Summer with Gabby

Gabby came back!!  We got to have so much fun with my cousin from Virginia last summer, so I was so excited when I heard we got to have her back!  And this time she came minus the kidney stones. :)

Now that I'm sitting here writing it all up, I can hardly think what we did.  But I think the best part, for me at least, is just being able to hang out and chat with a Sparks girl (the Sparks girls have always been my closest thing to sisters).

Brynn loved having another girl around, one that was old enough to give makeovers and do nails.

After the makeover, I handed the camera to Brynn and told her to go ask Gabby to take some selfies with her!  Are these girls gorgeous or what?

Later, Bryce had to get in on the selfie action as well.

We got a chance to do baptisms at our new Gilbert temple.  I really think it's the most beautiful baptismal  font I've ever seen.  And Gabby looked like an angel (I know I'm embarrassing you Gabby, but no one you know reads this, haha!).

We swam at a friend's pool.

We all had lots of fun jumping in.

I ran out of swim diapers and got such a kick out of Camille waddling around like a duck in her balloon diaper.

We ate lots of yummy things.  In-N-Out was a must.  We ate that on the HOTTEST day.  It was the 24th of July so Marty had it off, but it's kind of anti-climatic in AZ.  So we took a much needed opportunity to shop for some things he needed before starting school at a last-chance outlet store.  Did I mention it was soooo hot?  We came home and ate our In-N-Out in front of the TV watching Frozen and feeling too wiped out to do anything else.  

(Here is Camille drinking the fry sauce)

We also went to Freddy's, Kneaders, and of course...SONIC!!  I was so excited to be able to have a few minutes of girl time with Gabby driving to Sonic for half-price-shakes-after-8.  We'd come home, the kids would be down, and we'd Settle Catan.  Or rather, Marty settled Catan every single game.  But we played along. :)  

Gabby was gracious enough to babysit the kids so Marty and I could go to the temple.  Marty had the privilege of giving her her first couple of driving lessons (in our Grandpa's car and with his green parrot hanging from the mirror!).  She got to navigate the Phoenix airport totally by herself because I was so dingy about where I was supposed to be.  Oh, and Gabby got first hand experience with lizards, roadrunners, and a SCORPION!  

So I guess it sounds like a lot, but to me the week just felt really laid back and like I was on vacation, too!  Even though the kids knew it was coming they were really disappointed when they woke up and she was gone.  Later that day I found a bag with VERY random stuff from Bryce's room (which is actually very commonplace in a house full of little kids) and asked him what it was all about.  Apparently BandB had sneaked out of their rooms that night to pack together and they were totally determined that they could wake up early enough to get on the plane with her.  Ha!  And I really miss Gabe's mischievous "Gaaaaabbyyyyyy...." when he wanted her to chase or tease him.  Michelle, thanks for handing over your daughter for a week - we love her so much!

The Destroying Angel

Meet my toddler.


















She is cute as a button.  Very entertaining, with animated expressions and high energy.  As a toddler, she reminds me more everyday of Toddler Bryce.  On Bryce's more extreme toddler days I would sometimes call him a brute.  Because I just can't call a baby girl a brute, I have settled on "The Destroying Angel."

She has frequent vocal outbursts, not in the form of tantrums (although she has plenty of those, too), but more like she is just testing the abilities and limits of her vocal cords.

She learned to run the day after she learned to walk.  She has been playing me.  She's not really as afraid of people as she pretends to be, in fact she loves people and being in the middle of all the action.  She might protest when I hand her over to someone, but don't let her fool you.  She's not afraid of being without me.  I know this, because today at church she slipped out of Sunday School, ran into the chapel full of people and out the other side, down the hall, and wound up monkeying around in the gym.  I'm not even sure how she managed it considering both big doors to the chapel were closed.  I guess she's sweet-talking people into opening doors for her now?  But she did seem pretty pleased about my going up and down the aisles while a few people who had noticed her were trying to silently signal where the baby had gone.

