The J6 Journey: Year 6, April 23rd-25th, 2021: Blue vs. Gray

Yippee! We get to go see some Civil War encampment/reenactment thing tomorrow! I don't think it's going to be a very big one, but it will let us dip our toes in a bit and it's the closest one I know of. I want to go to the really big one, and it's on my list, but I think it's 2 hrs away. The reenactment piece tomorrow might just be a little skirmish. But point is, I hope Abishai especially gets to interact and make connections. I'm hoping that when he's all grown up, this unit on the Civil War will stick with him since he's been so interested. He tried watching a DVD with us on the Reconstruction period after the war, but I don't think he was following it much. That's ok. I don't expect him to. I was interested in it because history books tend to just go from war to war and don't do a whole lot of things in between. I don't hear a whole lot about American history between 1865 and 1910 or so. England was in its' Victorian and then Edwardian age, where interesting changes in housing styles and clothes are talked about a lot. It was also at its' height of imperialism and colonization of India, Australia, and changing her role in Canada. Anyway, it's been fun listening to Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery because he has a unique perspective coming from a slave family to ending his life full of accolades and in high demand as a speaker and representative of his race. Autobiographies are super interesting sometimes. I may have drifted off and not quite got all of it, but I got enough of it to assign it again for both Keturah and Abishai and to recommend it to everyone after they study the Civil War. It wasn't hard to understand at all. We have a short book with some thought provoking questions on it and others during the Civil War through I think the World Wars, and that's why we were reading it in the first place. Not a bunch of "who, what, where" kind of questions but a handful of "why, how" questions.

Anyhow, today was a quieter day because I didn't do school with Abishai and I didn't do read alouds. And I realized, yet again, that I get overwhelmed by Wednesday because I focus on school those three days at least and then I'm gone on Wednesday evening. Duh. Because when I don't have school to do, I feel a lot less rushed and not having to stay as strict with the clock. So, it's just me that needs to adjust my attitude and be patient because I DO catch up towards the end of the week and over the weekend. I AM organized and am on top of things. I'm not completely lost or dumb or ignorant or chaotic or slow or procrastinating. I just need to adjust my expectations and put all the things in their boxes and only pull out one box at a time. Or hats, if you prefer that metaphor. But, I was able to catch up on my Bible study and audio Bible and finish the audiobook mentioned above. I was able to check the taxes and, whoops, pay the estimated taxes that I did forget, but I think I've been late before and there doesn't seem to be a penalty on it. It's for the state taxes anyway. I stopped doing estimated taxes for the federal government since we always get a refund, and although I think our refund will drop if we have extra income this year, I doubt it would totally flip. The Indiana taxes have always been finicky. Some years we owe, some years we get a refund, even if our tax situation has only slightly changed. We don't submit taxes through the paychecks, so it's up to us to set money aside for it, and we do. I even sent in extra because I expect our income will be higher this year, hopefully, maybe, we'll see. We don't know when the housing market bubble will burst. Anyways, that's done and credit cards are paid off. And I was able to transfer some money from the HSA to our own checking account to pay ourselves back for the first time in months. Yeah!

Abishai did one hour on his Battlefront "missions" and then both boys had their screen time before park day, which helped the transition when we got home. Justin mowed Grandpa's lawn after park day, so he ate early. Abishai was starving because he didn't eat much lunch, so I let him eat before Dad got home. Then we sat down together, except for Justin. During dinner, I got a text from the twins' mom that one of her boys didn't want to go to class, and Abishai could have his spot at karate. The class was full for tonight so Abishai was on the waiting list. Abishai said yes, and off Daddy and him went to class. That's when I finished the audiobook. It was so quiet today because everyone was in their rooms or on devices. It was kind of nice. I guess I just didn't interact with them much nor where they in the same space at the same time. Whenever there's two more people, there will always be conflict at some point, right? All the bickering annoys me to no end, but, I have to remember, they don't do it much in public, and we are a really close family. They are all still learning. I need to be patient. The fruit will come. I just get into an angry mom mode too fast and have trouble ignoring it because the cacophony gets to me. Patience, kids, patience.

