note to self...

Mustaches and Ray shirts...

2012-01-28T16:30:00.003-05:00

Megan said that Andy's shirt looks like a 'Ray' shirt. That's a good thing. :) I think he looks irresistible in it.

Josie went to a bowling Hello Kitty party today. There was a mustache in the treat bag. Because mustaches and Hello Kitty go hand in hand, right? :)

She put the mustache on like a unibrow and said "Mom, do I look like Squillium Fancyson right now?" I laughed for about 2 minutes straight.

In other news, Andy is getting a lot better at sitting up on his own.

The cat passed me, so his attention was immediately drawn to the cat.

"I'm a MAN, mom!!! For real - I talk like daddy and I'm a real man."

"I have a man job and I like Tow Mater." If thats what it takes to get a job (having an awesome mustache,) lets spread the word around Butler so unemployment will go down...

Here is Junior Fancyson with his amazing unibrow. They both thought this was hysterical.

I see a mustache party in our near future.

Hello Kitty, and PUPPIES!!!!

2012-01-27T21:24:00.003-05:00

Josie was invited to a Hello Kitty birthday party for one of her little friends. She is making another birthday book and I made this cute zipper clutch for the birthday girl.

Who DOESN'T love Hello Kitty? Seriously.

just another picture of the zipper - i used to hate all things zipper until I found different ways to sew them in. This little bag is surprisingly easy to make. I'm just not a fan of hand stitching the eyes, nose and whiskers. That part could look better, but it's for a 5 year old and I really don't think she will be looking at it with a critical eye like I do. :)

I sort of love it.

Now, on to the puppies!!!

We had 7 boxer pups come into the office yesterday. They were only 3 days old. I just wanted to squish them!!! (in a good way -)

The little black one is my favorite.

This is just one of the perks we get for working in a vet's office. I took Josie in to see them. She said 'Awwwww, those are so cute, can I go see Granny now?" (all in one breath.) I was slightly disappointed when she didn't share the same enthusiasm as I did about the tiny little boxers.

o well - Tomorrow is party day - so what is she doing now? Sleeping in her bed, you would assume.

No.

She is playing with rubber duckies, princesses, and her books in her bed while she pretends to sleep (sitting up) when I stick my head in her room to check on her. At least she is quiet.

Good night, and pleasant dreams of puppies.

Finish it up Friday...

2012-01-27T09:15:00.001-05:00

It's Friday again!!!! I am loving seeing all of my weekly projects getting finished!

I was working on this baby quilt this past week for a family friend who is having a baby shower today. I forgot to take pictures of it when it was complete though, so this is from my cell phone camera (taken right after it was quilted and ready for the binding) I hope she likes it because I had a good time making it. (with help from my little buddy) As usual, I bound it with polkadot - brown with white this time. I sooooo wish I had a finished picture of it before it was wrapped. :)

I have been making a few of these trivets also - getting ready for the fall craft shows so I don't have to scurry around making stuff the month before. This year is all about preparation. :) I LOVE the colors in these, especially the aqua one. They are made wrapping 1inch strips of fabric around cotton rope (has to be cotton or else it will mess up your machine) then coiled and sewn together with a zigzag. They are about 7.5 - 8 inches in diameter and perfect for putting pots/pans and hot dishes on your counter. I made one for my kitchen with aqua and orange (I LOVE ORANGE) and have used it every day since.

Off to preschool, work, and the daily grind for now.

brains and other thoughts...

2012-01-25T11:09:00.002-05:00

"If you watch too much tv, your brains get smaller and smaller and smaller and pop out and run away. " ~Josie

If that isn't reason to turn off the television, I don't know what is.

I was asking her questions today about school and her favorite things.

What do you like about school?
"When I play with my friends and learn letters so I can stories to little Chim". (Chim is Andy)

What is your favorite thing about your dad?
"He loves me and gives me breakfast when you are gone"

What do you like to do with Granny?
"taking naps on her bed and smelling her lotion and wearing her jewelry"

What do you like to do with Grandma?
"King Cones and the park and Walmart. Those are the best."

What do you like about your mom?
"Your hugs, and that you love to squeeze my guts out, and I am done answering questions."

The interview is done for today.

Random before bed-time post...

2012-01-24T18:54:00.001-05:00

We had breakfast 3 times today. This was dinner. :)

I love this cheesy vampire looking smile. :)

And this little guy - post bath. Pre bath, he was pretty gross looking.

This is very much my favorite time of the day.

After everyone is clean and smells good and is getting ready for bed. (I did just speak too soon - he is leaving me a present in his diaper as we speak.... so much for the clean after bath smell.)

He did get his first tooth a few days ago, and the drool-works have not shut off since.

He's had enough pictures for the night.

Good night!!!

first REAL snow of 2012...

2012-01-21T09:52:00.001-05:00

We were supposed to go to a friend's wedding in DC today, but for many reasons, that did not happen. Here is one of them...

SNOW!!!

around 9 this morning, Nate went out to clear the sidewalks and driveway.

Here is his car, covered.

Up the street - not super bad, just slushy and a little icy. If you can still see the brick, there's no need to fear. :)

Our little spring birdie probably doesn't feel the same way.

Too bad we have" the sickness" (colds) again, or else we all would be outside. (josie's term for being sick)

Quote of the week.....

"Mom, it feels like I need to have a hair ball."

What I learned this week...

2012-01-20T20:53:00.001-05:00

Here are some things I've learned this week:

Murphy's Law will always triumph
if there is a snow storm/winter weather warning, the lines at the grocery store, gas station, and drive through beer distributors will be unnecessarily long. (this is also true if the Steelers are playing.)
People in Pennsylvania do not know how to drive in the snow. rephrasing that - A LOT of people in PA do not know how to drive in the snow
Singing 'Jingle Bell Rock' at the top of one's lungs is always a good idea.
Nate is still jealous of the cats or the attention they get. that isnt something new, just continual revelation.
bribery is a good option when all else fails. ask the 4 year old with the new Tag reader book.

A few firsts this week -

- I finished the first quilt of 2012 (pictured in previous post)

- Andy got his first tooth today!!!

Josie and Andy were playing so nicely - I grabbed my camera. :)

Andy still is apprehensive of the camera.

I love these kids mucho.

friday finishes...

2012-01-20T11:40:00.003-05:00

I have a small goal this year to finish something each week. This baby quilt is this week's finish. I LOVE LOVE LOVE these colors and do not want to part with this. :(

I also LOVE the navy polka dot binding. I just love polka dots period.

Thats it for craftiness today..... until next week.... :)

A few of my favorite things... JOSIE EDITION

2012-01-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

Josie got a Vtech kids camera for christmas from Grandma and grandpa. Here are a few of her favorite blurry things...

Daddy

Grandma

Grandma with cow ears

Aunt Megan (it's Snurf time, where's your Ipad?)

moustaches for everyone.

not necessarily in the right place,,,

Her favorite body parts

feet

nose

eyeballs

random water tower

Ambulance (aka, icecream truck that takes you to the library)

more eyes

and face.

done forget her favorite kind of gum.. chewed.

Favorite doll

her chair

more of her favorite feet

the dreaded stinky blanket

nightlight

and her favorite baby brother.

I love seeing things from her perspective. Blurry as they may be, it gives me a little insight into what goes on inside that little busy brain of hers. Stay tuned for updates from the camera of JosiePeen Ruth.

Kid in a box...

2012-01-12T23:02:00.001-05:00

This is what happens when I go to work. My box of misc office supplies comes to life. :)

Yesterday, this bin was josie's car. She was driving it to the airport (her room) and had to park it in my room (the parking lot) because the airport was too expensive. AND her GPS told her to.

Sunday evening post...

2012-01-08T20:39:00.000-05:00

I have no witty remarks or stories this weekend - just a list of Johnson happenings over the past few days:

the flu ventured into our home - luckily only one casualty... Josie. poor kid.
massive amounts of laundry (due to the above happening)
Christmas tree and decorations down and put away
I cooked dinner 3 nights in a row. This is a record!!!
thought about reading a book, then went back to laundry
cleaned up almost every type of bodily fluid from both kids
threw away several bags of stuff, have several bags worth of donations for good will
went to work for a bit
had a very interesting dream about vampires living underground breathing dirt... ?????
ordered some fabric with a friend - waiting for it to arrive - my machine is craving new colors!
skipped church - due to first happening again
made home made rolls to go with ham and bean soup. I love rolls, but hate the time it takes to make them
had a girls night with josie (before the flu arrived) - kohls, joanns, Cummings (milkshakes) and Worsleys to look at the dolls. Best girls night ever. :)

Tonight, while not eating her soup - Josie said "I just can't eat this mom. This soup is too magical."

She is definitely feeling better.

Secret Christmas gifts - no more...

2012-01-06T13:15:00.004-05:00

Now that Christmas is over and all of my crafty projects have been gifted, I can post them here :)

Quilted pillow shams for Joanna (I pulled her name for christmas this year)

More shams

A fabrigami star ornament (I forgot to give it to her - whoops...)

Her quilt! I love these colors!

Here's the back - love this too!

New Years Eve...

2011-12-31T22:44:00.000-05:00

Our spectacular New Years Eve party consists of this:

kids both in bed by 8:00
Me finishing up a plastic beaded Spongebob craft we started earlier, ironing, and finishing up some other crafty projects
Nate eating shrimp and guacamole with chips and falling asleep on the couch
Me also eating guac and chips (no shrimp for me)
Twilight Zone marathon
to bed by 11pm
woken up by redneck neighbors jumping on trampoline, excessive drinking, and random gunshots into the air. (that was last year.)

We really know how to party hard here in the Johnson home. :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

A question to ponder...

2011-12-30T17:53:00.001-05:00

"Mom, where do Heavenly Father and Jesus live?"

"In heaven."

"Oh, where's that?"

" It's far far away in a more glorious place than you ever could imagine."

"OK - so it's up near King Cones then, right?"

:) if only, if only. :)

Christmas at the Johnson's...

2011-12-30T16:32:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!!! Here is our tree this year - Josie helped decorate the bottom half(what she could reach) and the top half is the nice blue and white that I like - this year... I only got out about 1/4 of the ornaments and holiday decorations this year.

Christmas morning, I was waiting for Josie to come downstairs and see what Santa had left...

The rest of the pictures were a blur because she was freaking out that Santa actually came!!

Here she is looking at the thank you card Santa left for the cookies and milk. Her most favorite thing (last year and this) was eating the crumbs that santa left. He leaves bite sized ones to share. :)

She saw the pogo stick and was super excited. Not so much here because I made her stand still so I could get a non-motion shot. :)

Her new Adele cd (listens to it every day so far)

Here's another favorite (besides those dang tic tacs that she kept going back to every 3 minutes)

A Spin brush!!!!

Andy was super excited about the crinkled up wrapping paper.

Nate and I got a stir crazy to make home made popcorn (thanks santa!)

Crosby was checking out all the christmas loot. He was eyeing up that spinbrush. :)

Grandma makes us each christmas pillowcases every year - This year, Josie remembered that and was really excited to see that all of ours matched, even Andy's!

We finished up our little family time and headed over to granny's house where Santa likes to visit also. I wish I would have brought my camera there because that was a site to see... paper, presents, food, food, and more food. Everything was delicious and we had a nice time visiting with family and friends (we invited Ruth again like last year)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

Daddy's Christmas present...

2011-12-24T14:54:00.000-05:00

Nate and I decided not to buy/give anything to each other this year for Christmas. Instead, Josie and I chose to do something for him. We filled up his car with gas, took it to the car wash, and detailed the inside of it. She was a big help!

She is also horrible at keeping secrets, so when we got home today, we told him what we did. It's ok because it's christmas eve!!! Josie and I had a good time doing fun stuff for daddy and she said she can't wait to do something better next year. :)

the night before the night before Christmas...

