I had a pretty eventful day yesterday. We didn't go anywhere, but we did put our house on the market, had pictures taken of our house, and kept 2 little rats under control. I also had a nice chat with my older brother, and we watched a little bit of Star Wars as a family, (more on that later), but my favorite moment was this:
It all started when Sammi discovered that peas fit perfectly into her little nostrils and she was very pleased with herself. It was one of those moments that you know you can't, seriously CAN'T let them see you laugh because they'll keep doing it and with worse things, so we reprimanded her accordingly and I removed the offending peas by squishing her nostrils and popping them out. I then placed said peas on the table because I couldn't leave them on her tray. The best part was when Ben, a few minutes later, not realizing they were THOSE peas, popped them into his mouth and proceeded to chew. I had an internal battle about whether I should tell him or not for about .5 seconds, and then I just had to because I wanted to see his reaction. It was priceless, and I couldn't stop laughing until I had tears streaming down my face. Now let's just hope she doesn't try it with Lego pirate gold like my little sister did.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
18 Months
This girl decided to grow up on us. I'm not sure how I feel about that fact, but I do know I'm pretty excited to take her to nursery this week! Woot!
This girl brings all kinds of fun and cuteness to our days. She is learning new words every day, but "no" and "mine" are among her favorites right now. She just uttered her first sentence the other day when she dumped food off her tray and yelled "Ah-peeyo!" (I spilled!) She also says "uh-oh" and "Oh no!" a lot.
She loves choo-choos because of her brother, but she also loves girly things. She got dress-up jewelry for Christmas and a purse and she knows just what to do with them. She also loves carrying her babies around and adores anything remotely cozy. When she sees something cute or cozy such as an animal, dish towel, or her sleeping older brother, she says "oooooooh! hee hee hee hee!" (in a high-pitched voice) with a slightly pained expression on her face with her arms outstretched to hug whatever is tickling her fancy.
Her true love, however, is blankie. I can't currently write the baby jabbering that she uses to say "blankie" because I don't think the sounds she utters exist in English, but I know what it means when she says it. She has to stroke the crocheted edges of her blanket between her middle finger and ring finger and suck on her tongue as she's going to sleep. No other blankie will do, so mommy has to time the laundry very carefully. Stroking demonstrated here:
I'm not sure how to express the amount of anxiety I have each and every day as I keep track of my kids' prized possessions. Blankie and Pooh Bear are like my third and fourth children, I swear. I am THAT vigilant. Luckily they can't make any noise and don't have the ability to walk and I don't have to feed them. Having inanimate objects for children is a pretty good idea...maybe I'm onto something.
Nah, I wouldn't trade my little rats.
Sammi is very good at eating her breakfast and dinner most of the time, and her favorite drink is "meeyo?" (milk) She is definitely less picky than a little boy whose name rhymes with Lemerson.
She is very good about taking her nap every day and usually sleeps for about 2-3 hours.
She is a ninja about getting into the pantry and finding pouches of fruit snacks.
She still loves books and only likes you to read them to her about half the time. She usually prefers flipping through and telling herself the stories. I would've been interested to know the story she was telling when she was reading Ben's Step 1 Boards book. She seemed quite intrigued, but I don't think her dad ever was.
She loves to have "cozies" in the morning with mom and/or dad if she wakes up earlier than we want to get up.
She loves to color with crayons or just scribble circles with a pen on a post-it note.
She loves to "go-go" places and often just grabs her coat and pulls on her hat when she thinks it is time to go somewhere.
Anytime she hears the back door, she asks "Da-da?"
She is also into telling long nonsense stories and won't stop until you respond appropriately. They are very cute and she is very animated as she tells them.
She puts up with a lot of crap from her brother, but she's also learning to dish it right back out. One of her favorite ways is by stealing Pooh Bear and stroking his nose just to tease him.
