Category Archives: School

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 6, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY July 6, 2014

Outside my window… cooler. It was 96F in Claremont today. I hate July in the desert…

I am thinking… about the organizing of all of Daniel’s therapy notes, IEP’s, goal paperwork, ABA reports, etc. that starts tomorrow for me.

I am thankful… that I have a really good relationship with my in-laws, especially my mother-in-law. People have commented upon meeting us that they’re kind of shocked that we’re not mother and daughter. (She’s been my “other mother” for 14 years now — we’d better be getting along well.)

In the kitchen… just cleaned it. My mother-in-law made a peach/raspberry cobbler today with the peaches off of her tree. I’m not a fan of cobbler but it smelled pretty good.

I am wearing… my preeclampsia survivor shirt and black running shorts.

I am praying for… discernment, some special intentions, Daniel’s school time to go well this week, for another call for Jon, and for healing for various people.

I am going… to Target tomorrow to pick up the scripts they couldn’t fill today because of computer problems.

I am reading… A New Song by Jan Karon. I finished Out to Canaan yesterday.

I am hoping… the weather is much much cooler tomorrow.

I am looking forward to… finding out where God wants us next.

I am hearing my mother-in-law’s Mints and Roomba running. It sounds (and looks) like “Robot Wars” going down in this house.

Around the house… laundry to fold once I get Daniel to sleep.

I am pondering… aspects of the human condition.

A favorite quote for today… “There are two kinds of love: we love wise and kind and beautiful people because we need them, but we love (or try to love) stupid and disagreeable people because they need us. This second kind is the more divine because that is how God loves us: not because we are lovable but because He is love, not because He needs to receive but He delights to give.” — C.S. Lewis (from today’s email — I’m on a mailing list in which a piece of his works appears in my inbox every morning)

One of my favorite things… Daniel asleep.

A few plans for the rest of the week: “school” for Daniel Monday – Friday, speech on Tuesday, and various errands sprinkled throughout the week.

A peek into my day… Felicity (one of my in-laws’ cats) asleep in the laundry I have to fold.

Felicity *helping* with laundry

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The Simple Woman’s Daybook + What I Wore On Sunday: Pastoral Farewell Edition

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY June 29, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It’s around 11 p.m. and I’m staying up and waiting for Freya to come in. She has become an indoor/outdoor gremlin after moving down here to Claremont and she’s not one of nature’s best camouflage jobs so I worry when she refuses to come in.

I am thinking… about Daniel working with the home teacher tomorrow that the school is sending out. She has no ABA training which is going to mean that I’ll have to train her in how to work with him. Oh freaking joy.

I am thankful… for my in-laws. They babysat last night so that Jon and I could go to the country club reception for the pastor of our church down here who is retiring after 40 years of ministry. (They also got Daniel to sleep even though he came and curled up with me around 1 a.m.) They watched him again today so we could go to church in the morning and the special service of farewell for our pastor in the afternoon. When we got home, my mother-in-law tucked me in with Edda and told me to take a nap. She is made of awesome.

In the kitchen… mint chip ice cream. I’m still pretty full from the reception after church but I needed something on my stomach to take pills.

I am wearing… my lavender Momcat shirt and black capri sweats from Target.

I am praying for… a good session with the home teacher tomorrow, for no more problems getting services for Daniel down here, for a few special intentions, for discernment in what comes next for us…

I am going… to hit up Target for Noxzema tomorrow. Daniel apparently smeared 1/2 a jar of it on himself during his “play bath” tonight and ran me out.

I am wondering… where Freya is.

I am reading… Out to Canaan by Jan Karon — continuing to read brainless stuff right now as I deal with the weightier things in my life.

I am hoping… the little monster comes in soon.

I am looking forward to… snuggling up with my house panther and going to sleep.

I am hearing crickets. It’s a relatively cool night outside.

Around the house… silence as I’m the only one up.

I am pondering… various things, most presently popular artists performing with symphony orchestras. I could see it working for Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony 10+ years ago. (What? You didn’t know I like Metallica?) I’m a bit surprised at how it worked out for the Seattle Symphony Orchestra performing with Sir Mix-A-Lot and doing “Baby Got Back”. (If you don’t believe me, the video is here. It’s probably mildly NSFW.) I’m also kind of surprised at all the women who got up to dance on stage with him.

A favorite quote for today… “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” — Ephesians 3:20-21 (NIV) which was quoted a lot during all the events for Dennis (the pastor who is retiring).

One of my favorite things… mint chip ice cream.

A few plans for the rest of the week: annoying various people and social agencies to get services for Daniel. It’s what I do best. 😉

A peek into my day… I’m using this particular topic for my “What I Wore on Sunday” meme picture. I wish I had gotten a picture of me in my super pretty clothes last night at the country club but oh well. This particular outfit worked for church this morning at St. John’s (I accidentally slept too late to go elsewhere), a trip to Michael’s/Target/Stater Bros. (grocery store), and then the worship service honoring Pastor Dennis.

What I Wore on Sunday: June 29, 2014

V-Neck: Kohl’s
Skirt: Kohl’s
Shoes: Naturalizer

For more, go see Emily and the other pretties at Fine Linen and Purple.

