Day 303: Get out of this house!

Yeah, we finally made it out of the house!  We got up early enough to make it to the 9:15 am church service.  Then we headed to the airport to surprise Jared.  He as just going to ride home with his dad.  I texted Gary late last night asking him what time the flight was coming in, but somehow Jared saw it and started asking about it.  Then, Jared asked me if we had made it home yet after church and I said we were at the "store" picking "something" up.  So, I don't think he actually guessed it this time.  Next time I'm home and I'm bored, I really should just take the kids to the airport and let them watch the planes take off from the cell phone lot or something, or maybe the top of the parking garage.  We did see their plane taxi to the gate this time.  Normally the planes are on the opposite sides of the two terminal "wings" and we can't see them from the large viewing window.  Abishai understood it was an airplane though!

Then it was naptime, and boy did Jared and I need that!  We did skip out on baby dedication because Benaiah couldn't be there and we all needed the rest.  I did take more anti-nauseua medicine last night and it's sleepy effects still affected me this afternoon.  We got up just in time to get the kids to youth group and choir events.  I stayed with Benaiah and Abishai at Gary and Leah's house because he was still not up to going anywhere.  He's still dizzy, so he's not going to school tomorrow either.  We're definitely not worried about him missing one day of school since he's doing so well.  Abishai had fun feeding Benaiah some grapes and pumpkin spice (!!!) cheerios (!!) though.  And he tried to get ba-ba to play with him, but Benaiah wasn't up for it.  Yes, pumpkin spice cheerios and they were good!  It wasn't too much pumpkin flavor actually.  I couldn't stop eating them!  Then I realized they probably have a ton of sugar in them.  Whoops!  Going back on the diet tomorrow and keeping a food journal for the new doctor because I'm assuming she'll want to see something about it.

That's about it.  Justin had a great time at their nerf wars event.  They provided the bullets and pizza and organized actual games to use the nerf guns in.  They played for over 2 hrs!  With nerf guns!  5th-8th graders!  Keturah said that Miss Christy will take away the voices on the practice cd next week so they can just practice with the music.  Yeah!

Back to normal routine tomorrow.  And no sightings of Mr. Mouse tonight.  I was thinking that we should have Socks, our dog, come up here for the day and sniff and scare the mice away.  Maybe that's why we didn't see any critters besides normal bugs in Charlottetown and in Beech Grove, although we didn't have Socks for the first 8 years living there.  Hm,...Socks would probably make friends with the things.  Socks was very eager to play tonight and we do miss him a lot.  But he's got a great place to stay in the meantime with Grandma and Grandpa.

Someone took over Grandpa's chair!

And someone is big enough to sit at the island!

Aww, can't believe he's nearing 2 years old!

I don't know if the duck basket was already there or not, but now it is, complete with trucks.

Man-child fills a couch!

Again, big boy at the table!

We left a gift for Grandpa near his favorite chair.   Abishai was also stacking the little trucks on the hitches of the big trucks.  I don't think the other kids did that when they played with cars.

Yup, our teenager.

Swoosh!! goes the airplanes!

We could see the old "Bank One" tower in the distance as well as the Colts Stadium.

FYI, the stadium holds 70,000 people!  If only 50,000 of those are filled, then that's the population of Charlottetown and it's surrounding towns!!  For a football game!  Craziness!  We saw a huge line of cars on the highway taking the exit to the stadium around noon on our way home from the airport going the opposite direction.  I'm thinking there was a game on at 1 or something.  We don't pay attention much to sports.

Daddy's airplane taxiing up.  I still remember walking on that tarmac before this terminal was open, even going down that side ramp there.  Indianapolis International Airport is actually very laid out, open and airy, and runs fairly smoothly on most days.  You should be when you are the "Crossroads of America," right?

Day 302: Where my people at?

Ok, enough is enough.  I'm done being home.  We all are done being home.  I haven't seen a single other adult (except through Facetime) since Tuesday.  So since it was so beautiful, we opted to go to the park this evening for a few minutes.  But I still felt queasy and Keturah didn't really want to be there, so we didn't stay long.  Abishai was upset though.  He desperately needed to see people.  Glad we came home when we did because he had a poop explosion shortly afterward.  Yes, you needed to know that because it was epic.  He almost needed another bath.  Anyway....

Mouse was still loose last night, and I saw it crawl out from under my bed while I was in bed, so I opted to sleep in another room.  It's grossing me out and I've been on the lookout for it all day along every baseboard and corner I pass.  Traps are set and I did put some peppermint oil on some paper towels and spread them around my room to deter the mouse or mice.  I have lived in a few places that were just as cluttered or worse than my home, and I've never encountered mice before.  It's just all the unpredictability of running around that scares me.  I don't mind seeing them in cages or even holding a rodent.  So enough is enough of that.

