...Daddy and the kids will play! Aw, Saturdays are now project days! We've become a typical American family (well sort of, if you don't include the homeschooling, mom staying home and not having a real world job, and having 4 and not 2.5 kids, lol!) Anyway,...yes, Jared was at it again in the yard making it a place where the kids actually want to be. I think he's really, really enjoying the process of creating things for them. I'm so proud of him! I have never asked him to do these things. And he wasn't that much into it before moving back to Indiana. It's new and it's wonderful! His brother is that way as well, good with their hands. (and their minds)
I was away this morning at a book club, imagine that! It is on classical education, and actually, all the other moms were from the Classical Conversations group I looked into! But they had sent an open invitation to one of the other groups I'm in and didn't link it with CC at all in their description. Not a problem though, because these moms are super nice and are so on the same page as me. It was incredibly encouraging. And none of them said, "And that's why I love CC because it does this and that." No, the discussion was more generalized, thankfully. This book club will meet once a month for the next 6-7 months. I didn't get the book, but I'm thinking I will now. I was still able to contribute to the conversation though because I've listened to podcasts on the topics, which was more philosophy than practical this time around. I will invited my other homeschool mom friends, but even if they don't come, I can at least share what I've learned from them. Just like Gary and Jared (and the rest of our families) continually read and listen and have mentors, so do I. The knowledge is not just for me, or even just for my kids. I'm now learning things that I can pass on to others. I have done the same thing with baby and toddler knowledge. I might not have experienced something someone else has, but I've listened to so many moms tell their stories, I can least point another new mom in the right direction. Continuous learning. I dig it! (As I listen to a podcast as I type this and Jared is listening to an audiobook in the other room, lol).
Then I went shopping and wiped the bank account to nil. Whoops! Not really, but it felt like it! I bought school supplies and because I don't know exactly what I will use for different subjects, I just bought binders and folders because we wore ours out last year going to co op. And we'll save some for mid year or other projects. I got horse ones for Keturah and Minecraft and car ones for Justin. Sparkly ones, dual tone, all kinds of stuff! I had to pull myself away from the aisle! I also bought a ton of different types of bug spray, some with deet, some without, some natural, and anti itch creams and of course more travel medication for the kids and I. I bought a few brackets for some shelves and some snacks for a meeting at Benaiah's school tonight. That's it. But I didn't have kids and it was great! Oh, and I got some Christmas gifts for Abishai half off!
So, I got home, kids had had lunch, so they showed me what Daddy made and demonstrated how fast they could climb. Then Abishai went for a nap. I sat down and didn't do much. Before the nap, Jared did put some darkening film on the boys' windows and mini blinds. That's been a nightmare project because he can't screw the blind holders in the wall because of the plaster, so he's using heavy duty poster tape and it was still falling down. Anyway, he stuck with it, and now it's done. So, Abishai went down for a late nap and we had to wake him up in time to take him and the other two to church so Grandma could watch them, while Benaiah, Jared, and I went to the kick off BBQ/meeting for SCS. So I think I saw Abishai for maybe 2 hrs today. I bet he'll be clingy tomorrow.
The meeting was fine. I was uncomfortable physically dealing with some stomach issues and soreness from exercise, but I made it through. And I enjoyed watching Benaiah in his element. He really does love his school and the teachers and his friends. I'm much more at peace this year. And I think he's more relaxed as well. He's definitely an extrovert because he was in such a good mood on the way home, blabbing away about all kinds of things. People fire him (and Abishai) up! Being with people exhausts the rest of us, and that's why I'm beat tonight. In fact, Abishai MUST be roughed up right before bed. Otherwise, he won't settle. He needs physical touch and the gift of peoples' presences. Oh, and Benaiah got his yearbook tonight and his friend who doesn't attend the school, Ethan, was in several pictures from prom! Awesome! And Benaiah was voted most likely "to have a city named after him." Say what?! It's probably because the school is in Johnson county. People keep asking Jared and his parents about "Johnson Plaza/Field" which is what the new Kroger plaza is called. It's quite annoying actually. I know I went from one popular last name (Howell) to another (Johnson). As one of Benaiah's church tags says, "Mr. Johnson, the OTHER Johnson." or something like that.
