Category Archives: Memes and Link-Ups

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: August 17, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY August 17, 2014

Outside my window… sunny and incredibly hot. It was 93F earlier and that’s warmer than I like.

I am thinking… about the messes that I have to sort out tomorrow. There’s the SSI mess, the car insurance mess, and the mess with Daniel’s transportation. I am so NOT happy about this.

I am thankful… that we went to the teacher meet n’ greet on Friday at Daniel’s elementary school — we found out that none of his paperwork had been processed yet so I had to go back over with my BINDER OF FUN and give them copies of Daniel’s IEP, his immunization record, his birth certificate, the most recent school psychologist report, and copies of the most recent evaluations for PT and OT. We also got to meet Daniel’s teacher who was a bit shocked that she now had one more kid in the class. Apparently, her class roster has been shifting around quite a bit and Daniel’s placement in her class on Monday hadn’t reached her yet.

In the kitchen… I had to put the Skittles up high because Daniel was trying to climb on the counter to get them.

I am wearing… charcoal-colored “Strike Out Cancer” shirt from 108 Stitches and khaki shorts.

I am praying for… guidance, the ability to forgive someone, for Daniel’s first day of school, and a few special intentions.

I am going… out to dinner with Jon for his birthday tomorrow.

I am wondering… who put me on the Rick Perry for Governor mailing list. I got an email from Ted Cruz today asking me to stand up with Rick Perry. I traced it and apparently, my email address was put on a Romney for President list without my permission. I was tempted to email them back and tell them that I’d rather chew ground glass than support Rick Perry but that would be wrong. #bluestateproblems

I am reading… Motif for Murder by Laura Childs. My mother-in-law also lent me Designated Daughters, the latest Margaret Maron book, this weekend and I couldn’t put it down.

I am hoping… to get some freelance work once Daniel goes back to school.

I am looking forward to… my dentist appointment on Thursday so that maybe we can get to the source of my jaw pain.

I am hearing… Daniel talking to himself and looking through books.

Around the house… robots vacuuming and cleaning floors.

From the learning rooms… working on writing letters and numbers.

A favorite quote for today… “I have learned now that while those who speak about one’s miseries usually hurt, those who keep silence hurt more.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… ice chips.

A few plans for the rest of the week: taking Daniel to school in the mornings until transportation for the district is worked out, probably dinner with Jon tomorrow night, dentist appointment on Thursday, and whatever else life throws my direction.

A peek into my day… Here’s my “What I Wore on Sunday” picture.

Me pondering the grandfather clock.

Shirt: Old Navy
Skirt: Kohl’s
Shoes (not pictured): Naturalizer

Then there’s the cute little boy who will be starting kindergarten tomorrow…

Mommy loves Daniel. Daniel loves Mommy.

What I Wore on Sunday

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7 Quick Takes: Literary Cats, Daniel’s School Sitch, and A Quote About Depression

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Brett. Brett’s family is facing court in the next few days to adopt him. Prayers would be appreciated.

— 2 —

Explaining suicide and depression. I blogged about my depression on Wednesday and I finally found the quote I was searching for:

— 3 —

Dormition of Mary. Today is the Dormition of Mary in the Orthodox Church(or Assumption if you’re Catholic) and one of my friends posted a link about how Protestants need to embrace Mary. I thought it was pretty interesting so I’m linking it up here.

— 4 —

Daniel’s school sitch. While I was in San Jose this weekend, the cogs were moving as far as getting things worked out for Daniel schoolwise. On Monday morning, I was on a walk with Mom and Daniel when I looked down at my phone and saw that I had 5 missed calls. One of them was my mother-in-law so I called to ask if she knew anything about it. She did — the person who was responsible for getting all of this worked out had called her and told her that Daniel was back in the school district next door to us and they had a placement at a school in San Dimas. I made the call to this person and found out what had been happening. Apparently, they try to keep the ASD (autism spectrum disorder) classrooms capped at 10 kids and they had an opening in this one. They’ll also be transporting Daniel to school and back which means he gets to ride a school bus and we’re not going to have to fight traffic.