What else? I've been incredibly lazy and didn't do anything spectacular today.  No school except a little typing for Justin.  We did take showers.  We did eat.  We got outside.  We are alive.  I don't want to say much else because I've had a kind of all over the place emotional day.  Maybe because my friends had a party for another one of my best friends who just moved into a new home and I wanted to be there.  I would have been there.  But instead, I'm here.  I'm here and am awaiting the arrival of a few friends coming to Indy for a church conference.  But I think that might start some tears flowing, too.  Plus, Halloween.  I hate Halloween.  The kids haven't even asked this year why we don't celebrate it.  If it was just the fairy princesses or superheroes maybe, just maybe I could participate.  But since so much of it is blood and gore and death and horror, I just cannot.  There are some great costumes.  I love cosplay costumes.  (Dressing up as your favorite TV/comic book/story character/video game, etc. character).  There's a lot of creativity.  But death, well, is death.  So, let it be written in the anals of our history, we don't do Halloween.  I think on Monday at co op I'll say, "Happy Reformation Day!" instead.  Because Martin Luther nailed his 99 Theses to the church doors on October 31st.  And without Martin Luther, and others, we wouldn't have the Protestant Reformation and our Protestant churches.  So, Happy Reformation Day everyone!

Time to go home she said.

HUGE maple leaf Canadians!

A mushroom!

I started working on a simple little project of finding pictures of our family to add to our 20th century timeline which was suggested on a podcast or in our history book or something.  I'm just doing us and the grandparents on both sides.  I actually make comments about how old say, Grandpa Howell was when JFK was shot.  Or how I was in 4th grade in Operation Dessert Storm and our class wrote to soldier in Iraq.  Well, I don't have many photos of my parents in the right places, so I have to go searching each time I want to do something like this.  And when I do, I go down memory lane, again, and find pictures like those below.  Most days I'm ok and have "moved on" from my parents' deaths, but today is not one of those days.  

This was a couple of weeks before my mom passed from cancer.  From left to right is "Big Brother" Eddie, who is maybe 10 years older than I, but similar in age to my half brother my mom gave up for adoption at birth.  Therefore, he and another guy, became like sons to my mom.  Gloria, who used to live on the same street as us and whose kids would wander down to our house just because.  Her youngest daughter Joy came with her.  My sister Stefanie, me, my Mom, Linda, and my dad, Stephen.  It's hard to imagine that my parents only knew 3 (and a half since Stefanie was pregnant with her son "Auggie" Augstin) out of 7 of their grandchildren.  They would be so proud of all of us today and loved my 3 older kids fiercely and couldn't wait for more!  Oh how I miss my parents some days!

This is the cemetery that they are buried in in Hooksett, NH, where we spent most of our childhood.  It's tiny, because the town is small, too.  It's surrounded by trees, a brooke, and a 200 year old stone fence from colonial days.  I bet it looks more like the pictures of the trees I took today with it's fall colors.  Within the next few weeks, their headstone will finally be placed.  Because of so much change in our families in the past 5 and 6 years, we just couldn't seem to find the time to finalize the details.  But the stone has been ordered and should be installed before winter.  My sister Stefanie designed most of it.  I can't wait to show you!

And there you have it.  Just as another mouse runs across the floor from inside my closet.  They must think I'm Cinderella or something.  I am not.  Sigh.

Day 301: Day 5 of sickness and boredom!

Well, we spent the whole day at home again, and actually plan to do it again tomorrow and most of Sunday.  We all still feel yucky in the morning, but are brighter by the evening.  And we don't want to spread it around either.  That means that we are bored.  Because it affects me too, and I have a toddler, I don't want huge messes from all those fun projects on pinterest.  Justin finished an audiobook today.  Keturah wrote a story.  And I brought up the jenga blocks from a box in the garage for Abishai to have something new to do.  Benaiah spent the whole day either sleeping or watching youtube videos on nerf guns.  The men folk drove to their next destination after finishing up at their first one.  Late night supper and setting up their product table.  Leah, who has the same sickness as us, felt a bit better today too.

So, I went ahead and postponed Abishai's baby dedication celebration.  I was putting too much pressure on myself to feel better for it.  And because it's a crowd of people, I would have to put my extrovert shoes on and smile when inside, I will probably still feel crummy.  Plus, we don't need to keep spreading the germs.  Plus, there's school for everyone on Monday.  There will another dedication ceremony in the spring.

What can I do to stay busy?  Normally I would shop online for Christmas or something, but there's no money for that right now either.  I'm going to have to clear my brain a bit to think creatively.  And I'm a bit behind on planning that out.  I did take a 2 hr nap today because I toke a dramimine like when I was dizzy. It says "non drowsy formula" but that's a lie, at least for me!  Vivid dreams, too.  I'm going to take one tonight so maybe it will help in the morning.

