Day 319: At Home

Ah, days at home are great because we can wake up a little slower, we can linger over our studies without feeling pressured to "just get it done" and we can take time to just play.  I long for more days like this.  We've just had an extremely busy fall season for a few different reasons.  But it actually will slow down soon after the holidays.  I know many people say that or wish that, but I do know it's going to be true for us.  I just need to remember not to panic when I get overwhelmed or have to do something very last minute.  And not to take it out on the rest of the family either.  Something I personally will probably always struggle with no matter how many Bible studies I take on the subject. Speaking of Bible study, I'll get to mine after I write this blog post, but I am taking a class from Laura Dingman, who is one of our worship ministers at Indian Creek.  She has her own website now, and has written a couple of books/Bible studies.  She has a way with words that I can easily relate to and I don't often find that in the world of "self-help" and "Christian Inspirational" books.  So, she's leading this study on "I Am Known."  It helps that she and I have a similar personality, too, and share similar struggles with anxiety.  Anyway, check her out if you get a chance.  And come listen to her sing and play the keyboard some weekend!  She and our other main lead worship guy alternate leading, but the whole creative arts team is incredible!  Her website is www.lauradingman.com

Anyway, so, we were able to put a lot of effort into the kids' botany "gardens" today, which I have seriously neglected the last few weeks.  Justin got stuck on it at co op yesterday, but when he slept on it and had a fresh mind this morning, he was able to come up with a couple of things to do with it.  Keturah is in her element with designing and creating, so it has come easy to her.  But we have a few burnt fingers from using the hot glue gun today.  Justin used it for the first time and got burnt.  Ouch!  I have a nice welt on the side of my hand from some hot glue.  This is why I don't usually do crafts that involve a hot glue gun.  I'm an elmer's white school glue kind of gal, or fabric and thread handicrafts type of crafter.  I'm not much for paint or hot glue guns.  Anyway, they also worked on their writing assignments and did their math.

I'm glad I saved today's history lesson for a calm, non rushed day, because it was over the 9/11 attacks.  I was able to take it slow and hopefully paint a picture of some of the horrific specifics of that day that the book didn't cover since I lived through it.  I told them once again where I was and all that.  I compared it (lightly) to when NYC was torn up during the first Avengers movie with the big creatures from Thor's heavenly world crashing through buildings.  (I might be combining a couple of movies here, lol.)  Grandma lent us a vhs tape of some of the real footage from that day that does not contain commentary that I'm going to have them watch a bit of tomorrow.  The book talked mostly about the background of Osama bin Ladin and the basic outline of events of that day.  The next lesson is on the War on Terrorism, and what happened to bin Ladin and the Talbian, etc.  Then the very last lesson in this series of history books will be Revelation.  The book was just published last year, so it goes up to 2014 I think.  Then we'll start again with Creation.  I haven't decided if we will start that before Christmas or after Christmas.  We know the stories so well, that I don't think it would be hard to get started on it, but then again, I think it might make it a nice beginning to our year to start fresh with a new(er) book.  We've already been through it 4 1/2 yrs ago, but Justin was 7 and Keturah was 4.  I'm excited, even if they aren't.

We finished the day with the kids laughing and playing with Daddy while I had a nice chat with a friend and fellow Lilla Rose consultant over how we are going to set up our booth at the Christmas in Wanamaker event on December 3rd.  If you are interested in more information for that, check out Facebook, but it's an annual event on the southeast side of Indianapolis.  There will be lots of other vendors and I think a parade with Santa at noon.  I'm sure it will be in the newspaper and I can give you more details closer to that date.  I have a lot of reorganizing to do, but sometimes takes an actual deadline to get things like that accomplished.  We'll have lots and lots of inventory to sell, so come get some Christmas gifts for all the women and girls (and even men with longer hair!) in your family!

We hadn't been out on the porch for awhile, so I got Abishai dressed so he could be out there without freezing.  He wanted to go out there in just his diaper, lol.  I also was able to practice using different aperatures to get enough light into the picture because the first couple takes were too dark.  He was confused though, why weren't going downstairs and out the front door.

