{toddler tuesday}: fun and easy flash card box activity

it's been a while since i've posted a toddler tuesday post! it's technically still monday but if I wait until "tomorrow" (which is in 30 minutes) then I will forget and then it will be wednesday and I will wait another week since it's "toddler TUESDAY"  and then i'll forget again and then another few months will go by and then we will be back to where we started... so here we go:

HAPPY TODDLER 'TUESDAY'! 

recently -  i've been trying to think of/plan for/collect supplies for more and more toddler-friendly activities. so despite the lack of posts - i've been brainstorming, I promise! I've been researching, planning and thinking up as much as possible as we prepare for baby girl to arrive. i'm hoping to find lots of ways to keep asher occupied and entertained - especially during the early months when baby is glued to my body and my brain is on slow-mo. (T-3 weeks from today -- eeeeeeeppp!)

though I have collected (and hidden) a few special toys and workbooks for him to play with - i've been trying to find things at home that I can use! i'm realizing that it's not terribly hard to find junk to use for fun activities to keep his mind and hands busy.  this little activity has been a super easy, cheap and semi-sometimes-successful so I thought i'd share! 

i'm sure almost every mom out there has one of these:

these are the empty plastic wipe containers that you get for free when you buy certain wipes in bulk. some moms have an endless amounts of these - and I was blessed to benefit from one mama who wanted to give all of hers away (I think I ended up taking 4). I use them for wipes (like they were inteded for) but also use to store my wash cloths, etc. during our recent pre-moving day purge, i wondered if I should toss these ... then I thought of trying to use it for one of asher's quiet time activities!

target's dollar section has recently been AMAZING for toddlers/young school aged kiddos. they've had so many cool and cheap ($1-3) things for educating little minds and the asian in me went cray cray. I bought so many random (and maybe useless) things. these flash cards were one of those things. although he is a little to young to be learning his ABC's (he's only 1.5 years anyway!), I figured I can use these little thangs to keep him busy in the meantime. 

supplies needed: 

empty wipes box

flashcards (or any small object of your choice!) 

I dump the cards out and I have asher put the cards back in the box through the small slit on top. i think the cards were slightly too big to fit comfortably so I snipped the corners a little to make it easier for him. seems completely boring, right? I was amazed at how quiet and pre-occupied this kept him. some days he will sit for about 4 minutes doing it. sometimes 15. FIFTEEN MINUTES YOU GUYS. do you know how much stuff you can get done in 15 minutes when you don't have a toddler swinging on your leg like a monkey? i'm talking load the laundry, do some dishes and maybe even take a quick shower AND pee (in peace). it's amazing. 

it's super easy to set up, SUPER CHEAP (like $1 cheap!) and has been a good little activity to keep him busy and help him practice some fine motor skills.

as all things in toddlerland - it is hit or miss, but this has been toddler-tested x2 (thanks, baby H!) so I'd say give it a shot. 

cheers to more quiet + independent play! *fingers crossed*

2017 resolutions: child training bible - DONE!

happy august, soon to be september! womp womp.

i had been meaning to do a blogpost in june to give an update on the resolutions that I set in the new year - but of course, i forgot. thankfully, my resolutions this year were all realistic and were meant to help me do the things that I should be striving to do every year anyway so it's been going pretty well! however, wanted to provide an update because I actually accomplished one of my goals today: 

I finished setting up my child training bible! 

click HERE: for my 2017 resolutions blogpost

A few years ago - a group of moms at our church ordered the child training bible kits and I began working on it while I was pregnant with Asher. I was encouraged by God's promise to us in Isaiah 55:11 and so challenged and convicted by His command to us in Deuteronomy 6:6-9:

 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

As Asher grows and develops more month-by-month, I see how important it is for me to be constantly equipping myself with God's word to train and disciple Him. I knew that my own personal "wisdom" (for lack of better word) and good intention would not suffice to raise Asher up to be a man of God. It is only His word and His Spirit that can help me to really be faithful in raising Asher up in the way of the Lord. 

My goal was to finish setting the bible up whilst also familiarizing myself with different passages in Scripture that address different behaviors/heart issues. It did so much good for my own soul to be able to search through the Scriptures myself and to see how richly God has provided us with the help that we need to live the life that we have been called. 

