Category Archives: Everyday Life

Watch You Sleeping

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When I was registering for baby things I was on bed rest which meant I had time to do research on things such as baby monitors. A generous friend bought us our fancy video monitor and we’ve enjoyed watching Jack sleep. In fact I didn’t realize how dependent I had become until it broke.

Jack was playing with the parent unit which he thinks looks like a phone. And even though he was very gentle with it, somehow the port for the charger broke and the battery has been useless for a few months = no more monitor.

Samsung said they’d fix it for $45 but I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend that on a monitor that wasn’t my favorite after using it for 21 months. While I made up my mind on what to do, I borrowed my parents’ baby monitor leftover from my brother who is now 25 years old. Obviously it doesn’t have video abilities, but at least with the audio I could tell if Jack was awake (as if the thumping on the walls didn’t clue me in).

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Apparently two consecutive days of use was all this elderly monitor could take and just like that we were without a monitor again. [However there seemed to be a nostalgic factor to this antique, so instead of throwing it out I gave it back to my parents. They plugged it in and it works again….??]

I told Jack the monitor is broken so when he wakes up he has to yell “Mama!!” Some days he does, other days he just kicks the wall until I come upstairs. Really the monitor is necessary for the beginning of nap time. Is he sleeping? Is he pooping?

Speaking of which, monitors should really have a smell sensor. They are so high-tech these days with wi-fi and video recording and night vision, you’d think someone would have invented a smell sensor so you know when the baby poops. Because inevitably pooping interferes with naps.

Maybe I’ll take my Smell Sensor Baby Monitor* to Shark Tank for a deal. (*Patent pending)

[Anyway…. I had this post written then added a picture and it deleted half the post… rewriting…]

We bought a new monitor that I scored for a great price on Amazon. Turns out it was a great price because it’s not-so-great a monitor. Jeff remarked the video quality wasn’t very good. I thought it was fine. “The crib slats aren’t supposed to look wavy.” Then we mounted it – two more holes in the wall – Jeff hates holes in the wall – and the night vision doesn’t work at all. So we can see nothing.

Now I’m doing monitor research again, except I have less time than when I was on bed rest and they all seem so expensive. Do I really have to pay another $200 for a video monitor? Don’t we have some kind of old camera laying around that we can hook up to something … ?

Well, this post has been thrilling. I promise to write more interesting things in the future. For now I’ll start engineering my Smell Sensor Baby Monitor* and I’ll take any recommendations you have for a functional video monitor. Since you made it to the end of this post, I will reward you with some pictures.

Role reversal: Jack is blogging while I nap.

Role reversal: Jack is blogging while I nap.

Jack won't sit next to me on the couch anymore. He insists on sitting on his side. #bigboy

Jack won’t sit next to me on the couch anymore. He insists on sitting on his side. #bigboy

Confession: I’m Not Nice When My Sleep Is Disrupted

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Jack DebI’m sure a few old roommates of mine are nodding their head. Yep, that’s true. 

It’s no secret that if sleeping were a super-power, I would be a super hero.

So when Jack – my precious, perfect, adorable son whom I love with all my heart and would do anything for (such as strict bedrest for four months) – when he wakes up in the middle of the night, I’m not so happy.

I recall times when my wonderful husband and I would take turns getting up with Jack. Then Jeff had a busy season at work and so I thought I’d be such a nice wife and handle Jack all on my own during the night. Eventually Jack started sleeping through the night again.

Just when my body adjusted to full nights of sleep, Jack started waking up again. He wasn’t sick or getting a tooth. He had no reason to be awake. And yet I hear “Mama mama mama mama mama” from the other room. Reluctantly, I pull myself out of the warm, cozy covers and hold a crying Jack.

After several nights of me consoling Jack back to sleep during the night, I was starting to feel like it was someone else’s turn. I nudged Jeff. Nothing. I elbowed him a few times in the back and said “I think it’s your turn.”

We proceeded to whisper-yell at each other. Are you familiar with this type of conversation? Jack was already crying, but with hopes of him going back to sleep without our intervention, Jeff and I whisper fought about who should get Jack.

