Brave little Indian

This girl has been having so much fun in preschool.  She absolutely loves her teachers...and with awesome parties, like the Thanksgiving Feast they got to have, how could she not?  They really go all out. Half the class got to make pilgrim costumes and the other half indians.  Maggie looked so cute in her indian get-up.  

 Her poor eyes still looked so sad from being so sick.

  She had another really bad UTI this week and was just starting to feel good enough to go back to school, but the hussle and bussle of the day really drained her.  She had gone into her room and it was super quiet...when I checked on her she'd climbed in bed and passed out.  Poor little choppy!

Update on Miss Mags stupid Urinary Tract Infections: She had a VCUG run for her ever returning UTI she keeps getting.  It's where they fill her bladder with a dye, then x-ray her with her bladder all the way full, then while she's emptying it, then empty.  She had to do it twice and was such a brave girl.  I'm so proud of her! They found that she is spilling urine from her bladder to her kidneys and that's what's causing the infections. We have an appointment this Tuesday for another ultrasound to be done on her bladder and kidney's to check for any possible damage.  Then we have a consultation with the Urologist on the 19th.  They will let us know if she will need to have surgery.  She hasn't felt all the way good for several months, so it's nice to have a direction we're moving in.

It must be love

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a loss as to what to get for Kendall to take to work for lunch.  He was tired of all the Costco stuff, so I decided to make a huge batch of one of his favorite things...spicy breakfast burritos.  It started off with two huge rolls of sausage from Costco.  I added a lot of heat with cayenne and red pepper flakes.  This is where the love part comes into it...I do not like sausage...at all!  For me to cook this much of it was almost making me gag...just looking at this picture is gross.

 Then came the eggs.  It ended up be 6 dozen eggs in total.  I added a jar of jalapenos and a little bit of milk.

 Maggie cooked a ton of tortillas for me.  She loved being in charge of making sure the bubbles were all popped, then flipping it over.

The finished result was 2 of these trays of 50 breakfast burritos.  We put two in a ziploc bag and threw them in the freezer.  He has been ever so happy to take these babies to work.  It ended up taking way longer than I thought it would, but at least he has a nice change of food for work.

 On this Costco trip I picked up a huge box full of suckers to try to entice Joshy to be more interested in using the potty.  It worked for a day, then we had stubborn fits over wanting the sucker, but not wanting to go #1 or #2.  Oh well, I guess he'll get there when he's good and ready...and not a minute sooner!  He was pretty happy about these green suckers...green is his favorite.

My cute little helper and her bumpy dinner rolls

As a little kid I loved snuggling in bed with my mom until what seemed like super late at night.  She'd let us stay up with her until dad got home from church meetings.  Then when he got home, the game was that I'd pretend to be asleep and if I did it well enough he'd carry me to my bed and tuck me in...then I'd start to giggle and he'd pretend like he had no idea I wasn't actually asleep!  I love that memory.  Do you ever wonder what your kids are going to say about their childhoods?  The things they learned, the things they loved, the things they hated???

It's always been really important to me to teach my kids how to cook.  Most days I try to be patient, but some days it's just not gonna happen.  I love having really yummy food during conference weekend...which btw, if you haven't had a chance to watch it it was amazing!....so yesterday we had a big breakfast then yummy caramel popcorn for lunch, and finished the day off with a roast and fresh rolls.  During all this I always have my little helpers....but especially Miss Maggie...is ready and anxious to help.  I love that she has her brothers super man cape on in this picture by the way!  So anyways, we were shaping the dough into rolls and I was showing her how to pull the dough down so it made it into a smooth ball and she asked me, "Where did you learn how do to that?"  Seriously she said it with wonder in her voice, like I was magic.  I told her that my mom taught me how when I was a kid.  She got a funny little look on her face and said, "Grandma did? That's cool.  You're really good at it mom."  Then I said, "That's why I'm teaching you how to do it when you're small, so when you're a mom you can do it like this too."  

