Category Archives: Daniel

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 22, 2013

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY July 22, 2013

Outside my window… cloudy. I’m kind of hoping for some rain as that may explain my headache earlier or it could just be the Rocephen shot from this morning.

I am thinking… that I really hope Daniel doesn’t get the cold that turned into bronchitis for me.

I am thankful… for my parents being able to get me home yesterday when I was in no shape to drive because of the bronchitis. I’m also thankful for access to good medical care this morning to get treated.

In the kitchen… chicken marinating.

I am wearing… a black t-shirt with white Freya fur and black running shorts.

I am creating… blog posts.

I am going… nowhere exciting this week. I’m kind of glad — I had enough excitement this weekend.

I am wondering… if Cullen will stop shunning me tonight.

I am reading… Newman’s Apologia pro vita sua still. It’s a long work and I haven’t gotten much reading time these days.

I am hoping… I sleep well tonight. I have to sleep sitting up because being flat or even tilted makes me start coughing.

I am looking forward to… feeling better and being able to breathe again.

Around the house… cleaning to do for tomorrow’s visit from the respite person.

I am pondering… way too many things internally.

A favorite quote for today… “God is love, and that love works through men ?? especially through the whole community of Christians.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… naps. They are wasted on cats and on the young.

A few plans for the rest of the week: trying to get copyediting done, blogging daily as part of ConversionDiary.Com’s 7-posts-in-7-days link-up, interviewing respite people on Tuesday and Thursday, as well as Daniel having ABA on Wednesday and Friday.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

52 Weeks of Blogging with a Purpose: If I Were To Win the Lottery…

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The topic for this week: if I were to win the lottery…

[+] I’d take the cash option. I’m with Becky on this one. It’s more money than I think I’d ever see in my life and I would be investing it so that the amount grows over time, especially if it was hundreds of millions.

[+] I would pay off all our debt and that of my parents and in-laws. Both sets of parents made a lot of sacrifices for my husband and I and it’s the least we could do to help them out. As for our debt, it would be nice to wipe the slate clean and not have a car payment, student loans, or credit card bills.

[+] I would set up a trust for Daniel. Best case, he will have something to help out when he gets older. Worst case, it would fund his care if something happened to Jon or me.

[+] I would re-train as a respiratory therapist. I actually do better when I am working because it gives me some structure and I’d love to be able to do something I love. Unfortunately, this means re-training so I’d like to be able to do so without having to figure out financial aid.

[+] I would give a huge chunk away. I would definitely tithe it but I’d also want to do things like build schools in third world countries, help to re-hire laid-off teachers in Sacramento, fund a preeclampsia study, fund autism research, and make a large number of Kiva loans. I’d also help out a bunch of families with their adoption expenses.

I don’t think I’ve ever bought a lottery ticket on my own but it’s nice to dream sometimes.

Now go see Becky and what everyone else would do if they won the lottery.

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 15, 2013

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY July 15, 2013

Outside my window… sunny and hot. I think it was in the 90’s today.

I am thankful… for Jon taking care of Daniel on Saturday when I was going on 2 hours of sleep and taking him to WinCo and Trader Joe’s so I could nap.

In the kitchen… clean dishes. Thank you, Jon.

I am wearing… green t-shirt and black running shorts.

I am creating… blog posts.

I am going… to pray I get decent sleep tonight.

I am wondering… when I’ll do some posting that isn’t meme specific.

I am reading… Apologia pro vita sua by Cardinal John Henry Newman. (It’s a spiritual autobiography on steroids.)

I am hoping… I can get things figured out with my copy-editing tomorrow and what I have left to do.

I am looking forward to… possibly seeing my parents this weekend.

I am learning that I really can’t eat Daniel’s diet without my stomach spazzing.

Around the house… clean counters though I have vacuuming to do.

I am pondering… many things in my heart.

A favorite quote for today… ??Here and here only in all time the myth must have become fact; the Word, flesh; God, Man. This is not ‘a religion’, nor ‘a philosophy.’ It is the summing up and actuality of them all.?? – C.S. Lewis, Surprised by Joy

One of my favorite things… club soda when my stomach is being grumpy.

