our children's specialists are only 70 miles away and not in Chicago

795.  a caring audiologist

796.  5-year warranty for hearing aids!

797.  the last day of rec league basketball season! (I am not a good basketball mom.)

798.  a productive Monday morning    

799.  great small group Bible study

800.  and just-as-great if not better small group prayer time 

Orientation

The first time BK's class went trick-or-treating (to the offices in the hospital that owns the school he was attending), I sent him in a costume, but didn't know to send a bag or container for collecting the candy.

Our first year of Awana was so hard ... I had no idea what the expectations were of parents.  After one year of BK in Sparks, the next year he was in Sparks & LM was in Cubbies.  See, even using that language confuses you, doesn't it, if you're not familiar with Awana?  And I started all over again, having no idea what happened in Cubbies and what we were supposed to do each week.  

But this year, he's in TNT (there's that unfamiliar language again; basically it's for 3rd - ? grades).  

The first 2-3 months were almost torture for me, because I didn't understand the system (which is completely different from Sparks or Cubbies). I sent so many emails to his leader, asked so many questions in person on Wednesday nights to the class secretary... and still live with this vague feeling that we're not doing it right.  

When BK entered our local grade school, I had absolutely zero clue how car line worked.  I showed up about 10 minutes too early the first morning.  And then when I picked him up that afternoon, I pulled up a little bit so he could get buckled, and an aide working car line immediately came and tapped on my window, explaining that I could get ticketed for stopping in that spot?!?  To the school's credit, the car line rules changed this year, and there was MUCH communication about it. 

Rec league sports is another area where parents are just expected to know everything.  

To say I'm a little passionate about providing orientation in every area of life is an understatement.  In most instances, I believe the people involved have good intentions. It's just that by definition they know what's going on, so they don't realize how little (read: zero) the rest of us know about the system.  

Have you ever wished you had better orientation for a class or activity?

Amazon to the rescue

Before I met Jim, I had never purchased anything from Amazon other than books.

Now that we live 20 miles from town, I buy lots of things from Amazon!

Here are a few of our favorites. 

Mesh Popup Laundry Hamper

When I started getting sick & losing mobility the summer before last, I needed lightweight laundry baskets.  These have been just what I needed.  We always take one when we travel also.  And bonus! When I bring a load down to the laundry room, I can fold the basket up until the clothes come out of the dryer (saving space in our tiny laundry "room"!).

 

Plug-in flashlight for emergencies - These are super-handy, and although we haven't had a power outage since we bought these, I'm relieved knowing we'll have automatic lights especially in interior rooms (aka bathrooms). 

 

 

Dusk-to-dawn nightlight - I absolutely love these!  I put one in our bathroom, the kids' bathroom, and the basement half-bath.  And I put the rest in my suitcase.  We left at least one at my parents' and benefited from it during our visits last summer & fall.  It doesn't look like this brand is available currently on Amazon, but there are similar ones. 

 

These night vision glasses really help me drive after dark!

These little Tide Travel Sink Packets are just the right amount for washing clothes in the sink while traveling.  

My pandemic skill was learning to cut BK's hair. (I'm still on the learning curve!). This Kids Haircut Cape & Brush has made haircuts more tolerable for everyone. :)

What interesting items have you purchased from Amazon?

 

Sometimes it's the simple things

{originallly written a month ago}

So many times since June 2020 (when we went out of town after weeks home alone) I have said, "I feel like I'm finally coming up for air."  

And, here in January February 2023, once again I am saying it. 

I put away the Christmas dishes (for the first time since before Christmas 2019), and brought out our everyday dishes.  I had forgotten how much I really, really like them!  

On February 1st, I switched the mantle garland from snowflakes to hearts and added a little decor interest on one side of the mantle. 

I have solved a few problems:

With the addition of 3 morning horse pills and 3 evening horse pills, I needed a different pill organizer.  Enter this large pillbox that has seven 3-compartment pill organizers.  

The kitchen counter closest to the table has been a perpetual drop zone.  One day I scooped everything off of it (it is still in a bag) and put a pedestal cake dish (with a red pillar candle with red berry wreath around it inside it) on the counter, propped a tray up at the back of the counter, and have kept the counter basically clean for two weeks and counting.  

                                          

What did I do with the items that lived on the drop zone & which we really do need access to? I found a small 3-shelf bookshelf in the basement and put it at the end of the counter (in lieu of a built-in bookcase).  BK's Awana book & Bible, my planner and current paperwork, my pill case, BK's Roger pen (microphone) & charger are on the top two shelves, while my collection of hardback Mitford books anchor the bottom shelf, while providing beauty and pleasant memories. 

I'm not sure if coming up for air is a post-pandemic thing or a mom of littles thing, but I hope you're finding peace and rest in your daily & weekly rhythm.  What are the simple things that are giving you joy these days?