He doesn’t want me. He’s saying “Mama.”

Do you remember the days he could only say “Dada” and I still got him??

Eventually Jeff agreed to get Jack. Jeff returned 30 seconds later. “He won’t even let me pick him up. He saw me and buried himself in the corner of the crib and is crying for you.”

So the next morning at Bible study my prayer request wasn’t just that Jack would start sleeping through the night again, but that my attitude would be better. That I would be kind to Jeff and that I would be patient and loving with Jack.

Things didn’t change right away, but I noticed subtle differences that helped. When Jack would cry, I would hold him and pray out loud. It seemed that when I was praying Jack would be quiet. So I didn’t stop praying until I thought he was asleep and then I laid him down. Now that’s what I do: I pray for Jack. I thank God for him and all the fun things we did during the day. I pray for his future, that he would love God with all his heart, mind, soul, and strength. I pray that Jack would continue to be a blessing to those around him.

Jeff and Jack reading books by flashlight.

Jeff and Jack reading books by flashlight.

Now when I crawl back into bed after consoling Jack, I’m not regretting the bad words I said or thought. Instead I’m grateful for that time to pray for him. I feel peace and confidence that I’m doing what God wants.

I still don’t like when my sleep is disrupted. But I trust that God will give me the rest that I need and that the awake times He gives me are purposeful.

The Little Things

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If a day comes when you think you are really a patient person, I have a challenge for you: try to find a parking spot in downtown Hinsdale at lunchtime on a weekday. I’m speaking from experience.

I’m not upset with downtown. After all, it’s because of Hinsdale that I know how to parallel park better than anyone who did not grow up in Hinsdale (imagine drivers ed class tests of parallel parking between a Mercedes and a BMW).

As I circled downtown many times, willing to park even blocks away, I started questioning my desire for Chinese food. I had already placed the order and only needed to run in and pick it up. I started looking for someone walking by that I could give $20 to get my order for me. After about 73 laps around town, I prayed out of desperation “Lord, puh-leeease give me a parking spot.”

Ta-da! A spot opened up RIGHT in front of the Chinese food store. Maybe I should’ve prayed 72 laps ago!

Does God care about parking spots? Not necessarily.

But God cares about ME. He cares so deeply about me that He provides for EVERYTHING I need. Did I need a parking spot? No. But I felt God showing me in that moment that He will always provide for me because He loves me. I am His daughter.

This is a lesson I need Jack to learn. You are my son and I love you. I will give you what you need.

And right now you do not need to watch The Cat In The Hat.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry. (Matthew 6:26-31)

Jack, I will provide for you.
Lord, I know You will provide for me. Help me not to worry. And thanks for the parking spot!

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Vikings and Pac-Man

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IMG_3609Just an ordinary Saturday for us… Jack has been very attached to his sleepers lately and refusing to get dressed. But this morning he was fine … onesie undershirt, jeans… then he seemed to realize what was happening and the tears and kicks began. So I added the sleeper and he walked around like this for awhile. Maybe it’ll be a new trend amongst toddlers.

After breakfast and a few Cat in the Hats, Jack explored Daddy’s IMG_3612closet and prepared for battle. He did this all by himself. I am part Norwegian so I suppose Jack is just acting like his Viking ancestors. (Jeff was also a “Viking” because it was his middle school’s mascot. Go Vikings.)

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Jack has been sick this week and although he seems better every day, I figured we should probably just stay home and play around the house. Jack found this old Pac-Man game you hook to the tv, which was actually my roommate’s about nine years ago! So for the first time in nine years, we hooked it up and introduced Jack to Pac-Man. The entertainment only lasted a few minutes. Daddy would have been happy to keep playing but Jack pulled him away.

IMG_3617One of Jack’s favorite things to do is climb onto Daddy’s workbench and play with tools. I am usually not around for this, as I would probably be hesitant to approve such *dangerous* activities. But I held my tongue today and watched Jack have fun hammering nails, pulling wrenches off the wall, and listening to noises. He even grabbed some sand paper and started sanding a wood block. He only saw Jeff to do that once. What a smart tool-boy!