The awesome thing about this Child Training Bible is that it takes the instructions from Scripture itself and makes it easy for you to quickly find verses that relate to specific issues. The tedious/time-consuming task of trying to get all of this done did take up a few of my weeknights, but it ended up being a tremendous blessing to me. I can see how this will be a tool that will serve our entire family - and not just our children! 

More and more I am seeing what a high calling it is to raise a child. To be honest, the gravity, weight and burden (for lack of better word..) of this responsibility is often quite daunting to me. However, I find such comfort, strength and confidence knowing that God is always sovereign - that He works out all things according to His will and provides us with everything that we need to be faithful to the task that He has called us to. Praying that His word would continue to be the lamp unto our feet so that we can help lead and guide our littles to the joy and hope of knowing Christ! 

xoxo

Order your own kits here: Child Training Bible

and these post-it flags and colored highlighter set correspond with the colors needed to put this together! 

T-1 month until baby girl!

not sure where the time has gone...

 but as of today we are only 1 month away from baby girl's sweet arrival. yipes! 

this pregnancy has been quite different than my first. life has been a bit crazier this time around with so many transitions (moving to a different apartment, eugene finishing residency and starting a new job, etc) and trying to entertain, chase, and somehow keep our toddler fed and happy. there have been countless days when I would almost forget that I was pregnant and moments that I would have a minor anxiety attack realizing how far along I was in my pregnancy and how little time I have to prepare for baby's arrival. 

well - now we are officially at the 1 month mark and it's crazy to think that she will be here so soon.

lunch break at work @ 33 weeks

i haven't really written much since our pregnancy announcement -- oops! to be honest, i've been trying to write a blog post re: this pregnancy for a few weeks now -- and have been putting it off because there is just so much to cover and I kept feeling overwhelmed! and let's be honest - i'm just a little tired over here! so as a way to keep it short and sweet, i'll do another quick + random q&a including some questions that I get asked almost weekly - moreso for my own memory! (Here is mine from my first pregnancy!)

do you have the nursery ready? 

not at all. our nursery is still serving as a faux-storage closet (so spacious and convenient - lol!) though we have been collecting all of our stuff for baby girl in there so I guess it's still technically her room hehe (sorry baby girl)

how is this pregnancy different from your 1st?

my pregnancy this time around is pretty similar to my pregnancy with asher: same symptoms (nausea with minimal to no vomiting, feeling gassy, INSOMNIA, crazy back/hip pain), similar food aversions (meaty bowls of pho, raw chicken breast) and not too many cravings (except hot cheetos and milk tea). the biggest differences have been having to work night shifts (though infrequently, PTL!) and having to take care of a crazy active, always-hungry, constant-redirection-and-discipline-requiring toddler. 

hardest part of this pregnancy?

definitely my insomnia + the pelvic/hip/back pain. I had pretty bad insomnia when I was pregnant the first time, but this time around has been pretty brutal. like laying in bed with my eyes closed but mind fully awake for 4-6 hours kind-of-brutal. last friday I couldn't sleep until about 4:30am and Asher woke up 2 hours later and I (almost) cried a little bit. haha

what are you most excited to eat after baby is born?

SUSHI. Cheap, possibly slightly contaminated all-you-can-eat kinds of sushi. I've had multiple dreams of eating mediocre sushi at a seafood buffet. The sweet college students gifted me with a gift card to an AYCE sushi place and I can't wait to go!

current cravings?
korean food - specifically cold noodles and korean bbq. taiwanese style milk tea with boba. and ice cream (like the big, thick scoops from haagen daaz kinds)

how do you feel right now?
sore, achy and stiff! physically exhausted but mentally on-wire (hey hello insomnia. again) and round/bloated and super slow. I feel puffy all the time, specifically in my face.

current guilty pleasures?
sitting on the recliner for an hour after I put asher down to bed and doing nothing (moreso mentally and physically recovering from the day haha!) and eating ice cream at night after a hot shower.

have you been taking baby bump photos?
i think I have taken a total of 3-4 during this entire pregnancy (contrast to the 30+ I probably took - like one every week - with Asher). and for most of my pregnancy I never knew how far along I was/what "week" I was. I always said about 4 months, about 6 months, etc. lol!

what are you looking forward to? 