That's when it hit me.  Yes, sometimes, it's really hard to teach 4 little rugrats how do things that I think they need to be able to do...but it's worth it.  I want them to have fun memories of us working together.  Just like I do with my parents.  I seriously don't know how they taught 8 children how to do anything.  I'm sure it wasn't as rosey as I...mostly...remember it being, but still!  Being patient can be really hard.  I'm just really glad that, even though I'm not as patient as I'd like to be, my kids still want to learn and help.  They are learning...and even though I wanted to "fix" the imperfect rolls she'd formed I realized it was more important that she got to see them rise and bake and then eat those cute little bumpy rolls than have perfect pans full of perfect rolls.  

Thanks mom for letting me make my bumpy rolls...among many other things!!!

What kinds of things are important to you to teach your kids how to do?

Cutie Pa Tootie starts preschool...sigh!

  I think the start to every new school year will be a mixture of emotions for me.  I tell my eyeballs not to well up with tears on days like today, but I can’t help it.  Sammy started 1st grade 2 weeks ago and Miss Maggie started preschool today.  I can't believe my 2 oldest are now in school and are creating good habits, learning fundamental skills, making new friends and figuring out making their own decisions....sigh!

  Maggie was so funny today.  She wouldn't even let me walk with her to the door; she wanted to do it all by herself.  That is just so like her that I don't even know why it surprised me.  I had to go inside to give the teacher a check, but Maggie made me wait till she'd gotten inside to even get out of the car.  Man I love this independent girl!  Although her determination can be quite difficult to deal with, it's times like these that I can see the major benefits to her uniqueness.  She is strong and courageous, as well as feisty.  She has a sense of herself at such a young age and I really do admire that.  There's definitely no one quite like Miss Maggie Moo!!!  I'd have liked it if we could have held hands and walked to the door together, but when it comes right down to it, I’m just grateful she'll let me watch and cheer her on. 

When I picked her up...btw, shopping with just two rugrats was quite wonderful!!!...I was going to ask her how it went, but because of the look on her face I rephrased it to..."You had a great day, huh?" She was absolutely beaming.  She told me all about her new friends...whom she couldn't remember their names, but one had curly hair and a purple shirt, and the other had hard hair and a pink shirt, what hard hair is...I have no idea???  I'm so glad she had a blast.  I knew she would, but it's still a little nerve racking!

Anyway, another year has begun.  Best of luck to all the little chickies who've started school…….you’ll do great! 

"Hi, this is Maggie, I can ride my bike with NONE training wheels!"

That's what Maggie called and told several people on Friday night, in pretty much the most excited voice ever.  She had been asking me for a couple of days if I'd let her ride Sam's old bike so she could try no training wheels.  I told her to wait till daddy got home so he could help her.  So Friday night was it.  He held onto her and walked with her for about a minute, giving her a few instructions..."pedal and I will be right here with you," she pedaled and took off on her own.  

 I'm not sure if it's because she's our second kid so we're more mellow, or because Sam was only 3 when he started riding without training wheels so it took a little longer for him to figure it out, but she took off and totally got it!

 Maybe it's more a matter of her personality.  Let's not forget, this is the girl who potty trained herself 3 months before turning 2! And the same girl who walked fearlessly away from me when she went in for her eye surgery when she was just barely 2.   She is one determined little firecracker!  I love the look of pride on my kids faces when they know they've accomplished something awesome!

 After she took off her helmet she was super sweaty from all her hard work and for some reason she really wanted me to take a picture of her sticky hair.  Silly girl!

 We also busted out the sidewalk chalk that night and Maggie and I drew rainbows.  This one is mine.

 And this is hers next to it.  The yellow at the bottom is her gold.  Love it!

She also wrote her name by it.  I love when kids start writing their names...backwards, wonky letters that are adorable!  She ran out of room for the e at the end so she added it to the beginning.

 Also this week, she has been dry at night every single morning.  I'm not sure if she outgrew the bedwetting ordeal, or if she just made up her mind she was done, but either way I'm sure glad!  This girl is only 4 but she's growing up fast!

"I'm a tom boy mom."

