If you give a mouse a cookie...

If Elsie gets a viral infection, then she will develop an ear infection. If she gets an ear infection, she will need antibiotics to clear it up. If she gets antibiotics, she will be allergic to them. If she's allergic to them, she will get hives. If she gets hives, she will probably need an antihistamine prescription to clear them up. If she gets an antihistamine she will develop dry skin. And if she gets dry skin she will need a prescription strength of hydro-cortisone to make it better.

Seriously, doesn't this sounds like a Laura Numeroff book from the dark side?

A room with a view

I have a chair in my bedroom where I do my Bible study. Often when I look out the window I think I should take a picture of my view out my bedroom window. I am thankful for the view out my window. I wish I would have taken a picture a few weeks ago while the trees were still full of multi-colored fall leaves. Now most of those leaves have fallen, but I still think its beautiful.

Today is one of those chilly foggy mornings that makes me want to stay in my jammies and put on another pot of coffee. The house is pretty tidy, and I'm actually caught up on laundry. I hope that I can slow down today and really just enjoy my kids. Maybe Emily and I can do a project together, or bake something that will make the house smell like fall.

Happy Thursday!

Picture update

Here are some things going on in the Johnson house:


We are all on count-down until our CA trip. Emily is especially excited because she can't wait to see her Grammy and Papa, Miss Pinni and Moses the dog. She's also excited about seeing Jay and Becky and their new baby Evie. We've created a paper chain that has each day of the week on it. Every time we start a new week the paper chain begins a new color. Hopefully Emily will better understand the length of one week by the time we're done. We measure the time from now until we leave in "wake-ups" so every time she wakes in the morning she pulls off a link. Its very exciting! :)

He's yet another reason why I'm so thankful for Emily Grace. She very well may be the coolest big sister around.

I found out about these bottles from another mom of twins. The babies each get a bottle every day, and so we've been trying to get the twins used to these bottles before our trip to CA. They make life so much easier! On this day I gave the babies each their bottle and I started making dinner. It was fabulous! Some times they get their bottle for their 11:00 feeding, and so I give it to them while we are in car pool waiting for Emily to get out of preschool. Fabulous!

Here is another close up of Elsie taking her bottle. She does this with her arms when she's tired. I know she's ready for a nap when both hands turn in to head supports. Its pretty funny.

Here is Emily and Daddy outside on the front porch with their "moon journals." This was a couple nights ago and it was a "new moon." Scott patiently explained to Emily why she couldn't see the moon.

This was a big moment in our house. Emily successfully cracked four eggs without getting any shells in the bowl. There never was a little girl so proud as Emily Grace with her cracked eggs.

Remember the posts here and here ? Well it left Emily feeling a little left out. So she asked if I would paint a flower on her wall. I chose a dandelion because Emily loves to blow the petals, and because it is so perfectly Emily. My friend Lori helped me a ton of course, and now Emily loves her dandelion wall. And if you're asking why two letters in her name are slightly cream colored... I have no idea. It drives me nuts, and I think I will have to pain them all white to match each other. They didn't use to be this way.

I love this picture. I can't wait to see all the things these two sisters will get into together! Simply sweet!

The other side of the table

Today is Emily's parent/teacher conference. Scott is taking a half day so he can join me there at 11:30.

I'm learning more and more that the weird thing about school is that you send your child there how ever often each week, but as a parent you really know anything about what your child does when they are there. Yes, I know that last week Emily made a costume to go along with her Thanksgiving celebration that I will attend next Friday. And I know what songs she's learning in music class for the Christmas performance. And I know which Bible story they're learning about. But I DON'T know how Emily interacts with her classmates. I don't know how she pays attention (or doesn't) during circle time. And I don't know if her teachers really know her and appreciate her the way I think they should. Don't get me wrong, I think she has FABULOUS teachers. And I think they appreciate Emily. But I want to know that my Emily feels loved and cherished. Is that silly? I don't think it is.

As I reflect back to my role as a teacher I hope every child I taught knew that I loved and cherished them. And I hope that each parent knew that I loved their child, both when they were precious and easy to cherish, and also when they weren't. Because if I am learning anything about this school thing it is this: It is hard to trust another adult do love your child as well as you think they should.

Just the Two Of Us

This morning our friend and neighbor, Meesh, offered to come over and hang out with our sweeties while Scott and I went out and got some breakfast from the new bagel shop. This may not sound like a big deal, but the last time we were in a vehicle just the two of us was when I was driving him home from his kidney stone surgery back in June. And really, does that even count? No, I don't think so.

Anyhow not only did we get to ride JUST THE TWO OF US, but we got to go in Scott's truck. You all remember Scotty's truck, right? Its the "horizen blue" (I just call it purple) Yoyota that he's had for over ten years now. We love this truck. Scott loves it because it was his first new vehicle and he's always cared so well for it. I love it because Scott picked me up in this truck for our first date. I've always thought he looks so cute driving it.