2011-12-23T20:10:00.000-05:00

Granny took Josie shopping. Josie loaded up her Hello Kitty purse with her pennies and dollars, and wanted to make a list. Since I am not one to keep every little scrap of sentimental paper, I took a picture.

Today, we went to granny's house to decorate cookies. I forgot to take a pic of the finished ones, but they look delicious. Here, Josie was showing granny how to do it.

Joanna and Stephan got in on the cookie decorating action too... I like Joanna's hypnotized alien cookie. Stephan made a nice tree. Mom asked if thats how they do it in Denmark (all messy and running together) hah!

I just did some work stuff, ran some errands and continued to work on secret christmas stuff involving my sewing machine and some really awesome fabric.

2 days left until the big day! The anticipation for Christmas this year is too much for a 4 year old to handle.

The reason we need to buy Josie's teacher massive amounts of Advil......

2011-12-22T13:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Josie's Christmas party at preschool. I decided to be a good mom and curl her hair.

We did it twice. The first time, I forgot the spray. :(

Here is the end result after a half an hour in rollers.

This lasted all of 20 minutes. She has really fine hair. :(

Off to the party we went. We read "Mortimer's Christmas Manger" and did a Nativity craft. She also got to decorate some gingerbread cookies!

Andy came to join the festivities in his new christmas pajamas. He wasn't super thrilled to be there, but was a good sport about it. For a baby.

Josie helped set up snack time - cupcakes and caprisun

I am glad there is only one christmas party a year . She and the other kids in her class had a great time. (Yes, she is the only girl in a class full of boys.)

In other news, I have been working on some projects that can not be posted here (they are gifts) but I will post pictures for my sake after christmas.

A few quotes from this past week or so:

"I LOVE corn-tons." (croutons and corn bread combination)

"When you get married, you get born a child."

"Hey there Andy - You are looking like a man!"

"I am so excited for Christmas mom! Do you think Mary is excited?"

"Mary who?"

"you know, Mary from Jesus and Mary and Joseph and angels and the star?"

I love that kid and can't wait to see what her brother comes up with as he grows up. :)

my little helper...

2011-12-14T21:35:00.000-05:00

I have a helper in most things that I do. Her name is Josie. She helps me cook, clean, play with princesses, sew(she likes to sit next to me and play with scrap fabric and pick out thread colors to match while I am at my machine), run errands, go to work (sometimes), and take pictures.

Today, we got to take some photos of Nate's friend and his little family for Christmas. Before they arrived at the park, Josie and I walked all over (in the rain) looking for good picture spots. It was cold, rainy and we just wanted to sit in the car. She had a good fake cough going and said "mom, I think I'm getting the sickness."

HAH!

The family arrived and we took some photos. They brought their very energetic dog with them who ended up not really being in any of the pictures. Josie's job (once we realized that it was pointless to even try to keep the dog in the pictures) was to walk/chase/be dragged around by the dog. She did it!!!! Now she wants a big dog like the one she 'exercised' today at the park.

So, my little helper was my photo dummy to get the right light, and a wonderful canine distractor while I was taking pictures. She is a good kid and I love her.

Even when she looks utterly and completely bored with what I am doing. :)

500th post!!!

2011-12-14T15:39:00.001-05:00

I have nothing miraculous to report on my 500th post...

It is the middle of december and it is raining!!!! Where is our snow??

Pic of the day...

2011-12-13T23:07:00.002-05:00

We were cleaning/playing/reading today in Josie's room. Josie was reading the Mr. Men books to Andy and gave him a few to look at. His favorite? Mr. Noisy and Mr. Silly.

I love this picture and was so glad I had my phone with me to take it. She loves her brother so much!

Letter to Santa...

2011-12-12T09:09:00.002-05:00

After watching "One Magic Christmas" last night - Josie was determined to write and mail a letter to Santa. She was asking me how to spell "I believe on you" (not 'in', but 'on' she said) :) She also asked for some barbie stuff (bobby stuff), some cool toys for Andy, some chocolate for daddy and some fabrics for mommy.

Before we were even dressed today, she had to mail this. In 30 degree weather.

OK - Now its ready for our mail man. If anyone has seen the movie 'Better off Dead" with John Cusak, our mailman is kind of like the one from that - not in looks, but in dropping and giving wrong mail , and opening letters and stuff like that.

Also, on a side note, about the 'One Magic Christmas' movie - Shannon was totally right. We loved this movie as kids, but watching it now - creepy Gideon taking kids to the North Pole and Santa bringing people back from the dead - kind of explains why it's not on TV like it used to be every season. We liked it though and will probably watch it 10 more times before Christmas if it is up to Josie. :)

Grandparent withdrawal...

2011-12-11T19:30:00.001-05:00

Just in case the grandparents are going through ginger withdrawal.... Here are a few pics of the boy - I also wanted to get some pics of him in my favorite sleeper before he grows out of it, like next week. :)

He has discovered his feet.

And putting things in his mouth. lots of things. including his feet.

Crosby wanted in on the camera action too. (right before bath time tonight)

I'm sure there are a few new screen savers for the grandparents here. :)

Blue Stuff and things...

2011-12-10T13:42:00.001-05:00

Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Megan came to visit this week!!! Grandma made blue pancakes for breakfast! Josie helped put the coloring in, so they were extra blue. :)

Nate, Josie and I went to the Sams Club employee Christmas party early in the week. Santa stopped by (much to Josie's horror) and had presents for all of the kids. When he called her name, she froze and was crying hysterically. I went up and got her presents for her... poor kid - she has a bad case of Santa-phobia. Santa gave her a matching game (below) that is pretty neat. Grandma and Josie played it several times while she was here.

The last blue thing was this batch of anise hard tack. I ended up making 17 batches total - all flavors - cherry, orange, lemon, pineapple, rootbeer, anise, peppermint, spearmint, clove, and cinnamon. I think I am going to start before thanksgiving next year and get more orders. It is fun to make and makes the house smell great!!

On to a non-blue related item...

A friend of Josie's is having a birthday party soon. Josie asked me to make her a blanket and pillow for her dolls. So, I did. It is pretty cute and didn't take me very long. The other good thing about it was that I didn't have to buy a thing to make it. I just used scraps - batting and all!!!

Other things that happened this week?

Josie got a hair cut - about 4 inches off. :)
Andy continues to growl and we think he is getting a tooth.
Nate worked and spent some quality time with his dad
I made several pounds of candy, sold several pounds of candy, and didn't eat one single piece!!!
Josie continues her Christmas activity of watching cheesy hallmark holiday movies
We may or may not have made a few trips to King Cones.
I didn't cook one single meal this whole week. (Thanks Catherine!!!)

Preschool, work, dr. appointments and car appointments all made for a busy, good week.

Raaaaawwrrrrr!

2011-12-01T20:49:00.001-05:00

Our Christmas tree is officially up. I had NO motivation this year to do any decorating at all - 3/4 of the ornaments we had didn't even go up on the tree. Josie was my main source of nagging to get it done. I can't let a 4 year old not have a Christmas tree, can I?

In the cleaning and getting stuff out process, we found Andy's dinosaur collection (he doesn't even know he has it yet, but I'm sure he is quite fond of it). Nate arranged them on the mantle above our stockings. We are going to see how many people say something or even notice when they come in. Really now, without dinosaurs, would there even be a Christmas??? :)

(joking, of course,,,,)

I just love them and possible may leave them up.

In other news,,,, I have gotten a lot done in the past 2 days - I am part of a freezer meal swap, so I got 6 (plus a few extra smaller ones for our family) dinners ready, 6+ dozen of grandma Betty's oatmeal cookies baked and ready for exchange, started and almost finished a christmas quilt (for andy, so don't tell him - it's a suprise...), started my end of year paperwork for work already (YAY!!! I hate that part), and had major surgery envy. There was a surgery at work that I would have LOVED to have assisted with - I know it sounds gross, but gross things are my speciality. Ask Joanna - I had her looking up pimple popping videos on youtube the other day. heh heh......

Back to the tree and the Christmas season - I love the holidays, and this year, I am hoping to get more in the spirit of what they actually mean. (raaaawr - dinosaur growl. Andy is doing this a lot lately.)

what is going on right now...

2011-11-25T18:13:00.001-05:00

Josie is spinning around in circles, not able to walk straight - saying "bobby", the house is trashed, and I have no idea what to fix for dinner.

cereal? soup? Nothing? sounds good to me.

now i need to go and adjust my blog so people arent offended at the number they received in my list o' thankfulness.

Thanksgiving...

2011-11-24T19:50:00.001-05:00

I wasn't going to write a thanksgiving post - everyone is doing it, so I tend to go with the minority, or against the flow, or whatever...

I just have too much to be thankful for to just sit here and not acknowledge it.

In true Katie Johnson form,,, here is a list of awesomeness...

I am so grateful for...

my mom. I like to think I am an independent person, but without the things she has taught me, and the things she has and continues to do for me and my family, I would probably be still living at home, mooching off of my parents, waiting for them to die so I can inherit the house.
My husband - the hard working, funny, dedicated, good father, pretty much the only person that could ever put up with me for eternity, dude.
the kids - Josie, with her creative imagination and love for everyone and everything, and Andy (who doesnt do much yet, but his smile can melt your heart in a second).
my family - sisters, brother, dad, aunts, uncles, etc... these are the people who help you along your way in life and will always be there for you. Sometimes I feel like I don't acknowledge them enough for the things they have done to help me through the years.
a home to live in. a WARM home to live in - and food on our table. We may not have a fancy place to live, not much on the walls, but it is our home and we love it.
In-laws who love us and love our kids. I love that we have good communication and a good relationship with each other. :)(including sisters-in-law - I love them too!)
work - I am grateful for my skills and knowledge in the veterinary field of work. I love being able to help animals heal, stay healthy, and be happy with their humans.
my talents - I love sewing, my machine, and my ability to figure out how to do stuff on my own.
a good friend who I can talk to at any time of the day, even with a 3 hour time difference... she is there to listen. :)
Freedom to worship God in the way I believe is right for me and my family.

ok, enough for the corny thanksgiving post -

I am just thankful for a relatively good life and the ability I have to choose to be happy no matter what may be thrown in my way. :)

ps, also thankful for a delicious fondue thanksgiving feast. :)

Yay for cousins...

2011-11-21T23:07:00.000-05:00

Yay for cousins visiting!!!!! Josie was so excited all weekend to see her cousin, Lucy -

I don't know what was going on here, but these were some pretty giggly girls...

I missed tea party time, but came back in the room just in time for 'animal tray party' (thanks for the official name, Josie) :) Animal tray party is where we put animals on granny's old baking trays. I never would have figured that one out.

This activity lasted over 20 minutes - a record for the attention span of these two.

Alligator time. On the floor-alligator time for everyone....

After animal tray party, Lucy decided to share Sally,(the world's ugliest/oldest doll) with Andy. His less than thrilled expression says it all.....

Lucy liked sharing toys and playing with both Josie and Andy. She has grown up so much since we have last seen her!!! Josie also was teaching her to say "ball' today. "I'm a good teacher, mom!"

After being mauled and kissed by the ladies, Andy was happy to have some alone time.

It was a good day for all.

Saturday Evening Post...

2011-11-13T15:00:00.020-05:00

a few things heard around our house/neighborhood lately...

"Why are there 45 washcloths, ducks, and a turkey baster in our bathtub?"

- Josie hoards washcloths in the tub. we also have a family of small rubber duckies breeding in the same tub. The turkey baster is actually a large bulb syringe from work. Someone dropped off about 10 boxes (100 count each) of these bulb syringes that pharmacies cant use anymore due to expiration dates, so they thought a vet clinic could use them. 1,000 bulb syringes.
We put a sign on a box at the front desk that said "free turkey basters' and are giving them away. They can also be used as microphones, squirt guns, or large booger suckers.

"MOM - MOM - there's a PUPPY in our car!!!!!"