Funny story: My mother-in-law runs a Little Free Library in their front yard (I’m standing in front of the tables of books in this picture) and on Friday, I had just gotten home from picking Jon up at the train station in Pomona when I saw a mother and daughter walking away from the table of books. We greeted each other politely and then it clicked that I knew here from somewhere. It was Jamie from A Year in Skirts and Helping Each Other Every Day! I knew she lived in the area but I hadn’t realized how close she was. Even better, my mother-in-law knew who she was because I had showed her Jamie’s blog and she had been meaning to tell me that Jamie was one of the patrons. It’s a small world indeed. I think I shocked her when I pointed out how I knew who she was (which, by the way, is totally unlike me).

What I Wore On Sunday

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{Virtual} Coffee Date (vol. 12)

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{Virtual Coffee Date}

Once you’re done here, go visit Karianna and the other coffee drinkers.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I’m ahead of my game on my NanoWriMo piece. This is good because I’ll be with family this weekend and possibly attending a funeral in Santa Cruz so I won’t have much time to write.

If we were having coffee, I would ask you to pray for the family of Gordon Smith who was found dead in his office in Capitola on Saturday morning. He was one of the leaders of the college group at my church when I attended UC Santa Cruz. He leaves behind a wife, a daughter, and numerous college kids they adopted during their time in Santa Cruz. I’m still pretty stunned and part of me wants to cry but can’t at this time.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you how much I’m hoping we have rain soon. We’re in a drought and really need the moisture. I could also use a quiet rainy day.

Thank you for having coffee (or tea) with me this week! Join me next week at the same time more more coffee.

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: How My Childhood Impacted Who I Am Today

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This week’s topic: how my childhood impacted who I am today.

This should be an interesting list.

[+] I am compassionate because my mom modeled it on a daily basis. She’s the one who would give money to people with “out of work” signs and buy the ingredients for a separate Thanksgiving dinner for the food pantry. I also had lots of service opportunities through school and Girl Scouts.

[+] I am creative because I had parents who encouraged me to read whatever I wanted, draw, and write stories. My mom has “books” that I made when I was 5 and 6.

[+] I am shy because I was bullied in school and consequently am really wary around people until I know I can trust them.

[+] I am good at thinking on my feet because of Girl Scouts, particularly my Senior troop. We got to do lots of activities where we had to think through all the steps independently and they taught me how to rely on my own everywhere from a job interview to the wilderness.

[+] I am focused because I wanted to be the best at everything and my classmates in middle schoo; and high school gave me a run for my money.

[+] I am a blogger because I was bored one afternoon in February 1997 (I think it was the 10th) and heard about this site called Geocities that allowed you to build your own personal website. I started blogging three years later.

[+] I am a Christian because I was blessed to have a neighbor who read me the Gospel when I was 6 years old and showed me what it was to be a godly woman. She was one of the Scripture readers at my wedding and I miss her so much! (She lives in Oregon now. The last time I saw her was 7 years ago when I was in Oregon for my grandfather’s funeral.)

[+] I am addicted to georgraphy because I had a first grade teacher who handed me a map and explained how it all worked. I knew all my state capitals before the year was up. Playing “Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego” obsessively in second grade also helped.

[+] I am a good cook because my mom had my brother and I “helping” her from the time we could pull chairs to the counter. It took her three times as long at first but we could follow a recipe by the time we were 7 and cook dinner by the time we were 9.

[+} I am a classical music lover because my mom had it on all the time. She also did the “You-Sing-It Messiah” with me in high school and college. By the time my awesome Music Appreciation class rolled around in high school, I knew more than most of my clasmates.

Now go see Becky and what everyone else was impacted by their childhoods.

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: A Letter to My 16 Year Old Self

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Today’s topic: a letter to my 16 year old self.

Dear 16 year old self,

I have good news: it gets better — SO SO SO MUCH BETTER. Here are a couple tips:

1.) Junior Honors English Wench is dead wrong. You might get B’s in her class but you will have straight A’s in AP English. Her drama queens won’t even get past the first week of AP English where they regurgitate whatever they read over the summer. This class will prove to you that you have no desire to do anything with literary criticism. Screw what JHEW thinks — she might take perverse pleasure in screaming at you in front of the class but that’s because she is so insecure that she needs her pets to prop her up.

2.) You will get a B+ in USH AP. You’ll live. You probably should have done more on Project A and actually gone through the magazines in the library but you’ll live. Project B will rock your world. You will find that the paper you write on the Scopes Trial will get you out of a few assignments when you hit college. Enjoy it.

3.) Your Walk-A-Day experience will show you what you truly want to do in life. You might start out being pre-med and change to religion but what you really want is to be an ER nurse or a respiratory therapist. It’s OK though — everything you learn in college and seminary will prepare you for the rest of your life and you’ll find a way to go back to school eventually.

4.) ECA will become your home and the choir will become your new family. You will find a church community who will love you because you’re Jen — not for any other reason.

Just hang in there for now. Once you graduate, you can leave high school behind and find your true self in college.

