Pausing for Fun April 10, 2013

As I have been sharing recently, this is a busy time for us. We had a few days of “normal” just before Easter before everything has gotten busy again. Very busy. We keep jumping from thing to thing to thing. It’s what must be done at this time, but it is tiring. Add in the intense Bangkok summer heat and a bad cold, and it is exhausting.

Last night, Andy and I were talking about this and decided that we needed to take a short break. We wanted to have fun as a family and get away from the busyness and stress. Today, we paused for fun.

We went to King Rama 9 Park, a great big park with lots of shade. As we walked around, we had to keep motivating Ellie to keep moving. She wanted to investigate how a sprinkle worked, the passing roots hanging from the trees, even the little ants, or as she calls them, bites, scampered on the side of the path. She was just soaking in and pausing over everything little thing we saw. That is until she saw the slide. Then we had to run to keep up with her, up and over a bridge and then down the path. 😉 After a little playground time, we rode a paddle boat around the lake. We have been talking about doing that for years, just we never got around to it. Today, a day for fun, seemed like the right day to do it. A fun family day at the park.

It was good to pause today, to take a break. It was refreshing to my soul.

How do you cope when times get busy and stressful?

A Toddler’s Worship March 24, 2013

Before coming to Thailand, I served in our church as the children’s pastor. It is an honor to bring God’s word and truths to children and help them understand in ways that make sense to them. This meant different things to different ages. So in the nursery we would want to play worship music softly and pray over the children. At the toddler and preschool ages we would incorporate the Biblical theme into play and crafts. As the children got older, we would engage them more and more in ever deepening conversations and activities relating to God. Focusing on the children in ways they understand is a great thing.

Here in Thailand, though, we don’t have child centered activities on Sunday mornings at the moment. We used to have lessons geared for school aged children (ages 3 and up), but they have moved to Saturdays for the time being. This means that Ellie hasn’t ever gone to children’s classes (except when we visit churches in the States). At times it can be distracting, very distracting, for others but mostly for myself. But I’m finding that including her in the service is a very special thing indeed.

We worship God as a family. To help Ellie stay focused, Andy or I hold her during worship time. There are times that she tries to wiggle away or play games, but we work on helping her know that worshipping God is important and not a play time. She watches us raise our hands, clap, close our eyes to focus on God. She is learning what it means to worship God.

Keeping busy during the sermon

Recently, Ellie has started singing with us. She closes her eyes and then sings wordless songs. It melts my heart to watch her enter into worship in her own way. I’ve also “caught” her worshipping away at home when she thinks I’m busy doing something else. The difference between her worship and singing other songs is the volume and her eyes open or closed. Watching her worship is another reminder to me that it is never to early to introduce children to God and all that it means to serve and worship him.
I am humbled to think that Ellie worships and follows after God in the way that Andy and I model. It presses me to want to live a life that honors God in all that I do that one day Ellie would desire to follow God with all of her heart.

I’m always looking for ways to better incorporate raising up my child to be a disciple. What ways  work well for you?

Ellie’s Elephant Birthday Party March 22, 2013

I’m finally sitting down to share about Ellie’s Elephant birthday party. As I hinted in my last blog post, even though we celebrated Ellie’s birthday almost 3 weeks ago, our life has been go, go, go. It slows down now until Easter and then picks right back up again. But back to Ellie’s party.

Ever since we took Ellie on an elephant ride in December, her favorite animal is the elephant, or as Ellie calls it, chang (that’s the Thai work for it). Her stuffed changs, doggies, and baby dolls must accompany her to sleep, play, and travel. As we started talking about party ideas, Andy thought Ellie should have an elephant party. Ellie loved the idea.

No invitations to talk about as we didn’t want to offend anyone by not inviting them. In Thailand, parties are more open invitations, spread by word of mouth. We made a Facebook invite and started spreading the word of Ellie’s coming party. We picked a local park to give the kids more running around space. We ended up gathering from 4pm until dusk, about 6:30.