Here are the stats for the gril (yes we call her "gril" instead of "girl" because that's what E calls her)
Weight: 22 lbs. (18%)
Height: 33 inches (80%)
Head Circumference: 18.3 inches (40%)
So she's tall and skinny with a pretty good head I guess?
She loves choo-choos because of her brother, but she also loves girly things. She got dress-up jewelry for Christmas and a purse and she knows just what to do with them. She also loves carrying her babies around and adores anything remotely cozy. When she sees something cute or cozy such as an animal, dish towel, or her sleeping older brother, she says "oooooooh! hee hee hee hee!" (in a high-pitched voice) with a slightly pained expression on her face with her arms outstretched to hug whatever is tickling her fancy.
Her true love, however, is blankie. I can't currently write the baby jabbering that she uses to say "blankie" because I don't think the sounds she utters exist in English, but I know what it means when she says it. She has to stroke the crocheted edges of her blanket between her middle finger and ring finger and suck on her tongue as she's going to sleep. No other blankie will do, so mommy has to time the laundry very carefully. Stroking demonstrated here:
Nah, I wouldn't trade my little rats.
Sammi is very good at eating her breakfast and dinner most of the time, and her favorite drink is "meeyo?" (milk) She is definitely less picky than a little boy whose name rhymes with Lemerson.
She is very good about taking her nap every day and usually sleeps for about 2-3 hours.
She is a ninja about getting into the pantry and finding pouches of fruit snacks.
She still loves books and only likes you to read them to her about half the time. She usually prefers flipping through and telling herself the stories. I would've been interested to know the story she was telling when she was reading Ben's Step 1 Boards book. She seemed quite intrigued, but I don't think her dad ever was.
She loves to have "cozies" in the morning with mom and/or dad if she wakes up earlier than we want to get up.
She loves to color with crayons or just scribble circles with a pen on a post-it note.
She loves to "go-go" places and often just grabs her coat and pulls on her hat when she thinks it is time to go somewhere.
Anytime she hears the back door, she asks "Da-da?"
She is also into telling long nonsense stories and won't stop until you respond appropriately. They are very cute and she is very animated as she tells them.
Santa's Last Stop
Santa may have dropped off one more present in Ohio, since we couldn't fit it in our luggage. He left a note telling the kids that it was hidden in the garage.
Looks like it's a hit.
Yes, he adores her.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Interviews: The Run Down
In the midst of our holidaying, we fit in a few residency interviews. Ok, so that was actually the point of heading out west for two months. My mom graciously offered to watch the kids so I could participate in almost every interview. She even flew out in October so I could go to the South Bend ones. I was feeling guilty for wanting to go, and then just kind of accepted the fact that I wouldn't be able to go since it's not something you take kids to, until I talked to her and she had the attitude of, "No! It's really important for you to go! I went to all the ones I could with Dad when he was doing the same thing, so I really think you should." So thanks to her encouragement and tending skillz I was a big part of interview season with Ben. Thanks Mom. :)
For all those people who have asked or are wondering, Ben has chosen Family Practice as his specialty, and that's different than a General Practitioner. So if you mess the two up I will probably punch you in the face. If you'd like an in-depth discussion about how they are different, I will tell you in person. The main difference is that Family Practice requires more training. And yes, they make more than teachers.
We interviewed in South Bend, IN; Lancaster, PA; Boise, ID; Spokane, WA; Provo, UT; Ogden, UT; Salt Lake City, UT; Phoenix, AZ; and Columbus, OH. There were some we liked, some we loved, some we disliked, and some we detested (Boise). It was good to see the programs because some we expected to love we didn't, and some we expected to be lukewarm were wonderful.
Now we have some big decisions to make, and THE MATCH is what decides where we will go. So we have to turn in our rank list and then wait until the middle of March to see what churns out. We are having quite the dilemma with this decision though, I'll tell you. We can put the program we like the best as #1, but what if we don't get in there? And what if I have to live in Provo? :) We would love to live close to family, but we've been able to have a unique experience living away from where we grew up and we really love Columbus. I don't think we'll be staying here for residency, but we've loved it, so I think we could get to love another new place. Yet I think about all the times I bawl when I get dropped off at the airport to fly away from my family yet again. You can see why we are torn. This is where we would appreciate some input. So if I seem distracted, stressed, or crazy, that's probably what's rolling around in my head.
