Year 5, February 28th-March 1st, 2020: Leaping into Leap Year!

Dude, it's leap year! What do you do for it? I'm glad I didn't forget and I think the cabin fever has set in because I'm all like "what can we do for this? Oh yeah, play leap frog! Or leap like this!" Oh my. It was cold and clear early in the day and snowy in the afternoon. Yup, still winter. We didn't get school perfectly done but I did manage to cross off a few other tasks on my list after we got home from gym day. On the way to gym day, we listened to Michael W. Smith's Live the Life album, which of course embarrasses Justin to see Mom belting out songs. But oh well. Gym day went ok. I worked on my crosstitch and didn't move much for over two hours. I saw Abishai and Justin come in and out of the gym several times. Abishai did have a snack as usual, but otherwise he left me alone. Justin had brought his Fortnite Monopoly to play with his friends, so they took that into the classroom and tried to play. But then it all went downhill. One friend was teasing another friend and running around instead of playing the game. Well, the peacemaker that he is, Justin just wanted it to stop before someone got hurt. So he physically tried to come between the two. They weren't fighting, but playfully teasing. And then his ring finger on his right hand got jammed into someone's arm or torso and well, we aren't sure if it's just bruised or fractured. He was in pain and he was mad at his friends. He said many things to me but I know he wouldn't have said them to his friends. He was upset that they didn't pay attention to him when he got hurt or apologize in the moment. They did apologize when they played video games from their respective homes later in the day. As far as we can tell, it is only a bit swollen and no bruising yet. We'll see what it feels and looks like in the morning. I should get out my wrist brace or something. Hm,....

After lunch, Justin rushed through his homework and then got on the screen. I was taking things too slow anyway so the day started to get away from me. But that's ok. We'll just have to do Saturday school. Not really what I want to do, but whatever. Keturah was a bit on edge, too, especially when she found out her cousins got guinea pigs. I love critters, but we can't keep the current crew clean and fed so nope, not going to do it. I'll come play with whatever critter she has when she's grown up and on her own. It used to be about expense, but really, it's now about having the room for them and how Socks wouldn't leave them alone. I think someone gave Nora and Everly the guinea pigs from their classroom or something. Grandma Leah is NOT thrilled at all about the idea. I told her that well, we'll help you get used to them just like Socks as helped some people get over their fear of large dogs. But you know Leah, she's stubborn and probably still won't like the critters. At first I was even jealous because I would have loved to have them growing up, but I also know now how much work they are and what we can handle as a family. Sorry, kid, we just can't. You can't take care of your own body and your dog chores so,..nope. We'll have to go visit them sometime. I had already grounded her earlier for shrieking at me on the way into supper at Grandma's so when she stomped her foot today and exaggerated her anger, she got grounded some more from screen time. She wasn't happy but finally got over it. Oh kids are so much fun, aren't they?

I did restrict Justin's screen time, too, but Abishai had about two hours. Everyone then watched this week's new episode of Star Wars: Clone Wars (cartoon, last season, so season 7) and part of the movie about Midsummer Night's Dream. So in a way, Keturah got some screen time. Let's see. Oh yeah, Grandpa did class through Zoom with Justin at 8:30 am this morning. Then he came and got Benaiah at 10:30am for his time with him. He was again on the road at 12:15pm going to his destination for the weekend, checked into his hotel after setting up a book table, and then immediately got on Zoom again for the girls' class at 4. And of course Abishai said hi to Grandpa, too. So Grandpa Johnson got to spend "time" with all his grandkids today. Isn't technology wonderful? I spent time on technology trying to answer some people's questions and things, too. And I made a real phone call today. Which reminds me, I need to call them back because what I asked for actually came in the mail today. Whoops. I finished up the birthday supplies and got rid of about half of them (if Abishai lets me get rid of the Paw Patrol ones. I might wait a couple of years to do it, but at least they are set aside out of the main box). I didn't cry or think too hard. I did keep some princess and Elsa and Anna stuff that we will probably never use again. I know that I've saved unused napkins and plates and such in memory boxes or in the china closet, etc. so whatever was in the box is extra. I put the extras in our main kitchen cabinets to use up since it seems like we never use them during the parties. And I can always buy more. I did save and put away the TMNT pinata for next year, lol. But it feels good to already have that mini project done for the week. I had gone through Abishai's Sunday School papers yesterday, too. So now my to do list is really reading and listening and watching, not so much physical. I did try to watch some videos today but then the kids want to watch them, too. Ugh! I'm just so far behind in watching my favorite vloggers! Go away!

