September 29, 2024 - Sunday

I think I’m going to do a combined blog for the last several days because they haven’t been interesting or full and I didn’t write on the ​actual days, so I don’t even really remember the feelings or thoughts I was having. 

Wednesday - It was a productive school day. My art assignments are going well, but I forgot to get the kids to look for books on Ohio, so we’re falling behind on Jonas and Clem’s research projects. We went to small group tonight and Ben really shared quite a bit. While I miss having in-depth teachings and I miss my friends, I am enjoying meeting with a group of people that all really want to be vulnerable and share their lives with each other. It’s refreshing, but I think I​'ll always feel a little homesick for Ohio HC. 

Thursday - We had a field trip to Lynd’s and did the tour, which was informative and a lot of fun. We have 1,000 apples now! I made apple pie for dessert for pizza and a movie night, but I’m still scared to make real crust, so I made a cinnamon bun crust from a refrigerated pack and it worked out great. Ollie had her first gymnastics class! She worked so hard and did so well. 

Friday - We did school today, but Ollie was having a really tough one. She only wanted to snuggle…all day long. I’m trying to be extra gentle and patient with her, but I get so touched out! I took Jonas to a game time at the Karl Rd. library​ with his friend group from our new co-op and had terrible stomach cramping and diarrhea while I waited for him, so that was a joy. Running through the rain from the car to the library bathroom and back several times and getting to experience awful stomach pain/embarrassingly loud pottying in a public restroom!! Yay! 

Saturday - I hiked with Kylienne in the morning, even though I really wanted to back out. So wet and muddy​! We invited some people from small group over to watch the game and they all came. I was trying to think about what was different and, not that I want to keep comparing, but nobody acted like it was a huge inconvenience/too far away to come over. Granted, they all live close, but that was relieving. I always felt a little tension hosting things here, after hearing so many times that people don't like driving to my part of town. Not that I can really blame them! I hate driving to their side of town too, especially at night. 

​And today. I really wanted to go to Dwell for CT today, but the kids absolutely refused and Clemi was begging to go back to Meadow Park so she could recite her memory verse that she'd been working on all week. Ben and I went back and forth about it a bit, and I ended up giving in and going to MP for the kids. I thought about going to Dwell alone, but Ben doesn't want to take the kids to church alone (he literally never has done that), so it wouldn't have solved the Clem issue. We did convince Jonas to still meet with Drew and go to his middle school group tonight, rather than going to the MP one. When he went last week, they told him he could win a gift card if he came back, so Jonas, of course, really wanted that gift card. I reasoned with him that his relationship with Drew and the kids he's built in with over the last year are worth a lot more than any gift card and he agreed. I just don't want him to abandon what he's been doing for the chance at winning a little money! If he really preferred the group, that would be a different story, but I don't think he does. 

​Other than church, we didn't do much. I did some laundry, but I didn't feel like working on anything, so I think we ended up watching four episodes of Call the Midwife. Parenting fail, for sure! But I made a concerted effort to avoid my phone today, and I did do okay with that.