- Josie, again, was yelling as I was at the door of a friend, helping her carry stuff out to my car for a craft show.... The neighborhood jackrussel puppy had jumped in my open truck door and into the passenger seat. I got there and witnessed her just chilling in the seat waiting for her car ride. Josie was super excited! The little girl running around the street looking for her dog was not as excited.

"would you like burritos or meatballs in your spaghetti???" I chose both. :)

"What other words start with the letter B, Josie"
"Car does."
"No, it doesnt, try again"
"yes it does mom... buh buh buh B-car. See?"
Yes, I see.

Nate - "I don't think that Edward is that cute - and since when are vampires retarded???"
(I finally got him to watch Twilight.)

"I am baking you a cake, mom. It's a diet cake. With tylenol and vitamins. Just like you like it."
Add some diet coke in there and you have a winner. :)

"What should we do today, kiddo?"
"I know mom!!! We should browse at Joanns - do you need some fabric? Browsing would be a good idea, then we can go to Sams club and to the office to do papa paul's paperwork. That would be a GREAT idea." (at least someone wants to get papa Paul's paperwork done... heh heh)

Other fun fact learned recently? Ketchup will make any undesirable food completely edible. In fact, it may even make it her favorite food.

Sunday Evening Post...

2011-11-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

Lots going on here -

This week, Josie :

went back to school (after being sick for a little while)
decided that naps were severely overrated - and quiet time was WAAAAAY better and less quiet than naps
helped me clean, do dishes, vacuum, and fold/sort laundry
played with Andy and made him smile
practiced for her primary program which is next week
grew about 4 inches
ate half the food in the house
had a few tea parties with Aunt Barbara
sat next to Uncle Doug during dinner - this was a big deal and she almost had a melt down when she thought someone had moved her seat away from him.

Andy:

had a dr.s appointment - off the chart in height! He is a tall tall boy
received several immunizations -

Nate:

worked a LOT - but was home every night.
got to hang out with Josie, Andy and me
watched some steelers and penguins - things he also missed when he worked night shift

Me:

finished several little projects - birds, towels and pillows for mom
upholstered a new headboard for our bed - for less than $30... including the wood, batting, fabric and buttons... Tomorrow, we hang it up :)
worked a little bit
cleaned a little bit
played with Josie and Andy a LOT. Sometimes being a mom is fun. :)
got to visit with Doug and Barbara for a little bit

it was a good week. :)

Finish it up friday - a day early...

2011-11-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

My Halloween decorations are still up. Dont judge - I just love halloween. I may take my skeleton garland and put it on my christmas tree... :)

Besides trick or treating, eating candy and staring at my skeletons, I have been busy finishing other projects this week.

95 of these little guys for a tree in one of mom's shops

and 2 of these little Black Apple dolls - (thanks to Dedra for the patterns and cutting out all the legs and arms. i hate those little arms.)

Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T21:58:00.000-04:00

We usually head off to Shannon's house every year for halloween. This year, Josie had a bad cough/cold so we decided not to go. :( Little did we know, the Philadelphia area was scheduled for some snow fall and power outages. Good thing we didn't go - that would have been a rough few nights for Josie and Andy. :)

Our halloween count down hit zero today, so we did a few fun things...

Like dressing up for trick or treating!

whoops - I fixed the hood on the lion.

she has been waiting for 2 months for this day

i love this pumpkin. Nate thinks my creative skills are lacking.

we also wore our glow in the dark skeleton pajamas to bed.

happy halloween everyone!!

Friday stuff...

2011-10-28T14:49:00.003-04:00

We were supposed to be going on a road trip to Shannon's house today, but colds, coughs, and crabbiness kept us from our annual halloween tradition this year. :(

Instead, I finished a bunch of floursack towels for mom's shop. 24 to be exact. I am seeing squirrels in my sleep now.

And some pretty gray and black pillows for the shop too. She has an open house coming up and needed some fillers so I volunteered to make some pillows for her. I like them - and they were easy - only took me about 20 minutes for all 4. (removable covers too.)

Other projects will be finished this weekend too - including a whole mess of bird ornaments and a few quilt blocks. :)

This post is linked to crazy mom quilts' "finish it friday" post for the week.

3.5 months and adios night shift...

2011-10-21T18:40:00.002-04:00

I can't believe Andy is 3 and a half months old already!!!!

He loves his sister - a LOT.

I love these guys. a LOT. :)

Tonight is my last night of hanging out by myself... It is Nate's last night on the night shift - also his last day at the barn cleaning horse stalls. I know he is so happy to be done with that - both the night shift and the poop scooping. :)

On the other hand, I have had my own nightly routine by myself for the past 8ish years or so, so this will be a massive change. A good change, but it will take some adjusting. :) We are all very happy that daddy will be home at night now.

pizza night!!!

2011-10-20T19:49:00.000-04:00

Thursday nights I usually work, but tonight I got to stay home and have fun! (work is fun too, but it is always a good time making pizza) Josie made her very own personal pan pizza.

Her pizza was done and ready to be baked. I finished up the big 'adult' pizza. :)

and into the oven they went. Out came dinner!!!!

We had a busy day - started out with a trip to work - bank work and bills paid, payroll done, and scary pictures of ghosts drawn and left on the office fridge.

THEN, off to the bank, grocery store, back to the office to drop off $, then to OUR bank, and home for lunch. Naps, more bills paid, rebates for work prepared (frontline - buy 6 get 2 free or buy 3 get one free - seriously, its a good deal. go to your vet and take advantage of this... nothing like a non-sponsored promotion on my personal blog... heh heh. really though, it is a good product)

THEN play time, and pizza making with Josie. Baths and now we are watching Tangled before bed.

Overall, it has been a pretty productive day (even though no sewing has taken place) :) Maybe we will get some pictures of the boy tomorrow for the grandparents. :)

Picture Day at school...

2011-10-19T11:00:00.000-04:00

and at home...

the pictures below are the reason why we do not say the words "cheese balls" before a photo.

YAY - a good one (below)

happy picture day at preschool!!!

My favorite things...

2011-10-11T22:22:00.001-04:00

ok - enough of the kids and family stuff.... back to sewing and cats. :)

Dedra, Lacy and I have been working on pinwheel squares for a swap we have decided to do. We each make 3 of the same color x 20 colors. total of 60 blocks. In the end, we will each have 60 completely unique pinwheel squares to make a super colorful quilt. I love the fact that I just had to buy a small amount of muslin for this project. Everything else was from my stash - (which is depleting by the way...hint hint...)

This pic combines my two favorite things. It was a good night. :)

pictures from Granny's camera

2011-10-09T14:42:00.001-04:00

I recently found some photo gems from this summer on mom's camera. :)

the picture behind my head here says "A very pretty vase" Mom insists on keeping this on the wall - I think I did this in first grade and all the colors are faded. I will NOT be putting a post it note on the back of this one. (post it notes on the back of things signify ownership after current owner(mom) passes away. Or so she says.) :)

a little info about this next set of photos - it just started to rain. Ellie and Josie were playing with a sheet. They are both hiding under this sheet from the rain. After about 3 minutes, the whole sheet was soaked through and so were they. We mostly just saw random arms and legs sticking out from the sheet. :)

It was a lot of fun just watching them play. Josie loved having Ellie around - even when they didn't get along, she still liked spending time with her cousin.

this red bird house sits on our porch railing now.

Andy!!! Sometime last month - with his manly little puppies.

Here is Aunt Lynne, Lucy, and Josie with her new magnadoodle

Da boyz...

2011-10-09T14:34:00.000-04:00

Here are my boys on this lovely Sunday morning. :)

Hey Andy!

2011-09-27T19:01:00.002-04:00

I haven't posted pictures of the babe for a while - this is for grandmas and grandpas everywhere... :)

I wanted to get a picture of Josie too, but she was moving too fast to capture. as usual. :)

During 'nap' time (i use the word nap loosely here), this is what has been happening lately.

A few josie-isms for you:

knock knock mom.

Who's there

boo

Boo who?

Dont cry about it little baby!(says while laughing hysterically)

-singing primary songs at top volume in the supermarket

- getting grass stain on top of her head. yes, on TOP of her noggin. shows up really nice bright green against her blonde hair. :)

- obsession with Veggie Tales

Sunday evening post...

2011-09-25T21:34:00.002-04:00

here's a little update on what we all are doing:

Josie -

loving preschool
is the only girl in her class (class size of 6)
has newly found obsession with glue sticks
using glue sticks to 'make stuff to sell at the craft show' like pages ripped out of her coloring books then glued together.
loves loves loves VeggieTales.
wants to be a cheerleader for halloween. Or maybe a princess. or a girl baseball player. or a spider. (but not a scary one, a friendly spider that makes happy webs)
loves her little brother
likes listening to books on cd - favorite ones as of late are SkippyJohn Jones.

Andy -

is getting to be a happy boy
likes sleeping with a cloth diaper/security blanket
loves going for walks and being outside.
also loves going for rides in the car - we now know the location of every brick road in Butler - brick roads lull him to sleep. :)
is two and a half months old and wearing 3-6 month clothing. Growing too fast!
enjoys his swing, mobile, and laughing at his dad.

Nate -

still working at Sam's Club - switching from nights to days here soon
using his creativity to put together airplane models
still working at Ruth's barn 3 days a week

Me -

getting used to having a baby in the house again
enjoying sharing quilting/sewing projects with my friend. :)
still taking online courses to get my CVPM certification
looking forward to seeing Wicked with Nate this week

Thats about it for now. Good night!

It's been said...

2011-09-14T23:32:00.002-04:00

I've been told that I have been posting too much of this:

(feline family members)

And this:

(crafty projects)

And SHOULD be posting more of this:

and

and don't forget this:

I will try harder. :) (except for tomorrow, because I just finished a cool project...heh heh)

Sewing and such...

2011-09-05T16:55:00.002-04:00

I finally finished Andy's quilt. I have been collecting fabric for this since march (when I went out west to visit Dedra, and Nate's family) The gray sashing is actually a sheet!! I love it to pieces.

My quilt holder here isnt quite tall enough to show the whole blanket. :) Thanks Josie

Dedra and I have started a 9 patch quilt swap. We are supposed to make 2 squares a day for a little over a month, then swap half with each other to make an awesome 9 patch crazy quilt. because we may just be a little crazy. :) heh heh

here is all 10 together. I'm all set for about 5 days now. Updates to come later.

a visit with the aunties...

2011-09-05T16:44:00.002-04:00

Aunt Katie and Megan came to visit us recently!!!! (Nate's sisters) We had a pretty good time and hope they will come again soon.

Megan brought a pair of matching glasses for Josie

Here is Jos playing with Megan's iPhone. She is attempting to take our picture (unsuccessfully)

Can you say 'Little Miss Sunshine???" hah!

Again with the jumping pictures - Aunt Megan has the same energy level as Josie and also likes to play in the street. :)

Baby Andy got in on the photo action too. Sort of. We couldnt wake him up. :)

There! He is awake!!!!

First day of school!!!

2011-08-29T17:10:00.000-04:00

It was Josie's first day of preschool today!!!! She was so excited. We bought a book called 'The night before preschool" that we have been reading for the past few days.

She LOVES jumping. While walking to her class today with the other kids, I overheard her telling her teacher "I like to jump! I can jump really really high, wanna see me jump?"

Before school, she was finding nature. "This rock is nature, mom"

"This flower is better nature than the rock."

This was supposed to be a funny face for grandpa.

School picture with mom and dad. :)

These are her smart glasses. For school. She can wear them in the car and at home, that is all.. :)

Again, with the jumping and excitement. She is overloaded with energy!!!!!

While all of this was going on, Andy was sleeping soundly in his little bed.

It was an eventful day for all. And a day that made me feel really old.

A girl and a box...

2011-08-26T18:57:00.000-04:00

We received this awesome chair for Andy's room (it hasn't been moved upstairs yet - so we are all testing it out - it's a glider/rocker and is lots of fun) Thanks Granny!

