A Little Something Unexpected

To say that we've had an eventful last 24 hours would be an understatement.

We are currently checked into the hospital, preparing Lily to have an MRI, something we hadn't known we would be doing today. There's no need for panic - it's just another bump in the road in the trip known as "Lily Bird". I truly believe God's got some new information for us and this is how He's chosen to share it with us. I am confident we're going to discover something valuable from this experience that will make a big difference for our Bird.

I'll be back tomorrow with more details on our "weekend of adventure".

For now, we would be very grateful for your thoughts and prayers.

Fabulous Friday Finds

Since I've been on the Twitter, I get little updates on some of the most interesting and unique things people have discovered online.  I continue to be amazed at all the stuff there is out there.  Stuff I didn't even know I needed!

I thought it might be nice to share some of the those great items with all of you.  

The first one is called Safety Tats.



My first reaction to these was, "Why would I want to stick a tattoo on my child publicizing his diagnosis?"  But then I thought how helpful something like this might be at an amusement park or mall or sporting event - any venue with lots of people and the possibility of losing your child for a moment.  Their slogan is "Sticks to kids because they don't always stick to you", a statement that applies to all kids.

For kids with special needs, these could be even more helpful.  My nonverbal daughter is not going to be able to explain to an adult if she is lost.  But a tattoo would solve that problem.  Or how about a child going on a field trip who is highly allergic to peanuts.  Anyone can easily see the tattoo and know to avoid nuts.

And since most kids love wearing colorful band-aids and stickers on their bodies, I think a child wearing one of these cool tattoos would be the envy of their friends.

There are several kinds available and you can write any information you like on the tattoo.  You can even get them with those black and white code boxes that you scan with a smart phone so you can put even more information.  Might be nice if you don't want to have your child's name on the tattoo for everyone to read.

Chalkboard Place Mats just look like a fun item to have handy at a restaurant while you're waiting for your food to arrive.  Or in the car just to pass the time on a long drive.  Or even at home when you're trying to teach your child to stay at the table until everyone's done eating.  I think my teenagers would even like doodling on these.






I just discovered the French author Herve Tullet.  All of his books are quite intriguing but I especially like Herve Tullet The Coloring Book.



It's full of fun artwork and activities for kids of all ages - not your typical coloring book.  Here's one sample page:



If you find yourself becoming a fan, be sure to check out his other books like The Book With a Hole and Press Here.

Japanese masking tape is a fun and inexpensive way to decorate plain glassware.  You know how you see all those cute cups with fun summer patterns on them?  But who can afford to keep buying cups and where are you going to store them all anyway?  Stick this fun and colorful tape with all kinds of designs and patterns on your plain cups.  You'll look like you have tons of beautiful glassware - at a fraction of the cost and none of the storage!  It might even work on things like folders and notebooks for some fun school supplies.



I saw these Emily Green imagination mats when we were on vacation in Aspen.  They are so bright and colorful and look just like kid drawings which I love.  The front side is Emily's artwork but the really neat thing about these laminated mats is the backside is plain white.  Each mat comes with write-on wipe-off markers and your child can create his own original artwork on the blank side.  Yet another fun way to keep kids busy at the table.



Toddler Bites Hot Dog and Sandwich Cutters may not seem like a truly necessary item and maybe they aren't.  But ask any harried mom who's trying to quickly pack multiple lunches on a busy school morning if she might like these.  I bet she says yes!





Bento accessories  are for those moms who are not harried in the mornings.  Those moms who rise before their children and get fully dressed.  Those moms who take the time to write personalized lunchbox notes for each child, complete with original artwork, and then tuck them in next to the homemade chocolate chip cookies.

You know who I'm talking about.

For those moms who want to send their child to school with the ultimate unique lunch, check this out:

If you're using Bento style containers like I do, you can turn your child's lunch into a work of art and present it beautifully.  I myself have two children who do not care one bit if their cheese and ham are in heart shapes and their rice is molded into the shape of a fish.  I have one child who would love this but thankfully, she is old enough to do it herself.