His IEP was Wednesday and while the special ed person for our home district was there and screwing up Daniel’s information, the other people were sharp and on the ball with everything which makes me feel much better about all that has to happen.

Serious prayers answered here!

— 5 —

Baseball take. The Giants are now 5.5 games behind the Dodgers. *grumps* At least the Cardinals (my other boys) are only 2.0 games back from Milwaukee (the leaders in their division).

— 6 —

Cute kid story. My mother-in-law has family pictures on various bookshelves and surfaces which fascinate Daniel. Recently, she put the palm-jousting pictures down on a shelf where Daniel can see and reach them. He goes over to them and starts talking to them and when we’re gone, he goes over and says “Dada Mama?”. She’ll explain that we’re in the car and will be back soon. I saw him talking to the pictures yesterday and it was just about the cutest thing ever.

Recently, he has been taking the family pictures of us (the ones with him in them) off of the mantle so we put them down on a table at his level and he’ll take them and look at them.

— 7 —

Harry Potter/cat fun. My mother-in-law and I were talking about school stuff and she made a comment about “if an owl flew through that window and said something about school”.

My reply: “An owl delivering information about school would be a totally normal and rational thing.”

She looked at Edda, my black cat who she has renamed “Bellatrix”, and said, “But an owl is not going to fly through that window. And if one does, LEAVE IT ALONE! DO NOT MESS WITH IT!” Edda looked at her as if to say, “I am a literary cat and I know better than to eat any owls that come delivering messages.”

Yeah… I married into the right family, Lutheran clergy Mudblood that I am.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: August 13, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY August 13, 2014

Outside my window… warm. The city is repaving streets so there are asphalt trucks and workers out.

I am thinking… about Daniel’s IEP this afternoon. His school situation got fixed kind of amazingly on Monday and I’m dealing with someone in another school district who is actually treating me (and Daniel) like a person and not like a problem they’d like to make disappear.

I am thankful… for the weekend with my parents and for drama-free drives up and back by myself with Daniel.

In the kitchen… Jon is making himself lunch. I had elevenses so I’m not thinking about food-type stuff for a few hours yet.

I am wearing… charcoal shirt and tan khaki capri cargo pants.

I am praying for… some special intentions, discernment about our next step in ministry, and that this afternoon’s IEP goes well.

I am going… hopefully nowhere tomorrow.

I am reading… A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren. While I was up in San Jose, I also read a couple murder mysteries: Cutwork by Monica Ferris (meh) and Death by Design, a three-pack of murder mysteries by Laura Childs which was good enough that I just requested the other books in the series from the library.

I am hoping… Daniel takes a long nap so I can get some writing done.

I am looking forward to… going to an ordination on Saturday.

I am hearing the ticking of the various clocks in the living room.

Around the house… quiet as people take naps or read or do whatever.

From the learning rooms… the usual: letters, numbers, writing, days of the week, months of the year, etc. School starts next week for Daniel and I’ll be happy to be done “homeschooling” so I can start focusing on freelance work again to pay the bills.

A favorite quote for today… “If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” — C.S. Lewis

I post this one every couple months but it’s one that resonates well with me.

One of my favorite things… a quiet house.

A few plans for the rest of the week: IEP today, some business calls tomorrow, open house at Daniel’s school on Friday morning, possible date night on Friday night, and heading to an ordination on Saturday.

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7 Quick Takes: Traveling Mercies and A Bunch of Prayer Requests

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Traveling mercies. I’m on the road again this weekend. Daniel starts school on August 18th and I want to get some time with my parents before then. I’m driving up to San Jose with him tomorrow and we’re leaving Jon behind to do some premarital counseling sessions.

— 2 —

Prerequisite baseball take. My boys are 3.5 games behind the Dodgers. Grump grump grump grump grump. I also now live in Dodgerland so I get reminded frequently. At least my other boys (the St. Louis Cardinals) are only 1 game behind in their division.

— 3 —

Prayer request. I spent a chunk of today sorting out the mess that my local Social Security office made of Daniel’s SSI. Could you pray that they get off their butts when they get my letter and documentation and fix it? Please and thank you.

