Day 342: And then there was one...

Little Man had Mommy and Daddy all to himself today.  Benaiah was at school and the middles had a staycation day with Grandpa Johnson.  The house is somewhat quieter when most of the kids are gone (Little Man is as loud as the 3 other kids put together), but then we have to entertain Abishai, so that's what I did for the morning.  Thankfully, he slept for 4 hrs this afternoon and I was able to catch up typing out the past couple of weeks in our homeschool planners and prepping sheets through the beginning of February.  So, that's done and in the binder ready to go.  I'm not required to keep track, but it's helpful to myself to know where we've been.  We do need some way to prove that we've had 180 instruction days though.  Again, its a very easy thing to do.  Then the middles returned and we all watched the movie called "Elf."

I'm still working out this cough and as long as I don't talk or move, it isn't too bad.  But my whole body aches because my muscles are so weak from lack of exercise.  It's quite depressing for me since I started working out back in high school so I would have strong leg muscles for horsemanship.  And I was pretty good about working out until I went to work part time before I had Keturah.  There's been zero time since.  And when I do try, it's for like a week and that's it.  So, my pain level is high and requiring extra medication for it.  Boo.

Meanwhile, the middles got to go to the Children's Museum, where Grandpa said it was very, very packed.  Kind of odd for mid week unless some large school groups were there.  Then they headed downtown for lunch and to see Monument Circle where they have strung Christmas lights to make the Monument, which is a very large spire, look like a gigantic Christmas tree.  Oh, this was all after the kids went to the dentist early this morning to get their cavities filled.  We hadn't told them that they were going straight to Grandpa's house, so they were thoroughly confused.  Justin had gotten up extra early (like 5:45am!) to build his new Lego set and was a little disappointed he couldn't play with it much today.

Keturah had gone 6 hrs between meals and ended up eating a huge triple patty steakburger, fries, and a small milkshake for a late lunch at her favorite restaurant!

Abishai still like the Star Wars music he used to hum months ago, and started randomly humming it again the last couple of days.  He cuddled up to Momma in bed this morning and even slept a bit with me.  We also watched Thomas the Train together.  He seeks out our attention and with his body language says, "Watch me!" He's definitely a bit more like Benaiah in that he gets a lot of adult attention and needs that social interaction in oder to thrive. When Sissy and Baba are gone, he really misses them.

It was very cold today, under 25 degrees F, and they didn't get to see the Monument lit up, but here it is during the daytime!

Here's a fun bear in a chocolate store!  I can't remember if Grandpa said that there were 2,000 lights on the bear or in the store, or on the Monument above.  I'm just glad my kids have heavy winter coats that they still fit into.  Grandpa bought them hot chocolate from here.

A Christmas tree in one of the hotel lobbies downtown.

Finally!  I really need to have us get down there and take a picture with this sign as well, but at least some of us have!  It's become an icon of downtown.

Aww, Bumblebee is all ready for Christmas!  I can't wait to go see all the Children's Museum Winter Wonderland displays and see Santa in the next couple of weeks!  Lots of memories over the years of the Museum in December. 

IT SNOWED!  Well, lookie there!  I had no idea but there was "dandruff" coming down all day.  I was too busy with Abishai and working on my computer to notice.  I let Abishai go out on the porch in his jammies and he couldn't contain his excitement!  That's right, My Canadian, here's the white stuff!  He also just likes getting out of the house and he hasn't been out in a couple of days, poor thing.  I plan to take him Christmas shopping with the other kids tomorrow.

This is a relatively new thing, but Abishai likes to gather up all of his and Keturah's bedding and drag it around, sometimes to a spot on the floor and sometimes to the couch.  He will get up on Keturah's bed and throw stuff down.  He likes to be comfy cozy just hanging out with Daddy.

I was getting something from the top cupboard and up pops Abishai in between my legs on the stool.  So, naturally, I let him play in the water for a bit.  I hadn't remembered until then that I had let the other kids do that when the sink was full of bubbles.  I'll have to do it sometime for him.

SNOW! This was the view into our parking lot from the main front doors.

I realized today that Abishai is pretty good about not throwing Justin's Legos around, but rather wanting to play with them like Justin does.  He also doesn't seem to destroy piles of things unless he's super tired.  So, I think someday soon, we'll get rid of the gate to the boys' room.  He nearly climbed up over it today.

Like I said, ALL the bedding had to join them for the movie.

Ok, since I've been eating a ton of these, I might as well get this story down.  This is one of a pair of clear glass Christmas trees (my sister has the other one) that were my parents.  Each year, they would fill them up with Christmas MM's and Hershey Kisses.  So, when we inherited them, we do the same.  I only bought the MM's this year due to budget cuts.  I've had other similar type candies in it at other holidays because I leave it out year round in a very protected spot on my upper desk shelves.  It's one of those things that I will probably cry over if it breaks.  The sound of opening the jar brings back memories of my childhood, it's that kind of momento.  My sister also fills her jar.  Although my dad ended up being a diabetic, I know he used to sneak way too many of these candies.  

And Mr. Abishai also loves the MM's.  I do share them with the family when I can.  He was thrilled to try something fairly new to him.  A fun quote from Jared's twitter feed today reads, "More often than not, this little thing can bribe me with hugs. Yes he can, & I'm ok w/ that."  It's so much fun to be able to be more calm and confident in our parenting this time around.  Abishai does get away with alot, and I think that's what makes the baby of the family special in their birth order personality.