The chair was shipped to us in a giant playhouse/box.

Nate cut doors, windows, and a mail box out for her.

Here's a close up of the mail box. The mail man chose to not recognize it as a formal residence. Josie was disappointed that she didn't get any mail.

Thanks again granny for the glider and playhouse. (and couch supports - soon the box flaps will go under our sagging couch cushions.)

Farm Market Saturday...

2011-08-24T22:43:00.000-04:00

Saturdays, Granny spends selling her goods at the farm market. English muffin bread, coffee cakes, big pies, little pies, cookies, freshly made jam and anything else she decides to make the night before.

Josie decided to assist last saturday.

This is what granny had left when we got there on saturday - about 2 hours after the farm market opened - Jam, and ...

One mini peach pie. It looked so stinkin good!!!

This guy has the spot next to mom's and tries to talk to Josie every time we go. She will talk to this guy's dog (Bosco), but not him. He wanted photographic evidence that he was her buddy. He also gave me some jalapeno peppers for free!

Here she is with granny playing with her new (garage sale find) Polly Pocket set - the COOLEST toy she has found by far... it is magnetic and has lots of really cool little features. Nate and I both agree that it was the buy of the century.

Here is the table next to granny's - Cypher's farm, produce. They have the BEST corn and tomatoes. I've bought cucumbers, peppers, red potatoes (also the best there) , peaches, apples and watermelons. I love knowing that what we are buying was grown locally.

Until next saturday then...

Jeeps and Josies...

2011-08-20T22:54:00.000-04:00

Butler hosted the Bantam Jeep festival - (because Butler PA is where the Bantam Jeep was originally produced). There was a huge parade O Jeeps, coming from the community college all down main street. It was a pretty cool site to see. :) While we waited for it to begin, Josie graced us with her dance/jumping talents.

Mid air shot - look, no feet on the ground!!!!

Man, that girl has energy. :)

Next come the jeeps.

Can you guess which one was our favorite???

YAY for parades!!!!

Friday night...

2011-08-19T22:25:00.000-04:00

Not too much going on here - just felt like posting...

I went to the Y yesterday - I only ran a mile. It was the first time I had been there in about 3 months - for a very good reason. I had worked up to between 4 and 5 miles before Andy was born, now I have to start over again. After about 3/4 mile, I was so done but made myself finish the whole mile so I wouldnt feel bad. Maybe this year I can actually do a 5k, even if it is at a brisk walk. :)

Andy had an unusually colicky day today - I attempted going to the same store 2x - to look for birthday gifts for a few friends' kids. The first time, we actually made it into the store. 2 minutes later, promptly dragging a hysterical 4 year old and an unconsolable 6 week old (i didnt drag him.. he had wheels) back to the car and home for lunch and naps.
The second time was after naps - we never made it into the store. Enough said.

We will try again tomorrow after a community sale and work........

I am sitting in my chair now, staring at my quilting projects that have been neglected, Josie's doll house and dolls all over the floor, a whole row of dinosaurs infront of the tv stand, 2 cats on the couch and one stretched out next to the dinosaur train, and I am going to bed - leaving everything right where it is.

Sorry Nate - we'll clean up tomorrow. :)

Stuff and things I need to do...

2011-08-16T22:08:00.000-04:00

I was at work the other day when a client asked me when I was going to have that baby already...

hmmmmmmm

I then asked HIM when he was going to have HIS baby. (he had a triplet sized beer gut)

It's a good thing we know and like our clients or I may just have been offended.

FACT - I had the baby almost 6 weeks ago. Looks like it's time to get back to the Y.

So lately, I have been working on a few quilts, spending time trying to learn how to bake bread (failing miserably at it) and started 2 new management classes for work. Thank goodness the OSHA class is done. :)

Goals for the next 2 months?

get back to the Y and lose the baby weight
finish dog note card illustrations and send to printer
finish Josie's birthday quilt (now her christmas quilt) and Andy's
start the zone cleaning of our house - one zone a week
continue to work with office consultants and get another associate interested/hired for work.
pay off the last little bit of debt

On that note, i'm off to feed a baby, kiss a sleeping Josie, pet 2 cats and glare at the other one, read a book, and go to bed. :)

City wildlife...

2011-08-09T20:52:00.000-04:00

Tonight's "animal nature walk" consisted of finding:

3 cats
2 dogs
1 poodle (poodles are not dogs)
1 worm
2 butterflies
a bunch of toadstools
some birds
1 furry bee
1 Volkswagen Bug

Josie was upset because we did not pass the 'bean' tree on our walk tonight, but was ecstatic that we saw a worm. An ALIVE worm!!!

Andy enjoyed the walk also - he went right to sleep.

Note to self: take colicky baby for walks in the morning when he is cranky!

Today's Stuff and Things...

2011-08-04T22:07:00.000-04:00

Today -

-I remembered why quick diapering after baths is essential - cleaning poop out of towels is not my idea of a good 'after bath' activity.

- Project Runway!!!! I don't look forward to many TV shows anymore (Grey's being one of them) but this show is one I definitely auto tune. Tonight, they have to find materials to create clothing from a pet store. awesome and tough!

- I spoke with the HR lady from the veterinary emergency hospital in pittsburgh about attending another type of manager's meeting and possibly finding a mentor for my certification. :) That is exciting!

- We had lunch with Ken (Paul's brother) and his wife Lynne today. They were in town taking care of some family business - of which we received 6.6 percent of. :) :) :) :) Lynne got to hold Andy for a while,we took some pictures with the kiddos, ate some pizza, and brought up old family secrets/info - quickie divorces in mexico and hiding knives in the rafters... I think I came into the room at the wrong time in the conversation on that one. hah.
ANYWAYS - They were in town finally closing Gram and George's estate. All of the grandkids received a certain percent of which I promptly went to the credit union, deposited the check, then went home and paid off all of our credit cards, most of our medical bills, and a few other small loan/cards that we have had forever! What a great feeling to not be tied down to that bad debt anymore!!!!

- TMI ALERT - I decided last night that after 4 weeks of breastfeeding Andy, that I was officially DONE. I lasted 2 months with Josie. I feel good about the decision. He is sleeping a little better today and didnt seem as fussy. Good choice - I will keep telling myself that so when people question my decision to stop, I don't have to feel bad or justify anything. (like I am doing now...heh heh)

- Nic's thyroid level is down - that's good. That means the meds are working and he wont need radiation treatment to kill his overactive thyroid. (yes, I am talking about a cat, and yes, I probably would have done the radiation treatment if needed, and yes, I probably would have had to find another home after Nate kicked me out of the house for spending any more money on this cat... so it's a good thing the meds work. :)

Off to feed the kid, finish Runway, and go to bed. :)

Fee Fi Fo Fum....

2011-08-04T21:34:00.000-04:00

Josie: "I don't ever want to go to Canada mom"

Me: "Why not?"

Josie: "Daddy said Canada is where giants live and I really don't like giants."

So much for our vacation plans to the Canadian side of Niagra Falls. Dang giants....Always ruining everything. :)

Sticker fun time with daddy...

2011-08-04T21:20:00.000-04:00

I found some vinyl letters on sale at Target - Josie has been wanting to put her name on her bedroom wall for a while now... When I got out of the shower this morning, the letters had found their home.

Andy even had a label on his door.

Here is the door of Josie's room

Nate and Josie thought I needed a room sign too -

She was one happy kid.

Then her wall got the royal treatment

Nate gave her the rest of the letters to do what she wanted to with. Here, she has labeled her pants drawer. We won't be entering any spelling bees anytime soon. :)

And the side of her bunk bed. I'm not sure what this says, but it makes sense to her. It's a good thing these are not permanent and don't leave any sticky residue on the surface.... We may get another pack and put the alphabet on her other wall so she can practice. :)

Now - for your daily dose of Anderson ... In his crib again - he loves this blanket!

Here is the best cat in the world at his least photogenic state... He has never taken a good picture. Nate still is trying to convince me that he is a special needs cat. This picture will support his hypothesis.

Wednesday stuff and things...

2011-08-03T21:14:00.000-04:00

Here is what I have learned these past few days -

Sleepwalking is hereditary
having long distant friends kind of sucks
I would like a vacation. To a beach. For an undetermined amount of time.
ABC Family channel is NOT family friendly - contrary to the station's name
Why dust when the cat licks the mini-blinds? (see? cats are good for something)
moms have the amazing ability to survive on very minimal amounts of sleep
my quilt will NOT be done in time for the Farm Show on sunday :(
Shark Week is definitely underrated. Pretty cool stuff
Josie misses her grandparents (nate's parents)

That's about it for now. Josie is sleeping. Andy is sort of sleeping. Nate is at work. The cats are pacing the house chasing a fly that snuck inside. I fell asleep 3 times typing this.

That's something new...

2011-08-01T22:59:00.000-04:00

wow - that is all I have to say right now.

I don't want people to think I have a perfect life and nothing ever goes wrong - because I totally dont, and stuff totally does go wrong. I just choose to document the bright side of things. Tonight, I will be playing the part of Debby-Downer...

After our very picturesque evening of baths, stories, and tucking into beds, I was watching a show on tv downstairs and rocking Andy. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs. I yelled out "Josie?" (who else would it be.. duh) and there was no answer. I then heard her walk into the kitchen and pace back and forth a few times before I saw her. She still didnt answer me. She walked into the living room and I realized that she was SLEEP WALKING.

It completely freaked me out. Like scary movie, pee your pants kind of freak out. She must have thought so too because she walked back into the kitchen and did just that. Peed on the hard wood floor. Great.

Being the loving mother that I am, I gently yelled at her to take her clothes off, threw a towel at her and told her to dry her feet off and go upstairs and get in the tub. I cleaned up the puddle, sprayed some clorox and went upstairs to help her in the bath. She was just sitting in the bath tub - no water had been drawn yet and she was shivering. Then, I felt kind of bad. Just kind of. I started the water, helped her wash up, dried her off, and put clean pajamas on her.

She climbed back into bed and went right to sleep. No night light or anything.

I went back down stairs to find Annie (cat) rolling in and licking the bleach I had sprayed on the floor. I just stared at her and let her finish. That was her thing. She likes bleach. It hasnt killed her in the 8 years she has been doing it, so I dont even bother stopping her anymore. It's just one step closer to us getting a dog. (the rule is when 2 of the cats die, we can have a dog.)

Back on track here.... I call Nate at work. He laughs and basically says something like - 'Look what I am missing out on!' yes, you are missing out on these fantastic nocturnal activities such as: soothing a colicky baby all night, breaking up cat fights, stopping frantic bug induced fits, changing massive amounts of diapers, (how can something so little create so much waste product?) urine clean ups, and as of tonight, SLEEP WALKING.

I called Catherine next. I remember her telling me that Nate used to do this when he was younger too. I needed advice on how to be a good mom and NOT freak her out next time. What I got was 'make sure your doors are locked' and some laughter. Of course, I was laughing too - just to keep from crying, I think. The good thing she said was that it didnt last long. Lauren did it almost every night for a year. Nate only did it a few times.

So what am I doing now? She is in bed, Andy is in bed, and I am using my precious sleep time to write about it and look up sleepwalking in children on the internet.

Worst thing about tonight? To know that she was not in control of herself - and how disturbed that made me feel
The silver lining that I always try to look for???? We are one step closer to getting a dog.

Getting ready for bed...

2011-08-01T19:54:00.000-04:00

After baths tonight, he was laying in his crib being nice and quiet so I grabbed my camera.

He is definitely programmed for hugs. (as his shirt says)

He loves laying on the blanket that aunt Jojo gave him. Apparently all the kids in Denmark have these small feather duvet-like blankets. I love it!

Crosby was doing his part too - hanging half his body over the railing above the stairs. I am waiting for the day that he falls off.

Josie was also getting ready for bed, but not as happy to participate in photo fun.