Still wanted to play with his balls and threw them into the house!

Oh, we got to go the park for a little bit this morning!  I always feel guilty when I focus so hard on my to do list an forget to take advantage of sunny days.  It was around 60 degrees today at lunch time, so in the sun, we were able to take off our sweatshirts.

Lots of leaves make lots of crunching noise when we walked through them.

Abishai still doesn't understand why the water doesn't work anymore.

Keturah came to the park in her inline skates today to practice.  She used them like sneakers and went across this equipment in the them.

When you are getting too big/old for playgrounds, you start to walk around the outside of the playground.

The leaves are almost gone, but they lasted forever!  Unlike Charlotettown where one big storm and it's over. 

Abishai wanted to stand in the spinning thing by himself today while Justin pushed the other part in a circle.  He's growing up!

Inline skates or sneakers?  Brave girl!

This angle makes her feet look big!

Peek a boo!  Abishai has become "slide shy" lately.  Not sure why, but he won't go down slides anymore.

But Abishai will climb up stuff.  Hen early made it up there all by himself.  I remember Benaiah being very afraid of bars like this even as a 3 and 4 year old!  This guy isn't scared of much!

Justin's big feet coming down the slide.

Justin would push the red spinning thing and then get on until it stopped.  Abishai couldn't find the right spot to sit in and tried every possible spot on there!

Yes, he's growing taller, eating a ton, having leg cramps at night.  Sigh.  He's not going to be little Justin for much longer.  Just like Benaiah, he is very precise when cutting vegetables though.

I finally tried out my zucchini noodle maker!  It was certain a different taste than regular noodles, but I didn't mind it.  I didn't cook the zoodles though.

Peek a boo!  He kept touching his orange car at dinner with dirty hands, so Daddy hid it in his pocket.  Well, Abishai outsmarted Daddy and got MORE cars to put up on the counter top!

Then he got down from his chair and ran around the counter to say, "hi."  Oh and he can shake his head back and forth for "no" and nods his whole body up and down for "yes."

Some of us really struggle to put words to our feelings, so I found a set of cards with the names of emotions on them and a visual clue to print out.  That way, when we are in the middle of an argument or crying during a homework assignment, we can whip out the cards and give those emotions a name!  I am going to use them, too!  I have discovered that one of my main surface emotions, anger, stems from many other emotions like disappointment, frustration, and sadness.  You can find similar cards on Pinterest or just Google it.

Abishai went up past our front door and onto the lawn today to go around the building the long way.  I helped him through the grass, but only a little bit.

I meant to get another picture of the tree on the left before it's yellow leaves, fell, but it looks like I missed my chance.  Oh well, but it did remind me of the gorgeous trees we used to be able to view from our large picture windows in the front of the Beech Grove house.  I have yet to go past that house since being back though.  Part of me wonders if it's up for sale or rent again and if we could get it back, but I know there's a 0.1% chance of that happening.  I wouldn't mind living in Beech Grove again, though.  I loved that little city within a city.  It was home for 10 years.  We moved in when Benaiah was just 4 weeks old.  I miss the fenced in yard, yard swing, playground Jared built, and memories of birthday parties.  Good times.

These aren't quite done, and I'll probably post new pictures when they are, but here is Justin's miniature garden.  They are making clay figures to represent each plant "family."  On the left is a swimming pool or pond and on the right is a hot tub where the mint "guardian" is taking a dip.  Each plant family has a "guardian" taken from a storybook/botany book that the teacher has been reading to the students.  They also learn how to identify them by how many leaves, the kind of flower, etc.  They have to draw and label them, and answer questions about them.

And true to who Keturah is, here is her "Love Park."  Each family has it's own section the main part, and then today, she and I came up with the attached "park."  The blue thing is a trampoline, next to the climbing wall and slide.  I'm just glad some of these art supplies are being used.  I love how both gardens are showing the kids' true personalities.  Justin's is neat and simple.  Keturah's is chaotic (to some of us), colorful, and fun.  Both are not as natural looking as some of the other kids' gardens are, but that's ok.  I love them.