Tomorrow is a stay at home day and we don't even need groceries because we have so many leftovers! I told everyone that we will eat leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner tomorrow because everyone keeps reaching for new food. It's a good thing, too, because paycheck doesn't hit until Monday. We'll be fine. What wasn't fine today was the accident we came across today. I was bee bopping over the bridge at the exit we take to get to gym day, but on our way home, turned to go down the ramp to the highway and bam! Traffic was at a stand still! There's two lanes on that ramp, and a semi was next to me, and in a short amount of time, all four lanes of traffic needed to merge into the left lane. Not a mile down the road, about 8 minutes before we got on the highway, a semi had clipped the back end of a service vehicle on the side of the road. It had then gone under a brdige and into the ditch and the driver had attempted to get back onto the road. The semi was still upright, and the cab where the driver sits was ok, but the engine was all twisted up. There were police and large wreckers that passed the traffic using the sides of the road, but no ambulances or fire trucks so I assume the driver was ok and the service workers weren't involved. And it was crazy how the app on my phone told me exactly when it happened and then predicted it would be cleaned up by a certain time. Also, on the other side of the exit bridge/ramp we used, so behind us, was another I think unrelated accident that had occurred minutes before the semi one. Or maybe the semi had lost control and hit someone and continued down the road. I know brakes can freeze up and all that. Thankfully it didn't take us much more time to get home. But Abishai recalled the details of it and told Daddy all about it. No we didn't pray for everyone involved, but we talked about how sad it was. Which reminds me that Abishai didn't like a woman dying in one of the history shows we watched, so I was able to point out that yes, dying is bad, killing is bad, what video games do is bad. That's why I play a Barry Allen and say you can hurt people to stop them, just don't kill them. Injuries can heal.

Ok, that's it for today. Tomorrow should be lowkey. Nothing too huge on the agenda except maybe getting the guts to actually make phone calls. I wanted to take Jared out on a date, but I'm not sure. It depends on how cold it is. Maybe in front of our fireplace instead. I want to type out the questions from the Marriage Journal. Sorry, Roloffs. I hope that's not too much copyright. If it works for us, I will support them and buy the Journal. Those projects take a lot of effort, and I want to support their little family. And Jared knows that full well because today, something major happened to the file of a  new book the guys are writing and he has no idea how to fix it. Eek! And then on to a normal Sunday.

Benaiah's schedule is working 2-11 tonight, working 8-4 tomorrow, shower, spend time with Ava out and about, and then spend the night at Ethan's, and normal church stuff. I won't really seem him this weekend. Fun times when you're growing up!

Silly face to make Daddy come home.

Nice cartoon about the black woman who helped get man to the moon. She was a pioneer!

Random picture of my foot that somehow got taken. It wasn't the first time this happened in the last couple of days.

Yummy! A little too sweet. But I love that there's expresso in there, too. That's probably why I didn't feel great afterwards. I bought the other two kinds of premade tea to try as well. You have to put the milk in it yourself and warm it up. I love trying new products, although I'm sure I can do this with my own tea and spices.

Birthday supplies from the last 18 years.

This pile goes to charity, including the Paw Patrol stuff that is separated in the bottom of the box.

Purple bag is trash. The big box is what I'm keeping and it actually fits the TMNT pinata, too. I'm so proud of myself! What isn't shown is that I had already gotten rid of a bunch of trash yesterday.

Stuff to be put other places. The paper goods are to be used up whenever, some art supplies, a cute piggy bank, etc.

TMNT pinata I'm keeping and is in the birthday box. The 2nd Paw Patrol pinata I accidentally bought last year plus some trinkets are in the box. I want to give away the Paw Patrol to someone very local who can't afford to throw a big party. But I'll hold off a bit until Abishai doesn't care about them anymore.

