Category Archives: Daniel

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: December 22, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY December 22, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It’s almost midnight.

I am thinking… about what I have to accomplish in the next few days. Daniel and I are heading up to be with my parents for a week or so and I’ll need to figure out what to take up with me.

I am thankful… for the opportunity to sing the Christmas section of Handel’s “Messiah” with the Claremont Symphony Orchestra yesterday.

In the kitchen… nothing as it’s past time to eat.

I am wearing… my Online Debate team shirt and capri-length sweats.

I am praying for… relief from my fibro flare, for Daniel to pleasepleasepleaseplease sleep in tomorrow, for Mary/Jerry/Jonathan, and for some special intentions.

I am going… to go to sleep as soon as this posts.

I am wondering… too many things to mention.

I am reading… Skein of the Crime by Maggie Sefton. I also just finished Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews

I am hoping… for sleep.

I am looking forward to… sleep. (Do you sense a theme here?)

I am hearing… my laptop fan.

Around the house… things are out away for the most part

One of my favorite things… ice chips! I gained an appreciation for them when Daniel was born.

A few plans for the rest of the week: PT for Daniel tomorrow, visit with family tomorrow and Wednesday, rehearsal for Messiah tomorrow night, Messiah concert and Christ Mass on Wednesday night, Christmas stuff on Thursday, and heading up to San Jose with Daniel on Friday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

7 Quick Takes: Things I Wish People Would Stop Saying to Me

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7 Quick Takes

T’is the season for me to become Scrooge-like as I’m being accosted with bad versions of Christmas carols and winter songs any time I leave the house. To deal with this, I decided to lay down some snark. So… here are 7 things that I wish people would stop saying to me.

— 1 —

*pointing at Daniel who is berzerking* “He has a lot of energy.” What was your first clue? That he runs everywhere instead of walking? That it’s only 11 a.m. and I’m already looking tired? That my pants are falling off because I’ve lost so much weight from chasing him?

— 2 —

(referring to my depression) “You should think happy thoughts and maybe you wouldn’t be so depressed.” Seriously, if that would make my depression go away, DON’T YOU THINK I’D BE DOING IT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Now please go away while I retreat further into myself and curl up in a fetal position with the covers over my head.

— 3 —

“I heard your father-in-law has cancer. I saw something/read something/heard about this person who had cancer and was cured by [insert snake oil remedy].” No… just no. We believe in this amazing thing called “scientific research” which has *proven* ways to fight the cancer. By the way, those peach pits you were suggesting I give him? They’re full of cyanide. Just thought you should know!

— 4 —

“I heard that autism can be cured by a gluten-free diet. Maybe you should try that with Daniel.” Yeah, no. I already have a kid who is usually underweight and is in a picky eating phase. Trying the GAPS diet isn’t an option unless you’d like to come and cook for us because there aren’t enough hours in the day to take care of Daniel and mastermind what happens when.

There’s also the fact that every nutritionist I’ve talked to has rolled their eyes at the idea of being on a gluten-free diet if you aren’t sensitive to gluten or suffering from celiac disease.

— 5 —

“Have you tried [insert some homeopathic cure like essential oils] for your fibromyalgia? My neighbor’s cousin’s college roommate’s niece was cured from her fibromyalgia when she tried [insert homeopathic quackery].” *sighs* Why are you still here? You are not helping. Seriously, my Old Testament professor from seminary claims her fibro was cured by body talk and she has become a practitioner of it. I think it’s all just quackery.

— 6 —

*upon seeing my raccoonish eyes* “You need to take care of yourself.” OK… so would you like to drive me to the local nail place and babysit my kid so I can have a mani-pedi and some reading time? Please and thank you!

— 7 —

A prayer request. Mary Lenaburg of Passionate Perseverance and her family are dealing with the impending loss of their daughter Courtney. Please keep them in prayer as they’re trying to let go while being present with her in her last days.

For more Quick Takes, visit Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

Advent Blog Hop: My Relationship with Mary

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Beth Anne's Advent Blog Hop

Did you know that Mary is my homegirl?

Wait… Jen, aren’t you Lutheran? Doesn’t that mean that you forgo Marian devotion?!?!?!?

