Well, we worked hard this week, despite a good amount of nagging and defiance, so, instead of going to gym day, we went ice skating with a different group of homeschoolers! We hadn't been ice skating in probably exactly one year, and we hadn't been out of the house all week, so it was a great time to do it. Benaiah had to work, and so did Daddy, who said he had one of the most productive days at work that he has had in a long time. I don't know how Gary has done it all these years with meetings and lunches and writing sermons on airplanes, but Jared and I are not used to it and can take us some time to get back into a workflow. I do better if I've broken a task down beforehand, like, working on the blog for 1 hr every night, regardless of how far I get and calling it "good enough." Or, working on just getting all the photos uploaded and backed up properly. And that's where we kind of got stuck this week with school taking us into the evenings. I wasn't getting my 1-2 hrs in the afternoon to tackle phone calls or blog or my other projects. And then I'm too tired sometimes to even think about working on anything except zoning out. But anyway, we wrapped up school fairly well yesterday. I worked on the blog a bit. So I felt we could go out and ice skate and run some errands.
We skated from 12-2pm, picked up dog food, had lunch at CFA while waiting for Benaiah to finish work, stopped by the library and the dry cleaners, and then got home around 4pm. The kids weren't really hungry for dinner, so Jared ate and then we watched one of his British car TV shows which made us shake our heads and laugh because of their antics. But Abishai wanted to watch Fireman Sam so as soon as the car show was over and we weren't looking, he quickly got up and got the remote and turned the "channel" (Amazon prime) to his show! And then laughed his evil laugh at us. Oi! He also asked if I was doing school with the others so he could have his tablet time. THIS KID! And on the way to the ice rink, he kept putting out ice on the side of the road and asking if that was the ice we skate on. I pointed out to Benaiah again just how much Abishai knows and how big his vocabulary and use of complex sentences is and then Benaiah wanted to prove that some TV is actually helpful to young kids. Um, so is reading books, but I get his point. Abishai has learned a ton from the shows he watches, both good and bad. But he is also making his own connections and internalizing our interactions with one another. It's amazing to watch. And hopefully someday the other kids do and will understand how Abishai has been different, and that we didn't mean to treat him differently or be more amazed at what he can do at what age that they didn't. I think they all love him and us enough to understand that we are just in awe of his behavior sometimes and we all laugh at it and him because he brings us so much joy, especially when the last 4 years hasn't been as joyful as the previous 16, at least in my eyes. So, there's that. THIS KID. This kid has a gift and I know he will use it for God's glory.
AND THIS KID got out there and made a full lap on the ice on real ice skates using a skating aid! He didn't cry, he didn't wince, he fell down a couple of times, but got right back up, and moved on. He was done after a full lap, and he later said he "didn't do well" and I think that's because he used a skating aid. We had watched a video of a little boy his age going out on the ice with his parents because I wanted to make sure he understood this was different than the roller skating we've done this past year. And he knew exactly what was going on. He was a little bit nervous when he first stood on the skates in the "warm room" but he listened and obeyed for 2 full hours while the other kids skated. And when Justin was supposed to be watching him while I made one lap on my skates, he kept telling me that "Justin didn't watch me." Keturah was with Abishai, and we were in a spot around the corner of the ice rink that none of the other kids were passing by and not near a doorway so they were ok. I made it one lap, but barely. The skates were awful, which made me regret giving away our good ones in Canada, which made me miss our days at the Cornwall ice rink, which made me miss PEI and how sometimes we would go to Tim's for hot chocolate and Timbits to warm up. Sigh. And so very grateful we jumped in with two feet and immersed ourselves in the culture up there. Keturah and Justin both got there without hesitation today and skated most of the two hours. And we talked a lot about our experience with skating in Canada. Just skating one time a year helps to keep the memories alive. It reminds me of how much we did get out and do things in Canada. I tried to be intentional in friendships but I didn't realize I did that with the culture, too. Their memories of Canada will fade a lot over the years, but mine, well, that still feels like a huge chunk of growth, and changes, and friendships that I will treasure forever. And we have our Canadian, who skated like he's been on the ice since he was born.....