I included a picture of my sister and Sammi because she (and my other sister Steph who is not pictured) were both huge helps with watching my kids during the interview season. (Don't be freaked out by that crazy bride peering over at the pianists.)
When did I get a big girl?
I still think of her like this:
For all those people who have asked or are wondering, Ben has chosen Family Practice as his specialty, and that's different than a General Practitioner. So if you mess the two up I will probably punch you in the face. If you'd like an in-depth discussion about how they are different, I will tell you in person. The main difference is that Family Practice requires more training. And yes, they make more than teachers.
We interviewed in South Bend, IN; Lancaster, PA; Boise, ID; Spokane, WA; Provo, UT; Ogden, UT; Salt Lake City, UT; Phoenix, AZ; and Columbus, OH. There were some we liked, some we loved, some we disliked, and some we detested (Boise). It was good to see the programs because some we expected to love we didn't, and some we expected to be lukewarm were wonderful.
Now we have some big decisions to make, and THE MATCH is what decides where we will go. So we have to turn in our rank list and then wait until the middle of March to see what churns out. We are having quite the dilemma with this decision though, I'll tell you. We can put the program we like the best as #1, but what if we don't get in there? And what if I have to live in Provo? :) We would love to live close to family, but we've been able to have a unique experience living away from where we grew up and we really love Columbus. I don't think we'll be staying here for residency, but we've loved it, so I think we could get to love another new place. Yet I think about all the times I bawl when I get dropped off at the airport to fly away from my family yet again. You can see why we are torn. This is where we would appreciate some input. So if I seem distracted, stressed, or crazy, that's probably what's rolling around in my head.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Favorite Quotes
My favorite quotes from Emerson lately:
11/25/11
"My cereal is all foggy." (soggy)
12/3/11
"Mrs. Santa will turn me into a good boy."
12/19/11
"You know what poop is called? Sore wet." (I guess because it hurts to be wiped?)
"You know what Pooh Bear's name is? Pooh Bear Benjamin Christensen."
12/26/11
While gazing at the crescent moon
"Mom, why is the sky smiling?"
12/27/11
Trying to hang a stocking
"My muscles are not high enough to do that!"
1/7/11
"Mom, Sammi is such a little sweetie pie, isn't she?"
1/15/12
"You go to time out, Little Missy!" (to Sammi)
11/25/11
"My cereal is all foggy." (soggy)
12/3/11
"Mrs. Santa will turn me into a good boy."
12/19/11
"You know what poop is called? Sore wet." (I guess because it hurts to be wiped?)
"You know what Pooh Bear's name is? Pooh Bear Benjamin Christensen."
12/26/11
While gazing at the crescent moon
"Mom, why is the sky smiling?"
12/27/11
Trying to hang a stocking
"My muscles are not high enough to do that!"
1/7/11
"Mom, Sammi is such a little sweetie pie, isn't she?"
1/15/12
"You go to time out, Little Missy!" (to Sammi)
Christmas
On Christmas Eve, my family always goes to a movie and Chinese food. This year we went to We Bought a Zoo because it looked like it would be a cute, kid friendly show. It was cute, but it wasn't like hold-my-kids'-attention-cute. It really was more adult subject matter. Oh well. The kids were really good through it, and we made it through dinner afterward without any meltdowns. Probably our best year ever for that.
We also open sibling gifts on Christmas Eve, so this year E and Sammi gave each other jammies, and then my siblings and I exchanged. It was weird not having Brad there since he is on his mission, but I think he still got spoiled pretty well. It was so much fun to talk to him and Ben's brother Michael over Christmas!