newborn cuddles, becoming a family of 4 and having a baby girl (!!!), seeing Asher grow into his role as a big brother (he is currently obsessed with this bear doll and he has recently been asking to sleep with it in his crib and he makes me give the bear a blanket too. it is the cutest thing and i know he is gonna be such a great big brother once he gets over the FOMO trauma - lol)

what are you most nervous about?

to be honest - more than my labor/delivery and all of the newborn crazies (breastfeeding, middle of the night wakings, etc) the thing I am most nervous about is: ASHER. yipes. I am just so nervous about how he will transition and cope with the divided attention. I know that he will eventually grow in to it but for some reason, I still get a little anxious! he's also been more temperamental these days and requiring a lot more discipling - but I'm thankful that a lot of those opportunities are coming up now before she arrives so that I hopefully can lay some ground work in! I've also been hiding different activities and special toys for him to play with once she comes (i.e. bust em out one at a time during those emergency situations!) and want to try my best to spend 1-on-1 time with him at least every other week once we transition. we'll see how it goes! he has no idea...

most thankful for during this pregnancy?
of course so many things! but I guess top 5:

• eugene  - who tries to help me take care of Asher on his days off by taking him out for the morning/breakfast so that I can catch up on chores/nap! he has been so sweet and thoughtful and helpful during these last few months especially! 
• my mama friends - who keep me company, help me watch asher so that I can run errands/go to appointments/have a break, who encourage and challenge me every single day! 
• the amazing collegians (and company!) who have helped me so much during this pregnancy with packing/unpacking during the move, or simply just coming over to play with asher, help me take out the trash/wash dishes, etc. i definitely would not have survived with them! so thankful that they practically live at my place! 
• time to read: though not incredibly abundant - i'm thankful that different people and small groups have challenged me to read more books this past year! and also been really treasuring the times I can spend reading the Word! I'm realizing just how important it is for me to be always abiding in God's word for strength, spiritual sobriety and wisdom to know how to teach/train/disciple our crazy son haha
• netflix/amazon video/spotify toddler song playlists - let's be real. sometimes this mama needs a break. just a short one yallz - don't go cray. and by sometimes I mean at least once a day. I am most grateful for little baby bum nursery rhyme videos, chuggington (for some reason, asher's current fave which he loving refers to as "ttoo-ttoo!") and daniel tiger. 

what kinds of things do you want to do before baby comes?

• I want to get my life somewhat settled before she comes: finishing unpacking, get a deep cleaning of our apartment, get an oil change/car wash
• MEAL PREP. this past week I wrote out a plan of 10 meals I want to make and freeze before baby comes. I'm hoping to finish it all in this next week or so (first, I need to clear my freezer!) I just ordered containers from dollar tree that will help me freeze meals that I can perfectly fit into my instapot and will hopefully write a post on that as well! 
• I desperately need to get a haircut. I usually cut/trim my own hair and get my hair professionally cut MAYBE once a year but I have been way overdue and this pregnancy has done all kinds of crazies to my hair - so hopefully I can get it done before she gets here. Maybe add a little color too (woot woot - mama gone wild)
• Go on as many one-on-one dates with Asher and spend time together as a family of 3.
• Go to karaoke!!!!!! (though the last time I went I went a little too crazy and got legit contractions after dancing to one of my songs. LOL) 
• Go on a date with Eugene! 
• Schedule all of our doctors appointments! We just got dental/vision health care again so we need to do that and we want to see our PCP's and meet baby girls' pediatrician before she comes (too ambitious?!)
• I should probably also pack my hospital bag. probably.

do you feel ready?

I would assume that if you ask any mama-to-be, the answer would always be: NO. there's really no way to feel ready for this kind of change/transition. I honestly have no idea what to expect! I also feel like I haven't really had much time to mentally prepare for her arrival because I feel like there hasn't been as much time/opportunity for me to think about it as I did with Asher. this scares me a bit and it does make me feel really nervous but I realize the only thing I can do is PRAY to prepare! I'm praying that despite how unprepared I feel  - that I would really be able to just entrust it all to the Lord! I know that only He can help me find my peace and confidence knowing that His grace will carry us through every challenging moment of balancing the newborn baby + toddler lifestyle, long/sleepless nights and the utter chaos that comes in those early few months.

can't believe we are just a month away.

xoxo