— 4 —

IEP. We got the referral for Daniel to an autism program but they’re sending us to Covina for it which is not making me happy because that’s at least a 20 minute drive in morning traffic. I think Claremont is required to provide transportation for him but I’m not sure. Could y’all please pray that the IEP meeting goes well and we can figure out exactly where we’re being sent? (We were supposed to be sent to the school district next door.)

— 5 —

Kindergarten boot camp. We’ve mastered drinking from a cup and using a knife and fork at the table. If only we could master potty-training. It’s the bane of my existence at the moment.

— 6 —

Brett. The cute little boy on my sidebar has met his new family. Could you please pray that they can get through all the red tape that exists in adopting a child? Thanks!

— 7 —

Blog Hop. I participated in a blog hop about writing this week. Click here to read it. It was fun to reflect on why I do the things I do this way and I’m excited to see what the three people tagged have to say.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: August 3, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

(This is being backdated and posted once I return to a place where I have an Internet connection.)

FOR TODAY August 3, 2014

Outside my window… sunny and probably around 80F.

I am thinking… about the call process we’re in and where we’re currently interviewing.

I am thankful… for my in-laws watching Daniel this weekend and for the time this weekend to rest, read, and take some serious Sabbath time.

In the kitchen… we’re staying in the church’s parsonage and they stocked it with snacks, fruit, and sandwich-making supplies for us.

I am wearing… my Online Debate Team shirt (because there’s totally someone on the Internet who is wrong) and black capri sweats.

I am praying for… clarity in where God is leading us, for healing for people in my family, that Daniel continues to amass new skills, and for some special intentions.

I am going… to fly home to southern California tomorrow.

I am wondering… where God is calling us to next.

I am reading… Theology of the Body for Beginners by Christopher West. I finished Light from Heaven and Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon while traveling on Friday and read Sugar and Iced by Jen McKinlay last night.

I am looking forward to… seeing Daniel tomorrow when we get home. This is the longest I’ve been away from him ever.

I am hearing the washer at the parsonage rinsing/spinning a load of towels. (I travel with Tide packs so that I can do laundry on the road when needed.)

Around the house… quiet and the washer running.

From the learning rooms… still working on life skills, potty-training, numbers, shapes, letters, colors, days of the week, and months of the year with Daniel so that he can wow his kindergarten teachers this fall.

One of my favorite things… cuddles with Daniel. I’m missing my boy horribly.

A few plans for the rest of the week: flying home tomorrow, catching up on phone calls and Daniel stuff on Tuesday, ICP for the local Regional Center on Thursday, and possibly heading up to see my parents next weekend.

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7 Quick Takes: Leaving on A Jet Plane, Orphan Prayers, and Trader Joe’s.

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Leaving on a jet plane. I’m sitting in the Ontario International Airport (California, not Canada) waiting to board a plane for this weekend. Pray for good travel mercies for Jon and I and also for Daniel who is being cared for by my in-laws. It’s the longest I’ve been away from him ever and I’m a bit unnerved. I’m incredibly thankful for my mother-in-law Victoria who is doing the lion’s share for the care.

— 2 —

Control Journal. Earlier this week, I got the idea to make a “control journal” for Daniel like you’d find on the Flylady website. It took me a couple days because I had to take pictures of the steps I take in doing stuff like giving Daniel a breathing treatment and I had to mark up the pictures with instructions but it turned out really well. If you think I should do a post on how I did it, let me know in the comments.

— 3 —

Awesome Trader Joe’s story. I was at Trader Joe’s by myself with Daniel a couple days ago and ended up in a checkout lane next to the automatic doors. Daniel’s stimming behavior is opening/shutting doors so this was a bit too tempting for him and so he made a run for it. In the process of trying to get him back and get my gift card out, I dropped my wallet and everything spilled out. The crew member checking me out looked at me and asked, “Is he autistic?”

“Yes,” I replied.

This crew member immediately grabbed another crew member, told him to watch Daniel for me, and helped me pick up the contents of my wallet and sort it. When all was done, he helped us carry everything to the car and asked me a lot of questions about Daniel and his autism. It turns out that he is a college student studying psychology and he recognized the signs. He made sure we got everything into the car, complimented me on how I was doing this all by myself, and told me that if I ever needed any help like this to just grab another crew member.