When we came home from the park, Abishai was mad that I wouldn't let him have more tablet time. I have kept him restricted to 2 hrs all week because of all the extra time he seems to get. When I looked at his timer, he had 7 minutes left, but it wasn't worth letting him on and then getting him off again. He would throw the same fit. He stomped around and said, "I'm not doing my chore!" Oh man, this guy is a tough guy. I went on my way doing other things and he eventually calmed down and found me for a snuggle. I forgot about the chore until we were halfway through dinner. I think he was also very hangry from not eating enough lunch. That's why I'm glad I fed him when we got home.

Awww, this photo came up on my computer background last night (the background cycles through some of my photo files). It's been almost a year since this photo was taken. I haven't seen much of Ava because she doesn't come to Sunday dinner. I miss these two!

Yes, yes, another Poldark photo, but my goodness, it's gorgeous! And I remember that scene!

So, Dr. Brenton was talking about how people misquote or attribute quotes to C.S. Lewis and they are not words from C.S. Lewis. So, it got me thinking, I bought this plaque from Ollie's, which is a pretty cheap store. I better do my research and make sure it's right. A meme that comes and goes is one thing, but a plaque needs to be attributed correctly. Thankfully, I easily found this quote on Gooreads, which is a very verifiable resource. It's part of a poem in the Lord of the Rings. Phew!

Oh...my....word.....can't stop laughing!

The caption on this photo found on Facebook is that they were going to take this tree down that had been very badly damaged in a storm. Well, a wood carving artist got to it first. Incredible! I don't find it strange or abstract art. I think of it as man reaching up to God from the dust that we are here on earth. What an extraordinary thing to do!

Wowzers! I made this for dinner with only half of the leftover turkey. I put in mayo and spices and sent the pic to Jared. He said it was missing ingredients.

Oh, onion, celery and pickles. I totally forgot the pickles. And he thought I was making tuna noodles, but the recipe is the same. I hope it tasted ok! It's not gluten free noodles. I ate rice, turkey and my own veggies instead. I don't do this often, make two separate meals, but this will be an easy lunch and dinner all weekend long.

To go along with the Christmas in April theme....leftover Gingerbread coffee pods and Holiday Nog creamer. It was delicious! And for the record, I could have gingerbread, egg nog, and peppermint mocha all year long and be happy. I was never addicted to pumpkin spice and it's ok once a year. But man, I love the Christmas flavors!

Uh, yes, the original Karate Kid. Now I feel even older. I know it was made in the 80's when I was less than 10 years old, but still, when I rewatched it over and over, especially as a teen, I thought I was a similar age to them. I hadn't realized that actors also grow up and change a ton. We had all three original movies on various VHS. Wax on, wax off. Great 80's stuff!

I laughed aloud when I saw this in my email today. My friends and I have been gathering in parks, sharing the same benches and picnic tables, for 10 months I think. We've never worn masks, and our kids haven't either. And we have not gotten sick from each other. Because we don't go if we are sick. I mean we don't touch each other much, but spit can fly across the table. We're fine and we'll stay fine.

Oh, this is what Jared meant when he said don't be alarmed that a big branch of the purple tree came down. Yikes! I'm a little bit sad, but hopefully the tree will still prosper. It is a very pretty tree all year long. I'm glad I got photos when I did!

Well, after Jared went to Kroger for olive oil and pickles and forgot to ask if I needed anything, I sent him back to pick up my and the dog's prescriptions. The dog's prescription won't come in for another week, but the pharmacy, yet again, did not bother to call to tell me that after I had "rushed" the order through the automatic line. That's the second time this week. I know they are always slammed. I don't know why they won't hire more staff. But anyway, apparently, he bought Abishai another Hot Wheel car (that Abishai found immediately because he remembered how many cars he had put in that area), and yes, finally, the boy bought me some chocolates. Awwww.......

It makes up for this 4th Lego purchase in as many months.

Amen and amen. I let books and some courses with weekly videos do the majority of the teaching. I add my two cents when I can. But that's why we read aloud our history books. I don't teach it. We learn it together.

I was trying to gather everyone together for dinner and found these two goof balls in the back of the van when they were supposed to be putting the toys away.

