Year 2, Day 4: New year, new goals

A lot of folks have taken the time to reflect on 2016 and look ahead to 2017, including myself.  With Jared starting his new job and realizing that we will be here in Indiana for awhile, I need to set some new goals.  But first, I had to grieve once more, what I lost last year.  It was time to leave the Facebook group that was all about the homeschoolers on PEI.  Doing that brought on a deluge of tears.  I have a lot more to process from the events of 2016.  I didn't focus on relationships beyond my family's relationships these past 6 months, and it's obvious that I need to expand my circle of friends once again because the last week or so I have felt incredibly lonely.  I didn't set up any playdates and I didn't realize that having my best friend not here would create this void of people time.  So, I'm picking myself up and we are going to make more of an effort to reconnect with old friends and connect with new people.  We do have a field trip coming up on Jan. 13th, so that will help.  I asked in the Indiana homeschool page if there were groups around me that just like to sit around and talk (i.e. not a co op), and I got a response, yeah!  Point is, I needed to grieve yesterday and then today I was able to logically figure out what my next steps are.  I say I, but you know this will ultimately benefit the kids, too.  The kids have done well making new friends, rekindling old friendships and loving being back with Grandma and Grandpa.

In fact, we were at the house today while Benaiah was at school, and Abishai was extremely upset when it was time to leave.  He balled, he pointed to Grandma's car and said "go, go, go, go" for 10 minutes after we left the house.  He wasn't mad, like violent mad, but very upset.  He needs routine and he loves his Grandma and Grandpa and seeing them often.  I asked Keturah today if she likes Grandma's house or our house better, and she said Grandma's because of the big screen TV.  What?!  But I know Grandma's house is a special place, just like my Gramma's house was, so I understand.  We visited my mom's mom, Aili Koski, every Saturday from like 10-3 or so.  It took an hr and 15 minutes to get there, so we would pack up a backpack of play things for the car and for the day.  We would eat lunch with her, ate chips ahoy chocolate chip cookies, and played store with some of her cupboards.  There was a crib when we were younger, and a bed for older kids to nap with.  Gramma Koski and my Mom would walk and sip coffee.  My grandfather died before my parents got married.  My aunt, and sometimes my older cousins, would come to visit, too.  Oh, and we would play in the huge piles of leaves outside, or on the swingset, or on the screened in porch.  So, I get it.  Grandma's house is special.

Most of Abishai's playing does revolve around cars.  Lining them up, transporting them from the kitchen to the living room, putting them in this bucket or that bucket.  I've got a little organizer on my hands!  Gotta love Micro Machines!

Miss K got her math on yesterday and today blazing through several lessons.  I told her that she could "catch up" if she doubled up on the work.  Really, as long as she's progressing, I'm happy.  I think the kids missed the routine of school, well, Ketruah did.  Justin is dragging his feet and I have procrastinated as well.

Whoops!  I poured boiling hot water down the sink and crack! the sink cracked!  The only way I knew it was a problem was that the trash bags were wet underneath the sink.  The property manager will replace the sink tomorrow night.  15 plus years of being the home maker and pouring hot liquids down the sink and this is the first time I've cracked a sink!

Abishai wants Justin to read this particular book to him several times before naptime/bedtime.  Justin's very good at reading the words in an interesting way and saying all the sounds.

Wampa Snow Cones!  Actually, this basically fresh blueberry juice (we did the squeezing!) and a bit of sugar.  We had to check it several times to keep breaking it up though.

I want to cook, not draw or read, Mom!

I thought I had these trucks hidden well enough but I guess I didn't.  They hold the matchbox sized cars and since we have the bigger suitcase holder, we don't need these right now cluttering up the living room.  Well, Justin thought otherwise.  Vroom!

How many bowls of food does one kid need for dinner?  5 bowls, two spoons, and a banana on the side.  Some bowls were from breakfast, but then he wanted other snacks as well.

Keturah got into her stuffed animal boxes today looking for Clifford the Red dog for Abishai and pulled out some of her animals.  Then she grouped them according to color.  Fry girl and the stuffie next to her are in the yellow category.  Then Keturah has a white category.

Brown/tan animals.

Pink animals!

Master climber!

Clifford the Red Go-Go (dog).  Abishai recoginzed that it was the animal in his current favorite book.  And he's in his favorite reading chair.  Win!

"I want to go in Grandma's car! Go, go, go!"

Man and man child being bachelor's this week....I promise this will be cleaned up before they get home.  I had to wash the dog prints off the floor today and sweep the kitchen.  Some guys just don't see the mess in front of them.

"Ting ting!" on the big screen (or pew pew!)

Every single utensil needing to be washed but no room to rinse them and stack them in the strainer because there were other dishes drying.  Oh boy.

I was so happy to make a cup of coffee with Jared in his special butter coffee way.  Great mug, too, that says, "Biked It, Liked It.  Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island.  We went there when Keturah was 15 months old.  You get to it by boat and there are no cars (except a fire truck and ambulance) on the island.  Even the UPS guy use horse and wagon.  So quiet with cars.  We biked all the way around it, which took about an hr.

Bwahahaha, look who FB suggested I become friends with!  I think I know that guy!

Keturah watched a live stage performance of Frozen on Grandma's old Nook.  It was a very wonderful performance and they had some very unique ways to get Olaf, Sven, and the trolls into the story.

Abishai with his guys from my desk like Ironman, Green Arrow, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.  He enjoyed showing Daddy each one and talking about them on FaceTime tonight.

The boys had Bible Bowl tonight.  We are supposed to get some snow tomorrow, so we are watching the weather closer to see if Benaiah's school will close.  He's supposed to go to a birthday party tomorrow night as well.  It was great to get out of the house and see something different today.  I finished the last few pictures of a book and read my Bible.  I didn't bring my computer, so that was a good way to stay off of it.  But tomorrow, I'll have to catch up on things at home.