Man, I love this kid.  She is my favorite little girl friend around!  She's pretty much a little mime-a bird! Lately she loves playing with her pretend food and making recipes.  I here her all the time mixing ingredients and making special treats.  They usually mimic what we have had for dinner...which she loves to help make!

She's growing up way too fast.  The other day we could hear Sam and Maggie discussing something "serious" in the back of the car.  Then Maggie says, "Mom...Sammy says I'm a Tom boy."  "Oh yeah?" I ask.  Then she explains, "Yeah, that means I'm half boy and half girl, cuz I like to do boy stuff."  Kendall and I were laughing so hard!  Although it took a little convincing for her to believe us that she was in fact all girl, I love that she loves to play rough with her brothers, but can be super girly too!  Best of both worlds I'd say!

Then yesterday after church, we were teasing the kids that they should make dinner and put us to bed, because we were just too tired after the wrestling match of a Sacrament meeting we'd had with the twinners.  Sam new we were teasing and said no way, and Maggie got out of the car and headed inside.  When we made in, we saw that she'd gotten a pan out of the cupboard, filled it with water and was grinding pepper in to it.  I asked her what she was going to make and she said, "spaghetti." Once again, she amazes us with how big she's getting!

Nutzo week

Wow, what a crazy week; with my little scare, Kendall passing his test, our 8th anniversary and Maggie's birthday.  I'm more than a little glad to have it done with!!!  The kids were super lucky...laugh (we were the lucky ones!)...and got to sleep over at grandpa and grandma Johnson's house from Saturday to Sunday. So Kendall and I really got to enjoy a quiet anniversary.  We decided to go see the movie "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone."  It was kind of slow starting but ended up being a pretty funny show...not one I'd buy, but  would Redbox.  We also went to dinner at The Pie.  It's funny how the more kids you get and the louder and more talking they do, you really come to appreciate the times when you get to spend some time together talking...or not...about whatever the heck you want to!  We had a great time and really appreciate grandma and grandpa for giving us the night off! 

Sunday was Maggie's birthday.  She's our St. Patty's day baby!  I always have big ideas for fun things and themes to do for their birthdays and when it comes down to it, I'm lucky enough just to get a cake made and the ice cream bought.  Poor kids!!! I hemmed and hawed for a month on what to get this little imp.  She has a ton of toys: babies, barbies, all the cute ikea play food...she needed nothing!  Except a bike...not just any bike; a girly pink and purple one with a basket and streamers.  

 I am such a sucker...she has been riding the little 12" bike and it's so slow and she couldn't keep up; so on Thursday I asked Kendall just to put it together so she could ride it. Even though it was 3 days early.

 She has been so excited to be 4.  I can't believe she's growing up so fast!

Waiting for her cake.

 I made her a mini one and the rest of us ate the big one.  It was white cake with a strawberry filling layered with the icing. It was definitely not very pretty, but pretty good to eat.

 She is so much like her dad...when she's excited she gets all quiet and kid of shy.  She loved all of her presents so much.

Man we are glad to have this cute little 4 year old in our family!

Back when snow was still fun

Today I was getting ready to post some of the exciting new things that have happened at our house.  As I was uploading my camera, I noticed these forgotten pictures from January.  We had so much fun doing this that I really wanted to document it.  By this point in the winter the snow was still fun, but starting to get annoying...we have been stuck in the house for how many months now????  We were watching a Curious George where he wears snow shoes and the little clip of the kids in between showed the kids making their own snow shoes....hence this post!

 But we did it the ghetto Johnson way!  Costo milk boxes tied on with my precious baker's twine {I kind of hoard the stuff...I can at least use it in crafts now though...I'm a nerd I know!}

 Sam was anxiously awaiting his turn to have his boxes tied on by daddy.  I did Maggie's, and I was much faster...just sayin'.

 I'm not sure why she's covered in marker, other than the fact that this has been the season of my life of markings everywhere...the walls, all over bodies, on couches, on the floor...like I said, everywhere!

 They actually worked pretty well for a little while.

 Then they got soggy and didn't work anymore.  Sam was making some killer snow angels though.

Man I'm glad it's spring now!  All of the snow has melted in our front yard, but there's still about a foot and half in the back....bleck.