A frequent saying in our house is, "The Destroying Angel strikes again."  For instance, when she snaps my glasses in two, or climbs onto my bathroom counters to dump my drawers, or when she tries her hand at swinging from a chandelier.  We have now been forced to push the table back into the corner with all the chairs securely behind it, if we want her to make it to her second birthday.  It's either that, or put up the baby gate and live in the loft.  Heaven help us when she figures out the barstools....



She has the funniest walk.  Sometimes when she gets in a groove, with each step she'll swing her arms way back behind her and then clap.  It kind of conjures up the image of a female PE teacher.  Here are both my April kids, always up for adventure (Gabe was attached to my leg during all of this, Brynn was reading).  They have become quite good friends.  By the way, Camille's favorite part of the kiddie pool is diving in head first.  And it doesn't matter how many times she slips off the little pool stairs that lead to the slide...she just keeps trying anyway.  Some day she WILL go down that slide on her own.

She is stubborn.  She has gone for days with no milk because she is totally unwilling to switch from bottle to sippy.  Psht.  I am not afraid of these changes, they tend to bring out my resolve and I can easily outlast my kiddos.  Except for the Destroying Angel, who has gotten her bottle back no fewer that 6 or 7 times.

She shares a room with Brynn and has constant access to princess figurines and barbie dolls.  But the only thing I seem to see her with are cars, planes and trains.  It's funny because I also had two older brothers, but I don't think I pilfered their boy toys the way Millie does.  I have seen her rock Brynn's baby doll a few times though, which is exciting because as hard as I tried I could never get Brynn interested in baby dolls.  Maybe she hasn't needed them since she's always had the real thing around!

In short, I believe she might have the type of energy that gives the "terrible two's" its name.  Except she's not two, she's 15 months.  So far, her energy has me smiling and laughing and picking her up for a squishy kiss on her chubby cheek, and going to bed exhausted.  She is so happy just to be alive and isn't really demanding other than needing to be watched.  She's pretty independent, self-entertaining, and just likes to be around all of us.  So honestly it's pretty fun, especially when it's just her and Gabe during the day and I have a little more flexibility in how much attention I can devote to her.  But I am bracing myself for the 18ish month mark.  I have a feeling we are really going to be in for it, but then I've been wrong about her before!  Remember when I thought that because she was such a momma's girl, she was going to be quiet and timid?  I was so young and naive back then... :)

















I am writing this tonight, because I am just so, so tired.  My back and my feet ache and it was a heck of a day.  The first of many more to come, I am sure, where I needed to be reminded how adorable and funny it all is.  And to take it in and enjoy the ride and continue looking forward to the giant hug I am going to get from her when Brynn brings her to me in the morning.  I love you Millie May.  Keep on keeping me on my toes.

Nine years

On Monday Marty and I celebrated nine years of marriage.  It's always been our tradition to eat a frozen pie. 

Since it was on a Monday, we went on a fun date Friday but then just stuck around home on the actual day.  It's actually really fun to share it with the kids because Brynn still thinks romance is the greatest thing on Earth, and even the Little's get into it.  Gabe kept telling us "Happy Birthday." Camille provided the comic relief with the classic "pie-in-the-face" shtick.   BandB set the table with candles and goblets and Brynn had to dress up.  Which included a scarf and gloves...in AZ in August.  For FHE we watched our wedding video.

I think BandB wound up taking about a million pictures of us (the camera is usually off-limits and they love feeling grown-up and useful).

And then to prove we aren't that old, we had to try a selfie.  The poor selfie skills combined with the Fisher Price slide in the background is a reminder that maybe we actually aren't quite as "current" as we were when we first got married. :)  But time certainly does fly when you're having fun....

You're welcome, Marty (Tuesday)

On Tuesdays I often wind up with a chance to blog.  In the morning Gabe is gone with his play group, and in the evening Marty is at YM.  So I'd like to start doing something new and blogging old pictures or events in the Johnson family that I somehow forgot or just didn't get around to.  Once in a while I will have a reason to search the archive of my blog looking for the name of a campsite we went to or something, only to realize I never blogged it and then it sticks around cluttering my brain for awhile, guilt-tripping me. 