2011-07-31T20:29:00.000-04:00

Our first family pic - with all of us. We definitely need more of these. (and yes, we both are wearing Sam's club t-shirts.... obviously, I don't work there. I just spend enough money there to get a complimentary shirt... hah. joking...)

Here are 3 generations of Johnson boys... the middle one doesnt look too happy

Nate will probably get mad at me for posting this picture on here, but it was way to cute to pass up. Plus, his mom took the pic and posted it on her blog so its ok since she did it first.

Thanks to Catherine for taking these photos. I wasn't in picture taking mode this week.

Things are going ok so far.

The kid isnt sleeping through the night yet, but I don't expect him to, being that he is only 3 weeks old.

FAMILY UPDATE:

Nate - still working nights at Sam's, and a few mornings a week at the barn. New hobby - shooting birds at the barn (they are very destructive and the owner requested that Nate 'take care' of them.)

Me - learning the changes that come when you add another member to the family, trying not to ignore the cats, back to work, very part time for now, and trying to plan a fall family vacation. Suggestions?

Josie - coloring and painting up a storm - is looking forward to starting preschool in a few weeks and meeting new friends. LOVES going to the park and swinging on the swings. She misses her grandparents (who just left recently) and can't wait to go and visit them at their house.

Andy - likes laying on his tummy, burping, sleeping, crying, pooping, peeing, eating, and making shapes with his little mouth.

Annie, Nic, &Crosby - all still banned to the couch of shame.

Just for Jojo...

2011-07-27T20:29:00.000-04:00

Andy is 3 weeks old today - where the heck did time go?????

So very tired ...

Here he is, just hanging out...

and... we are done with photos - this is his angry face. :) I love it severely.

Happy 3 week birthday little dude. :)

Random monday...

2011-07-18T23:18:00.000-04:00

Tonight was a good night - A friend came over with a gift for Andy. We chatted for a while and it was so nice to have adult interaction! I have often wondered why we weren't better friends when we were younger and tonight's conversation just confirmed that it is never too late to build new friendships.

Or, my lack of sleep made everything happy and fuzzy. :) I doubt it - it was just a very good conversation of which I hope to have more of in the future.

In other news, today, I :

watered the garden (unknowingly before the torrential downpour occurred)
replanted Josie's sunflowers that I have managed to nurse back to life
cooked a real dinner for the first time in about 2 weeks
paid some bills
watched a movie (aka - took a nap on the couch) with Josie and Andy
thought about working on my gray quilt, then stopped thinking about it.
took and passed my final for the OSHA class (no big deal, just so glad the class is over!!)
found a hidden Milka bar (actually, Nate found it, I just ate some of it.) Thanks Jojo!

The kid is finally asleep, so I must go to bed too.

Cousin time...

2011-07-14T14:58:00.000-04:00

Ellie has been visiting Granny for the past week (all by herself!). Today, Nate volunteered to take both Ellie and Josie to the Living Treasures Animal Park. I volunteered to stay home. :)

Here is photographic evidence...

Lots of little deer to feed and pet -

euuuuuuwwwww, the bears are stinky!

Big cats - sleeping!

Look at this baby camel!!!!

On to Moraine State Park for a picnic lunch. :) After lunch, there was time for the playground (but much to Ellie's dismay, no swimming)

It was a beautiful day for the zoo and picnic at the park. I am glad that Josie is able to spend time with her cousin. Now for tonight's menu of fun - more underwear swimming in granny's pool in the back yard. :)

random photo...

2011-07-12T22:02:00.000-04:00

I found this one while looking for a pic of the cat. Here, Josie was 'helping' Nate put his bike away. Thats it - nothing super exciting - she just loves her dad. :)

Cute little things - the non-human edition...

2011-07-10T11:40:00.000-04:00

Our little porch garden is growing!!! I have 2 bush cucumber plants that I have managed not to kill yet - and soon we will be eating the benefits... :)

How cute is this boxwood basil plant? The leaves are so tiny, you don't even need to chop it before you use it to cook with. (Can you say caprese salad, white pizzas, and any and all pasta dishes???)

Granny makes these adorable little fairy pots - Josie loves watering them, moving the characters around and cleaning the gemstones off. (but not the alligator) We have 2 pots - a big one with cinderella and belle, and a smaller one with squirrels, a hippo and some veggies. They look so much better in real life - the photos don't do them justice.

We're home!!!

2011-07-09T21:02:00.000-04:00

Nate was getting camera happy - :)

Here is Josie with her little brother, Andy. He actually is looking at her! So sweet.

We are adjusting after returning home last evening - I have forgotten about the feedings, sleep deprivation, laundry pile-ups, diapers, etc... It's kind of like riding a bike though. I have also forgotten about the cute little fingers, toes, gassy smiles (his, not mine..heh heh), sweet smelling baby skin, and quiet newborn breathing.

The cats are all very curious about the new little noise maker also. They have kind of been put on the back burner and are craving attention. Andy doesn't seem to mind his furry siblings too much.
Here are the cats all banned to the pouting couch of shame. :) (along with Josie's flea - that thing sure gets around!)

Baby Andy!!!

2011-07-07T12:14:00.000-04:00

Anderson Ray Johnson was born on July 6th at 4:00 am. (Finally!!!!) We were headed to Magee in Pittsburgh and decided to turn around because my contractions were coming faster and faster. We left the house with contractions at 7 ish minutes apart and got about 8 miles down the road and the contractions were 3 minutes apart. There was NO WAY we would have made it all the way to Pittsburgh without having the baby in the car.

Nate turned around, and we got to Butler Memorial Hospital around 2:45. I was dialated 3cm upon arrival and 20 minutes later was at 7cm. I asked if it was too late for an epidural (i wasn't thinking straight, obviously) and it was. The other option was a narcotic for pain, in which the nurse said it made for a 'limp' baby. My response??? "Aren't babies limp when they come out anyways???" Nice of me, huh? Needless to say, I had no pain meds and barely had time to have an IV put in for emergency if needed.

Shortly after that, little Andy was born. Being completely honest, that is something I never thought I would be able to do (natural child birth), and never hope to do again. I am also so glad that we didn't go to Magee - which would have meant pretty much having the kid in the car or in the parking lot of the hospital once we got there.

Anderson's name came from Nate's Grandma. It was her maiden name. Ray (the middle name) is actually Nate's father's name. (Josie's name came from my side of the fam, so we decided to take turns...) :)

So far, he is a quiet little dude - being all of 24 hours old. Nate is doing well - he is a good dad and loves holding him and is a good diaper changer. (me, not so much...) Josie likes her new brother and keeps asking me when he is going to grow up so she can play with him and when he is going to walk. :) She is also the designated photographer. I am doing ok too - we will either come home tonight or tomorrow morning and I am looking forward to getting into a routine with our new little family member.

Updates and more pics to come later. :)

Fourth of July...

2011-07-04T22:36:00.000-04:00

More Eismann fun here - it's just what happens when you get all siblings together from all parts of the country/world.....

"I JUST DROPPED THE CHOCOLATE IN POOP!!!!"

"When I grow up, I am going to eat as many smores as I can"

- we ate Danish Hotdogs and watched the Nathan's Hotdog eating contest

- there was much sisterly conversation/bonding (just sitting in the yard, talking)

- many illegal fireworks were set off

- we got to meet Nella's new 'special friend' (as mom puts it). some of us remembered him from years ago - he assisted Seth with the fireworks and gave him great advice about roman candles.

- mom started the biggest bonfire ever - to cook marshmallows

- the baby became a contortionist - only after I ate a half a bag of german sour candies and some chocolate toffee bars.... I suppose it is to be expected.

"Josie was drinking pond water again!!!!"

- mom's cat caught a giant toad and was foaming at the mouth for about an hour. Toad escaped just fine.

- Roman candles are NOT meant to be hand held devices (seth)

"Why does lucy have the lighter again?"

- "Why are my underpits wet again, mom???"

- Joanna is a grill master. I LOVE burned hot dogs. :) :) :)

My family is not normal. There is no getting around it, but honestly, who's family is??? The older we all get, the more entertaining our visits are. :)

-

Eismann family dinners....

2011-07-02T21:54:00.000-04:00

Here is how our family dinners tend to go:

The person sitting directly opposite of Paul (the other end of the table) always ALWAYS gets chosen to say the prayer.
Mom complains about having a small fork (thanks to Josie helping to set the table)
Mom tells us everything wrong with the dinner before, during, and after we are done eating
Lucy is making angry dinosaur noises because she isnt getting what she wants
Paul is convinced that babies can eat anything you put into their hands
There may or may not be a stuffed pheasant and prairie dog staring at us from the porch
Someone has managed to get butter on the back of their neck
There may be some talk of 'relations'. Several times.
I usually spill something on myself
Shannon is sitting at the kid's table. (don't worry, she isn't the one with butter on the back of her neck)
Paul wants to eat the corn that was rolled around on the floor - only after it has been pressure cooked.
Nate is usually pretty quiet
Mom creates a dessert frenzy. (we only have dessert at her house. we are not big dessert people in general)
Mom gets carpal tunnel from serving ice cream to everyone and their brother's dog's nephew....etc
Josie usually ends up in a time out because Seth was poking her/ touching/ or looking at her
I interpret a conversation between Paul and mom
We can't get Josie to stop eating. (and lately, Lucy too)
More ridiculous baby names are shared
It is confirmed that there is definitely NO COFFEE BAR at Covenant Church in pittsburgh.
Some mention of poop or other bodily function is always discussed
The fact that light bleu cheese dressing "tastes like butt" is brought up when we have salad. (seth - "is this the butt tasting dressing???")
Other normal dinner conversation includes: more relations, body function talk, why is Katie eating so much, needing to shop at the big girl store, gambling on when the baby will be due, online dating, why can't mom remember how to upload photos onto her blog, when will Seth start dating?, who is picking Paul up from the Y (not anymore!!!), what we are going to eat tomorrow, and "Can we go to dairy queen ?" (Josie)
After dinner, everyone usually disappears to leave 1 or 2 people to finish cleaning up

Does this sound like your house? :)

Old Wives Tales...

2011-06-30T22:23:00.000-04:00

I was curious what the ever so knowledgeable internet had to say about inducing labor, so for fun (or maybe for real) I looked up "inducing labor".

Here are some that the doctor didn't inform me about...

consuming mass quantities of fresh pineapple
going for bumpy car rides
Evening Primrose Oil. (inserted in a personal way....)
visualization. sure, right.
accupressure
getting scarred into labor (aka - haunted house, scary movies, scary situations, etc.)
tying yourself to a pole and having someone pound the top of the pole with a large hammer (old pioneer trick) CRAZY. (thats on the agenda for tomorrow afternoon)
ingesting castor oil
going bowling ?????
scrubbing the kitchen floor on hands and knees (advise from Grandma Scott when I was pregnant with Josie - this may have actually jump started the process)
eating Hot Buffalo wings
Mac and cheese with Heinz 57 sauce. the trick is you can't be in the room when it is being made and your husband has to cook it for you. Supposedly, the anxiety of him cooking in the kitchen is supposed to induce SOMETHING....
Mowing the lawn - dang, Nate just did that!!!!
swinging in a swing - like at the playground
dont shave your legs. Murphy's law will take action. Unpack your hospital bag. :) plan a vacation, stay in public places (your water will be sure to break if you are in public.) HAH
getting a pedicure from an asian woman. I did this last week. NOT TRUE. at least I have nice looking feet now.
Enemas. no thank you
Lavender aromatherapy. Done every night for the past week and no results, obviously
Cheri Goldscheitter's blue berry muffins. (heh heh - not really, but they are delicious)
Galloping
bouncing on an exercise ball
talking to the baby and convince him that it is ok to come out now.
Eggplant Parmigiana - a coworker told me about this and I actually found several italian restaurants with webpages documenting 'eggplant parm babies'. interesting. :)

There are several more, most involving different kinds of food, but this is quite a list. I will try murphy's law tonight and unpack everything, have some eggplant parm tomorrow, and maybe mow the lawn. :)

I went to the chiropractor today for him to work his magic chiropractic voodoo and loosen things up. Hopefully I wont be posting here for a while unless it's from the hospital. :)

Giant man baby update...