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Just another Saturday morning at the Chun house! We hope your weekend is off to a great start!

“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Cardboard Creations

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With every diaper box I put in the recycling, I think to myself “there must be something cool I could make out of these boxes.” Usually the thought ends there. But thanks to Pinterest, I was able to get more ideas and pictures to follow. Let me welcome you to Chun Village.

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Here are the materials I used

Thanks to a Costco trip the day before, I picked up a few random boxes to use. Other than I used duct tape, scissors, and a leftover roll of blue tablecloth from Jack’s 1st birthday.

First, a mailbox:

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Second, a Gas Station: I found an empty spray bottle and random unused hose part around the house. The sign is actually hand drawn with crayons and markers. I know it looks so real you probably thought I printed it from the internet, which I would have done if my printer was working, but since it’s not, Jack gets some real artwork.

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A couple of boxes and duct tape, a long afternoon nap from Jack, and we have some new toys to play with. Bring your toy cars over for a fill up and your toy letters to the post office!

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Here’s a good example of Jack’s poof of hair sticking up before his Haircut by Daddy.

Great Job With The Laundry!

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IMG_2771I’m doing a Bible study called Gideon by Priscilla Shirer about how God uses our weaknesses and turns it to strength. (Find the story of Gideon in just three chapters of the Bible). This week we talked about finding God in the ordinary tasks of our days. Gideon was threshing wheat – an ordinary, not exciting job – when an angel of the Lord met him.

What are the ordinary tasks in your day?

  • Dishes
  • Laundry
  • Changing Diapers
  • Picking up toys
  • Driving kids to activities

We noted its not often our husbands come home and say “Great job with the laundry! You did really good at loading the dishwasher! No one drives the kids around town as good as you!” But even though these ordinary mundane tasks often go unnoticed, they are still important. “Today’s tasks – even the most mundane of them – are often preparation for tomorrow’s calling. They can carry clues to what He (God) is leading us to learn and accomplish as we faithfully serve Him” (Priscilla Shirer, Gideon study, p.47).

What is God trying to teach you through the ordinary of your life? I have dishes to do because I have food to feed my family. I have laundry because we have an abundance of clothes. I’m thankful for diapers to change and toys to pick up because that means I have a precious little boy to play with. God is showing me to be faithful in the little things, so I learn to be faithful in even greater matters (Luke 16:10). He is showing me to do all things as unto the Lord, giving thanks to Him (Colossians 3:17).

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And I’m learning that if I really want acknowledgement for the ordinary tasks I accomplish, I should text my mom.

The Cat in the Hat is Sleeping

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Just in case any of you are resolving to be more patient in 2014, I told you I’d blog again and then made you wait a week for the next post. Just helping you be patient. You’re welcome.

If we are Facebook friends you may have seen my post about Jack’s New Years Resolution. He didn’t know he made this resolution. I decided for him. There will be no more waking up in the middle of the night and watching Cat in the Hat episodes.

Sometime in November Jack’s perfect sleeping habits became disrupted. He started crying sometime between midnight and 2am. But since Jeff is so busy at work during holiday seasons, I thought I wouldn’t bother him to trade off turns getting Jack. I’ll just handle it myself.

For awhile we got away with bringing Jack into our room and he’d cuddle up next to me and sleep immediately. It sounds real cute, but as I balanced on the three inches of space, shivering from the cold of no blankets left for me, I’d move Jack back to his bed. This continued once every night for awhile.

Then one night Jack didn’t want to go to my bed. I was stumped. My mental functioning is significantly decreased in the middle of the night. So I grabbed my iPhone, opened the free PBS app, and we watched Cat in the Hat. The episodes are only 12 minutes and sometimes I’d be able to put Jack back to bed halfway through.

This happened with such frequency that I planned for it: pajama pants with pockets, phone charged. We alternated Curious George into the mix. Jack didn’t seem to get bored watching the same episodes over and over again, but I did. I even looked on YouTube for new ones.

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Now that the holidays are over I’ve realized how long this habit has been going and I’m determined to sleep through the night again. I’m also sick of falling asleep to and/or waking up to theme songs playing in my head.