Kind of sort of yes. Prayers like the Hail Mary in its post-Trent form (when the “Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death” was added) and the Hail Holy Queen make me a bit nervous but it doesn’t mean that I don’t like Mary. Heck, I’m chill with her as the Theotokos (that would be the “God-bearer” as the Orthodox refer to her) and I started understanding her a bit more six years ago while pregnant with my son Daniel.

Do tell.

I shall!

Six years ago (for those counting on fingers and toes, that would be 2008), I was ~3 months pregnant with Daniel. We had just had our first ultrasound with him and gotten to see him being adorable and waving his little limb buds at us. We were living in northern Montana at the time and being December in Montana, we went into the annual tradition of several weeks of -20F weather (not counting wind chill — with wind chill, it was more like -40F). For those not familiar with how to live in such a climate, cars do not start well in cold like that so many people have block heaters on their engines and even if you do, you still have to start your car about 10-15 minutes before you plan to drive it. I remember waking up, tossing boots on, tossing my parka and a scarf on (to cover my nose and mouth — bare skin is a no-no in cold like that), starting my car, and going back into the house to get ready while the car warmed up. For whatever reason, the cold made my hands ache like nothing else. I would have knitted gloves on, insulated mittens over the gloves, and then socks over the mittens but my hands would still ache for most of my 60 mile commute each way to and from work.

One particularly hard day, I was having a pity party for myself and it occurred to me that I could understand some of what Mary felt in having to journey the 103 miles to Bethlehem from Nazareth while pregnant. Having lived in a Mediterranean climate (a.k.a. northern California), I can tell you from experience that while it’s relatively warm during the day, it gets pretty cold at night with temperatures close to 40F on average. Imagine having to travel that distance on a donkey while 9 months pregnant and freezing your tail off. Imagine arriving and finding out that there was no room at the inn and you’d be forced to give birth in a cave where the animals were kept. While my birth experience with Daniel 4 months later was pretty traumatic, it pales in comparison to the conditions in which Mary would be giving birth.

As I pondered these things more and more, I came to the realization that I also could understand some of the fear she had when visited by the Angel Gabriel and told that she would be bearing God’s son. I had feelings of both joy and complete terror two months earlier upon discovering that I was pregnant. (For some of my favorite settings of Mary’s song, the Magnificat, click here.) I also realized that I was understanding the verse about Mary “treasur[ing] these things and ponder[ing] them in her heart” because I was doing similarly.

4 months later, I would give birth to Daniel and start understanding how Mary must have felt seeing her Son up on the Cross, a feeling I would experience again 2 years later. It took me a fairly long time to understand that in looking to Mary and how she handled all of this, I would have a model in how to deal with what God was throwing at me; but when I did, I started understanding the love that my Catholic friends had for her.

It is still pretty weird for me to consider saying some of the Marian prayers but I feel like a connection was made with her that cold day in December.

7 Quick Takes: Zero to Car in 4 Minutes

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7 Quick Takes

OK… these are actually hosted by the incredibly awesome Kelly of This Ain’t The Lyceum but she doesn’t have a super cool picture yet for this meme so we’re sticking with the old one. Got it? Good.

These takes are inspired by a remark my mother-in-law made last Christmas visit about how I can go from “zero to car in 4 minutes”. It’s not usually *THAT* fast (though I can totally do it) but I thought I’d share my tips for getting out of the house quickly in the mornings, especially with kids.

— 1 —

I shower at night. I find that it works better for getting out of the house in the morning if I shower the night before. My hair actually looks better after I have slept on it. Not showering when I get up cuts down on time in the mornings, not to mention it eliminates the possibility of my hair freezing solid if I happen to be living in colder climates. (Not that this happened…)

— 2 —

I have a hairstyle that doesn’t require a lot of work. My hair is very fine and usually at a length somewhere between chin-length and shoulder-length. All it generally takes in the morning is a wet comb to make it presentable.

— 3 —

I generally have some idea of what I plan to wear ahead of time. I live in jeans and t-shirts — those are easy. If it’s a formal occasion (i.e. church or a concert), I have a section of my closet for that and I’ve usually made sure that whatever I plan to wear is clean and pressed.