We had fun doing some simple decorations for the party. I made two cardboard cutout elephants and then painted them pink and purple (idea taken from here). My mom brought a cake pan shaped like an elephant and cupcake toppers with an elephant sticker on top. We threw down some mats on the grass, and we were ready for the party.

On the day of the party, Ellie knew something special was going to happen. She was bubbling from excitement all day long. She wouldn’t take a nap, afraid she might miss her party. When my mom and I left early to set up the park for the party, Ellie wanted to come too. Our taxi was already more than full, and she needed more “rest” time at the home, so Andy came later.

For games/activities, we started by having pre-made toilet paper binoculars that the kids could color and sticker up. They were on the lookout for elephants!

Next we gave the kids water guns and had them give a blowup plastic elephant a bath. It was a total hit among the toddlers, probably due at least part from the heat of the day. But really, who doesn’t like playing in water on a hot day?

While dinner cooked, hotdogs for the kids and Shish kabobs for the adults, the kids played with bubbles and ran around. For food, we had animal crackers and bananas for snacks when everyone arrived. I had to chuckle when people suggested peanuts for snacks. I couldn’t figure it out as you always feed elephants bananas in Thailand until my mom reminded me of circuses. Once dinner was cooked, we pulled out watermelon, sticky rice, and milk boxes. Ellie’s favorite kinds of food.

Most kids look forward to cake time at a party, but apparently not Ellie. After singing and blowing out the candle, well the wind did that for her…I handed Ellie a cupcake. And she didn’t want it! Didn’t even touch it. Not even a little lick.

As Thai culture never opens gifts in front of the giver, we hadn’t planned on having a gift opening time. Ellie doesn’t quite understand waiting for gifts, so whenever people handed her a gift she ripped right into them. Towards the end of the party, some of the guests asked Ellie to open their gift there, while we brought the rest of the gifts home to unwrap the next day.

All in all, Ellie had a blast at her birthday party. She was all smiles and giggles as she played with all of her friends. It was her special day and she felt special by all those who came to celebrate with her. Happy 2nd birthday, Ellie!

Happy Birthday Ellie March 15, 2013

(I wrote this blog several days ago, and we have finally slowed down enough for me to post it.)

2 years. How quickly time flies. Two years ago Ellie was born. Can it only be two years? It seems like a lifetime ago.

I can barely remember the newborn days, was that only 2 years ago? The sleepless nights…well those only just stopped, so I remember them just fine 😉 The tiny hands and miniature feet, the toothless smiles, the first laughs, first steps, and first words. Great memories, but can all that have happened in the last 2 years? Two years doesn’t sound like a long time, but it feels like a lifetime.

For all the memories, I wouldn’t go back, nor would I stop time. I love Ellie for who she is today and who she is growing to become. A beautiful, energetic toddler who loves life.

Happy birthday, Ellie

Traveling with Littles February 22, 2013

Some people think that traveling with littles is quite the chore, with some even going as far to describe it as the antithesis of a vacation. You have all that baby/ toddler specific items to bring, slower travel pace, and the general worry that something might go wrong at any turn. Throw in a blind husband to the mix, and traveling can be down right crazy, but I don’t focus on the craziness or the stress but on the adventure we get to go on as a family. Armed with a positive attitude, and a few lifestyle changes, we enjoy the adventures we go on as a family.
Believe it or not, but this is our 3rd trip of the month, all ministry related. We are a little crazy, I know. Our first trip was missionary meetings on the outskirts of Bangkok for only 3 days. We went crazy and brought tons of stuff, including a laundry basket of toys and a toddler potty chair. We were close so we loaded up a taxi and brought everything we wanted or could possibly need.  I don’t think we’ve ever packed so much stuff for a short trip. It was overwhelming the amount of stuff we piled into a taxi, for a quick 3 day trip.
We are currently on a 5 night, 4 day excursion to an island off of the southeast of Thailand, Koh Phangan. Yes, you read that right, 2 night buses combined with 4 days on the island, definitely not my favorite way to travel, but nessecity sometimes requires what we would not chose on our own. Topping that off, Andy will travel to visit another couple after celebrating the church building dedication and church service with the church on this island, leaving Ellie and I to travel back to Bangkok by ourselves.
Thinking about our return trip, I packed light. Andy and I greeted our friend with Ellie on my back, and 4 small bags. We each got a clothes bag and then one bag contains snacks and toys for Ellie. Our friend couldn’t believe that was all we had. But when it came down to it, did we really need sippy cups, and a toilet chair, and plenty of toys, and and and? How could I get all that back home with just me and Ellie? So I went for the basics: clothes, sun screen, snorkel and mask, beach towel, toys for the bus/boat, and snacks.
And that is what brings me to my point, simplicity is how we manage to travel with a little, that and not trying to rush too much into too little time. Wise missionary friends advised us that when we travel with littles, build in lots of margins. Come early or stay an extra day, plan nap times in, have time to go swimming, or do something fun, with your child (on their last trip that meant eating an early breakfast and then swimming before the meetings started). So here we are, arriving a day before the church dedication. That afternoon was filled with nap time and fun after a long travel time to give Ellie a chance to catch her bearings.