Little guy wanting to be near his mama but on the tablet. This old kid sized rocking chair was my mom's when she was little I believe. I'm glad to see it's being used again. It was hiding in the garage for awhile. And yes, Abishai started rocking it like a Johnson. And yes, he's read books in it as well.

Abishai and I were talking about being born in the winter and how he likes snow so I challenged him to go outside in it barefoot. He did run out there twice, and then came right back in and warmed up. Too cute!

Oh hi, you exist down there? You with the orangutan arms and legs. That's what he called himself.

Everly's and Nora's guinea pigs all set up. Their names are Echo (he's white) and Edison (he's multi colored). So sweet!

Ooooo, I LOVE this graphic!

To borrow a line from a vlogging family, "Hello, happy peoples!" (Yes, I know, I know, I watch WAY too many vloggers! But don't worry, most of them are a)Christian b)homeschoolers or c) both, lol). Anyway, it was a great day! I would say that man, I was itching to get out and help our new neighbors! I told myself that I would make the effort when it came time for them to move in and when I kept trying to make excuses about not going over there today, I just couldn't. Not after thinking about some of the recent sermons and books I've read.  Things like, "My kids need to get out of their own head spaces and help other people." (Ok, that came from watching the above mentioned vloggers doing random acts of kindness). And, "serving someone else boosts your serotonin." Plus the sun was shining. Plus I didn't want to sit and read or watch the videos I subscribed to watch on YouTube. My own projects were "stable" or had no deadlines. So, despite Jared not being able to do much and Justin having a bum finger, I made everyone get dressed and walked down three houses to see what we could do. Better late than never! We didn't do a whole lot, but we did something. Even Abishai carried out empty boxes.   Leah, Cheri, (the mom of the home owner), and I worked on the kitchen after I had asked if it was something we could do because I know how picky I am about it. It was fun to ask, "Do you want all the boxes inside right now or a little bit by little bit?"  I cleaned up what I could in bedrooms and brought in what I thought would be most important. Not everything was there yet because they are just living with her parents that are a mile down the road and most things were in storage in her parents garage anyway. I offered to come back and help organize because she did say she wasn't great at it. I'm sure she's fine and she can decorate fine. So, I'll be sore tomorrow but oh did it feel so good!

Now did it change my kids' attitudes? Not really. But I feel better as a parent that we did something. And I learned that you can't assume that just because you think a family is close knit or that everybody is going to come out of the woodwork to help someone, that family will be there. I was sort of surprised that not everyone was there! We've known this family for 20 years. But alas, we were there. And I learned to just show up even if you think there's going to be enough help. Everyone thinks there's going to be enough help, so they don't sign up and then you are short on volunteers. Ask me how I know this, lol. We had some decent help and it made things go so much faster. In fact, too fast sometimes! I had to stay on top of everyone! Today, I had to find some work to do and no one seemed to be in a hurry. I wish Gary had been there, lol. He would have lit a fire or something extra would have gotten done, lol. Anyway, I can't wait to get to know this family more. I know that we could have invited them over as soon as we found out they are building a house. Sometimes I think being on the same street will foster a relationship. And it might. I do have Ali's phone number, which does mean we are more than Facebook friends, right? Lol. I'm trying, I really am. So today was a big victory for me. I hope this time the friendship is reciprocal. I obviously haven't had great luck with that in the recent and long term past. But we'll try.

So, that was fun. And now it's going to warm up to 50 degrees every day, yeah! I can get the kids outside, we can ride bikes and walk, oh glorious! And maybe get things in and out of the shed! I am doing a decluttering challenge this month, which is really just a little bit more organized than what I have been doing because it's my the same person I got my "Tuesday transformation" ideas from. So, not all the projects are strictly a declutter projects like hers, but they are the 10-20 minute kinds of things like clean out all the art supplies. Or, the shed project of exchanging boxes. Or, putting away the newly decluttered birthday party supply box. (That wasn't easy. The shelf is buried behind the stuff going to the shed.) I'll keep puttering along on these things, little by little. But I did ignore Justin's school stuff he needed to finish today. I told him to look over his math problems and see what he got wrong. I then did look through the chapter of worldview he was supposed to read to make sure it had all the information he needed to write notes in his book and sure enough, it did. He just had been lazy yesterday or hurried or annoyed that his finger was hurting so badly. I guess I should have given him a Monday deadline. Whoops. It's a good thing he's my compliant kid. I can tell he's fighting his emotions alot because he doesn't want to do the wrong thing. He's got a temper like most boys his age, but he bites his tongue way more than most. It makes me sad to see him struggle like that because when he does explode, I know he can't help it and he has a good reason. Benaiah and Keturah just blurt out everything at home.  They are spewers, which is good and bad.  Keturah was better today. But she wasn't understanding that her behavior yesterday prevented her from screen time today. Sigh. Kids. What are we going to do with them?

