Year 3, January 15-16th, 2018: More Snow, More School, More Layers

Yup, we had more snow just like the rest of the midwest, all the way down to Nashville, TN (the musicians I follow have been posting on Instgram about it), plus maybe even further south because I also follow people on social media from Georgia/Alabama/Missouri, etc.  Hard to keep up with everyone's locale, but I know they are enjoying the snow as much as I am!  We got another 3 inches yesterday!  So the ground is nicely covered, at least until this weekend when the temps will hit 50 degrees F again.  SO, sledding is on the agenda this week, and another stop at Veal's Ice Tree because it is GORGEOUS after these snow events!  They actually had to "close" because their driveway was too slick from the ice storm last Friday.  Anyway, the temps today were at 0 and the windchill was -10, so schools were delayed 2 hrs.  Not the J6 Homeschool.  Nope!  We worked yesterday on Martin Luther King, Jr Day.  And no, I didn't make a unit study out of the day this year.  I DID do something last year because we were finishing up the 20th century.  I didn't even mention what holiday it was, so I think the kids just thought Daddy and Benaiah were home because of the snow, lol.  And it was one of the BEST Mondays of homeschool we've ever had!  And today was event better, finishing earlier than usual! So now, we can do our normal Wednesday tomorrow, and have fun on Thursday when it's a tad warmer and go sledding.  Then off to an indoor playground on Friday.

Speaking of school, Benaiah did have a 2 hr delay today and then the kids spent the first 20 minutes of the day disinfecting the whole building because 1/4 of the kids were out sick with one of the worst flus we've had in several years.  We all had that flu in December.  Remember how it struck at least 3/4 of the 12 of us Johnsons during vacation?  The other 1/4 had it earlier in the month.  But how cool that the STUDENTS cleaned BEFORE bookwork?  Practical skills, taking responsibility, ah, the teaching moments RIGHT there.  But then I heard that the math class was in rare form today and distracted the Bible class next door.  I'm not sure how Jared is getting it all done, but he's doing his normal job PLUS teaching one class 4 days a week at the school.  And he loves it, and Benaiah loves Southside, and I have learned to be content with that.  Sigh.

So, Socks is happy with all the cold weather and snow and asks to go out often, which then means more groaning from kids that have to clean him up.  Oh well.  I wish my kids enjoyed the snow more, but I understand not wanting to get all bundled up either.  And until now, the snow isn't really compactible, so you can't make anything with it.  I should have had them work on it today but again, it was really cold.  Thursday would be a good day, BEFORE we got sledding and it all melts.  I wish it would stay around longer, too.  Eh, that's Indiana for you.  We have made snowmen before, and one time, when it was ready to melt and be done, Jared took his samurai sword and cut it down.  Quite funny, as it it was facing our huge picture window in Beech Grove.  Tomorrow would be a great day to go out as well, but we have gymnastics.

Otherwise, we keep ourselves entertained with Legos, the mini trampoline, electronics, cooking, riding tricycles, playing blankie monster, and school.  I love hibernation season!  I took more photos of food or things for social media, but they wouldn't be of interest to people on here.  Enjoy the smaller set of photos!

We brought the mini trampoline in for some exercise!  It was my sister, Kristina's, who was in gymnastics for over 10 years, so it's been around for 25 years and still works just fine!  Keturah practiced all her gymnastics jumps!

A new game!  Where's the baby?

Justin zips them up in a sleeping bag, and then Abishai wiggles himself down to the bottom of the bag.  What a pair of goofballs!

Snow!!

Snuggled together watching TV.

This is the floating bridge Xerxes I of Persia (Queen Esther of the Bible's husband) built to get from Asia Minor to Greece, to ransack Athens, burn it to the ground, regret it, and start to rebuild it again.  And the historian Herodotus wrote 9 books about these Persians and their wars! Jared's email address from long ago is herodytus, because he read about him back in college.  So, it's fun to actual teach and know about the real person!  The floating bridge is huge planks built on top of ships, wide enough for a chariot to go on.  And they built walls on the sides so the horses wouldn't be spooked by the water.  Genius!

Trampolines are great for watching TV and naps!

Barefoot monkeys in the snow!

Socks does get cold, but we don't leave him out there that long.  And he's got all that warm fur, too.  Thankfully, he doesn't come in too wet and we always make sure his paws are cleaned off well so the snow doesn't dry them out.

Loads of snow!

I think these two are joined at the hip someplace.  Brothers!

The little captions are from posting these on Instagram stories.

I was surprised at how these two didn't complain about this project.  And they did work together on it without fighting.  I might have to try more activities like this!

Justin's idea!

Justin built this mech without an instruction booklet.  I bet he could work for Lego!

I see a theme here.  These two are inseperable!  In fact, today, when Abishai wouldn't lay down for his nap, and Justin wanted his screen time, Justin went in there and helped him settle.  Now, Abishai didn't stay in there because it was really too late for nap, but I loved how Justin got in Abishai's bed, arranged all the things, and even sang to him!  There's a special bond between these two!

And my Young Living kit came today!  Super stoked that I finally own this!  I discovered that I had ordered the smaller version of the kit in 2010 without the diffuser, and with only 7 oils, not 11. Anyway, I can't wait to use these more regularly (except when Grandma comes over because she can't do "scents" of any kind).  Yippie!!