So this first one is just sooo random.  I was looking through Marty's Facebook pictures recently and feeling like maybe I should do something with them.  So here you go, Marty...either thank me or forgive me, one or the other!

I guess someone took this for him at the recent father/son campout.

The mission ones will all fit under one caption:  "Tell us about this sometime, Marty."

This was the day Francisco was baptized.  I'm so grateful he got to be a part of our lives, and we got to be a part of his story.  An absolutely incredible one, but a story I'm feeling like isn't mine to share on my own, personal blog.  But man, do we love that kid.

Umm, I'm thinking this was a turkey bowl, or whatever boys call it, on Thanksgiving morning some year...?

Pictures from Greg and Nickelle's reception.  I almost wrote that Christy was the one kind enough to take and send to us, but I can see her in the background.  If it was you Andrea, thank you!

I can't believe how itty-bitty Gabe is!

Bryce was off running around with his bff, Mason.

This was the morning after Grandpa's funeral, February 2013.  We stayed at a hotel in Boulder that night and had to drive  back to AZ the next morning.  But we had to get one quick walk in with the Alaskans.

Mason, Landon, Brynn, Carter, and Bryce in Colorado, Summer 2011.

Christmas morning at Kelly and Hum's, 2010.

The family was all together for Marty's step-sister's funeral, 2007.

Newborn Brynn on a Sunday, all dressed up with no where to go.

Greg coming back from his mission in the DR.  I stayed home puking my lungs out while pregnant with Brynn. :)

I almost didn't post this, but it was just sooo epic.  One of the best Splash Mountain pictures ever.

First day - K and 2nd

After a VERY short summer, it's that time again!  Brynn is in second grade and my little buddy is officially a kindergartner! 

I was so stressed about the first day of school.  I thought all of that anxiety would end when I stopped having "first days," but since I went strait from being a student to marrying a teacher and then sending the kids, I haven't really had that luxury. :)  I was worried because we had all been passing around a cold that we brought back with us from Utah (happens EVERY summer).  And I'm afraid to say I sent Brynn to school on her first day feeling pretty yucky.  She hadn't had a fever in 24 hours so I told her to just try it and call me if she needed me to come and get her.  And then I knew our schedule would be really tight going strait from school to the airport to pick up my cousin.  I was questioning my decision of putting Bryce in kindercare (it's an hour-ish day care at the school so I don't have to pick up Bryce and come back 40 minutes later to get Brynn from her shortened school day schedule).

But everything worked out peachy!  Brynn came home feeling fine, Bryce seemed to do ok with the longer kindergarten, and I felt better about putting him in kindercare when I realized just how much of that particular time would be spent in the car.

I was also wondering what it would be like to go back to having just babies at home with me.  Brynn was in pm kindergarten and Bryce had preschool last year, but it's not very long.  So this is the first time in a very long time I've had just little ones at home with me during the day.  I was a little worried that the babies would sort of follow me around all day moping and whining without the big kids to entertain them.  But now that it's been a week with BandB in school I can say...I actually quite love it. :)  The babies do in fact follow me around most of the time, but they are as sweet as triple chocolate cake!  They help me with my chores, ask lots of questions, play pretty well while I do what I need to do.  After a couple of hours, Camille takes a nap and Gabe watches some Dinosaur Train while I do whatever business I need to do on the computer.  Then I grab Gabe and give him a little attention, get Camille up, have a snack, a little more attention, maybe run some errands or do some more work, and then before I know it it's lunchtime and time to go get the big kids!  I can tell there will never be enough time to get done what I need to while the kids are gone, but I suspect that would be the case if they got home at 3, or 4, or 5.  I think that's life.

I was also worried about missing my Snuggly Tornado.  And I was a little worried about him missing me (this boy looooves his Mama, if I do say so myself).  But so far we are doing just fine.  When the big kids get home, the little kids take a nap and we all split up have quiet time for an hour.  For the second hour of the babies' nap, the big kids and I do homework time, reading time, a piano lesson depending on the day, and just try to make the most of that hour together.  After that, it's time for the babies to wake up and all other schedules and routines succumb to the chaos that is the four of them together.  All bets are off. And I totally live for it.  Having said that...I love seeing Marty walk in the door!  The days are bound to get more hectic as the kids bring home more homework, start sports and dance, and life just continues to be life and throw curve balls.  But a week into our new routine, I really love it.