Which, he could have been! That last time we skated in winter of 2015 was February 12th. We had missed the preschool skate at Cornwall that week because of the massive snowstorm. So, I wanted to sneak in one more time on the ice before Abishai was born. They skated, I did not that year because of the baby. So I took them to UPEI's campus and they skated while I walked up and down the row of bleachers to get some exercise. I was feeling winded and tired, and maybe some Braxton Hicks and couldn't walk for more than 20 minutes when I used to aim for 40. That was like at 11am that morning, and full on labor started that night around midnight. Some of my fondest memories, seriously, are those birth stories and I'm glad my Canadian born son's story includes a hockey rink! He would make a great hockey player with his energy and tenacity and love for the cold. Not that all Canadians like ice skating. Heavens no. Not at all, in fact most of our friends didn't play hockey or weren't interested. Anyway, it was a great day, and it was a cheap day, too. They had been working on the compressors at the rink, so the ice was a bit rough and there was no heat for the bleacher sections, so we not only got free skate rental because we came as a group, but it only cost $3 a person instead of $5. Plus, we used a discount at CFA combined with a giftcard. The library is free, and dropping off a shirt for dry cleaning is free. So, all told, it was a cheap day of errands, lol. Oh wait, I worked the $55 bag of dog food. Whoops. But he's worth it. Lol. But now you want to see the pictures. Here goes.
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| Abishai asked for regular noodles (not the spaghetti Leah made last week) and meatballs for breakfast! He ate a hug supper last night, so I don't know why he was extra hungry this morning. And as soon as we got to the hockey rink, he asked for a granola bar. He must be growing! |
Ice Skating January 25th, 2019
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| We got to see the Zamboni doing it's thing on the ice, just like the Zamboni McDonald's toy we got in Canada. #onlyinCanada do you get a Zamboni hot wheels vehicle as a McDonald's toy. |
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| I'm ready, Mom, I do it myself! (and then he was disappointed because he couldn't do it by himself). |
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| I got out on the ice with him but in my boots, not the skates. No one saw or complained about it. We first tried out just me holding him, but it was much easier for him to hang out to the skating aid. He held on tight, but it worked! |
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| He moved his legs the best he can and slipped very little. |
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| I go fast, Mom! |
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| I can't handle it! That cheesy smile! He only did one lap, but, he did a lap! I think if Daddy had come, he would have gone around a few more times. But, this is progress! |
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| My little skaters! I remember when we moved to Canada and BJK were 10, 7, and 4 and we got them out there on the ice. Now Justin is the age Benaiah was when we left Canada, Keturah is the age Justin was, and Abishai takes up the rear as the 4 yr old. Crazy! |
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| Miss skater out there without her jacket. She did very well, but did get pretty tired. She fell a couple of times and did not like that one bit, especially because her glasses were loose. I think she skated for at least an hour. |
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| I think she'd make a pretty decent figure skater though. |
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| Justin reminded me of how good Benaiah got. He was racing kids up and down the rink, starting and stopping at will, with no hesitation. And way to go on representing PEI with his Canoe Cove toque (hat) on! And of course, short sleeves. Isn't that the way real Canadians do it? |
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| Away he goes. |
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| The bathrooms and concessions where in the only warm room at the rink so we went there a couple of times to warm up. Abishai still wanted to watch his siblings though. And as he sat there, he made a friend. He is one to make friends wherever he goes and he told the employee that he put his skates up on the ledge so he can put them away. It was so cute! |
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| Ok, I can do this....or not. That was the most painful, pitiful lap I have ever taken. I am so weak. Every single muscle. I haven't continued to push myself and now I can't even do things like brush my hair or put it up without having to take a break. I've got to work on this this year. But these skates didn't fit my feet well and I was in real pain with them. I made it one lap because I do like to persevere and I refused to get of the rink or cross the rink without a wall next to me. I fear falling because the last time I feel like 4 yrs ago, I was bruised for two weeks. I'll keep trying, but today was not a good day for me. |
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| Abishai cleaned the ice of the skates and then stomped on it. He did take his coat after his skating lap, but quickly put it back on when he realized just how cold it is in there. |