Because I am not one of those moms.

Well, that's it for today, folks.  Enjoy your weekend and I'll see you Monday!

What's On YOUR Nightstand?

I have mentioned several times that I love books. 

And I love to read.  

It's the first thing I do when I have free time.  I usually carry a book in my purse or have one in my car so that anytime I find myself with a few extra minutes, I can read.

I could never work at a bookstore because I would never get a paycheck.  In fact, I might end up owing the store money on payday!

So let's take a look at my nightstand.  Here it is:

Looks nice, doesn't it?  

Organized.  Books in neat stacks.  Eyeglasses at the ready.  Kleenex, lotion, and lip balm nearby.  Everything needed for a nice time of settling in to read.

But, for the sake of full disclosure (and at the risk of my mom rolling her eyes), I have to be honest and show you this:

The stacks of books piled on the floor in front of my nightstand.  Just sitting there, patiently waiting to be read.

I just can't seem to help myself.  

I'm at the age now where forgetfulness is an everyday occurrence.  If I take the books from the floor all the way to the shelves in my office, I forget which ones I want to read.

Plus, my office shelves are pretty much full of books already so there's simply not room for too many more.  I could really use a trip to IKEA to purchase a couple more matching shelves but it's only been a year since Ryan put the last ones together (all five of them!) and I don't think he's ready to do more yet.

Some of you might be saying that I could just get rid of some books but I find it difficult to part with them.  I have pared down my books twice in the last year and I really don't think I have anymore that I can just give away.  I really need the ones I have.

Plus, my side of the bed is opposite the bedroom door so anyone glancing into my room only sees a nice organized nightstand and not the dirty little secrets I have hidden on the floor.  Only you, me and my family know about it.

Lest you think I'm only reading for pleasure, let me assure you that each stack on my nightstand is a certain "parking spot" for a certain type of book.

Back left corner are my books on autism.  That's actually the highest stack if you look closely.

Front left corner is whatever book I am currently reading and underneath that is a book called Listography that Ryley and I are "writing" together.  A book of nothing but topics for lists - sheer joy for both of us.

Around the lamp in both vertical and horizontal stacks are devotional type books that I can quickly grab in a moment when I need a little extra inspiration or encouragement.

Front right corner are my Bibles.

Books on the floor are in no certain order but they will be once the hit the nightstand.

Now you know that there is a bit of a method to my madness.

So it has come to this...

...piling books around myself and settling in, happy as a clam, to read.

My name is Lana.... and I'm a book-aholic.

Surprise!

Yesterday's post about happy things got me to thinking.

I spend quite a bit of time trying to control my life.  Planning things out to the smallest detail.  Making a back-up plan in case the first plan doesn't work out.

Take packing for a trip, for example.

I start by making a list, planning what I'm going to wear each day, down to the jewelry.  A few days before we leave, I quit wearing those items so I can be sure they are washed and ready to be packed.  The day before the trip, I put everything in the suitcase.  Then I add my make-up, toothbrush and that kind of stuff as I finish using them the morning of my departure.  Finally, I stand over my suitcase and ask myself questions like:  What if if rains?  What if a cold front blows in?  What if those cute shoes hurt my feet?  Then I begin throwing in items like a raincoat, a cardigan and scarf, an extra pair of comfortable shoes.

No matter what circumstance presents itself while I'm traveling, I want to be prepared.

I might have a tiny control issue.

When someone asks, "Do you have a kleenex?" or "Do you have a breath mint?" or "Do you have a band-aid?", I get great joy out of being the lady who can answer with a resounding, "Yes! I've got that right here in my purse!"

Hey - don't mock me.  We just agreed that it's the little things in life that make us happy, right?  And if we were ever stuck on a deserted island, you would want me there, I assure you - if only for my purse!

But here's the point I'm trying to make:  Sometimes, the new, the unexpected, the unplanned events are the very things that bring us the most joy.

Think about some of those items on your own Happy Things in Life list.

Aren't many of them unexpected surprises?

