Our own little meal ministry
It's so nice to have to have a little more energy again. I'm going to have to really be careful to pace myself so that I don't burn out and throw myself into survival mode for a few weeks again.
I certainly can't keep up the pace I set this week.
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Yesterday I introduced AJ and MM to their new chore charts. I wrote their morning routines on construction paper with simple illustrations. We went through the routine and I showed them how to make their beds. Their room is fairly decluttered and organized now, so I want to help them develop routines to keep it that way.
The girls were thrilled. They enjoyed looking at their charts to see what job was next, and then the sense of accomplishment when each task was finished.
Tonight I made sticker charts for each of them. They'll get a sticker when their morning routine is finished, and another for doing their evening routine. They can earn extra stickers by doing special extra jobs and other things, also. I made a star in every 10th space and a smiley face in every 50th space. Whenever they put a sticker in a space with a star, they'll get a small reward. It may be that I'll play a special game with them, make cookies, or let them pick out a cheap trinket as a prize. When they get to the spaces with smiley faces, there will be a bigger reward.
After we finished chores yesterday morning, the little boy I used to take care of came over with his mom for a playdate. JJ is right between my girls in age--8 months younger than AJ and 8 months older than MM. The three of them had such a wonderful time playing together, and my friend and I had fun visiting and playing with Baby E. We've really missed seeing them regularly--for a while (even before I started taking care of JJ) we were together so much that my kids called JJ's mom "the other mommy".
Shortly after they left, my friend Elementary Schoolteacher came by for a little while. She brought some books on child development for me to borrow and a behavior chart she'd made for my kids, in case I wanted to try using it.
She left just as it was time for me to go pick up my sister Amy (who doesn't drive yet) to babysit the two older girls while DH and I went to our couples Bible study. We ended up taking Baby E with us because I ran out of time to pump some milk to leave for her, but that was fine. We've only left her with someone else a handful of times since she was born, so we usually take her to group anyway.
After we got home, I started some food cooking in both crock pots before bed to take a meal to a friend, and for our own dinner tonight.
The friends we were supposed to have over Sunday afternoon (the ones with the cat), Former Military Couple, had not come because the husband was sick--they thought with a stomach virus. As he got sicker and sicker, it turned out that he had a ruptured appendix which was badly infected. He ended up having emergency surgery Sunday night.
This morning I made wheat-free muffins to take along with the chicken meal to FMC's house. (She has some dietary restrictions too.)
Then I ended up taking their two kids (almost 2 years, and 3 months) along to another (mutual) friend's house nearby so Former Military Woman could run some errands while we visited and had lunch. I brought a chicken dish along for our lunch also (the leftovers from Sunday's dinner) and ended up leaving it with my friend Budding Artist for them to have the rest for supper tonight.
On the way home I called to check in on my grandparents to ask how they were doing and if they needed anything. Grandma said that Grandpa is still pretty sore and "out of it", but seems to be doing fairly well so far after his hip surgery. I'll probably drive out to see them next week when he's more up to visiting.
When we got home, I took a nap with Baby E while the other two girls had quiet time and then watched a video. Baby E and I are both starting to come down with colds, so the nap was much-needed, especially since neither of us got much sleep last night.
When we woke up, we all went out in the front yard and the two older girls rode tricycles in the driveway while Baby E played in the pack-n-play and I did some yardwork. It was nice to be out in the sun and the fresh air.
We ended up eating dinner late because we lost track of the time, so I didn't start cooking rice to eat with our roast beef until after DH got home from work and took over with the kids in the yard while I went inside.
Just as I was finishing making supper, I talked to CreativeCrafty (the friend whose preemie baby finally got to come home from the hospital last week) on the phone. The roast was bigger than we'd eat in a week, so rather than freezing most of the leftovers I had decided to call and see if they'd like to have some of it.
The timing was perfect. When I called at 7 p.m. she had no idea what they were going to eat. She was at the end of her rope with exhaustion and dealing with a fussy, non-sleeping newborn.
CC and her husband The Motivator have all the normal new parent anxieties and adjustments, multiplied several times by the worry of having a preemie baby with the issues that come along with that. After spending 41 days sitting in the hospital watching alarms go off on their baby, I can only imagine how hard it is to adjust to being at home and on their own with their son.