2011-06-29T21:28:00.000-04:00

Here is a 20 second clip of what will probably occur - at the current rate we are going.... (one of my favorite SNL skits) :)

Here is how our day went.

4:30 - wake up get ready, leave for Magee by 5am

6 ish am - arrive at Magee in Oakland. We had an hour to kill so we walked the halls and watched all the pregnant ladies in labor go ahead of us.

7 ish - admit into triage for a version (or turning the baby from a transverse lie - on his back - to a good head down birthing position)

7:15 - Nurse (very nice, by the way - had been working there for 35 years and was awesome!) gave me all the stuff - gown, tests, iv, etc.... and then we waited.

Around 8:30, a resident came in to do an ultrasound to confirm the position of the baby. Little did we know, he had moved from one transverse position on friday to the opposite position today. Still sideways, still not in birthing position, but a complete turn around. CRAZY!

A few hours later, the dr.'s who were going to be doing the procedure came in to confirm and do another ultrasound. Nothing had changed. They talked me through the procedure and recommended an epidural.

The anesthesiologist came in then to place an epidural and start 'the juice'. We waited for a while because tall people apparently need more to complete the full effect. :) I was told that a few times.

After the drugs did their job, the dr.'s were called back into the room to start the manual moving of the baby. This would be done by actually manipulating the baby from the outside of the abdomen to try to flip or turn him into the right position.

Everything was prepped and they were ready to start. I couldn't feel a single thing from my torso completely down. They did one more ultrasound to get the precise position of the little guy and were shocked to see that during the time that it took the epidural to work, he had turned on his own into a head down (good) position. No version needed to be done!

Even MORE crazy!!!! Everyone was excited and they called the dr. to induce labor.

I was excited - Nate was excited - all the dr.s were glad that they didn't have to do that.

The delivery dr. came into the room to (TMI alert) check things out..... (cervix) and said that I still did not have an inducable cervix.

Nate and I were SO not thrilled to hear that. That would actually be an understatement on how I felt. I was completely numb on half of my body and now I had to wait for another 2+ hours for it all to wear off so I could walk out of the hospital and go home to wait for labor to start in the next few days, week, whatever. 40 weeks would be in 2 days. It was quite frustrating to leave the hospital after all of that with no actual changes and the possibility of this kid to continue to move around like he has been for the past week.

We were discharged after 6pm (12 hours of hospital fun) and promptly searched out food.

So what now? I have an appointment tomorrow morning (regularly scheduled weekly exam) and we just go from there. I know nothing, we are just waiting for the kid to decide when the heck is good for his busy schedule (not taking into consideration the family waiting for him, his sister, his dad's work schedule,etc)

He is grounded the very second he comes out. Especially if he comes out looking like Will Ferrell in the skit above. :)

Stuff and things - random monday edition...

2011-06-27T13:19:00.000-04:00

I was on a roll with getting things done, cleaning, making lunch, putting people down for naps,,,,
and then, I sat down.

What else to do except write a blog? :)

Here's a few things on my mind right now:

- I have 2 HUGE bags of clothes - mine, maternity, josie's baby stuff, a few of Nate's things, and found a good will that mom doesnt shop at (so the chances of her buying back something I already donated are NONE!)

- Almost all office stuff is done - except for the computer that sometimes turns on with error messages - I will let our well trained reception staff deal with that. Our veterinary software customer service is wonderful.

- My sewing machine is broken. Or I am just not smart enough to figure out what I did wrong. I have a quilt all ready to quilt and bind, sitting nicely all folded up (now with a cat sleeping on it) just waiting. Looks like the guest/baby room will be quiltless for our visitors soon.

- I was watering our tiny gardens today and received a phone call. I handed Josie the hose and took the call. After I was done, the garden, porch, shed, picnic table (and umbrella), my outdoor painting projects, and Josie were fully watered. She had the biggest grin on her face. Good thing it was nap time next. :)

- I signed up for another freezer meal swap. (I like the ladies who are doing this - well half of them, I've never met, but their cooking is fantastic!!!) I am making Italian stuffed shells. Looks like I may have to put this together tonight, depending on what the dr. says later today.

- How can 2.5 people go through so much laundry???? And why does the cat insist upon his nightly ritual of dragging the dirty laundry from the basement through the entire house?

- I like my steam mop for the kitchen. I especially like it when someone else uses it to clean my floors. (hint hint) (I don't think Nate reads this...)

- I also could go for some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers. Hint hint to anyone in the general reading audience of this blog.

OK - time to get up, finish laundry, load up the car (good will awaits), and scavenge for some swedish fish.

nighty night...

2011-06-21T23:25:00.000-04:00

Right now, I am finally sitting down, watching a show called "Amish on Break" (about amish teenagers who go on a cultural exchange in Britain - pretty interesting), petting a cat or two and considering going to bed in about 5 minutes. No news on the baby front yet - nothing has changed.

I also:

went to work for a while - tying up loose ends (more to tie tomorrow...)
started and finished a quilt top (ready to quilt and bind tomorrow)
finished the dishes - never ending dishes
returned shoes that wouldnt fit my fat feet
put a kid to bed at 6pm
tried another freezer meal from our dinner swap (chicken enchiladas - great!!!!)
jammed my sewing machine
thought about shunning my daughter in the traditional Amish definition of the word
caught up on my class work from last night (i fell asleep before the class was actually over!!)
made a list of what I did, so it looks like I accomplished something
wished I was at the beach and seriously became envious of friend's facebook pictures of dolphins, sand and waves

another amish documentary is on now, but it's bed time for me. :)

good idea, bad idea...

2011-06-19T21:23:00.000-04:00

Good idea: PEDICURES!!!
Bad idea: Attempting to give yourself a pedicure - when you are 9 months pregnant.

Good idea: making a spot on the bed for the cat to sleep
Bad idea: forgetting to leave a space for your husband... :(

Good idea: Going to Cabela's for a day of family fun
Bad idea: Buying $14.00 of fudge at Cabela's actually, that sounds like a good idea to me.

Good idea: getting all the laundry done and put away every day
Bad idea: having the washing machine 2 floors down from where the laundry is actually produced. (Laundry chute or washer and dryer upstairs please :)

Good idea: Corn on the cob with dinner
BETTER idea: eating 4 ears of corn on the cob FOR dinner

Good idea: Hospital and drugs/epidurals/pain meds
Bad idea: home birth with no pain management. (I'm watching too much TLC right now)

Awefullest Idea of them all: Naming the baby Kordell. Especially in or around Pittsburgh.

even worse idea - asking your brother for baby name ideas (Sidney and other hockey related names). or your father (Colt and Remington - someone has guns on the brain)

Good idea: taking online classes to further your education
Bad idea: taking online classes where the final falls close to your due date and class attendance is mandatory. whoops.

AWESOME IDEA: going to bed at 9:30 pm

Good night. :)

Pet Parade and other stuff and things...

2011-06-13T23:39:00.000-04:00

I had to show the Knoch Knights (the highlight of the pet parade besides the pets....) :)

Then, the pets came. It was quite a fun time for Josie - and me... One lady saw us watching the parade on the sidewalk and said"It's the vet ladies!!!!" (to mom and me.) hah.

Here are some of our favorite pets we saw tonight.
"Look mom, that doggie is a ballerina!!! Look at his tutu!!!!"

I love these dogs and will have one some day. Maybe.

Super cute little calf!

This was a HUGE horse - notice, no saddle too. This guy was so well behaved and trained. He was just beautiful to watch.

There were several dogs dressed up like bumble bees too. This was our favorite. The whole family was dressed up like bees.

Here is my favorite one of all...

Josie and her pet flea. Classic. She even got her picture taken. Good thing the flea had it's tags on it. :)

After the pet parade, we quickly ran down to the carnival (free admission tonight only) to play one game, get some kettle corn, and buy a giant lemonade. Josie chose a fishing game in which she had to catch 3 sharks to win a prize.

The prize - a Nemo fish!!!!!

After we saw everything and everyone, we were ready to go home.

We had a good night and were ready for bed when we got home. Nemo too - right next to Meow in Josie's bed. :)

One for the records..

2011-06-10T22:50:00.000-04:00

Medical records, that is...

Today, I fell into a category of people that usually drive me crazy - the self diagnosing parent/mother/pet owner. (obviously I was the parent in this case.)

Last night, at work, I tested some of Josie's urine for a UTI (urinary tract infection). She had one in december and was showing the same symptoms as before - Cranky, loss of appetite, tired, frequent urination, accidents, etc... Just not herself.

SOOOOoooooo - I tested it. RESULT??? She had an infection.

Fact - the pediatrician uses the same exact strip test to check urine in their office

Fact - if you call the pediatrician and tell them your kid has a UTI, they will ask how you know its a UTI

Fact - You should give symptoms and not the protein, specific gravity, leukocytes, ketones, etc.

After that, I received MASSIVE attitude from the receptionist saying that she needed to be seen (and no prescription could be called in) but they had no appointments for today. I was ticked because this has been our pediatrician for 4 years (Josie's whole life) and they wouldnt even run a test in their office to verify that it was a UTI.

I called around in Butler to find someone who could see her today to start on some antibiotics for her infection. I found one, but then our regular doctor called back saying their Kittanning office (not super convenient for us) had an appointment. I took it, along with her attitude again and vowed to tell anyone and everyone at the Kittanning offfice how rudely I was treated on the phone.

We got to the office , Josie peed in a cup, the test was run, I handed MY results to the nurse practitioner who confirmed that I was right and she sent a RX into the pharmacy. That was all it took. (I also made it known that I was NOT satisfied with the care or lack thereof and attitude from the Sarver office.)

Seriously.

Today, I may have been an annoying self diagnosing parent, but I am an annoying, self diagnosing parent (in this case) that was completely right.

YAY!!!

2011-06-09T22:40:00.000-04:00

Lame post title, I know - but lots got accomplished today, so it is fitting. :)

the baby/guest room is painted!!!!!! (thanks Granny!!!!!!!!!!!)
2 loads of laundry done
work
porch plants and garden DONE!!! (finally)
homework for class read and almost done.
read some blogs
petted some cats (and some dogs - at work)
paid the bills and had a pleasant surprise with one of them (thats always nice...)
ordered a crib (finally, also)
drank almost 3 quarts of lemonade
finished painting a small storage unit for new room
decided what I am doing with my barn star collection - well, a few of them anyways
tried to decipher a very strange dream dealing with world domination and aliens. (it was all my fault)
had a dr's appointment. 37 weeks! (i also lost 1 pound since last week. YAY!!)
petted another cat about 30 seconds ago
looked at my freezer meals stacked nicely in the freezer. :) super great idea!!!!! the meals, not the looking at them. :)

i guess that's a lot for one day. Tomorrow is dr. for Josie, grocery shopping, register for preschool, work and whatever else comes along. :)

Because Catherine asked...

2011-06-05T20:36:00.000-04:00

And asked, and asked.... :)

I had Nate take a few pics of us today before church. I realize I don't have any pictures of myself during this pregnancy and I probably should have some pictoral proof that I was actually pregnant.

That's Josie, obviously (above ), hogging the camera like usual.

Here we both are, ready for church and trying to act pleasant for the camera. I am trying harder than Josie at this stage. hah hah

Here's another one of the kid - to cleanse your brain palate from the previous image.....

And the lovely side shot of the tummy - I really HATE these types of pics, but this is just for posterity's sake here. Josie was trying to weasel her way in the photo again. She is a good little weasel - and don't I look thrilled. Seriously, if I didnt have someone ask for pictures, these would never have made it to the blog.