— 4 —

My shoes are always in a condition where I can just slip them on and go. I finally tossed my Old Navy flip-flops last week but those were my go-to shoes for a good chunk of this year. (I live in southern California so I can get away with that.) Unfortunately, I’m constantly on my feet chasing Daniel so I started having problems with my right foot. Switching to running shoes helped that (as did athletic tape) and my running shoes are always tied in such a way that I can just slip them on and go. My flats are also easy to slip on for more formal occasions. (I seriously own maybe 5 pairs of shoes total.)

— 5 —

My purse/keys/phone are always in the same place. Not having to search for my stuff means that I can focus my time on getting Daniel ready to go (if he is coming with me) and making sure I have everything I need.

— 6 —

Daniel goes in the car barefoot. Again, I live in California and we’re in the middle of a drought so it’s not like I’m asking him to venture out barefoot in snow or any kind of inclement weather. Socks and shoes can theoretically wait until we get to our destination and usually by that time, he’s jonesing to GET OUT OF THE CAR AND GO (!!!!!) so he doesn’t dawdle in getting them on.

— 7 —

I prep all of Daniel’s stuff the night before. His school has a uniform (more or less) so that part is easy. We lay clothes out the night before and he knows how to dress himself. (The issue is usually him farting around instead of getting dressed.) If food needs to be taken, I will have prepped it and/or packed it the night before so we can grab it and go. He has a couple “car cups” and I will take one or more of those and stock them with juice ahead of time. If there is paperwork, I make sure it is filled out the night before and put it in/next to my purse.

— Bonus —

I have a “go bag” in the car that has spare clothes for Daniel, training pants, wipes, snacks, etc. I go through it regularly to make sure the clothes still fit, the snacks haven’t hit their expiry date, and that I have enough training pants. Keeping it in the car means that I always have access to it on the go and I don’t have to worry about what to stuff in my purse. (My purse is actually pretty small for the simple reason that it keeps me from acquiring junk.)

For more Quick Takes, go love up Kelly at This Ain’t The Lyceum.

7 Quick Takes: Things for Which I Am Thankful

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

I am thankful that I am not in the ER with Daniel. Let’s just say that Thanksgiving 2011 really stunk and leave it at that.

— 2 —

I am thankful for getting to spend some time with my brother and sister-in-law. They are down from Tacoma for the holiday weekend and it has been good to see them for the first time in 6 months. Jeanette (my SIL) and I worked on making the various sides today and she has been a FABULOUS aunt for Daniel.

— 3 —

I am thankful for my in-laws. When I mention that we’re living with in-laws currently, people usually eye me suspiciously and ask how it’s going. The answer: we’re making it work. They’ve been my other set of parents for 14 years (12 of them legally) and I’m not sure I could share a house with anyone else. It takes LOTS of communication and apparently my mother-in-law and I are wired so similarly that people have a hard time believing that we’re not related by blood.

— 4 —

I am thankful for the adorable child sandwiched between Jon and I in the guest bed. He’s a miniature hot water bottle for me and he is a cuddlebug.

— 5 —

I’m thankful that I didn’t engage in any trash-talking with my extended family before the San Francisco-Seattle game today. I think the 49’ers sent in a junior high team against the Seahawks. It was pretty brutal. The next big sporting event for my family is on Saturday when the UW Huskies (my parents’ alma mater) take on the WSU Cougars (where my cousin Sarah goes to school and is in the marching band). It should be… interesting.

— 6 —

I am thankful that I am not homeschooling Daniel this year. I have all the tools to do it, not to mention a mother-in-law who homeschooled both kids from K-12. However, I really don’t have the patience to do it — my personality is like the one of a drill sergeant. When I want Daniel to do things, I want them done correctly the first time and I want immediate obedience. However, 5 year olds do not do well with this approach, especially Daniel. I am more than happy to leave the main part of his education to the professionals.

— 7 —

I am thankful to be done with this entry so I can go to sleep. Good night, y’all!

