Year 3, May 21st-22nd, 2018: The Breath of Life!

Wahoo!  I can breathe again!  But now Keturah can't, and I suspect Jared and Justin are next.  Abishai, I, and Keturah have coughs.  We've been at home for the better part of the last couple of days.  And that's a great thing because we need to focus on finishing up school well.  I had an appointment on Monday, so we didn't fully dig in until Tuesday.  But it was a very efficient and full day.  The kids got out in the pool, all the homework was done and looked over, our history projects are progressed on, Benaiah made inquiries for work, and we had dinner with the grandparents.  Monday wasn't bad, but it wasn't as efficient because of the appointment interruption.  I feel accomplished when I set realistic goals and meet them.  I'm getting pretty good at least for some days.  Often I have 2-3 main goals for the day beyond basics like laundry and meals and diapers.  Today, school was a priority, so I didn't start any projects.  I also wanted to make sure kids got outside because they didn't the day before.  And I usually have to set the priority for me to get a shower in.  Yes, I've become that mom that skips showers sometimes. I also set a single goal for work in the evening like blog or picture cds or clean out email/paperwork.  Sometimes it's just resetting the calendar and to do lists.  So tonight and tomorrow, my main goal is to quickly finish a book that was due at the library today.  I always seem to procrastinate and read the library books as they come due thinking I have more time.  Yes, I've taken books back that I haven't finished, but only if I've barely started it or it wasn't what I really needed at the time.  Time to stop procrastinating!  Don't forget to watch the video below!

I need to remind myself that if we are looking for something, Abishai has a new hiding spot he recently disocvered: his toy box at the end of his bed!  What a mischievous face!  He's actually sitting on it because he's hiding something and he knows it!

Sometimes I wonder how these two can be brothers.  Such a difference in their sizes.  I also wonder sometimes how the big one used to be the size of the small one just a short 13 years ago.  Cracks me up!

Abishai, back in his "police station," having a snack and watching "tv" just like a security guard sometimes does (at least in the movies, I know it's not usually the case in real life because Jared worked security at the airport and I know he didn't do that.)

T-shirts on the left are Benaiah's which he rarely wears.  T-shirts on the right are Jared's that he wears everyday.  This is what tannins and iron do to your clothing if you wash them in that water for 10 months.  Ugh.  T-shirts wear out anyway and are easily replaceable, but still.  And this is why I haven't worn my white shirts and tanks nor washed them very often.  And Abishai's poor blankie is discolored, although I washed it rarely, too.  Thank goodness we have soft and filtered water now!

Jared came home to get the new charcoal grill going.  It took awhile because we didn't have lighter fluid, but Jared is patient when he grills and made it work.  We need to make a more permanent stand or table for it.  We have logs, but not much basic wood scraps.

Trying to keep little one out of the garage and away from the grill.  It was drizzly when we started grilling.  So Benaiah stepped in for play time.

First pork steaks on our Pampered Chef electric/charcoal portable grill!  This is definitely something we could take camping.  You can get other accessories for it as well.  They were definitely tasty!

Say what?!  Michael W. Smith and Mike Nawrocki (Larry the Cucumber/Veggietales) co wrote and produced a new book and CD for kids!  And I think it's the first in a series.  Also, I got this because the first 50 to donate to the annual campaign for Rocketown the Club got it for free.  Plus they threw in (literally, I think, because the cases are broken) both of Michael's new albums, which I already have, so they are going to be regifted.  I can't wait to check it out!  This is what happens when you a) turn 60 and b) you have 14 grandchildren: you start to write children's music because you are G-Daddy!  Oh, and those 14 grandkids are all under 11 years old I think.  He's got 5 kids, you do the math.

Someone also started a faucet replacement project after he grilled and ended up giving up.  He got it mostly put back together and then it leaked.  Eek!  And this is the stuff I didn't miss about home ownership.

Sunsets are always a great thing!

I forget what kind of monkey/baboon Jared called him, but check out the series of the next 4 pictures.  I was in the fireside room when he first did this and didn't see how he landed it.  My first thought was that he wasn't going to land it and he'd fall on his head.....just watch....he's climbing onto the outside of the chair and then....

....leapt to the corner of the cabinet!  Tons of arm strength here!

Just hanging around like a monkey.  Then....

....he would either get down, or go up once he discovered he could use the knobs to help himself scramble up there!  And once up there, he gave us that evil laugh, like, "look what I can do now!"  My question is, why didn't he just climb from the chair to the counter?  Why did he have to go to the extra length of leaping like a monkey?  Because, he's Abishai, one of David's might men, that's why.  Fearless.  Just plain fearless.  Every family needs a kid like that.  And one of the others were that way.  He keeps us young and guessing what he'll come up with next!  And he gives us plenty of great stories to tell our friends!

Not my favorite IndyCar racecar driver and it's her only comeback race this year and then she'll fully retire, BUT, that's pretty neat that Lego made a likeness of Danica Patrick.  The Indy 500 is on Sunday!  Where on earth did May, aka Race Month, go?  Crazy!

Today's outfit brought to you by the preschooler and his lazy mom.  The pj's and boots complete the look.

Oh that face!

And this position, too.

The three big kids.  Wow they are getting so big!

Except, Benaiah's legs are twice as thick as the other two's legs.  Yes, I totally notice these things and find them fascinating.  I like to try to be observant.  It was a lovely walk to dinner with the folks.

When at Grandma's,....we move over the stool so we don't bother a game in progress, and then, we use the said chair to climb up on the custom made chest to mess with playing cards.

Game in progress, post dinner.

Post dinner snooze?  Not really, but it cracks me up how he doesn't fit on the couch!  I don't mind bigness, he is what he is, but the fact that I gave birth to this guy, um, wow.  Again, I'm appreciating the miracle of growth here.

Then the little guy moved onto his favorite thing at Grandma's house besides her cookies, her nook and her favorite videos on it!  Here he is turning up the volume all by himself.  Oh, and he did briefly stop his video watching when he heard the cookie jar clink from a whole room away, just like when their dogs used to hear to clink and come running!  Selective hearing!

Serious chat on the front porch about job opportunities.  Grandma and Dad chatted about plants and gardens.  Did you know, that Gary and Leah purposefully made a huge covered porch because of the trend of our culture to hide behind huge privacy fences in their backyards?  They wanted the neighbors to know that everyone is welcome to come up and have a chat.  And they are the best at getting around to the neighbors and chatting it up old school!  Jared and I aren't that cool, and probably will never be.

I helped Abishai discover the Titanic bell and then he wouldn't stop ringing it!  He also kept ringing the doorbell, which freaked the dog out, who then wanted to go inside and see who was "at the door" except he was the one at the door.  I think Socks got used to the doorbell ringing when he lived with them.  We've never really used or had a doorbell that worked and I'm glad.  I don't always hear the knocking when I need to, but Socks usually lets us know anyway.

Walking home.  Abishai laid his head down on Daddy's head a few times because he was so tired from the day.

Abishai also criss crossed his arms on Daddy's head like he would for a portrait.  So cute!