Need to know what time it is?  Just ask Bryce!  We are still getting regular updates....

This one was Bryce's idea....

Excited to be there, but feeling lousy.

Very excited to be there, and showing a lot less anxiety than I had expected.  He just dropped his backpack, started playing, and lost sight of me as I walked to the car.

So far, so good!  The kids love their classes and their teachers!

The sad day finally came

For a very long time now I have been putting something off.  But I cringe every time I hear something like, "Bryce don't look, I'm going to change."  So, it was a sad, but also exciting day in the Johnson home.  We rearranged bedrooms and separated Brynn and Bryce.

When we first put them together, it was all just so volitile.  Bryce was two, that agonizing and difficult two, and Brynn was four-going-on-sixteen.  Very often we couldn't handle the erruptions (some form of Bryce being crazy and Brynn crying over it) and we would give up and send her to the guest bedroom for the night.  Then Bryce would be inconsolable and lonely and would beg Brynn for forgiveness.  Then sometimes she'd go back to their room and sometimes she'd refuse.  At the time, it felt like that phase was going to last for  forever, but it didn't.  At some point we realized it was the best thing we ever did for their relationship.  Brynn has just never needed as much sleep as a lot of kids need, I think.  And Bryce would nap in the afternoon.  So when it was time for bed, they would stay up, sometimes for hours, and play or talk, or sing, or sneak out, or sometimes fight. 

Recently, I stood by their door long after they should have been asleep and listened to Brynn help Bryce with his reading.  They were patient with each other.  After Bryce finished the book, Brynn praised him.  I got emotional on the other side of the door, picturing them snuggled up together.  They have become absolute best friends, joined at the hip, and I think it all started with all those hours they spent together in that room, learning to work things out and live with each other. 

Anyway, now and forever more we will have a girls room and a boys room.  I was really worried about it because Bryce and Gabe have been at each other's throats, because Camille is still such a baby,  and just because of the very rocky start BandB had when they first moved in together.  Everything I was worried about has happened, but to a slightly lesser extent than I was expecting.  Brynn can still read with her little book light as long as she wants and for the most part, it doesn't keep Camille up.  There have been a few times Camille has cried at night waking Brynn up, but Brynn has just gone to the guest bedroom and fallen back to sleep.  Some nights I think I won't be able to handle any more tears, so I'll just send Brynn to the guest bedroom to start off with.  But the girls are slowly getting more used to each other.  It will be interesting to see what it's like during the school year when there is more at stake in getting Brynn to bed and up in the morning at a pretty early hour.  As for Gabe and Bryce, they are also learning to live together.  Often after I shut their door for the night I hear Gabe asking Bryce if they can snuggle.  There have really only been a few nights though where they couldn't handle each other and I've had to intervene.  Their room has been less explosive than I expected it to be.  But somewhat explosive....

A couple weeks ago we had a rough night and each older kid ended up having to leave their room. I told them to just lay in my bed for a few minutes. I overheard this:
Bryce:  Brynn, I miss sleeping with you.
Brynn:  Bryce, I was thinking the same thing!!  Camille can't talk to me or play with me!
Bryce:  Yeah, Gabe doesn't talk to me and I feel lonely.
Brynn:  I'm lonely, too!

Later that night I found them snuggled up together and fast asleep on my bed.  I can't imagine them losing the close bond that they have, just because they've changed rooms.  But I still worry about it.  So far, no sign of that.  Now hopefully they can form a relationship just that close with their younger siblings, too (with a little less drama in the process)....

Awe, poor Millie thought it was time for a nap.

As you can see, I am not one for decorating.  It just doesn't seem to be in my DNA.  But I can create a comfortable space for my kids.  One where they can learn how to pick up after themselves, learn how to read, feel the Spirit, spend their quiet time, gaze at pictures of Jesus and the temple, and bond.  That should count for something, right?