Benaiah worked until 3 and then went out with Ava. He's supposed to got to Ethan's house to spend the night, but it's already 10. Uh, we didn't even notice his absence until now. That's how much he's gone. It's normal for him not to be home until very late at night mostly because of work. He's chilling at Ava's house he said after I texted him just now. Again, kids. Gotta love them.

Normal Sunday tomorrow and then wicked busy back to back schedule on Monday. Yelp! But the rest of the week looks warm, dry, and with a clear schedule. Yeah!

I guess I don't have a lot of pictures to share. I put this one on Instagram.

Southern Sayings video by Trey Kennedy.

Decluttering challenge.

Oh man, I hope they don't mind that I stole their picture off of social media. But these ladies are the kind of ladies I love. We've been in each other's homes. We've babysat each other's kids. We've homeschooled together. And I miss them a lot. And I mean it. These are/were my best friends on PEI and I get jealous every time I see them together. I don't know if I had all their phone numbers, but I think I did. They were the closest friends I've ever had and why I have balled and balled and balled about leaving PEI. It will be 4 years come the end of April since we were told to leave. Yes, I still have hard feelings about it at times. I've healed a lot but there are still times I get choked up, especially when the snow is coming down hard there or when these ladies do their thing together.  I made so many memories with them. I can't say that about my friends here, friends before PEI or that I've made since. That was why today was a victory for me. Stepping outside my comfort zone, risking being rejected or accepted, trying, once again, to create a friendship from nothing, being able to step inside someone's personal space and touch their belongings, that's all I want. I want those kinds of friends. I'm not saying that Ali and I will become best friends. She is a lot younger than me and they are still a young family, but I would love for Abishai and her girls to become friends. I would love to bring them into our small group, too. I always assume people like the Beavers have a bunch of friends to call on. But maybe they don't. So I will try. My heart has healed enough to try. I have to. I have to try again so I someday I can friends like these wonderful woman who have the privilege to stay on the most beautiful Island in the whole wide world, the place that truly felt like home and where I was the happiest. The place where I was accepted for having just one car and homeschooling and staying home - and it was considered normal. People who changed how I homeschooled. Ugh, it's still not fair how it all went down. It still hurts. Just like the anniversary of my parents' passings, so will the anniversaries of going to and leaving PEI grieve me. I don't think anyone else in my family truly understands. I hope someone else does. I hope these women know how special they are to me.  And how blessed they are to have one another. I wish I was with them.

Normal Sunday indeed, but gorgeous weather! Jared ended up fixing the springs for the hatch on the back of the new red van AND doing the oil change for it in our driveway before the sun set! Yeah! He's sore, but it's done. The van was 5,000 miles OVERDUE and probably hadn't been changed in years. But it's done. And the back hatch won't hit us in the head anymore. Way to go for self repairs! Benaiah will do his oil change at the end of the week if the warm weather holds out. It's supposed to rain all night tonight and all day tomorrow. Yuck. I didn't move anything to the shed today because we only had an hour between coming home from Gary and Leah's and church this evening. Gary made it back from the church he was speaking at for the tail end of Sunday dinner, so we got a few minutes of talking time in. Oh, and after Leah told us her plan for volunteering/attending Easter services, I made the executive decision that we will all serve when she does her extra service at 3pm on Saturday and then we will sit together as a family, Gary included, at the 4:30 service. Abishai will probably still got to his class and Benaiah will be behind the scenes somewhere, but the rest of the 6 of us will sit together. Leah was telling someone of our plans and said I had made the decision. Family is my number one priority and I'm tired of being scattered for worship time. We could get up in time to make the 9:15 service every week and sit with Leah and Justin, but we consider that a time for Jared and I to connect, too, since only one kid is at home. So, we'll see on that front.