For example, say someone in our church family brings homemade cookies to us.  Well, I wasn't planning to eat cookies today but you can bet your bottom dollar I will be now!

Or has this ever happened to you?  You find a cute t-shirt and it's on sale.  So you go to buy it and the salesclerk tells you it's an additional 20% off!  I wasn't planning to spend 20% less but I'm certainly not going to turn it down!  

Now, I'm not saying that planning ahead is a bad thing.  Or that having a daily routine is something to be frowned upon.  Or that being prepared isn't a worthy goal.  I mean, it's nice to be able to give someone a breath mint when they are in desperate need of one, right??

But so many times, we try to control our lives when, in reality, the unexpected is the very thing that brings us the joy we are seeking.

An occasional disruption in our daily routine can make the actual routine all the sweeter when we come back to it.  Think summer break here.  Or a friend asking you out for lunch when you were planning to stay home all day and do laundry.

I'll be the first one to admit that not all surprises are good ones.  I totally understand that no one plans to lock their keys in their car.  Or to get a speeding ticket.  Or to have a child with special needs.

But I do think that unpleasant surprises make us look for and appreciate the good ones all the more.

And in the case of an unexpected special needs diagnosis, I can honestly say this:  The challenges that Lily faces make me so much more appreciative of her accomplishments.  When that child does something, it's a big dad-gum deal!  And it doesn't pass by unnoticed or unrecognized.

We take nothing for granted around here.  And special needs child or not, neither should you.

So make a plan for your day and start working on it.  Make a list of things to do and start crossing tasks off as you complete them.

But don't miss those unexpected blessings around you.  Be willing to be surprised.  And get carried away by joy.

Happy Things in Life

I keep a list running in my head.

Not a to-do list or a grocery list.

No, this is a much more fun list than any of those.

It's my "Happy Things in Life" list.

It's full of random things that make me happy.  Stuff like a brand new tube of Burt's Bees lip balm, finding money in the pocket of a pair of jeans, getting a front row parking spot at the grocery store, a traffic light turning green just as I'm approaching it, or making a baby smile.

Nothing on the list is really big stuff.

It's not like a Bucket List of things I'm hoping to see or do before I die - just little unexpected things that make me smile throughout the course of a day.

Like when I make plans to stay home all day and it turns out to be cold and rainy.  

Or I think I'm out of Pull-ups for Lily and then I find a whole new package in the back of her closet.

So imagine my surprise when I heard about 1000awesomethings.com, a blog based on not one, but two books - The Book Of Awesome and The Book of Even More Awesome.

It's basically My Happy Things in Life list that someone actually thought to write down and get published!

Of course, not everything that makes the author, Neil Pasricha, happy are the same things that make me happy.

But I would've loved to have thought of this idea first - now that would've definitely been a happy thing in life!

Check out the blog for some fun, lighthearted reading that will make you keep your eyes open for awesome things all around you everyday.

And tell me - what makes you happy?

Waterpalooza!

Saturday afternoon was a big day for The Bird.

One of the ladies in my special needs moms group hosted a water party at her house.  (Her son also goes to school with Lily).  All of the guests were families with special needs kids so it was a nice, safe environment where no one had to worry about behaviors or staring strangers.

Like all the kids there, Lily had an absolute blast.

First, she hit the inflatable water slide with her dad.

After going down the slide twice with him, she decided she no longer needed adult assistance.  She slid several times all by herself.  

The big splash at the finish line.

A close-up of the bathing beauty.

Of course, after a good swim, snacks are a must.

She even shared a few pretzels with Dad.

If you had told me a year ago that Lily would go to a party, run back and forth between the slide and the pool, actually participating in the fun, I wouldn't have believed it.  If you said that not only would she enjoy the water slide, but want to do it all by herself, I would've called you crazy.  

She just didn't really seem to notice fun stuff that other kids liked to do.  

Well.  

Not anymore.

Not only did Lily have fun, but it was a pretty good party for ol' Mom and Dad, too.  

The party favor we left with?  

A heaping helping of hope.