We spent Christmas morning with my family and then spent the rest of the day at Ben's family's house and enjoyed seeing everyone there and playing games and watching A Christmas Carol. Emerson just played with Grandpa Tom's train until it ran out of batteries.
And a mere 10 hours later...
On Christmas night we headed up to my family's condo in Midway so we could have easy access to Daniels Summit because Santa happened to arrange for a family snowmobiling trip! Grandma graciously volunteered to watch the kids and the rest of us had a wonderful time. It was cold, and most of us got stuck and/or had our engine flood, but it was a blast. We had a great time. I learned not to be adventurous though, because every time I would try to venture off the path and follow other people, I'd get stuck somehow. It didn't help that my reverse button malfunctioned and kept killing my engine...but still. I was much more cautious after the first few times it happened. We were all amazingly sore the next day. You wouldn't think it was a strenuous activity, but it is. When your thighs are tightly clenched and your thumb is holding down the accelerator and you are leaning over and counterbalancing...it is hard work.
We wrapped up our vacation with a killer New Year's party at both sides of the family. We were able to get together with high school friends for dinner, Logan friends for lunch and the Treehouse Museum, have a graduation dinner for Natalie at The Five Alls, go to dinner at Jenny and Troy's house and be bribed with Swedish fish, go to lunch with Christine and David and Emily and Elise at Tucanos, and spend lots of time with both families. We went to a few University of Utah basketball games where E cheered "Utah State! Utah State!" very cutely and loudly while wearing his Ute sweatshirt and waving his flag, and ate at lots of yummy places. Ben worked for his parents for many many hours helping them prepare to move, and then move, and then getting things set up in the new house and things cleaned up at the old house. I gladly took the job of tending to the kiddos each day. We did so many fun things, I just know I've left things out!
It was so hard to leave after spending two months in Utah, but it was also nice to get back to our little house in Columbus. Luckily everything was in order and we had zero major disasters. The kids just wandered around the day after we were back wondering where everyone was. Just stuck with boring old Mom and Dad. Bwahaha! Thanks everyone for putting up with us for two whole months. We loved it.
We also open sibling gifts on Christmas Eve, so this year E and Sammi gave each other jammies, and then my siblings and I exchanged. It was weird not having Brad there since he is on his mission, but I think he still got spoiled pretty well. It was so much fun to talk to him and Ben's brother Michael over Christmas!
We spent Christmas morning with my family and then spent the rest of the day at Ben's family's house and enjoyed seeing everyone there and playing games and watching A Christmas Carol. Emerson just played with Grandpa Tom's train until it ran out of batteries.
Right before we left Ohio in November, Emerson's preschool teachers helped him hurry and finish his Christmas gift to his parents. It was an adorable calendar all made of handprints to be different animals and objects coordinating with each month. I was so excited to receive my first parent gift! I think I got a little teary even.
Excited little Sammi May.
With her (mom's) stocking.
E with his stocking.
The kids in front of the tree
And a mere 10 hours later...
Christmas Morning!
I heart Sammi's crazy morning hair.
The haul (for the entire Johnson family...not just our kids!)
A Merry Christmas to all!
E's haul included:
Misty Island Take-A-Long set
2 Tonka trucks
Thomas collapsing bridge
Lego Duplo camping set
Clothes
Golf clubs (Grandpa couldn't resist)
The Lion King movie
Matchbox cars
Thomas shirt
Thomas movies
Thomas Uno game
Sammi's haul included:
Play kitchen with playfood
Mini kitchen utensils
Doll clothes
Purse with dress-up jewelry
Fisher Price Zoo with animals
Clothes
Toy piggy bank
Stacking ring toy
Stacking ring toy
Play phone
We wrapped up our vacation with a killer New Year's party at both sides of the family. We were able to get together with high school friends for dinner, Logan friends for lunch and the Treehouse Museum, have a graduation dinner for Natalie at The Five Alls, go to dinner at Jenny and Troy's house and be bribed with Swedish fish, go to lunch with Christine and David and Emily and Elise at Tucanos, and spend lots of time with both families. We went to a few University of Utah basketball games where E cheered "Utah State! Utah State!" very cutely and loudly while wearing his Ute sweatshirt and waving his flag, and ate at lots of yummy places. Ben worked for his parents for many many hours helping them prepare to move, and then move, and then getting things set up in the new house and things cleaned up at the old house. I gladly took the job of tending to the kiddos each day. We did so many fun things, I just know I've left things out!