So… my deepest thanks to Thomas at the Claremont Trader Joe’s. You seriously made my day.

— 4 —

Why I seriously love Trader Joe’s and will give them my business at any opportunity. My experience in #3 is just the tip of the iceberg. I have never had a bad experience with them ever in the 4 years I’ve shopped there since moving back to the West Coast and part of the reason is that their employees are all really wonderful. They have mini-carts for kids with a “Customer-in-Training” flag on them and they are really helpful for teaching Daniel how to shop at a grocery store and what the names of various types of food are. (It also helps his gait to push the cart rather than riding in one of the big adult ones.) Their corporate culture is very laid back and their headquarters is a very plain two story building in Monrovia. (I interviewed to be one of their database people 4 years ago. I didn’t get the job but I can actually say I’ve interviewed at their corporate headquarters and that I was one of the top 10 candidates for the job out of the hundreds who applied.)

— 5 —

Huh. I checked Jon and I in on the Southwest Airlines site last night and when I got our boarding passes, Jon got position A-16 and I got position B-28. In what universe is that reasonable?!?!?!?

Southwest Airlines, BTW, is incredibly good with Daniel. We flew with them two years ago when Daniel and I went down to surprise my father-in-law for Father’s Day after not seeing him for almost 10 months. (Long story.) They were incredibly helpful in getting him on the plane and giving me help in schlepping everything.

— 6 —

Brett. The family committed to Brett (the adorable child on my sidebar) is in his country meeting him and the other little boy they plan to adopt. Pray for good travel mercies for them and a smooth stay with no bureaucratic hangups.

— 7 —

Another prayer request. Please pray for Hope, the adopted daughter of my friend (and fellow Lutheran pastor’s wife) Dalas. They got her home from her country and she’s currently in the hospital as they try to get her nutritionally stable. Dalas is living at the hospital with her and her two year old son and it’s pretty brutal.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 27, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY July 27, 2014

Outside my window… sunny and bright. According to Weather.Com, it’s 96F here right now. Ugh.

I am thinking… about my upcoming trip this weekend and what I’ll need to pack for it.

I am thankful… for my mother-in-law who is watching Daniel so I can take a breather and blog.

In the kitchen… nothing as of yet though my mother-in-law did make some stuffed peppers yesterday that looked pretty good.

I am wearing… green v-neck shirt and khaki shorts that I’ll have to replace this week as they’ve gotten a few small holes from being washed and worn so much.

I am praying for… my trip this weekend. It will be the longest I’ve been away from Daniel since his birth five years ago.

I am going… to Kohl’s in a bit to go shopping for shorts.

I am wondering… about what will be unfolding in the next few weeks.

I am reading… Light from Heaven by Jan Karon. It’s the last of the books in her series “The Mitford Years”. Next on my agenda are the first two in her “Father Tim” series in preparation for the book that will be coming out later this year. After that, I’ll read Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay.

I am hoping… we get more consistent results with potty-training this week.

I am looking forward to… seeing what God may be calling us to.

I am hearing the A/C and my mother-in-law cleaning in the kitchen.

Around the house… it is now 5 hours after I started writing this, night has fallen, and people are heading to bed.

From the learning rooms… potty-training, reviewing shapes/numbers/letters/colors, learning to write letters and numbers, reading books, and working on life skills.

A favorite quote for today… “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… Daniel’s laugh when we play “Ring Around the Rosy” with my in-laws.

A few plans for the rest of the week: A peds appointment at some point for Daniel to get his cough checked out (and establish care here), various errands, and a flight out to my undisclosed location with Jon on Friday.

A peek into my day… Here’s one of the pictures of the sanctuary of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels that I took last week after the Mass for Immigrants that I attended. It’s an amazing space and all of it is tastefully designed. Some of these tapestries were used for the cover of My Life with the Saints by Fr. James Martin, S.J.

A shot of the tapestries on one side of the sanctuary of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown LA

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