A few plans for the rest of the week: copy-editing tomorrow/Weds/Thurs, autism therapy on Weds/Fri, and possibly spending the weekend with my parents.

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

7 Quick Takes: Eclectic Stuff Week

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Ziva leaves NCIS. Yep, it’s true. Cote de Pablo, the actress who plays Ziva David, is leaving the show after her character is wrapped up this fall. Ziva isn’t my favorite character so I’m not as bummed as I’d be if Abby (Pauley Perrette) but still kinda bummed nevertheless. I’m just wondering what will be done with her character and how they’ll tie that particular end up.

— 2 —

Orphans. Do you see these three sweet peas?

First row: Brett and Iris.
Second row: Kaia.

BrettIrisKaia

Brett still needs a mama. Iris finally has a family committed to her. Kaia has a family committed to her who will be traveling to her country to meet her on July 26th! Click on their names to see their Reece’s Rainbow pages.

— 3 —

A benefit to singing. According to CNN, choir singers’ hearts beat as one. It isn’t completely surprising to me — when you’re that focused on your breathing and modulation of tone, your body gets into it. The best choirs function as a unit rather than as individual singers, after all.

— 4 —

Prerequisite baseball take. My Giants are at the bottom of the NL West. The freaking DODGERS are doing better and this is a fact that has not gone unmentioned by the fan of said team to whom I am wed. C’mon boys! Knock off the Padres tonight!

The All-Star Game is this weekend. Why yes, I will be annoyingly tweeting the entire game. 🙂 (Those who follow me on Twitter might want want to unfollow me temporarily.) Go NL!

— 5 —

Daniel’s ABA therapy. We’re back on track with ABA therapy for Daniel. He has established that he’ll work for tickles and he’ll try to get those tickles for free if he can. 🙂 It’s too bad his lead consultant is quitting next week because he loves her tickling him. We’re working on getting rapport built up with his normal tutor right now and I think he (the tutor) will do well once he and Daniel are used to each other.

— 6 —

Stop hating on millenials. If you haven’t read this, surf on over and do so. (Please surf back though.) It’s fascinating and I love how the author communicated his message.

— 7 —

For those who missed it… This is the zucchini of light from last week:

The zucchini of light

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

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: July 8, 2013

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window… sunny. I’m told the temperature outside was supposed to be 95F today and Weather.Com confirms it.

I am thinking… about the crash at SFO and how amazing it is that more people didn’t die. (SFO is 2 hours away so this is major news here.)

I am thankful… for the first responders and passengers who risked their life to rescue people on that flight.

In the kitchen… turkey in the fridge defrosting and marinating overnight.

I am wearing… my black “Governator” shirt and black capri sweats.

I am creating… blog entries.

I am going… to hope that Daniel doesn’t have any more night terrors like he has had the last few nights.

I am wondering… way too many things to list.

I am reading… Apologia pro vita sua by Cardinal John Henry Newman. I’m a fan of spiritual autobiographies and this one was recommended to me. I also finished Between Heaven and Mirth by James Martin, S.J. and The Diva Frosts a Cupcake by Krista Davis while I was in southern California.

I am hoping… that Hunter Pence is voted into the All-Star Game. Go vote! Do it now!

I am looking forward to… my hair cut on Thursday and my massage on Friday.

Around the house… I need to get the Roomba fixed.

I am pondering… too many things in my heart.

A favorite quote for today… “… I ever kept before me that there was something greater than the Established Church and that was the Church Catholic and Apostolic, set up from the beginning, of which she was but the local presence and the organ. She was nothing unless she was this. She must be dealt with strongly, or she would be lost. There was need of a second reformation.” — Newman (I’m taking “the Church Catholic and Apostolic” to be the Church on earth which includes all of us — Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox — as Newman had not become Catholic when he was writing this.)

One of my favorite things… my mani-pedi today. My fingers and toes are so pretty!

A few plans for the rest of the week: Morning Prayer tomorrow, ABA therapy for Daniel on Wednesday, haircut on Thursday, massage and ABA therapy for Daniel on Friday.

A peek into my day… The zucchini of light.

The zucchini of light

Hosted by The Simple Woman’s Daybook

7 Quick Takes: Independence Day

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Independence Day. Happy Independence Day to all my US readers. I hope you had a lovely day filled with parades, patriotism, good food, and fun while watching things explode.