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: November 23, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY November 23, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It was maybe in the 60’s today. I’m actually blogging earlier than usual as I’m trying to get Daniel to go to sleep (without breaking out the Samuel L. Jackson book) and he won’t go to sleep unless one of us is present. *sigh*

I am thinking… about how much I love the liturgical year and about today being Christ the King Sunday for me as a Lutheran. I’m kind of bummed I missed church this morning because some of my favorite hymns were being sung. (I was having a fibro flare and as Jon had a wedding this afternoon, I needed to rest to have my A game on for Daniel.)

I am thankful… for Gabapentin which helps with the pain. (It’s nerve pain so painkillers like Tylenol and Aleve are useless. And yes, I get asked that frequently.)

In the kitchen… Daniel’s dishes to toss in the dishwasher. I haven’t had dinner yet — I’ll make it after Jon finishes cat chores and takes over putting Daniel down. (We’re in hour 2 of “put-Daniel-to-bed”.)

I am wearing… light gray v-neck shirt and jeans.

I am praying for… closure about Edda (still missing after almost 2 weeks), for finances, for a call for Jon, and for various special intentions regarding family members.

I am going… to go to IKEA with Daniel sometime in the next two days. I haven’t been in 4 years and it would be something to do other than the worksheets that his teacher sent home for this week. Also, I’m puzzling over the fact that she said that she wouldn’t send homework home like that if the parents didn’t want it. Seriously, we could probably get all of them done in about an hour… and that’s with my child who has no attention span. It’s not like this is putting us out at all and I remember always having stuff like that over vacation even in kindergarten. What is with parents these days?!?!?!? (I’m under the assumption that her statement is because parents have complained about actually having to do something with their kid… like read to them.)

I am wondering… what happened to Edda. I miss my lovey little house panther very much.

I am reading… Skein of the Crime by Maggie Sefton. It’s another in the series of murder mysteries about a woman in Colorado. I also read all of The Chocolate Clown Corpse by Joanna Carl and part of French Pastry Murder by Leslie Meier before I put the latter down due to it failing to keep my attention.

I am hoping… to get the two Christmas stockings done by the time we leave San Jose on Sunday.

I am looking forward to… seeing my family on Wednesday.

I am hearing… Jon feeding cats.

Around the house… cat chores being done and laundry to be folded once Daniel is down and I’ve had a chance to shower.

A favorite quote for today… “I quit church, stopped reading my Bible, gave up on any real semblance of a prayer life — and you know what? He was big enough to take it. His feelings weren’t hurt when I spoke words of doubt instead of faith. He didn’t mind when I cried rather than worshipped. He is God enough to handle this human heart of mine. He didn’t scold me; He didn’t heap “shoulds” or shame on me; He didn’t tell me to let go and let Him. He just sat in The Great Sadness with me.” — Alece Ronzino over at Deeper Story. (Read the rest of it here. HT: Rachel Held Evans.)

One of my favorite things… In-n-Out cheeseburgers with spread and pickles only, fries, and a Coke.

A few plans for the rest of the week: IKEA trip with Daniel, errands, crocheting, driving up to San Jose on Wednesday, and bonding with my family.

A peek into my day… Instead of a picture, I’m going to share an interesting link that I got from Rachel Held Evans.

Gate A-4

Hosted by The Simple Woman.

Five Favorites: Miscellanea (XXIV)

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Five Favorites

One

My mother-in-law. In the last 24 hours alone, she has watched Daniel for me, made me some gingerbread to help with my nausea, and made me some comfort food for my lunch. It’s those little things that make her so awesome.

Two

The cooler weather. I hate heat which is why it makes no logical sense that I live in a desert. (Then again, I really didn’t have a choice in the matter and nothing in my life has ever made logical sense.) It’s been chilly in the mornings and it’s supposed to be in the low 70’s for the next 10 days. I am positively giddy.

Three

Sleep. I’ve been having to go back to bed while Daniel is in school this week due to my mutant death cold. I’m not sleeping well at night because I will start coughing if I’m flat on my back. Eventually, I’ll catch up, right?

Four

Reading. I’ve discovered a new series that takes place in a fictional town in Colorado and involves a yarn shop. I believe the author is Maggie Sefton?

Five

The hoodie my mom found for me at Costco. It has polyester fur on the inside and keeps me nice and toasty when I’m helping Daniel put out books in the morning or waiting for the bus to pick him up.

Go love up Jenna and the others.