Snuggles,
Your 33 year old self

Now go see Becky and what wisdom everyone else shared with their 16 year old selves..

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: High School Back Then

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This week’s topic: high school back then.

Yeah, high school left serious welts on my psyche so I’m trying to come up with good things.

OK… highlights of high school:

[+] AP classes. Yes, I am a nerd. 🙂 I was “that girl” who took the most challenging classes she could (except for math — math and I didn’t get along until I was done with calculus) and this meant 2 AP classes a year when I was a junior and senior. My US History class was set up as a “college class”. We had “lecture” one day and they opened up the dividers between classrooms so all 4 classes could have the same “lecture” and then the next day or two would be “small group” where we would discuss the lecture with our actual teacher. It was brutal at the time but really prepped me for college. AP Biology was fun — we dissected minks and it was interesting. AP French was kind of the default for the 4th year of French at my high school and it was a language so I loved it. My AP English teacher had a saying that “everyone needs to bring something to the party” and it was one of those classes where you had better have done the reading and be ready to contribute.

[+] Music Appreciation. I took the *BEST* Music Appreciation class with a teacher who had a passion for communicating it to his students and who got even the slackers to dress up and haul butt to ballets, symphony concerts, and operas. It was pretty common to see one of the slackers at a concert in a shirt and tie and to think “dang… they clean up well!” I saw some amazing ballet, was close enough to the pianist at one symphony concerts to see that his socks didn’t match, and saw “I Pagliacci” and “La Boheme”. I mean, I was a pianist and classical vocalist so a lot of it, I would have learned anyway but my teacher taught others how to read music! He also got me (Miss “Terrified of Solos”) up and doing a duet with one of the other girls in my class. It was also good to get class credit for participating in the “You-Sing-It Messiah” with the San Jose Symphonic Choir.

[+] Proving my Junior English teacher wrong. My teacher for Junior Honors English was a wench. She took particular joy in torturing particular students in each class and I was one of her favorite targets. One of my friends actually took a couple of my essays to her AP English teacher who read them and told her that my English teacher was batcrap crazy. She refused to give me a recommendation for AP English which I took anyway… and I got straight A’s in the class while her pets dropped out in the first week because they couldn’t deal with having to regurgitate the 8 books we had to read over the summer for timed writings. I’m not the bigger person so I *did* mention sweetly that I got straight A’s in AP English to her at graduation though I refrained from calling her the things I wanted to call her.

I think I’ll go nurse my re-opened wounds now.

Now go see Becky and what everyone else did in high school.

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: My Goals for Motherhood

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This week’s topic: my goals for motherhood.

Just resetting the bear...

Yeah… it’s almost 1 a.m. and I’m wrestling with this and also the car sitch. (If you could say a quick prayer that Daniel and I could get to Sacramento and back tomorrow, I’d appreciate it.)

I think my goals would be…

For Daniel to grow up knowing that he is loved by us for who he is. I admit that this is a subject that can keep me up late at night because there is so much that we don’t know about the future. We don’t know what this coming school year holds, if he’ll start talking this year, or what skills he’ll pick up. I’m endlessly thankful that we have an ABA program at the local preschool and that the Regional Center is picking up the tab for his ABA therapy outside of school. I guess I just want him to know that Jon and I love him so incredibly much and will always love him, no matter what.

For Daniel to know his worth as a child of God. This pastor’s wife has no clue how to pass the faith on to her son. Go me. I am hoping that he’ll pick up on me praying with him before we eat and eventually, he’ll be able to sit through church even if it’s with a “busy bag”. I want him to know that he is a child of the living God and that Jesus died for his sins. I want him to know that God loves him. I want him to be able to go to God in prayer and approach Him like a child would approach their Father. For all I know, Daniel has an amazing spiritual life and knows that God loves him — Daniel isn’t verbal so I don’t know how he could communicate that to me.

For Daniel to be more than a kid with autism (or an adult with autism). He is autistic but that doesn’t necessarily define him. He has a fascination for how things work and how they are put together so maybe he’ll be an engineer or an electrician or something like that. The possibilities are endless.

To show Daniel an example of a godly woman so that he will hopefully see that quality in a future spouse. Again, this is one of those things where I have no idea what I’m doing other than just letting Daniel see me praying, singing hymns and spiritual songs to him, and being the woman God wants me to be. If he can pick up on me tossing my trash into the garbage can at Target and the way my mom recycles yard waste, he can probably pick up on this?

To show Daniel a good example of a healthy marriage. Again, this is kind of a monkey-see-monkey-do type of thing at the moment. I want him to know how to talk things out civilly with his future wife and to respect her. I want him to know that it’s OK to disagree on the small things and to pick his battles because you can’t die on every hill.

For Daniel to be independent. This will be one of those things on which we’ll be working with his ABA tutors. I want Daniel to know how to cook something relatively simple, how to wash/dry his clothes, how to shop for groceries, how to clean, and how to survive in the outside world because I’m not going to be around forever.

I guess overall, my goals is for Daniel be the best person he can be.

Daniel and I.

Now go see Becky and what everyone else has for goals.