Oh no! I guess I hadn't looked at the forecast in a few days and it was going to rain substantially in Vernon, Indiana this afternoon! No way do I go out in that kind of stuff, not because I can't handle a little rain, but I can't handle whiny kids in the rain when I already get overwhelmed in the chaos of a crowd. So, I made the decision that we will squeeze our little trip in between church and youth group. We may or may not get down there for the actual reenactment. I'm trying not to worry about it, but of course I will be fighting myself hard the whole time. At least Jared is ok with it and it's always helpful to have that second pair of eyes. We will do more reenactments in the fall. I've already written the dates down, especially the biggest on in Missenewa, with I think the war of 1812 or something. Point is, we'll get her done somehow. I was feeling moody and out of sorts anyway. So instead, we relaxed at home. And then we had a pizza lunch with Gary and Leah because they were traveling on Sunday. I did my Bible study and Abishai had playtime with Daddy. Then we had the usual screen time and naptime. And I got to work on May's IAHE e-newsletter for 3 uninterrupted hours, so I got a lot done. I set up a spreadsheet so I can keep track of what groups I've featured and what topics I've talked about. I want to rotate the topics according to the time of year and then feature 5 different organizations or groups from about 8 or so categories. And with my ADHD, I can't just keep flipping back to the older emails and such. I need to see it laid out. So, I made a spreadsheet, just like I do for all kinds of things. Easy peasy. Which remind me I'll need to work on Justin's transcript this summer. I'm afraid it's going to be a lot of reading and computer work this summer and less of the physical projects, at least until I get some of these things done.

So, tomorrow will be very exhausting, but dry and a good temperature at 65 degrees. I'm not feeling that well and my monthly migraine is coming on, so I'll just have to buck up and make do. At least I got everyone to take showers/baths today. That's a feat in and of itself. Next up, the dishes and laundry will have their bath. And Jared handled supper. Yeah for leftovers again! No, seriously, I'm so glad I've had to teach the kids to come up with a balanced meal from the leftovers we have. Less food waste and I can cook in batches. And it stretches the food budget a ton. That's why I don't even bother looking at Aldi's prices or the final total. Or even when we do a little or a lot of shopping at Kroger or Meijer because we are in there for something specific. We don't specifically go for organic, but the misfits box is all organic and a lot of gluten free items are also organic. I am careful for food, but we don't skimp. And I make gluten free items last because of their expense. Our health depends on what we eat. Our Hot Wheels and Lego addictions can be the thing that gets curtailed.

Anyway, that was pretty much our day. It didn't rain much here. And oh no, I looked up the Civil War thing and it says the reenactment part is at 1-2pm. We won't get there until at least 1:30. Is it even worth it? I'm super disappointed. I'll try to figure out another place we can go too. Or maybe my friends who used to be reenactors would point me in the direction of some other local people we could meet one to one with. They don't have their gear anymore and they've been avoiding people because they are older and don't want to get Covid, understandably. I will make this happen. It's too important to me for Abishai to understand. Jared wants to go down further south to Madison, so if Vernon is a bummer, we'll go down there and maybe show the kids around there a bit. Plenty of history there, for sure! And the special toy store! We'll see. We will make it work, even if we don't get back in time for youth group.

Ok, I need to load pics and go sit with Jared. I've delay fished enough.

How are they still alive?! I'm going to guess that this is a really hardy Easter lily and we'll get to see it pop up next year. I'm glad I didn't pick them!

Those 2-3 iris bulbs Jared planted for me 3 years ago are now probably 20. Irises are the most prolific flower I have ever seen. And these are the pink, white, and purple ones!

The daffodil stems got smooshed, but I don't know if I want to try to right them up, fold them over and put a rubber band around them, or just wait until they are brown and then cut them down like Leah said. Hers did the same thing, too, and she hasn't had the time to put the rubber bands on them like she usually does. I might try to do it this year now that I got more rubber bands. Perhaps I can surprise her and do hers as well this week while she's gone.

I said, "Time to drive! Abishai, you're up!" And out he went. Look how huge he is! He can see over the steering wheel now! And reach the pedals a bit! Sweet thing!

And he can turn the corner like the best of us, hand over hand!

Nearly too big for Daddy's lap. Over to Grandma's we go!

Because he couldn't get outside much today, Abishai was really full of it inside. He jumped on mattresses, made his own obstacle course, turned upside down on the couch and lazy boy chair a million times, and ran around the house sing songing "You're a potato!" Oh my goodness!

There's been some really fun clues in my crossword puzzles but I've restrained myself from taking screenshots of all of them. But this was a first! Finnish!

Abishai's self made obstacle course. He put the mat over it, and then did somersaults back and forth while we were finishing up our dinner. Oi!