— 2 —

Thankful. I’m down in southern California with my in-laws for a couple days. I got to meet my nephew Patrick this morning at his (SECRET BAPTISM) and enjoy some squishy baby cuddles. Unfortunately, there are no pics for this blog post because I left the transfer cable for my camera at home (!!!!!!) He is a cutie though and I thoroughly enjoyed having a sleeping baby in my arms for the first time since Daniel was that age.

Oh yes… it’s also 106F up where we live today. Down in southern California, it’s only 94F. So happy to be down here instead!

— 3 —

Zucchini of Light. My mother-in-law has a massive zucchini which she set on the counter with some patriotic candles stuck in it. When I asked her what it was, she explained that it was the “zucchini of light”. Apparently, she grew a huge zucchini one year and the family recoiled at the sight of it because they envisioned the hell of zucchini bread, zucchini pickles, zucchini pancakes, zucchini coleslaw, zucchini fries, etc. She put it on the coffee table with some Hannukah candles in it as a decoration piece and when some people came over for an Indian Princesses meeting, they asked what it was. My father-in-law replied sarcastically, “The Zucchini of Light”. Anywhere else, people would have caught the joke, However, in uber-PC California, nobody did. So… I guess we’re having a “zucchini of light” tonight in place of firecrackers. (It’s more than a little dangerous to have fireworks in southern California.)

— 4 —

She knows me well. While we were stopping by the church yesterday to pick up supplies for the (SECRET BAPTISM) today, I got a message from my mother-in-law telling me that she had bought TWO BOXES of Trader Joe’s Coffee Latté and Creme Bars for my 3 day stay in southern California. Every time I’ve had one since in her presence, I’ve been stroking it Gollum-style and saying, “My precioussssssss…”

— 5 —

Kitty kitty kitty. There is a tabby attempting to get my in-laws to adopt him. He has gorgeous stripes and beautiful green eyes but he’s skittish. I’d love to play with some string with him but he’s too afraid, especially since a small screaming creature (a.k.a. Daniel) tends to follow me places. *sighs*

— 6 —

Itchy. Something bit me or got me some other way because Tuesday night, I started breaking out in hives and when I scratched them, the burning started. I ran into the kitchen and begged Jon to go out and get me some Cortizone-10 at 11:00 p.m. After a tube of that, a bottle of Sarna, and some Benadryl, it stopped. Well… it started up down here so I took some Benadryl and just showered. I’m hoping it’s not my shower gel or something — that would be really bad.

— 7 —

*grumblegrumblegrumble* The only thing worse than being married to a Dodgers fan when the Giants are playing the Dodgers is to be married to one when the Giants are at the bottom of the NL West. C’mon boys! #BeatLA

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

Blogging with a Purpose: 5 Years From Now

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This week’s topic: 5 years from now…

In five years, I will be 38. While that is still young in the grand scheme of things, there are still things that I am hoping will be worked out. Anything I put here is up to God in terms of whether it happens because I know fully well that when mortals plan, God laughs. So this is what I’m hoping will be in place in 5 years…

The puzzle that is Daniel, my medical mystery, to be assembled. Every time I think we have Daniel figured out, something new gets thrown at us. I’ve finally stopped crying every time it happens… most of the time. (The latest is him having mild hearing loss.) I’d like to have things with Daniel more figured out and for him to be able to be mainstreamed into a regular classroom.

My family to be “complete”. This could mean that Daniel is an only child, that I have another one naturally, or that we are called to adopt. Whatever it means, I’m open to what God has in store for me in this direction.

To have my respiratory therapy training or whatever it is that I’m going to be when I grow up figured out. Yes, I’m 33 and I’m still trying to figure out what it is that I want to be when I grow up. Current thought: respiratory therapist. I’d like to have it figured out and my training done.

Being part of a community choir that allows me to indulge my “great works of choral music” itch. I love to sing. I don’t have a place to really scratch that itch at the moment.

To have grown in grace and love for God. It’s my goal pretty much every day and I pray in 5 years to be better at conveying God’s amazing grace to others and to be better at loving God and His people.

Now go see Becky and where everyone else who is linking up hope to be in 5 years.