Apparently we're the same...heaven help me!

The other day, my mom, the saver of all documents and mementos...usually I tease her about this, but I'm glad she saved this little note from my dad... brought me over a letter my dad had written to me when I was 4.  It's not much, but it's timing is really funny.  On Sunday Kendall was asked to come into Maggie's Sunbeam class and share his feelings about her.  He said almost exactly the same things my dad wrote down.  Here is my dad's note to me:

Erin: My seventh little girl.  It's hard to believe that I have any love left but it's true, I do.  You are a sweet little girl and a fun little sister.  You are the only girl in our family to have a big brother.  I'm not so sure if that is a blessing or not.  You are four going on sixteen.  Your kisses help keep me young.  It's so fun to come home and have you run up to me and give me one of your big hugs and kisses.  You make my days a time of joy.  I love you.

Kendall talked about how much he loves coming home to Maggie's excitement and how happy that makes him.  He also said she was a great sister and is tough because of her brothers.  Also, this week we've both said that she is 3 going on 17!

Apparently this little imp an I are a lot a like at the same age.  Maybe that's why she can make me want to scream and pull my hair out, laugh my head off,  and hug and kiss her all in the same 10 minutes!  This morning I was trying to get her to get going a little quicker and she told me I was mean, then pouted and threw a mini hissy fit.  So then we had a 5 minute "argument" about whether her reaction and the way she talked to me was appropriate or not.  She is getting to be way too quick witted and has way too clever of come backs for a three almost four year old.  It's funny because I'm so frustrated that she can say such mean things some times, but then the come backs and funniness are exactly what I'd hear myself saying...so I have to hold back the laughter to teach her that she can't talk disrespectfully. I don't know what I'm going to do when she's a teenager.  Hence the 3 going on 17 comment.

These are four of my favorite pictures of Maggie when she was little.

It was really fun to read the little note my dad had written and it helped remind me that Maggie really is only 3, and that we are a ton alike!  Poor Kendall!!!  I do love this girl with all my heart, and I know I usually blog about when she's a stinker, but she has so many wonderful qualities.  She is an amazing sister.  She takes such good care of her brothers and I always catch her sharing with them and helping them in one way or another.  She is also very loving.  She comes and gives me hugs and kisses and tells me how much she loves me at least 4 times a day. She has quite an imagination...the game of the week is we tell a once upon a story and one of us starts out, then the other person adds on.  We've come up with some doozies. She also is carrying a baby most anywhere we go.  She is quite the little nurturer.  Every time she smiles she lights up the whole room.  She definitely dances to the beat of her own drum, but really I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love that she is independent, fiercely protective of her family, and she loves Sam more than most...in primary, if she even sees him she runs to him and give him huge hugs. And every day he is at school, she talks about how much she loves him and can't wait for him to get home.  Man I love this girl! 

Tomboy Princess...I'm in love!

This girl is my favorite princess ever!  She is so funny.  The picture below with her in her beautiful Tangled dress and driving a truck full of horses is so her.  Having three brothers makes her be one tough cookie, but don't be fooled...she can throw a hissy fit with the best of them.

 Yesterday we were playing "house", her new favorite game...which can include folding laundry, doing dishes, or horsies, pretty much anything I'm doing can be incorporated into "house"...it always involves babies and mommies and daddies.  Today, the white horse was the mama and the little tan one was the baby being carried around on her back.  Love it.  She is becoming so creative and so fun to play with.

 After playing she wanted to make silly faces for the camera.

Man, I love this girl and her silly faces!!!

Talent in the making!

Lately this girl has been doing a lot of this:

 She loves to sing and "accompany" herself.  She flips threw the pages to find just the right song, then comes up with some great lyrics to sing along with her beautiful playing. Today I caught part of one song saying, "and the children are good with no whining..."  Apparently I must say no whining a lot!

I love that she looks like she is really reading music, even though she's only 3 and can't even read yet!

She even lets her brothers sing too, as long as they don't turn the page before she's done with it!

I have to admit that the piano player in me really hopes she will want to pursue this when she gets a little older!!!