Well, I try to put on a happy face, but I'm severely annoyed and frustrated. The reenactment today happened between 1-2pm. By the time we got drive through McDonald's for lunch, and got down there, it was 2pm and everyone was coming up the hill already packed up. We got to see some blue guys and grey guys in the back of pick up trucks, and a large artillery cannon rolled by. So disappointing. It did not impress my teens that we went all the way down there for literally nothing. I knew the timing was tight and it would probably be a waste. But Jared did some calculations last night and we were only 30 minutes from Madison, so we drove down there. We quickly showed the kids the Lanthier house and gardens, the caboose and train station, the Ohio River, and drove past the African American homes. Jared wanted to stop at the winery and get a few things. The winery's garden was gorgeous! It was like all those photos from the Netherlands with all those different colored tulips! And of course it reminded me of the tulip farm in Canada where you could pick your own tulips from rows of ones planted like a rainbow. But the teens wanted to get back to town for youth group, so we obliged and came straight home after that.

I'm trying to be positive and think how we all just learned that sometimes, you can't perfectly plan events and you make mistakes. And sometimes, you have to work through your disappointment and not getting to do what you want. Keturah's tooth is still hurting very badly, and when I actually physically checked it tonight, it's her 12 yr old molars. The top two are still breaking through. She was actually pretty miserable the last couple of days. I didn't find out why Justin was concerned about getting to group on time until we got home and he took out a bag of candy he had purchased at CVS yesterday to share with his friends. I can't stop that boy's generous heart, right? Keturah didn't go to her group, but she asked someone to save her the prayer cards and sticker for her phone. Well, one of the ladies said she would give them to Justin. Yeah! I'm glad she was concerned about them and asked her group herself. Woot! Woot!

We didn't talk much in the car because it's hard to hear the others and Jared wanted the windows slightly opened. Abishai was very whiny on the way home, but did fall asleep on the way there because I had us all (except Jared) take dramimine. I was in some pain, but it wasn't too bad. I think it will be worse tomorrow. So, it was not an entirely productive trip, but the skies were blue and kids weren't in front of screens. It was fine in that way.

So now we wait to see when another reactment will happen. Some of the bigger ones don't happen until October and I'm afraid Abishai will have moved on. So, I might contact my friends who used to be interpreters/reenactors, and see if they know of anyone in Indy that has the gear at least. I think it would be cool for the kids to touch and fell it and try it own. My friends don't have the equipment anymore because they stopped going because of their health. I guess some show up on Memorial Day at the Crown Hill cemetery where veterans from all the wars from 1812 and on are buried here in Indy. And then the next big one in October is about the 1812 conflict and it's up in Marion, which is where Indiana Wesleyan is, and the next weekend it's across the highway near Taylor University. So, road trip?

I apologized to the kids, especially Abishai. He understood that we couldn't see the blue guys and gray guys, but then wanted to see the houses that helped the slaves. He's gotten very, very deeply concerned over the slavery parts. It's that big compassion heart of his. And that's good. He's making connections. I told him, when I plan the next trip, it will be much more calculated. Teens will roll their eyes, but I'd like to try to do these things more on our own. They will thank me later.

I'm a bit out of sorts. I feel like I should be doing something to prepare for the week, but I already did stuff like that because I knew we would be gone all day and I would be exhausted. I did pull the dandelions out of the bamboo growing area. No one weeded it before putting the mulch down, so I had to dig down deep to even find the root. Some of those roots at 10 dandelion stems on them. It was crazy! And then for the rest, I just took the tops off and what I could get of stems and leaves. I'm hoping that if we get the heads picked before fully bloomed, the rest would die off. We found 13 new bamboo shoots! Yeah! And we talked through some of the other spaces outside, like the parts Justin missed. And it's time to mow again. But the days are getting warmer, so that's great! It's almost May! Crazy!

Time to get up! Wait, where did he go?! Abishai was up at 7am. Gary and Leah were up and ready for 9am church, despite their 3 hr time difference in Arizona.

Where am I? These are gorgeous! We came on the right weekend!

I haven't seen these since we left Canada!

A huge garden area behind and around the Lanthier wine distillery.

Massive blooms!

Purple ones!

Riverfront property in the background.

Interesting upcycling projct here.

Abishai wanted to look at the house and indulged me, too, as I wanted to show them some. But Jared had stayed at the winery and the other two decided to start whining at me about going home.