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| Abishai did a great job of entertaining himself while I took pictures and videos. I told him to be careful because the bench seemed wobbly and he kept saying, "Mommy, it's not wiggly, see!" And then he asked about the wires and what they do. He even tried to hang off one of them. Oi! |
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| Happy to be on the ice! |
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| Representing CIY AND Canoe Cove all on the same day. And like a good kid of the north, he had the proper gear: gloves (and hat and coat when he needed them). We did bring Abishai's snowpants, but he did fine without them. |
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| I took this through the plexiglass, that's why it looks icky. But, that's a happy kid right there. |
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| At the petstore, we talked to all the live animals after picking up the dog food. Justin was so tired, weak, and famished from skating for 2 hrs, that he couldn't pick up the dog food bag! I brought granola bars, but that doesn't cut it! Abishai really, really enjoyed the animals this time. |
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| Abishai talked to all the animals he saw and "awwed" over them. "Hi birdies! Tweet, tweet!" And at home he told Daddy that he saw kitties and he loves kitties, "Meow, meow." Daddy isn't fond of that idea. |
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| The most interesting dog toys I've ever seen. A hot dog, a banana, a yogurt parfait, avacado toast, broccoli, hamburger, and the like. They would make great gag gifts for humans. And that hot dog looks like a piece of poop! |
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| It's not Timmy's, but this will have to do. We haven't been to CFA for a few weeks actually. Abishai devoured 6 chicken nuggets and some of his fries. He finished the fries and Sprite at home. |
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| Abishai got upset when I got him a dish of ice cream instead of an ice cream cone, so I made Keturah switch with him. She was not happy. But I reassured her that he wouldn't finish it. And guess what? He didn't! So she got the dish of ice cream plus the rest of the cone! But Abishai insisted he was big enough to finish the cone. At least he tried! |
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| Gotta wash down the ice cream with Sprite! |
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| He was about done with the ice cream at this point. |
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| And so it begins,.....the preliminary digging for the new roundabout that is literally right outside our neighborhood. Traffic this summer is going to be nightmare! We will have to go a block west, a couple of blocks worth south, and then another block east just to get to church! It's only supposed to be closed for a month though, so we'll see. We watched the one in Beech Grove being built, so I know it can be done. Then they will put another one in a block closer to the church, and a couple more of them around the township this year. It's going to be wonderful though when they get it all done. Those 4 way stops are nightmares between 4-6pm every day. |
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| It was SO COLD last night, like windchills in the negative 20's, that I decided to do a test. I took our space heater that I normally use at my desk and let it sit in a few rooms to acclimate to the room's temperature so I could get a reading. I don't know how precise this is, and I know it's the temperature on the floor of the room which is colder than the air at head height but, you'll see a pattern here. The thermostat, which is in the hallway between the bedrooms is set at 72 degrees. Less than 10 feet away in our bedroom, the space heater registered at 65 degrees. |
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| Hallway was 70 degrees. This was directly under the thermostat. |
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| At the opposite end of the house from the bedrooms, in front of the vent that we think goes outside, it was 57 degrees next to my red chair in the fireside room. This is why I have our second space heater here for when I sit down to teach school. |
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| And the temperature of the sunroom this morning was also 57 degrees. |
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| Even the kitchen, which is 15 feet away from the thermostat and seems to be the warmest part of the house overall, was 67 degrees. I could feel the cold air pouring in from the sunroom window above the sink. I don't know what we can do about this, but we are loosing a lot of heat. Jared put a cover, finally, on the hole that goes into the crawlspace to try to keep it warmer down there. We think the hot air cools off by the time it reaches the ends of the house. We do have some vents blocked off so that the heat does reach the ends. So, when I say my bedroom and the sunroom are literally 10 degrees colder than the middle part of the house, I mean it! I have proof now! And I can't sleep in 65 degree weather without a warm body next to me. So, while Jared is gone on his big trip, I'll be putting this space heater next to my bed. Safely, away from the blankets and sheets of course, in a good outlet. I do NOT run my space heaters when I'm gone out of the house or overnight in the sunroom. It's a waste of electricity and I'm scared of having a fire. The other space heater is much older and although it does well for it's age, I just don't trust it. We'll see how running this grey one at night goes. I doubt I'll remember to update you, but it's an interesting experiment. Thanks for playing along. |