What are your essentials when traveling? What are things that you could go without for a few days?

A Toddler’s Experiment February 10, 2013

Going for walks together, running the dog while riding on Daddy’s back, playing with blocks, exploring their world together, these are some of Ellie’s and Andy’s favorite activities. Another cherished activity is to “read” books together. I put read in quotes because neither of them actually read the books. Ellie being too young and Andy not being able to see the books. Instead, some books Andy has memorized, some Ellie simply names the animals or pictures, and others Andy makes up as they go. It’s not the reading that’s important to either of them, but spending time together.

When they go out together, Ellie knows that she has to hold Daddy’s hand at all times, but with Mommy sometimes it is okay to simply stay close. Ellie can identify whose shoes are whose and gladly helps Daddy find his shoes when going out. She even helps lead or guide Daddy from time to time.

Recently Andy banged his head on our front post trying to find the dog’s water bowl. Ellie was helping and they got too close to the pole. Showing great patience and grace, he paused to regain balance and then finished what he was doing. Ellie wasn’t quite sure why that happened, but she was watching.

Ellie watches everything and is constantly trying to figure out how her world works. This morning Ellie grabbed a cloth block, usually used as a hat, and pulled it low, like a helmet that covers the whole face. She then walked around with her hands out, running into things. She ran into the fan, peaked to see what it was, and then kept going. She heard Daddy drying the dog and walked tenderly over. How does this world work if I can’t see, she explored.

Even though Daddy is different, it doesn’t matter to Ellie. She interacts with him differently, but they still have a deep loving relationship. The how they interact isn’t important to Ellie, it’s the fact that Daddy loves her and spends time with her.

Not a Baby Anymore January 18, 2013

It’s funny how kids grow. It’s seems like overnight they change and mature. I know that it’s a day by day growing process, but one day I look and I see her for who she is today. Not the yesterday’s all mixed together, not as a baby, or as a beginning walker/ runner, but as an almost 2 year old. A little girl who can run and jump, who can feed herself yogurt with no mess, a little girl who knows to go up on her tippy toes to reach something off of a shelf, and poses for a picture. She’s still a baby in many ways. The way she loves to be held close and carried almost everywhere we go, her ongoing sleep needs in the middle of the night, and her love of mommy milk. but in the last 2 days, I’ve noticed how big and “grown up” she is.

And it’s just that time of year. The time of year to notice the changes that have been happening slowly over time. Christmas was busy, and then we were traveling, and then she was sick, and now life has returned to normal. It’s as we do our normal things that I’m noticing that Ellie has changed, has grown.

This is a fun stage and we are having lots of fun around our house. Today we had an impromptu photo session while I was sweeping and mopping our home. I was doing chores, Ellie found a pair of glasses and was playing. I stopped to capture the moment of cuteness and then we got caught up in playing around with taking pictures. See? Fun!

Now that the holiday season is over, have you noticed any changes in yourself or those in your home?