Since I wasn't home, I didn't take many pictures. I'm determined to grab the big camera more anyway and not fill my phone's memory bank too full. So here's what I got:
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| Perfect! Even Abishai can climb up most of these! But Jared said one of us should be outside when any of them get up there. |
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| I wanted to get a video but this guy scrambled up there too fast! Bare toes and all! It needs to be sanded, but other than that, it's perfect! |
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| This is NOT touching the ground. Jared put his old truck tires together to make a bigger swing that Abishai could climb on. I posted a picture of it yesterday, but now the middle plate is in keeping it more balanced. Unfortunately, Benaiah got on it and it and one of the cables snapped. They are only rated for 120 lbs and Benaiah is way bigger than that. So Jared spent the rest of the afternoon fixing it, including using the pallets again to climb up to the tree and cutting off another branch. Poor tree! |
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| Keturah said the steps were loose so like a great Daddy does, Jared handed her the screwgun and said go do it! And she did! |
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| Yeah! Life skills! |
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| Benaiah with his friends. He had no idea I was trolling him. The girl in the tie dye shirt is Emma and she's a fellow rubix cube enthusiast and the daughter of Benaiah's favorite teacher. They are great (and only) friends. I'm grateful for Emma, who is a year younger than Benaiah, and Seth, her brother who is a year older than Benaiah, and for their parents because they are just awesome! Emma and Seth are a little wacky, but it's so much fun. And there's no pressure to make any of it into something romantic. Healthy relationships with kids of both genders are very important. |
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| These girls however, are a bit annoying. It's obvious that they think Benaiah is cool because as we were walking into the school, I heard some of them practical scream, "Benaiah's here!" These girls are now 8th graders/Freshman and kept poking Benaiah and teasing him. They were obviously flirting. He took it in stride, smiled, told them to stop, and even blushed a little. Remember, I've never observed these kind of interactions between high schoolers before. So for me, it's cute, it's fun, it's interesting. I'm a people watcher and I'm learning what it's like to be part of a school and experience this side of it, too. So, sure, I tease Benaiah about it, but I think it's normal and expected and I'm glad that Benaiah is very likable and social. It's all good. |
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| Benaiah's locker this year is upstairs across the hall from Mrs. McCollum's room, his favorite teacher. |
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| The school's mascot is a shark. Go purple Sharks! |
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| Always, always, serving! |
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| Ok, for the first time since we moved in, this banister/half wall is clear of stuff! Why is this important? Well, if you remember, I grew up in a household full of stuff everywhere, including the dining room being taken over by dad's computer stuff to the point we used a set of toddler chairs and table to eat on in the living room. It was bad. So, I'm determined not to let my surfaces get that way. And this being clear means that everyone else has their stuff because if it's supposed to leave the house, it goes there. |
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| Last year we used the dining room table for school because we had the peninsula to eat on. Not this year. This year, we might do some school on this table, but it will be kept clear most of the time. |
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| Same goes for this countertop. It's a constant struggle though because people reuse cups and I put a few things there to remind me to get them, like the shelf hangers or the witch hazel to make bug repellent. But it is free of papers, which was not true of my house growing up. A lot of the battle for hoarders is clutter and the stuff that comes into the house. If it can be taken care of right away, put in its rightful place, or better yet, never come in, all the better! I did buy two more crates today possibly for school books that we can move around so we can free up some cubes for toys or vice versa. Remember, I'm just trying to get rid of brown boxes and pretty up our spaces. I could cover some brown boxes in pretty paper, too, but I do want plastic for a lot of things because they are water proof. Anyway, I want my kids to know that I care about them and the house and I don't want to be tripping over unnecessary clutter. Messes from their playing and crafting, sure, but they don't need my clutter in their way. I'll get there. | |
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Up next: church and Sabbath, Praise the Lord! because I'm exhausted!
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