It was so hard to leave after spending two months in Utah, but it was also nice to get back to our little house in Columbus. Luckily everything was in order and we had zero major disasters. The kids just wandered around the day after we were back wondering where everyone was. Just stuck with boring old Mom and Dad. Bwahaha! Thanks everyone for putting up with us for two whole months. We loved it.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Leading Up To Christmas
...We also did a few more things before Christmas.
And still more to come...
We (I) put Sammi's hair in big-girl pigtails.
She loved them.
We got some sleep, but mostly too little because we were having too much fun. I like that Bear and Sammi are in the same position. (Just to clarify, this is a different Bear than Emerson's. She just has to copy her brother, so she has her own. Her true love is her purple blankie.)
It appears as though the sleep dart hit E as he was about to crawl off his bed.
My beautiful sister Natalie graduated from Utah State University this fall (I believe in 31/2 years!). My dad and I went up to move her out and I snapped some graduation photos of her since they no longer have a fall ceremony for graduates.
Isn't she purty?
Our future Aggie
The girls. She's not squirmy at all.
We had Ben's family's traditional homemade gift exchange. Ben's brother John had him and made him some little games.
I had Ben's sister Elise and made her some pillows for her bed.
And Ben had me! I will admit that I had my suspicions because we always tell each other who we have even when though it's supposed to be a secret, and he refused this year. He came through big time with a daily calendar of memories and words o' love. And 2012 is a leap year so I got a bonus day. There were so many sweet messages and memories from both of our families. Thanks to Ben and my mom and sister who helped him.
And still more to come...
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Christmas Festivities
...And continuing on...
We began our Christmas festivities right after Thanksgiving so as to maximize our time with everyone (except my brother Brad who is on his mission) while we were all together.
But wait! There's more...
We began our Christmas festivities right after Thanksgiving so as to maximize our time with everyone (except my brother Brad who is on his mission) while we were all together.
We got to see Santa and Mrs. Claus and there were no tears! Emerson did tell me that "Mrs. Claus will turn me into a good boy." He really got thinking when we told him about the elves that are spying on him making sure he was being a good boy.
Sammi loves her some sugar cookies.
E admiring his handiwork
Nom nom nom
We also got to celebrate my mom and dad's birthdays! They were both born on the same day, same year, same hospital. Isn't that presh? When I was little I always thought I needed to marry someone with the same birthday as me. Luckily I found out I didn't have to before it was too late.
We went with "Mamama" (grandma) and "Ba-pa" (grandpa) to pick out a fresh Christmas tree. E told us the one we picked wasn't a good one and it turned out he was a little bit right. There were some bees hiding dormant in there and when it warmed up in our house we found them crawling across the carpet. It was nasty. There were only like 2 or 3, but that's too many.
Decorating the fake tree downstairs. I tried to get a smile and this is what he gave me. At least he's looking at the camera.
In love with the bells. This is her "cuted out" face. She has this slightly pained expression when she is loving something or sees an animal or wants to cuddle.
Clapping for herself after placing an ornament.
Cute little hands
Handsome little E
Little sweetie pie
Decorated Christmas cookies with "Na na" (Aunt Nat) and Grandma
And Grandpa. E was real good at dumping sprinkles
We enjoyed a nice preschool program by Emerson the bunny
This is him by his girlfriend, Cass.
The kids and Grandma Dixy (Ben's mom)
The kids with Grandma J and Nat
We also sent cards to our cousins and to Uncle Brad on his mission. I had to document Emerson writing his own name! My favorite is the "s" laying down.
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