But the last few nights have gone surprisingly well without The Cat. Jack still wakes up but I hold him and sing him a song, pray out loud that God helps him sleep (I think Jack likes that), then I tell him I’ll sing him one more song, but I usually sing between one and three more songs – accompanied by Jack’s whining/fake crying and “monkey hugs” where he holds me so tight I don’t need to hold him – then I lay him down and leave. I give him five minutes. He usually cries for four and falls asleep. Then I have a little victory party for myself. Woohoo!

I think eventually Jack will realize I’m far less entertaining at 2am than the Cat in the Hat so he’ll stop waking up. Right?

On another note, Jeff and I were disagreeing at dinner about how the Cat in the Hat Christmas song went so we played that episode just to figure it out. We proceeded to sing it the rest of the evening. “Welcome to my party… If you want to play some musical chairs, just have a seat with these polar bears…” You’ll have to look it up, or Jeff and I would be happy to sing it for you.

Here’s a picture from when Jack was only a month old! It was easy to sleep with him when he was this size.

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Goals For 2014

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I tried to think of a more creative title, but figured I might as well just write and not delay this post like so many others I’ve started writing in my head and never actually completed. Since everyone else is writing or talking about what they’re going to do better or different in 2014 I thought I’d join them. But instead of having real defined goals, I’m going to list broad categories in hopes that I accomplish some of this some days in the coming year.

1. Meal Plan. With all the blogs, recipes, ideas online this could be really easy… if I do it. I bookmark sites with “25 Freezer to Crock Pot meals” but the grocery shopping and cooking often doesn’t happen. Around 5pm each day dinner surprises me. What is it about husbands and children that they want to eat dinner every night?

2. Reorganize my Kitchen and Pantry. It’s not even that bad. It’s just that some breakables and open bags of chips need to be moved to a shelf higher than the toddler can reach. Anyone an expert in this? I think it might take an outside perspective.

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2B. Not use the Dining Room as Temporary/Permanent Storage. The dining room is rarely used for dining so it seems like a perfect place to drop my things when I don’t have time to put them away. Then about two months later Jeff will find a place to put them for me. (True story)

3. Clean More. I keep asking for a cleaning lady but no such luck. And despite the fact that I’ve been following the Clean Mama blog for the last year, it has had little impact on my life. Apparently you have to actually do the cleaning tasks, not just read the blog and download the free cleaning calendar.

4. Read the Bible. This could always be on my list. When can you ever read it enough? In all seriousness, I’ve read through the whole Bible several times and I still learn new things each time I read it. It is the only thing that truly gives me peace, joy, and hope. It is life-giving and I want it to be part of my every day.

5. Blog Again. It’s not like I ever intentionally stopped. It was easy to write while I was on bed rest but having a mobile, attention-seeking, adorable little boy (who sneaks into the pantry every time I turn my back) has given me plenty of funny material for a blog, but little time to write it. Poor excuse, I know. But my desire is to write again so we’ll see how that goes.

What’s on your list?
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing…” Isaiah 43:18-19

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Don’t Freak Out When the Squirrel Comes in The House

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Have I mentioned lately that Jack doesn’t stop moving? It seems that everyday he discovers more of the house and increases his speed. Despite the multitude of toys he could play with, he prefers making a speedy get-away to everything he’s not supposed to get into: the newspaper, pulling up the floor vents, etc. Yesterday Jack discovered how to open the kitchen cabinets and drawers. And he’s very proud of himself for doing so. He also enjoys inspecting the cables behind the media cabinet as if he is planning on rewiring the system.

image_4After chasing him all over the house this morning, I fashioned my own gates to at least keep Jack in one room.

