Just playing in the rain

This morning it was just me with J in swimming lessons. Daddy usually just swims around not doing much so he worked out while we played in the water. While getting ready at our place, J seemed excited about it and was saying to daddy "I'm going swimming". He was even a little eager at the start of the lesson going right to the side of the pool and sitting down on the edge by himself. I thought it was a good sign when during the starting "if you're happy & you know it song" he was kicking his feet a bit and splashing his hands in the water. He did end up having a few times where he said "no, I don't want that", "all done swimming" or "no, no" but today was more free flowing and he did some really good kicking, some paddling and enjoyed jumping off the side on the count of three (while I held his hands). I was trying to make up things to make it fun like "be a whale and blow bubbles" and he actually put his mouth in the water a couple times to try or hold his hands saying "kick to mommy". The teacher praised him when he noticed J having some fun with it.

In my devotional time today, I started Luke 13. There was a lot that happened in this chapter. Jesus tells a group that they need to repent. The way I've heard this explained is that repentance is when you have true sorrow over your sin, your wrongdoing and you confess it to God and turn away from doing that in your life. You may have to repent of the same sin over and over, but the key is continuing to turn away from it. On a Sabbath day while Jesus was teaching, he healed a crippled woman who was bound up and bent over in her infirmity. Those opposed to Jesus were indignant because he healed on the Sabbath (when they are not supposed to do any work). He made the point that each of them unties their oxen or donkeys to take them to water and isn't it even more fitting a daughter of Abraham be set free from what bound her? Verse 17: When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing. Next, he went through towns and villages teaching and he warns them to make every effort to enter the narrow door. Many will try to enter and not be able to, he says. They won't be recognized and will be told "I don't know you."

Today, a friend from my Titus mom's group asked for a homeschooling website that I mentioned to her in the past. It was a good reminder for me that I've been thinking of doing more in this area. Instead of J just doing random play, I want to do more learning/engaging activities on a regular basis. The website is an extensive site put together by a Christian mom that is teaching her kids at home. Basically, it is really just intentional play activities that are engaging and fun. She has tons of info on how to begin, ideas of what toys and things you can use, etc. One of the best parts is that she has links of all these other moms who are doing Tot School and you can pick the mom's link that matches your child's age and get an idea of what a day's or week's "school" looks like. See link here.

We spent a little time at the library this afternoon. J and two other boys were playing with the Thomas trains and surprisingly they each found a few trains to play with and didn't squabble over who had what. We stopped for a little ice cream treat on the way home. J's graduated to using a booster seat now. It started pouring rain while we were there but with no thunder or lightning. I got a new raincoat and rain boots for J so when we got home we put them on and headed outside to play in the rain and the puddles. Of course, by the time we got out there the rain had pretty much stopped but after trudging through a bunch of puddles it started up again. J wanted to keep his hood on and wanted mommy to wear hers too. I remember how much I loved playing out in the rain in the summertime when I was a kid.

We went out to dinner with a long-time friend of my husband's. His mom is 91 and in a nursing rehab place so met up for dinner and a visit. I got J a high chair since the booths were smallish but he didn't want it so we did get a booster seat. The only problem there is it's harder to keep him in the seat and he tries to stand up. We noticed the tablecloth was paper so we got out his crayons and throughout the meal he colored his way around the table. He really got into it. He also ate really well. I had an Italian combo and he ate the chicken and the noodles but not the lasagna. That's good for him though. After when we went to visit Wilda, he was really shy. She really brightened up seeing him. I had a mommy snafu when noticing J needed a diaper change and realizing I had run out of diapers!!! This had never happened before so I was a bit put off. This ended up being funny. We found an adult diaper (it was hilarious how huge it was) and the nurse gave us scissors and tape so we could rig a small diaper-covering. While I was taking J to go do this, it turns out another nurse heard about it. Low and behold she had her diaper bag in the car with his size diapers! She went out in the rain to get one for us! We were so thankful and J was saying "clean diaper".

The last two nights I've made it to bed at 10:30 and have noticed the difference. Now I'm trying to be strict with myself so I stay close to that. It doesn't take long after J goes to bed for 10:30 to creep up, like now. We're hoping the weather is nice tomorrow and that the rain got it out of its system today. We'll see.