I knew Abishai would love the blocks!

So glad we kept the GeoTrax sets!  He gets very upset when they fall off the tracks though.

Abishai wanted to take these to bed.  And I let him for a few minutes.  But he wouldn't stop playing with them so I went back into the room and gently asked for them back.  He obliged.  5 minutes earlier, he would have had a screaming fit.   

Justin's tower.

Abishai's tower on my desk.

Sneaky grin. 

Back to arranging cars.

When we're bored, we FaceTime baba, just because we can.

And another mouse ran across my room!  Ugh!  I'm a little freaked out!  This was the first time I saw one live!  Make it stop!

Day 300: And the last one falls....

Yes, that's right, Benaiah has succumbed to the sickness.  Poor Man-Child.  I just hope he didn't get the whole school sick.  He has to miss the school's bowl-a-thon fundraiser, too.  Bummers!  Maybe he'll be well enough by Sunday to go bowling with the high school youth group.  And do pray that Gary doesn't get it, and the other two ministers with him.  They are speaking at an event this weekend, and Jared is with them.  It's a very yucky stomach bug.  The middles started off the day slowly but gained momentum as it went.  I'm still feeling very "off" but it could be that actual stomach muscles are sore.

We did get some school accomplished today and puttered around the house.  As mentioned above, Jared left for a few days, so it will be interesting to be stuck at home so we can fully recover before Sunday.  Abishai's Baby Dedication (and others) Celebration is on Sunday and all are welcome to attend.  It's at Indian Creek Christian Church at 3:30 pm in the main auditorium.  It's we, the parents, and the community at large, promise to raise the child(ren) in a loving, Christian environment.  We were asked to fill out some homework with questions about how our walk with God is and what are some phrases we would like to train Abishai up in.  You also get to see pictures and there are refreshments afterwards.  And pray that there are no airplane delays because the men are getting back around noon on Sunday.  It will be a close one!

I also miss my guy when he leaves for more than a typical 8 hr day.  I've been thoroughly spoiled having him home so much this year.  This is a quote from George Eliot.  I'm so grateful that Jared will have some time away using his gifts of administration and leadership.  I've always seen him in this verse from Proverbs 31;23 "Her husband is well known at the city gates, where he sits with the other civic leaders." (NLT) Since high school, he's always been a deeper thinker than his peers.  He has a way with words that is unmatched.  And with time, he's learned to be gentle when presenting them to others.  Some are more receptive than others to those words.  As he continues to learn and grown under his dad and his dad's peers, I know it is where he needs to be.  I know Gary and Leah are very proud of him, as they are of all their kids and grandkids.  God will use the heartaches of the past few years for good.  I just have to be patient and follow Jared's lead as he follows Gods.  I pray it's a blessed weekend away!

Yes, he got in the trash can himself.

So the other two put him the orange bucket again.

Mean kitty in a cage.

Get the mean kitty! 

Pretty kitty!

Sweet kitty!

The yummy treat Benaiah brought back for Keturah.  She graciously shared it with Justin.

 I found the pictures of Benaiah in the yellow fleece shirt!  Here ya go!

We STILL use that rolling bag sometimes. 

This illustrates Benaiah's (and some of ours too) love for food.  I think I'll have him recreate this moment now that he's almost full grown.

Goofball Benaiah.  It must be a Johnson thing to want to sit in tubs and buckets.

Jared with hair!  Another moment I'd like to try and create.  Sweet!

Looking a bit like Abishai here. 

Aww, cute kid!  I didn't realize just how light his hair was back then.  And yes, Abishai does look like him!

And here's Abishai, pretending he's going to sleep in his nursing chair tonight.  As if, child.  By the way, he's almost fully weaned.  He didn't nurse on Monday at all because he threw up all day.  He nursed great on Tuesday, both in the morning and the afternoon.  He nursed a tiny bit yesterday morning, Wednesday.  But refused to nurse this morning and only nursed a bit after his nap.  I'm mostly ready for him to be done, but at the same time, he's the "last" baby.  Time flies.

And now, for the grand finale!  I made these little videos to send to the guys today, just for fun, but they are so cute!

Message for Daddy

Message for Benaiah

Message for Grandpa Johnson

When I picked Abishai up from his nap, he said, "Mama," and then immediately said, "Dada."  He usually sees Daddy as I carry him into our room.  He's so used to Daddy being here.  Again, I'm so grateful for that, despite the circumstances of why Jared's been home since March.  Then, the kids kept laughing and laughing over the one for Benaiah.   I guess Abishai's been watching too many YouTube videos or something.  Lastly, it was the first time I could clearly hear Abishai say "Grandpa" in his video.  Time to add even more words to his vocabulary!