She asked me burning questions like, "How do you survive when you're not getting any sleep?" and "How do you keep from losing your mind???" while I encouraged her that her feelings and struggles are normal and that things will (eventually) get better.
Since I didn't want to expose the baby to my cold, DH took the meal over to them. He got to visit a bit and hold the baby, too.
So I ended up providing meals to 3 families today, in addition to my own. :)
Tomorrow FMW may be bringing her kids over for a while in the afternoon, depending on whether her husband gets discharged from the hospital or not. We also have a tree specialist coming to cut down a dying tree in our backyard before it falls on anyone.
On Thursday I'm not going to plan a thing. I need at least one day this week where I don't go anywhere or have anyone over. Thursday night, though, DH is going to go over to The Malamute Rescuers' house (our friends from small group who babysat for us a couple of weeks ago). The wife and new baby are gone for the week on a business trip, so DH is going to care for their two older kids while the husband goes to his men's group.
Friday, my friend Morning is coming over to be fitted for a blouse I'm sewing for her. In the evening we might be going to miraclebaby's house and bringing them dinner. (She's on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy.)
On Saturday DH has a church-related meeting, then we're babysitting for The Malamute Rescuers' kids so they can go on a date, and then our friends Fellow Journalist and Computer Programmer Guy are coming over for dinner.
Thankfully, I don't have mom's group this week (although I do need to make some phone calls to my group). This is definitely not a typical week. Having a couple of friends in need added several more activities that hadn't been planned ahead of time. I'm so thankful to be able to help in these ways when there's a need, though. Preparing meals and helping with childcare are things DH and I can do even with our own small children to take care of.
I certainly can't keep up the pace I set this week.
#########################
Yesterday I introduced AJ and MM to their new chore charts. I wrote their morning routines on construction paper with simple illustrations. We went through the routine and I showed them how to make their beds. Their room is fairly decluttered and organized now, so I want to help them develop routines to keep it that way.
The girls were thrilled. They enjoyed looking at their charts to see what job was next, and then the sense of accomplishment when each task was finished.
Tonight I made sticker charts for each of them. They'll get a sticker when their morning routine is finished, and another for doing their evening routine. They can earn extra stickers by doing special extra jobs and other things, also. I made a star in every 10th space and a smiley face in every 50th space. Whenever they put a sticker in a space with a star, they'll get a small reward. It may be that I'll play a special game with them, make cookies, or let them pick out a cheap trinket as a prize. When they get to the spaces with smiley faces, there will be a bigger reward.
After we finished chores yesterday morning, the little boy I used to take care of came over with his mom for a playdate. JJ is right between my girls in age--8 months younger than AJ and 8 months older than MM. The three of them had such a wonderful time playing together, and my friend and I had fun visiting and playing with Baby E. We've really missed seeing them regularly--for a while (even before I started taking care of JJ) we were together so much that my kids called JJ's mom "the other mommy".
Shortly after they left, my friend Elementary Schoolteacher came by for a little while. She brought some books on child development for me to borrow and a behavior chart she'd made for my kids, in case I wanted to try using it.
She left just as it was time for me to go pick up my sister Amy (who doesn't drive yet) to babysit the two older girls while DH and I went to our couples Bible study. We ended up taking Baby E with us because I ran out of time to pump some milk to leave for her, but that was fine. We've only left her with someone else a handful of times since she was born, so we usually take her to group anyway.
After we got home, I started some food cooking in both crock pots before bed to take a meal to a friend, and for our own dinner tonight.
The friends we were supposed to have over Sunday afternoon (the ones with the cat), Former Military Couple, had not come because the husband was sick--they thought with a stomach virus. As he got sicker and sicker, it turned out that he had a ruptured appendix which was badly infected. He ended up having emergency surgery Sunday night.
This morning I made wheat-free muffins to take along with the chicken meal to FMC's house. (She has some dietary restrictions too.)
Then I ended up taking their two kids (almost 2 years, and 3 months) along to another (mutual) friend's house nearby so Former Military Woman could run some errands while we visited and had lunch. I brought a chicken dish along for our lunch also (the leftovers from Sunday's dinner) and ended up leaving it with my friend Budding Artist for them to have the rest for supper tonight.
On the way home I called to check in on my grandparents to ask how they were doing and if they needed anything. Grandma said that Grandpa is still pretty sore and "out of it", but seems to be doing fairly well so far after his hip surgery. I'll probably drive out to see them next week when he's more up to visiting.