Here are some recent quotes on pregnancy according to Josie:

"The baby is just going to JUMP out of your tummy like this!!!" (she proceeds to jump around the room like a kangaroo)

Josie - "Papa Paul - do you have a baby in your tummy too?"

Paul - "no, Josie, I don't."

Josie - "Then what is in there that makes it so round?"

Paul - "food and other stuff"

Josie - "When will the food and stuff come out?"

(the conversation went on like this for another few minutes, but I didnt hear it due to laughter)

"When the baby comes out, I dont want it to touch all of my stuff"

When we told her I was pregnant and she was going to have a little brother, her reply was "Why can't we just get a dog instead?"

"Can I take the baby to see Cars 2 at the movie theatre?"

Some names she has picked out are - Max (from Max and Ruby), Buzz Lightyear, Kermit the Frog Johnson, Stinky pants face, Crosby Johnson, and Slink.

I vote for Kermit Johnson. It has a nice ring to it. :)

I have problems...

2011-06-04T22:50:00.000-04:00

Most awkward moment ever???? Here is a hypothetical situation - it may or may not have happened.

Let's say that you are standing in line at a birthday party waiting to get some cake - talking to who you think are random strangers. THEN you ask how one particular person you have been chatting with is related to the family throwing the party.

THEN - hypothetically, your sister, looks shocked at you and repeats the question you just asked (how are you related to the family?)

Let's say then, that your sister tells you the name of the person you had been talking to but did not know.

Hypothetically, it just happens to be someone you and your siblings grew up with and then you feel stupid and punch her (the person you did not recognize and thought was a random stranger) in the arm just to add to the awkwardness.

Now THAT would be really embarassingly awkward - if it actually happened.

(Sorry Jolina - can I blame pregnancy, heat, massive amounts of sugar, or just plain mental retardation? no, I just have problems. :) )

Dear Jo-anus....

2011-06-04T15:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, much to her hatred, sometimes I call her Jo-anus.

Other names for her have included:

Jojo
Chippy chippy jojo
Mathcraft (something is wrong with mom for that one)
Jay bird
the President of Mexico
George
Cow Snot
and lastly, her given name, Joanna

It is her birthday today and she is on vacation so she is not able to check this blog. heh heh. :)

In honor of her 28th birthday, here is some info about her that you may not know.

I once convinced her to let me cut her bangs so I could have real hair for a picture I had drawn of a pilgrim. When I say 'cut' I mean literally cut off her bangs - as in - nothing left but about a quarter of an inch spike in the front of her head. My picture looked GREAT!!! Joanna walked out of the room with scissors in hand and I let mom assume what happened. I am a great big sister. :)

Things liked getting stuck in her nose. Corn, yarn, pieces of foam mattress....

She has an obsession with anything having to do with Franks Red Hot. Anything that has the word "buffalo" in it, like buffalo chicken sandwich or salads would be her fav.

She loves cheese. In all forms. Also, anything with chocolate and peanut butter. (i have been stockpiling reeses eggs in my freezer for her.

She was the BEST Molly Shannon impersonator EVER!!!! (and still is sometimes)

Happy Birthday Joanna!!!!!

For more pertinent information about the birthday girl, click HERE

Cousin fun time...

2011-06-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

Wagon time - Starring.... LUCY!!!!

Co-starring, the best older cousin/wagon puller/ funny face maker JOSIE!!!!

I was glad I had my camera with me at work today - this was too cute!

A post for the grandparents...

2011-06-02T23:08:00.000-04:00

So far, June has been filled with sundresses, blonde braids, art projects, dirt, digging, running and spinning in circles, and helping mommy (me) at work.

Her new favorite toy - from Ken and Lynne (she calls it her magnet stamper)

Below, she is 'helping' me in the tomato garden - although, she is not planting tomatoes - she is digging for gold and worms.

Don't you just love the combination of a new dress, butterfly boots, and dirt???

After the plants were in, they needed water - we spent a LOT of time getting water for each one. After the plants were taken care of, she had to water the rocks she planted too - "so they can grow into giant rocks, mom"

June has also brought us other lovely issues - (debby downer edition - muah muaaaaaahhhhhh)

bugs
broken hot water heaters
heartburn
thyroid disease diagnosis - for the cat
SWAT team, snipers, and multiple news teams several blocks from our house

We have had some really great weather lately - we are enjoying spending time outside (when I'm not working) and hanging out with daddy.

The evolution of a picnic table...

2011-05-31T21:35:00.000-04:00

Today, we got a new picnic table for our porch - Nate had a LOT of help putting it together. (I was obviously not assisting here...)

Out of the box it came

Next come the screws - along with a lesson on how to use a drill

More drilling - with help from Josie

She had one job to do - hold the screw and not loose it. Off she runs with the instructions and the magic screw.

"It needs a special place so it wont get lost" She strategically balanced it on top of the lid of the fire pit

The finished product - YAY!!!!

Later in the day, I picked up an umbrella for the table - We invited Ruth over for dinner and broke the new table/umbrella in. Steaks, potato salad, baked beans, fruit and dip tray and fresh veggies - delicious!!!!! Good weather, good food, and good company. It was the first time Ruth had been to our house since we moved here a little over 2 years ago. Crosby (the cat) greeted her at the door, along with Josie who had a pile of pictures she had been working on all day to give her.

A few quotes from the day that were blog-worthy...

(she heard the word "death" and was asking what it meant - I told her- then the questions started flowing)

"so when you die, that means death"

"If a mean guy kills a good guy, that also means death."

I quickly changed the subject and there was no more talk of death/killing/dying/ or putting animals to sleep.

At dinner tonight, Nate had just taken the steaks off of the grill when Josie asks - "Can I have some beef? I like beef. It's so beefy!"

"Butterfly's aren't bugs - they are WORMS!"

I am grateful that Nate has the night off tonight so we could have a little family time together.

Good day for a wedding...

2011-05-28T18:24:00.000-04:00

It is always interesting to attend other religion's services - weddings being my favorite. Today, we were able to go to an employee's daughter's wedding. It was held in a contemporary, non denominational church. Josie was super excited to see the bride because of her dress. All she wanted to do the whole time was to give her a hug so she could 'touch the beautiful dress' (her words...)

After the service and wedding, we went to the reception at Saxony Farms - absolutely beautiful! Great day for an outdoor reception. It had a circus/fair theme with lots of stuff for kids. The big hit was the giant bounce castle that we spent way too much time in. There was also face painting, photo booth(including dress up apparel - i wore a top hat and a moustache and josie wore a tiara and feather boa) a popcorn machine, ring toss, giant tic tac toe game, and several other fair-like activities.

Josie asked to have her face painted like a cat. Surprise, surprise. =^..^=

(cat ears, not devil horns - although both are quite fitting)

It has been a beautiful day - no rain so far.... I have plans to do a little work outside after it (Josie) goes to bed tonight. Maybe - If I sit down, all bets are off. :)

Note to self sunday...

2011-05-22T20:29:00.000-04:00

In Primary today, the music leader was teaching the kids a new song - Praise to the Man -

After naps today (or lack there of) Josie was singing the song - but using her own words as usual.

"Reach for the sky, lu lu luuuuuu lu lu luuu lu...." (these are so NOT the words....)

I suppose we need to practice that song at home a little bit. :)

Another quick note about the kid -

- she must be going through friend withdrawal - Everything was named Anna (including herself at times) There was her purple imaginary dog named Anna, her ugly baby doll named Anna (or at times, Lucy-Anna), a bug that she killed and promptly named Anna, and today after church - i was asked to call her Anna, not Josie.

There was also an imaginary cat that lived in the car named Sofia.

This kid needs more friends. :) or just friends that live closer than grove city or washington state.

In other news -

We have 5 or so weeks to do the following

paint the guest room
sew the bedding
purchase a crib (found one, just need to order it)
replace the bathroom sink/cabinet for more storage
paint the bathroom
do a deep cleaning of the entire house (company coming for a while)
finish my many 'works in progress' sewing projects
make freezer meals/stock easy to cook stuff in the freezer
GARDEN!!! (that is this week's goal)
continue my OSHA class - 5 weeks left - finish homework - thank goodness for a 2 week break to catch up on last week's assignments
possible garage sale in the works - I have been collecting stuff for a possible sale - just dont know when i will have it.

that's just the stuff at the top of my head right now - It seems like time is flying by too fast to get stuff done. I have a dr.s appointment tomorrow where I get to meet my obgyn's associate, incase he is the one on call to deliver this child. I may just make up some sort of ailment so i can get another ultrasound to ensure that we are having a boy. I have been having doubts - whats new though. :)

Note to self - get some pictures on this blog asap.

More procrastination and less cat fights...

2011-05-21T21:00:00.000-04:00

I am sitting here tonight again with a task at hand... Primary sharing time for tomorrow. Actually, all I have procrastinated is finding the pictures - but I don't have it all together yet (at 8:30 on saturday night) , so it feels like I have nothing done.

a few other things that I wanted to get done this week but was busy with other non important stuff...

garden. FAIL. I weeded, prepped soil, found worms(for neighbor boy). I did not get anything planted and am now behind on the growing season. :(
dishes today - I honestly was hoping the rapture would take care of that problem.
end of the week book work at the office. Completely did NOT even try on that one. Can I chalk it up to the rapture again??? (I was putting a lot of eggs in that basket... :)

that is actually about it - it just seems like a lot.

I did get to work this morning and had an interesting experience. A woman called who owned a cat that had been missing for over 6 months. It just returned yesterday, barely able to move, not eating, and 'smelled like it was rotting' (her words, not mine, although I did agree ). I had her come in right away to see if there was anything we could do before euthanasia. She came in with the cat who was pretty much comatose, yellow with liver failure, severely dehydrated, matted, and barely able to lift her own head.

Into the exam room she went - Paul followed after i filled him in on our conversation and what the condition of the cat was. He took one look/smell at her and immediately recommended humane euthanasia. There was literally nothing that could save this cat at the stage she was in and she needed to be relieved of her pain in a humane way. The owner refused to do it several times, so finally Paul just told her that if she wanted medical attention and advice but wasnt going to be compliant, then she should leave.

And she took the almost dead cat right out the front door and left. We will probably never see her again. Pretty sad for someone not to realize the condition that their supposed pet of over 11 years was in - or wasnt willing to do the responsible thing. It just made me mad to see that - but glad that he actually told her to leave.

After all of the pleasantries, ups and downs of veterinary medicine for the day were over - Josie and I headed off to the May Market in Saxonburg again. My friend was already there attempting to sell my stuff and hers on this beautiful day. It was fun and nice to talk and visit, but not too much selling/buying was actually going on.

I attribute it to the fact that Saxonburg is pretty much a dead town full of old people who dont want to change anything and send the cops after people who have their tables sitting 2 inches farther onto the sidewalk than they should be. Aside from that - We had a good time just being outside.

After the May Market, we were off to the farm market for veggies and home made Amish doughnuts. And lemonade. And orange creamsicle pushpops. and maybe some beef sticks for Nate. (I had to bring back SOMETHING he would enjoy...) :)

Along with this blog post, this was a long day. I am looking forward to a rendezvous with my bed, but have been sidetracked by a 1942 black and white horror movie called Cat People. I love old movies, scary shows, and cats. Perfect combo, right???? :)

Good night!

Procrastination and cat fights...

2011-05-19T22:26:00.000-04:00

Right now, I should be doing one of several things.

studying
laundry
not eating cookies
sleeping
sewing like a mad woman to finish everything i've cut out for tomorrow's May Market
not blogging
not texting Nate about insignificant things to waste my time
deciding what this kid is going to be named

Instead, I am :

obviously, writing a pointless blog about things I should or shouldnt be doing
wondering how certain patients from the office are doing tonight
eating cookies
texting Nate about insignificant things to waste my time
staring at my sewing machine and pile of cut out birds that are mocking me
throwing stuff at the cat to wake it up
listening to a giant cat fight on our front porch - going outside to find massive tufts of brown fur and hearing low, angry meows from the shadows - then cowering behind the window inside the house to see if it will happen again. Seriously - this is the most exciting thing in my life right now?????
wondering how i can finish everything i need to do in 30 minutes.

ok, enough procrastination and cat fights.....