So off we go in the Toyota. Loving our freedom, and taking full advantage of our musical selection. No Hannah Montana, no Veggie Tales, just music we chose. Fabulous musical freedom!

We had a great breakfast and I think both of us fully appreciated being able to finish our whole bagel from beginning to end without having to stop and rock, pacify, feed, or shush anybody. I actually was able to eat my food without getting indigestion, as normally I wolf down my food in a moment, always anticipating a possible fussy sweetie. We talked about news, education, and when we will need to separate the twins in different bedrooms. There were no interruptions, to potty breaks, no crying.

As we got back in the truck and pulled out of the parking lot, we toyed with the choice of getting on the freeway, or taking the back roads home. We chose the back road. It took longer, but gave us maybe five extra minutes. Its the little times that we have together, just us two, that I'm learning to appreciate. Having time together is tough most days, but when we do get to be just us, I pray we continue to recognize how special it is. Even if its just out for a quick bagel!

Why being sick on a Friday is tormening to Moms

Eli woke last night at 2 a.m. I could tell immediately that he had a high fever, as his face was burning up. His little baby cheeks were so red and flushed as well. The thermometer under his arm confirmed a fever of 102.1. What a bummer! I gave him some Tylenol and rocked and snuggled him for about an hour, in which time his fever broke. I changed his clothes, and put him back to bed. He continued to sleep until 6:30. I thought that being over four hours, he would have another fever. Much to my surprise he didn't! We went most of the early morning hours just fine, but then around 10 a.m. (while grocery shopping) I noticed his red face, and knew it was a fever. I was right.

So here I am asking the ultimate question: When do I call the doctor? He's beyond that young infancy when any temperature is a crises. He has no other symptoms, and the Tylenol brings his fever down. And I certainly don't want to expose him to a pediatrician's office full of sick kiddos!

But its Friday. There is an actual law about sick kids on Fridays. I think Sir Issac Newton discovered right after his laws of motion. It says that when kids are sick on Fridays and their mommy takes them to the pediatrician, the child feels better INSTANTLY upon walking through the office doors. The doctor has nothing to report, as all symptoms vanish and while the mommy is thrilled that there isn't anything wrong with her sweetie, she feels pretty bummed about the $20 co-pay that could have been used towards those gorgeous shoes she's been wanting.

However, when a kid get sicks on Friday and his mommy decides its probably nothing and chooses to wait it out, the sickness intensifies the moment the pediatrician's office closes that afternoon. Of course this forces the mommy to take her sweetie to the after hours office downtown that is always full of feverish vomiting children with oozy rashes. After seeing the doctor and getting a diagnosis and feeling guilty about not taking the sickness seriously earlier, the mommy returns home with her sick little one and, unknowing to her, she and her sick child pass around germs they attained from the icky waiting room at the after hours office so that the rest of the family wakes up sick in the wee hours of Saturday morning.

That being said, my appt. is today at 2:20. I'll let you know if the symptoms vanish at 2:19!

Sumo wrestling twin style!

Sometimes in the mornings when I'm changing the babies out of their jammies, we spend an extra long time playing. Mostly this is because the twins get put in the same crib, and they easily roll all around and over each other. Its hysterical!

Here are some highlights from this morning's wrestling match!

I've told them that if they continue somebody is bound to get hurt. But they never listen! But don't worry, Eli's scratch on his nose was self-inflicted. Or at least that's what Elsie tells me!


Notice Elsie giving her brother a little "twist" in the last picture. He screamed right after I took the picture.

Thank goodness I'm not in this alone!

Scott has been gone at a conference at Myrtle Beach since Sunday afternoon. I didn't mention this on the blog while he was gone because I didn't want robbers and murderers to see it. Yeah, that's how I think. Lovely right? And I already have trouble falling asleep at night in the big house while he's gone because I think that every little sound is somebody trying to break-in downstairs. I didn't need to exacerbate the problem by worrying about the wrong people finding out that he was gone, and then internet stalking until our address was found.

Anyhow, all of that to say, Scott is home now! I managed the kids all by myself, and it really wasn't so bad. Emily was precious and helpful almost all of the time. Each evening after the kids were in bed I had all kinds of time to myself. We still don't use our T.V. and with Scott home there was nothing to do. So I got lots of laundry done! :)

During the days and evenings when I was doing the dinner/bath/bed time routine by myself I kept thinking that this wasn't so bad because it was just for a couple of days. But single parents!? How do they do this? There are a lot more days with no rest for single parents. That has got to be one of the toughest jobs I can think of!

And again I am reminded of my belief that God designed parenting to be for two people. Of course this doesn't always work out to no fault of many, but there's a reason why children have two parents! Its because they need two people so that if one gets worn out (which we do often) the other can take over!

I'm so grateful for my husband and the partnership that we have in raising our children. And as wonderful as that all is, I'm heading out now for some relief at my friend and neighbors house. I think I deserve a beer! :)