Let's see. Church was very full and fine. Then lunch. Then trying to get kids outside, which was very difficult. Justin said he read his book outside on the swings. Keturah never came outside for more than a few minutes at a time, so she can't have screen time tomorrow when it's pouring rain. I started getting rid of the dead stuff in the garden and realized that the time to mulch it is NOW because the very first peeks of green shoots are up. I didn't want to take too much since it might get cold again, but I wanted to do something while I was outside. Apparently from walking back and forth with that and with walking around during nursery volunteering, I walked more steps today than I did yesterday! Crazy!  But I'll take it! Jared hates to mulch, but it's cheaper and I like it better than rock. So mulch it is and I WILL do it, with or with the IRS money. I'm making the phone call or going in to Wanamaker Feed and Seed this week to see what their prices are for bulk mulch and if they make deliveries. Plus other phone calls, too. We've got some crazy busy schedules coming up so this has to be done asap. I'll spread the mulch if I have to. Anyway, it was great to be outside!

Then nursery, then home. Jared said Abishai fell asleep on the recliner while he was outside working on the van. He has no idea how long Abishai slept. We hadn't put the TV or tablet on for him. Poor guy. He wore himself out at church and running around Grandpa's house. And being a big 5 yr old! The bike that we brought back from Canada that someone gave to us while we were there, finally fits Abishai! And he can pedal it! It's a 12 in bike with training wheels and we've tried him on it every year. It's finally time! That means, it's time for a new helmet. All our kid helmets should be trashed. They are old and falling apart. Keturah then asked for a new helmet with I don't know, unicorn or kitty ears or something on it, and I said no because she never wears a helmet anyways. Maybe we should get one for her anyways. The older boys share a couple of adult helmets when they use Grandpa's bike and those helmets aren't too bad. I just think about how carseats expire because of the heat in the summer in a vehicle can warp their plastic and maybe that happens to helmets, too. That's one category I could declutter for sure. So, we brought the black and orange tiger bike home. Yeah!

And now the rain has started. Abishai and I are supposed to go to a maple syrup demonstration tomorrow, and for now, it's still on despite the weather, but I really don't want to go if it's pouring rain, so we'll see. I guess it's time for March to come in roaring like a lion!

This picture was 4 years in the making! We received the bike from a friend in Canada and brought it here for Abishai "someday."  That "someday" became today! Wow! I'm so glad we saved this hand me down!

Time for a new helmet! And shoes.

Yup.

When one of your students designs apps on the side, your face get used in their game! Hilarious!

A specialty deck with "going green."

Dad was working on the van, so Benaiah decided to check his truck while it was warm out. Oh, he was totally out of windshiled wiper fluid. Whoops.

Jim asked Jared if he needed some metal ramps and Jared said no thanks, I made my own! Yes, out of wood, because that's what was around in the garage at the time. And they work just fine. In hindsight, I wish he hadn't done this while the older kids and I were gone. What if something happened while he was under the van? Whoops!

Lots of activity at the Beaver residence. Yeah!

This boy sitting next to Justin looked so much older than Justin that I thought he was a youth leader. Nope. He's just 15 and a freshman in high school and in Justin's small group. Wow!

The kiddos were all following Jesus tonight!

Pretty much.

You're weird. Perching on the couch like a bird, wearing a pink compression glove on his injured hand. It still hurts pretty badly, Even if it's fractured, there's not much they are going to do. If it was a bad break, Justin would be crying. He agreed to wait. His absentmindness both makes me laugh and makes me frustrated. What a goof with orangutan arms! (His words). Meanwhile, I found this cute video of baby sloths talking to each other, and all I could think of was Keturah. It's exactly like Keturah acts like it, only slightly higher pitched. She wanted to argue that she's not a sloth because she doesn't have two toes as claws and that sloths aren't mammals like we are. Um, sweetie, they are mammals. I'll drop it for now because it's not nice. But I'll link the video and see what you decide.

The End