Patience and Love January 14, 2013

Life has come to a standstill for the last 5 days. Ellie has had a nasty flu and only wants to be held and watch movies. So for the last few days, I have held and cuddled a sick toddler, watched the same movies over and over (Ellie’s current favorite is Rio), and done laundry. Laundry because a 22 month old has no concept of throwing up in a bucket, so we are catching and mopping up with towel after towel.

Over the weekend, Andy was helping hold Ellie while I took a shower. After only a few minutes he started complaining about how heavy she was. He continued by saying he wouldn’t be able to keep holding her while I finished my shower and got ready for the day because his arms and back were starting to hurt.

After noting that I hadn’t complained about how heavy Ellie is now with all of this extra carrying and holding, Andy mentioned that I was better suited to care for Ellie while she is so needy and sick. Truth be told, I’m no different than Andy. My arms and back have been sore from all this extra carrying.

But what good is it to complain? Will it change the fact that I need to care for Ellie? Will it lessen the soreness? No and no. Complaining won’t change anything. But it will keep me thinking and dwelling on the negatives and bring my mood down. Ellie might hear me and then feel bad, as if she is causing me pain. Instead I’m concentrating on pouring patience and love onto Ellie during this time. That which she needs from me and what will help me get through this illness with a smile. All the extra cuddles sure don’t hurt either. 🙂

My question for today, how do you care for a child and be careful to not catch their sickness?

Family is Special January 12, 2013

Our normally outgoing girl was going through a shy stage. It had gotten so bad that she would only go to Andy, me, and two other people. Seeing friends we knew or strangers, it didn’t matter. Ellie would hide into us or shy away from them. With a trip to visit family for Christmas and New Years, I was beginning to dread how Ellie was going to act with family that she hasn’t seen in a long time. Was it going to be like last time, when she would simply look at my brother and cry?

And then 3 days before our trip, Ellie snapped out of the shy stage. She started crawling into our friends’ laps when they visited our home and even let them pick her up. 3 days. What perfect timing, what God timing, that Ellie would be comfortable around friends. Still, the mommy-worries lingered. How would Ellie react with her family that she doesn’t know except through pictures, stories and the occasional phone call. Was our trip going to bring back the shy stage?

There is something special about family though. For when we arrived, you couldn’t tell that we live thousands of miles away. Ellie acted like we see them regularly. One afternoon of shyness and then she was running up and dragging everyone to join her in special activities.

“Let’s play with the doggie, let’s go see the ocean, let’s play together, read me a book.” I want to spend time with you was the message she was sending. No where else could we go and have Ellie go and interact with everyone so quickly. She was even calling both of her great grandmothers by name, even if she was a little intimidated by their age and inability to run around after her. It’s like Ellie understood that these people, her family, were special and not someone she has to be leery of. I think she could sense their love for her and then reciprocated that back.

It was a very special trip and holidays for us that will be remembered for years. The bonds formed on this trip will continue to knit Ellie closer and closer to her family. How were your holidays?

Holiday Busy-ness December 20, 2012

It’s coming down to crunch time in preparing for Christmas. In our home, this week has been very busy with parties, events and other Christmas activities. We have been out every night this week and running around during the day as well. It has been fun, and necessary for us to join in the activities, but it has also been a long week. As I was bemoaning all these late nights for Ellie, Andy joked that we are helping her prepare for a new timezone and routine. She is quiet the trooper and has been enjoying all the fun.

Yesterday I caught her walking around the house pretending she was singing karaoke with a microphone, an etchadoodle pen. She’s not remembering that we got home at 10:30 Monday night. Nope, she’s remembering the fact that we went out for an end of the year karaoke party with her aunts and uncles from the church. Childlike enjoyment. Being present in the moment and not worrying about anything else, the other activities to come, my tiredness, what I still need to do. Being fully present and enjoying the holidays as they come is my goal this holiday season.

Here are some highlights from our week. I’ve had a lot of fun so far, even as I’m wondering how I’m going to make on a plane Sunday night.

Snow ball fight

Christmas outreach party for slum children

Christmas pictures with students from the university

Are you enjoying the holidays this year? How do you manage the busyness, or do you try to avoid it?