-I now resolve to get stuff done.

-I now resolve to not use facebook as a platform to share my opinions - however valid or invalid they may be - I keep forgetting I have professional contacts there too.... whoops. I don't want to be one of those complain-y whining facebook people that we all hate.

-I now resolve to work harder to be self sufficient,

-and I now am resolving to sit down at my machine for the last 48 minutes before I go to bed and pump out some awesome stuff that people will buy so I can pay for some extra junk that I need. :)

The end and good night.

I am sort of my brother's keeper...

2011-05-16T21:51:00.000-04:00

I like to think that I am observant of those around me. Today, I was completely oblivious to everything while I was sitting in the parking lot of Friedman's, reading something on my phone...

All of the sudden, a woman is knocking on my window frantically, asking me if I had a phone. The genius that I am, I held up my phone and pointed, saying yes.

"Call 911" she yells. I jump out of the car, dial 911 while she points in the direction of the reason for my calling. There is a guy in the process of hitting his girlfriend/wife/baby-momma and trying to get a small child out of the back seat while doing so. An older woman, trying to defend the girl, is screaming "Call the cops!"

So I yell out to her that i have a phone and am talking to them now. The guy hears that and takes off running down the street. By that time, the police has all my info and about 15 seconds later a patrol car is in the parking lot.

Turns out, the guy was meeting the girlfriend in the parking lot of the supermarket to take custody of the kid for the week. The older woman (defending the girlfriend) - the one that was screaming "call the cops" was actually the guy's mother!!!! CRAZY. Also, she didnt have any teeth, but that isnt why her son is a loser, just adding to the blog ambiance here...

Bottom line was that the woman was trying to get her own son arrested for domestic violence, drug use, kidnapping and probably wearing too much South Pole gear (a crime in itself)

My eyes were opened a little wider today for a few reasons -

I was the only one there with a cell phone (there were about 15 bystanders watching it all go down)
I was pretty much in my own little world until i was jolted back into reality by a frantic knocking on my window
the fact that this adorable little blonde haired, blue eyed little girl was so upset that she couldnt go with her daddy and really had no idea what was going on - that really broke my heart - big time.
The cop wasnt even phased when he was dealing with this woman. I'm sure they see this stuff a lot, but it was sure a shock to me.
I spoke to an older woman who also witnessed the altercation and she was just as shocked as I was -although she wasnt willing to do anything about it. (she did have a phone, but didnt want to get involved.) come on people - its another human being - seriously????

I was glad that I had decided to do my shopping while Josie was at preschool today. To comment on the blog title, - I say that YES, i need to be more observant of those around me because we should be our brother's keeper , even if it means just offering a cell phone call to someone in need.

What's been 'bugging' me lately...

2011-05-14T23:29:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure how or exactly when this started, but the resident 4 year old has developed a irrational (to me, anyways) fear of bugs. Ants, flies, bees, spiders, lady bugs, pretty much anything with legs, wings, stingers, anteanna or other bug like parts.

Even small crumbs or pieces of dirt have set off an anti bug reaction.

Monday night was a particularly interesting night. She had found an ant on the floor in her bedroom and the freak out began.

Here are some interesting facts:

I have class every monday night from 9:30 - 11pm
I do not let kids sleep in my bed with me
I do not tolerate crying for no reason - or tantrums
Fuzzballs do not constitute as bugs

The ant was found at bed time - a little before 8pm. Nate and I both dealt with the irrational thought process of a 4 year old until he went to work at 8:30. I then chose the path that ended with ignoring the child for a while - while she was crying and yelling that she didn't want her room any more and we could 'give it away to someone else' because there had been a bug in it.

At 9pm, i had the dishes done and grabbed my computer to go upstairs and get ready for bed/class.

The crying hadn't gotten any better. She was standing at my doorway sobbing and saying over and over again "I can just sleep in your bed tonight because bugs wont climb up there and get me"

I finally gave in because my class was starting (priorities, you know. heh) I told her to get her blanket and cat and crawl into bed next to me. about 30 seconds after she had done so, she was completely asleep - exhausted by her hour and a half of screaming and crying over an ant.

It is getting better, but we still have to do bug checks before bed of her room every night. I even warned the baby sitter of the bug thing. She said she was picking up fuzzballs and all sorts of non bug - bugs for a good portion of the evening. We probably should have paid her more. :)

Enough rambling about stuff thats been 'bugging' me - It's good to know that she is not the only one that goes through this - My friend has a 4 year old also and she has been dealing with bug issues too. So our kid isnt completely nuts.

Good to know.

We are going to the library next week to look for some bug books. :)

Stuff and things - Saturday night edition...

2011-05-14T23:08:00.000-04:00

Lots of stuff and things happening around here - sort of.

Today was the annual Succop Conservancy Master Gardener show - I am in NO WAY a gardener, let alone a master gardener - I do enjoy the plants I manage not to kill.

Josie and I have gone to this for the past few years to see the different flowers, plants and herbs and usually to see the dog that the humane society is sponsoring. This year, he was a large mixed breed named Geranamo. Very nice and very in need of a home. Josie says"he could live in my room" No, he can't.

4 hot dogs, 2 fresh baked scones, 2 bottles of water, one cup of edible dirt, and some german roasted cashews later,,,, we got to the plants. We took home a few free flowers - some marigolds and sunflowers, and I bought some herbs for my porch herb garden. Basil, rosemary, lavender, and some lemon balm. Josie was touching the leaves of the lemon balm and kept smelling her fingers and saying "mmmmmmm, that smells delicious!" I couldnt agree more. :)

We had our food, freebies, our plants, visited with some friends and walked back to the car. 5 yard sales and one junk shop later, we were home.

Tonight was stake conference. We had a baby sitter and I was excited to get out, just me and Nate. Good talks - it always amazes me how the simplest of subjects can leave the greatest impact. Being prepared was the subject of one of the talks - not just with food storage or physical preparedness, but being prepared in all areas of your life. I wish I would have written the quote down - I didn't think I would forget it, but I did. :( It had to do with fear being the opposite of preparedness.

Basic things like daily prayer, scripture reading, family nights and going on dates with your husband were all mentioned. I often forget how important these simple things are and it was good to have a reminder to the blessings our family can have by doing those simple things.

(steps off religious soapbox...)

Other stuff and things this week?

I cleaned out my sewing desk, threw out a garbage bag full of scraps, garbage fabric (yes, there is such a thing) and patterns that didnt have all their pieces, and realized i still didnt have enough room for my current project stash. I have to get sewing!!!!!!
went to a VHMA meeting (veterinary manager's meeting) and learned some cool stuff - also met a new member who recently received her certification (something I am currently working at) and got a few pointers on classes and other stuff that I need to do to reach my goal.
purchased 5 boxes of Kelloggs' cereal for 5 dollars. (thats pretty good - for me.... :)
didnt watch very much tv this week, and didnt miss it very much
Worked on my online class for a bit - OSHA is not really my favorite topic, but it needs to be done. Apparently, I need to organize a fire drill for our office. yeah, sure.
got a computer virus and with the help of a friend's son (who is a computer genius - ) was able to get rid of it

that meager list makes it look like i havent done or accomplished much this week, but it has been a busy one. With work, house stuff, kid stuff, other family stuff, dr. appointments, etc,,, im glad this week is over.

the end.

A post about Nate...

2011-05-04T22:43:00.000-04:00

Nate asked me today why I haven't posted anything about him lately.

My reply was that if he did anything interesting, then I would document it so we wouldnt forget it.

Here was Nate's day today - for posterity sake:(his day started at 8pm last night)

wake up - 8pm
get ready for work, say goodnight to the kid, make fun of the wife, take the garbage out
leave for work
work until 8:20am at Sam's Club(i know this because he texted me saying he was still there at that time. Usually, he is done around 6:30 or 7am)
head off to Sonnyblest Acres to shovel horse poop, fix stuff, and pet barn cats (I added the cat activity - I am pretty sure this happens) for a few hours
come home around 12, shower, eat lunch and get to bed around the same time Josie takes a nap
wake up at 8pm tonight, and start it all over again

That is pretty much his day. Sometimes there is a random video game, story time with the kid, lawn work, motercycle ride, family drive, or just hanging out - but very seldom does that happen(the hanging out , that is)

He works hard and a LOT, and we are very happy to spend any time we can with him.

Love you, Nate!!!

Just a quick note...

2011-04-30T23:23:00.000-04:00

Before I drag myself upstairs to bed, I thought I would just write a quick note to self to remind myself what I learned today.

Here goes:

It takes very little to excite/amuse/surprise a child. Especially a very grateful 4 year old who just recieved a yard sale treasure that cost me 2$. I love seeing that excitement in her eyes over simple things and wish I could do the same with what I have at times.
Going yardsale-ing with a purpose (and a good deal finding buddy - Mom) is worth the hassle of getting up a little earlier than you want to on a saturday morning
Not everyone is a morning person. or an early afternoon person. Lets just say, some people just dont take advantage of the first half of the day.
Paul + doughnuts (not sure how many) = the most annoying noise in the world. We thought real food would help the situation, but no. Even Wendy's couldnt squealch the incessant chatter of the 66+year old sugared up geezer in the back seat.
Just because I have had a child in the past 4 years does NOT mean i know how to hook up an infant car seat securely without instructions. I think in those 4 years, car eats must have grown extra belts or something.
Every garage sale should sell Nathan's hot dogs and have a port-a-potty near by.
K-Mart bathrooms are still the WORST bathrooms in town - second to Joann's. And yet, I still seem drawn to them.... like a fly to a big bright bug zapper.
63 days or less until I stop having heartburn constantly and don't have someone kicking/punching/practicing karate or very violent dance moves inside of me
I still love my bed more than anything at 11pm at night.
If someone tells you their son makes custom low rider beach cruisers and that you should buy one, this does not mean that it is actually a good idea to consider. Especially if you have balance issues, epilepsy, heart conditions, pacemaker, live in Pennsylvania (hills everywhere) or need a helmet to do every day activities let alone to ride a bike. Not a very good idea. Just my opinion.
A used crib at a yard sale should not be more than $50. Especially one that has scratches, boogers, crayon or whatever else was caked on it by the bratty little 5 year old talking back to his snobby father who insisted that it was a good brand and had nothing at his sale priced under $75. as granny said "I don't want my grandson sleeping in the same bed that that bratty kid slept in" HAH (ps, the crib was selling for $150 - incase you were wondering)
you can get sunburned at 9:30 in the morning.
Rich people have dogs. Expensive, annoying, highmaintence dogs. And really good invisible fences.
Yard/garage sale does not mean "put your stuff in garbage bags and let people go through it and pay you for it" Put some effort into it, people - come on! Also, who is going to buy a simple looking floral pillowcase dress for a toddler for FORTY BUCKS! yes, forty dollars - in a retail store, let alone a yard sale?
how many times can I type the words Yard Sale??????
I love my cats
I love yard sales.
Someone probably just reread this post and is now going to comment on the number of times I have typed the words Yard Sale. (Dedra)
I love asparagus
Quilt batting for 50 cents is the deal of the day!!!! Catherine would be proud. :)
Why not like cats? They are low maintence, you can leave them at home without worrying about letting them out overnight, decent companionship when they wish to contribute, and they don't tell your secrets. Seriously, what's not to like?

ok, I learned a lot today. Most had to do with yard sales, but im sure I can apply it to every day life if I try. Or, I can just go to bed, forget what I learned, and read the post tomorrow and wonder "what the heck was I thinking last night?"

Good night.

:)