When we got home, I took a nap with Baby E while the other two girls had quiet time and then watched a video. Baby E and I are both starting to come down with colds, so the nap was much-needed, especially since neither of us got much sleep last night.
When we woke up, we all went out in the front yard and the two older girls rode tricycles in the driveway while Baby E played in the pack-n-play and I did some yardwork. It was nice to be out in the sun and the fresh air.
We ended up eating dinner late because we lost track of the time, so I didn't start cooking rice to eat with our roast beef until after DH got home from work and took over with the kids in the yard while I went inside.
Just as I was finishing making supper, I talked to CreativeCrafty (the friend whose preemie baby finally got to come home from the hospital last week) on the phone. The roast was bigger than we'd eat in a week, so rather than freezing most of the leftovers I had decided to call and see if they'd like to have some of it.
The timing was perfect. When I called at 7 p.m. she had no idea what they were going to eat. She was at the end of her rope with exhaustion and dealing with a fussy, non-sleeping newborn.
CC and her husband The Motivator have all the normal new parent anxieties and adjustments, multiplied several times by the worry of having a preemie baby with the issues that come along with that. After spending 41 days sitting in the hospital watching alarms go off on their baby, I can only imagine how hard it is to adjust to being at home and on their own with their son.
She asked me burning questions like, "How do you survive when you're not getting any sleep?" and "How do you keep from losing your mind???" while I encouraged her that her feelings and struggles are normal and that things will (eventually) get better.
Since I didn't want to expose the baby to my cold, DH took the meal over to them. He got to visit a bit and hold the baby, too.
So I ended up providing meals to 3 families today, in addition to my own. :)
Tomorrow FMW may be bringing her kids over for a while in the afternoon, depending on whether her husband gets discharged from the hospital or not. We also have a tree specialist coming to cut down a dying tree in our backyard before it falls on anyone.
On Thursday I'm not going to plan a thing. I need at least one day this week where I don't go anywhere or have anyone over. Thursday night, though, DH is going to go over to The Malamute Rescuers' house (our friends from small group who babysat for us a couple of weeks ago). The wife and new baby are gone for the week on a business trip, so DH is going to care for their two older kids while the husband goes to his men's group.
Friday, my friend Morning is coming over to be fitted for a blouse I'm sewing for her. In the evening we might be going to miraclebaby's house and bringing them dinner. (She's on bedrest for the rest of her pregnancy.)
On Saturday DH has a church-related meeting, then we're babysitting for The Malamute Rescuers' kids so they can go on a date, and then our friends Fellow Journalist and Computer Programmer Guy are coming over for dinner.
Thankfully, I don't have mom's group this week (although I do need to make some phone calls to my group). This is definitely not a typical week. Having a couple of friends in need added several more activities that hadn't been planned ahead of time. I'm so thankful to be able to help in these ways when there's a need, though. Preparing meals and helping with childcare are things DH and I can do even with our own small children to take care of.
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Posted by purple_kangaroo at 9:11 PM[Permanent link]
7 Comments:
You are such a good friend to be helping out so many!
You need to slow down! You're doing too much, all at once! You make me tired! (And I have a full-time paying job, a full-time volunteer job, an obsession with this pirate game, a blog that I'm negelcting, not to mention a family!)
You're right; I do need to slow down! I'm going to work on that next week. I may end up canceling most of my engagements the rest of this week anyway, because I'm getting sick now.
Hey, I have been reading on your blog (David gave me the site address). Baby E is so cute! I will be a regulaer reader, you can check my new bedrest blog out if you want to.... miraclebabyb.blogspot.com. Maybe we will see you guys sometime soon.
Becci
Hi, Becci! I'm so glad you started a blog--it'll make it easier to keep us all posted on how things are going. We'd love to come over soon--it just depends on how our colds go and how you feel about being exposed to them.
My goodness! My head is whirling just from reading about it. I hope you are able to take some time for yourself to rest & recuperate. :)
Just wanted to say thank you for the roast, but more so for all the advice on being a new mother. Only the voice of experience can soothe sometimes!
-CreativeCrafty
Thanks, Julie! I am taking things much slower this week, I think.
CreativeCrafty, hi! I'm so glad it was helpful. ((Hugs)), and give me a call any time.
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