Saturday we tried to get a few things done and it was moderately productive. Trying to keep people motivated is still a hard thing. I finally had to draw the line and say, "I'm not the teacher on the weekends. Daddy is the parent and can help you with any leftover assignments." I have to have a break, too, especially when I have a lot of other things to catch up on like blog, taxes, journaling, finances, planning birthday parties, etc. And taking a shower. Yes, that has to be on the agenda too or well, it gets forgotten. I'm in that stage of life now. I am kind of afraid of what I'll find on Monday in their homework I assigned them. I didn't see Daddy helping them and I had to keep nagging them to do it or ask Daddy for help. Grrr....I don't mean to be bossy, but I also have learned to be direct in order to get things done. But anyways, after meandering around in the morning, we picked up Benaiah from work and headed to Keturah's basketball game. She had invited her 9:15 Sunday School leader to come watch her play, so she and her son were there, too. And on the way home from the game, it started to snow. It took awhile for Jared to make dinner while I tidied up the house. I'm exhausted because I've been staying up too late trying to catch up and still have my "me" time. Bad combination. And the moody weather that doesn't know what temperature range it wants to stay at keeps going up and down by at least 25 degrees every few days. So it's in the single digits for a high for one or two days and then in the 30's the next two days. Fibromyalgia bodies don't like that. So, there's that. I tried "working out" a little bit and now I'm sore from that. And by a "little bit" I mean 10 arm raises with no weights. I'm so weak! Life could be a ton worse, but it could be better. Off to church tomorrow where both Keturah and Benaiah will spend 9 hrs each in total of their day at church. Yikes. This schedule gives no mercy! Good night!
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| Paw Patrol friends taking a nap. Abishai took Zuma yesterday. Only 3 more to go! And only 3 weeks until his birthday! Perfect timing! |
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| Got the whole crew at the basketball game today. Although teenager was on his phone or Nintendo Switch at least part of the time. And he reeked of the kitchen at work. Yuck. |
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| Our poor team got solidly beat today. All the girls on the other team were the tallest/largest 5/6th graders I've ever seen! They all must have had a growth spurt at the same time. They kept stealing the ball when one of our players was throwing to another one of our players simply because their hands went higher. It was pitiful. Our girls had some good saves and a few good points, but it was a hard game. |
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| Keturah didn't get to play s much today because she's so short. I did see the woman coach talk gently with her and smile at her, teasing with her about something funny (in a good way, like sharing a joke). |
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| Fluffy snow in the air! |
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| And on the cars. |
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| Socks will sometimes play with toys if the kids leave him alone. But as soon as they try to take the toy away, he stops chewing and lets them! We didn't overemphasize that when he was little, but he recognizes that he doesn't want to hurt the kids and let's them win tug of war. He used to growl a bit more and shake his head, but he's too old docile now. |
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| Do you see the wings of hair this kid has? Her hair is so full of static it looks like she's been on a playground instead of me just brushing it! She also had the biggest rat's nest of hair this morning that I've ever seen. I don't think she properly brushed it after he shower last night and she went to bed with it still wet. But it's getting long, just like her mama's! I think I might donate my hair at some point and maybe she will, too. |
Sunday was straight forward. Both Keturah and Benaiah were at church for a total of 9 hrs a piece. Keturah went with Grandma for the 9:15am and 11am service, stayed for KP worship team practice, came home or an hour, went back to do KP worship at 4:30 and then had Kids' Choir practice. Benaiah had his usual Sunday but he was only behind stage as switcher during service. He went with us to lunch and we dropped him off again as we picked up Keturah from KP worship rehearsal. And of course he had youth group, too. Justin had his normal Sunday of middle school Crave, KP volunteer at 11, lunch out, home for a couple of hrs, and then back to church for middle school small groups. Jared, Abishai and I went for the 11am, out to lunch, picked up Keturah/dropped off Benaiah, went home. And then Jared went back for nursery with Keturah and I went with Justin and Abishai at 5:30 because I had a homeschool mtg. We switched cars and Jared took Abishai home and I brought the other 3 home when we were all done at 8. Phew! But that's how it goes on Sundays.