Unfortunately the incredibly loud thunderstorms interrupted Jack’s nap (and mine – you know its loud if it wakes ME up!) So we prepped for a walk. While I grabbed our jackets, Jack crawled head first into the frame of the coffee table.  I didn’t see this, I only heard the thud and recognized it immediately. I’ve walked into the table myself. I know the pain. Poor boy.

image_1Thankfully he was distracted from crying because our squirrel was at the back door! Jeff has trained several squirrels over the years to come to our back door for treats. Our first squirrel, Buddy, was trained by throwing little nacho chips toward him like frisbees. Since then we’ve had a few squirrels but I don’t remember all their names. They usually stick around for a season and then we don’t see them again…image_2

Lately we’ve had a new squirrel who has a patch of fur missing, hence his name Patch (are you amazed at our creativity?). He’s a little enthusiastic about getting a nut. (That’s some foreshadowing for you!)

Jack sat by the back door and I knelt next to him, getting a nut out of the jar for Patch. I open the door to throw the nut but Patch imagelooks like he’s going to bite my hand off. So I dropped the nut. Except Patch didn’t see that. So he came inside the house.

At this point I wanted to freak out and run away.  (Aaaahhh! Rabid squirrel in the house!!!) But then I remembered Jack boy sitting next to me. I mustered up some bravery, half shielding Jack with my arm (because of course the squirrel who climbs high into trees can’t make it over, under, or through my arm to the cute little boy sitting less than two feet from him).

Patch took a few steps backward out the door and I threw him two nuts. Closed the door and locked it. Just in case he knew how to open the door. Breathing a sigh of relief, we watched Patch while safely protected by our super heavy glass door. I’m sure Jack would have preferred to pet Patch. 

image_5After our walk, Jack had lunch when he demonstrated his faster-than-mama-reflexes by hitting the spoon as I move it towards his mouth. You can imagine the disaster. But wait – you don’t have to imagine, I took a picture! I had to change his whole outfit which is an adventure itself because he won’t lay down or sit still. (When we are in public and I have to change Jack’s diaper, I strongly consider asking a stranger to come help me).

I put Jack back with his toys while I cleaned up lunch real quick and when I turned around Jack is licking the bricks on the fireplace.

Success for today: at least we didn’t get attacked by our squirrel.

NOT a Diet Book

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When I was on bed rest several friends, acquaintances, even strangers – very nice strangers – signed up to bring dinner over. It was wonderful! One of these nice strangers has become a friend from my Bible study. She had brought Greek food, and while I’m not a very adventurous eater, I loved it! Last week I was thinking I should make what she had made us, but my knowledge of Greek food is so little I didn’t even know what to google (I guess you could say “it’s all Greek to me!” Ha!)

So I emailed my friend explaining my conundrum and she promised to bring recipes to Bible study. (My friend will remain nameless just in case she’s not this nice to everyone). Bible study mornings can be kind of busy for me between making sure Jack is taken care of in the nursery and practicing music with the band. This particular morning my friend had to leave early so she hands me a bag and says “I’ll email you about the book.”

I open the bag after study and pull out The South Beach Diet book. Most people may think a diet book… what is she trying to tell me?! Which is why I received an email from her later with the subject line “I did NOT give you a diet book!” I wasn’t offended. Not only did she buy me a cookbook with the recipes I wanted, but she went through and flagged her family’s favorite meals! She’s pretty amazing.

It was like a strange giveaway at bible study that week because I also received a reminder card to hang in the shower about breast self-exams to prevent breast cancer. [Other weeks I’ve received a gingham print children’s chair with “Jackson” embroidered on it, as well as a small bag with “Jack” embroidered which has come in handy to tote around Jack’s toys and food! Both passed down to us from an older Jackson and Jack. It’s so great!]

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Oh yeah, and it was also a great lesson… praising God even in the midst of our suffering. When you’re going through a hard time, it’s like you have a checklist: talk to friends, read self-help book, eventually pray … But praise God. Thank God even for the hard time you’re going through. It doesn’t seem natural.

When we fix our eyes on the Author of our faith, the Sustainer of the universe, Creator of the world, Lover of our souls, we realize He does have a plan and as much as we dislike what is currently happening we can trust Him. This horrible thing in our life didn’t surprise the Lord. It hasn’t caught Him off guard. It has been woven into His perfect plan, with perfect timing, in our life and He will work all things together for us who love Him and are called to His purpose (Romans 8:28). I wonder what bible study will be like tomorrow!