I can't say much, but Benaiah has had some interesting social circumstances among himself and his friends to attend to, and there's some hurt feelings because of it. He's handling it well and making sure his friends do as well. But, it will be interesting as things develop. One step at a time.
Meanwhile, the sermon was reassuring and affirming. We started the book of Nehemiah and started talking about God's purpose(s) for your life. I have lots of thoughts on that, but, I'm happy to say I believe we are in a good place and have our current purposes figured out. You don't always have to change what you are doing because a sermon might be telling you to. Sometimes you are exactly where you need to be and if you aren't, you'll know soon enough. Of course a big part of my passion and purpose to education of any sort. And hanging out with newbies and more experienced homeschool moms affirms that passion. Our homeschool convention is in less than 2 months and I have some things to figure out before then regarding Justin's high school years, as well as do some legwork for Benaiah's senior year. So, I've got lots of questions and things to look up and think about. I'm not scared of it and I think it's fun to do the planning. I'm just not always good about the execution of the plan. It was good to hear from the other older moms and what they were using and that their kids also complain about school. Yes, that's not a positive thing but hearing it from moms that I respect and look up to is reassuring after the last few week's we've had. This isn't easy, but it's what I want to do and I know God has given me the desire for it and continues to give me the abilities to do it. I've never felt "called" to homeschool, but have always known it was the right thing to do. So, my heart was affirmed and filled up today.
Plus Jared and I are in a good spot relationally before he goes to India next Sunday for 9 days. I am pretty nervous about this trip, although I know he's going to a fairly well established mission and safe area of India. But, it's on the other side of the world. I won't be able to call him with questions. Not sure on texting, facetime, or emails either. And I wish I was going with him because I want to experience all the things that I've been teaching the last 12 years! There's just so much more of the world I want to see! I want to touch the things that I've only read about. I do also want to see true poverty at some point. But, those bucket list items will have to wait until the 3 oldest are out of the nest. My purpose, my passion, is to be at home for now. I have plenty of work to do here. And I know traveling is hard on my body. So, I'll be content, but it's going to be hard for Leah and I to get it all done while the men are away. We'll be asking for some help with transportation, but still, I suspect our school week isn't going to go very well because of it. We'll have to adjust. And then Abishai's birthday and birthday party is right after they get back. Eeek! And I have other events to plan. It never ends! Now to get some sleep so we can start the week off well.
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| Sad face. Keturah's team was badly beaten on Saturday. |
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| Eek! Mouse tracks! Jared knows there's a mouse (or 2 or 3) in the garage. Interesting to show Abishai, but still, I'm not happy with it. We'll be doing some better sorting and picking up of the garage when it warms up this spring. Benaiah wants to use it as a music studio of sorts. We'll see. |
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| Mr. Scruff, just the way I like it. I miss his goatee but he says it's to itchy and shaved it off again. But, you can see all kinds of white hair in there. Another sign that he'll be 40 yrs old in May! |
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| God gives you your passions and desires. You don't have to give them up and pursue something else. They are not mutually exclusive. |
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| Hm, thinking about this for an easier high school science course. |
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| Or these bad boys that are really college level textbooks written by an Indiana native or he's at least on our private IAHE Facebook group page and will chime in with answers. He's now widely known in the homeschooling world though. These are tough. I tried letting Benaiah do the biology one on his own in 8th grade and it did not work out well. Hm,.... |
P.S. I finally bought a new external hard drive so I can back up my computer again and clean up my iCloud. Once I do that, I'll take more pictures. I've also been too busy and focused that I didn't care if I took pictures of that or this. Photographers go through dry spells and that's ok. We've got a lot of great events coming up that I will take plenty of pictures of, so I'm not worried.
