My Christmas Surprises

My Christmas gifts from BJ:

A mug with a picture of a TARDIS on it that disappears when it is filled with coffee and a Kindle Fire.

I'm afraid that I expressed more visible excitement for the mug than the Kindle.

Nerdy, I know, but both are completely enjoyable. And I was basically shocked into silence upon opening the Kindle to really know what to do.

But I'm learning how to use it. And did you know that you can "check out" library books for an e-reader? I plan on trying to check one out today. (I think a little Steinbeck is in order...) I'm not completely converted yet, but if I had had an e-reader before Christmas I would have brought along the 750 page book that I'm finishing up this week. Instead I left that one at home.

:o)

My Happy Kids

Going through some pictures on my computer and camera made me realize how long it's been since I updated the photo slideshow across the top of my blog. Now the slideshow includes the last 3 months of pictures. Click on any picture and you'll be magically transported to the album on the web where you can download any picture for yourself. Because I just know you want that picture of Toby and BJ at the Renaissance Festival as the barman and beer maid. :o)

My Thoughts Exactly

I got a kick out of this question at the end of a blog post that I read today. I thought I'd share it with you, simply because I think it's fun to keep a spark of imagination alive in the day-to-day mundane things like cleaning out a closet.

Relatedly, what does it mean if you finally set about to clean a closet no one's cleaned in years, then find it to be spotless? Not a cobweb, not a dust bunny, not a single carpet beetle carcass, not a speck of lint, not even in the deepest darkest corners? Would you start pushing things aside looking for a looking glass, wardrobe, police box, or the door to Howl's moving castle? Or am I the only one who, finding something clean in my house, assumes that I've stumbled upon a portal to an alternate dimension?
* The post comes from the blog "This is my Secret" by author Kristin Cashore.


I've been meaning to write about blog posts that I enjoy following, and I can't remember if I have already. So I'll just put the plug in here. I love reading Cashore's blog, in which she writes about how she writes, places she's traveled to, her affinity for Bollywood actors and the show So You Think You Can Dance, or her closet in her apartment in Boston. 
I also really love Sharon Creech's blog ("Words We Say"). This one, again, covers a lot more than writing. Check this post out about being trapped by kittens. And she sometimes posts about squirrels, as I have been known to do!

My Nester

Norah built a nest for naptime today. I think it looks quite cozy, don't you?

My Weekend Visit Downtown

We took the kids to the Smithsonian earlier this month and caught a lot of great exhibits at the Museum of Natural History. But someone might have preferred the outside entertainment to the artifacts inside.

 

We asked a kind tourist to grab our picture before the kids took to running around the Mall like crazy folk. They fit right in with the touch football and ultimate frisbee players. We treated them to a ride on the carousel and a fancy spaghetti dinner. They enjoyed the trip and I'm sure we'll make it back to the Capitol again soon.

My Kids Have the "Christmas Can't Come Soon Enough" Wiggles

I think Toby might be highlighting his shirt as a possible gift suggestion to Santa....

We have had to explain several times to Toby that Santa will not be bringing him a DS or a Wii for Christmas. He has taken to drawing elaborate Star Wars scenes and Lego battles to illustrate his Christmas wish list. While helpful, not only for the time it keeps him occupied, it seems to me that we still need to work on the true reason for Christmas around these parts.

Norah just asks for a princess set for Christmas. When asked what a "princess set" contains she replies, "I don't know." So we decided that her main gift will come in the form of a tiny stainless steel cap that was placed on her baby molar that was infested with a huge cavity. The dentist called it a "princess hat" anyways. Merry Christmas, dear Norah, and we'll get you a real gift next year.

My Saturday Library Time

Ahhhhh....
I love times like this.

My Hike in the Backwoods

We had Toby's friend come over to play last weekend and we went exploring in the woods behind the house. There are tons of trails and it was really fun to see the kids out and enjoying nature. We went about 10 minutes in, stopped to eat a snack on a log, and then took another path home. Norah helped us along by saying "hut hut hut" as we marched up a big hill. Toby and his friend would run ahead and scout out the trail markings for us, or play-fight with stick-swords.

We'll have to head back in there for more exploring soon!

My Rainy Day Kids

Even on rainy day mornings we still try to have fun...

My Halloween Parades

The second of two Halloween parades--this one was at Toby's school on Halloween. The whole school packed out the blacktop with a parade, and parents lined the edges to snap pictures of their kids all dressed up. Norah and I walked to the school from a nearby playground and were very surprised at how many people turned out. (Coming from a school district where kids weren't allowed to dress up at school for Halloween this was a new experience for all of us.)

The first parade was a little neighborhood parade and carnival on Sunday. The kids had a really great time and came home with bags overflowing with prizes from the games. I was thankful that the weather cooperated enough for the kids to wear their costumes more than once!

My Keystone pictures

My mom and sisters in Keystone on October 8th. It was really great for us to have some quality time together for my Mom's birthday.

(And one that my dad took of me and Norah in the exact same spot on July 4th.)

My Backyardigans

Toby and Norah have fun in the back yard -- I can watch them play while I do work in the study or even if I'm upstairs at the kitchen sink.
The other day they were playing nicely so I grabbed the camera to take a couple of candids. Those didn't turn out so well, but when I got them to sit still for a minute I captured them being so...sibling-ish that I had to post them here. (It was Toby's idea to link arms with Norah, and I think you can figure out what he was trying to do based on his facial expressions.)

My surprise weekend

BJ and I flew to Colorado two weeks ago to surprise my Mom for her 60th birthday.
(This is the best picture I could get because she wouldn't stop hugging us!)
I am so thankful we were able to pull off the surprise, and that Oma and Opa were game for watching Toby and Norah for 4 long days!
Being in Colorado was really good and gave us the opportunity to spend quality time as an extended family--for the first time since my Dad's funeral. The next time we'll all be together will be at Christmas time.

My Sliders

We had a blast at the Air Force--Navy football game earlier this month.
The kids liked the pre-game entertainment. Well, Toby loved it (there was a moon bounce and this slide), but Norah wasn't so sure. BJ tried his best to teach the kids about the game. They were more interested in eating as much cotton candy as we would allow. I left with the kids at the third quarter and Norah fell solidly asleep in the car. She dozed on the living room chair for a while after we got home.  :o)

My First Grade Homework

Have I told you how much homework Toby has to do each night?
Well, it's a lot.
And every Thursday his teachers send home the seat work he's done for the week. This is interesting on some level, but on another level it looks like Toby just does worksheets all day (which may or may not be true--I haven't had a chance to go visit his classroom like I did when he was in kindergarten).
This evening I went through his weekly stack of seat work and found a page about "Football in the Fall" that I thought I'd share with you.
It's a worksheet about complete sentences. The little worksheet has a cute picture of a squirrel kicking a football. There are a mix of 14 phrases and sentences on the page and Toby has to underline each complete sentence and then rewrite each incomplete sentence to make it a complete sentence.
For example, #6 says "The grass." (It's not a complete sentence, so Toby had to rewrite it to make it one.)
Toby then wrote at the bottom of the page "the grass wavs wan it is a winde day."
That makes sense, right?
:o)
Here's the part that made me laugh out loud.
At the bottom of the sheet is a little box that says:
"Bonus: Write three complete sentences about squirrels."

Three complete sentences about squirrels?? Really?

My Convenience Fee

I paid a ticket online today and the site made note of "a $2.75 convenience fee" that was added to the cost of the ticket, presumably for the convenience of paying it online.

My first thought was that I'd like to charge 3% each time I do something that makes my kids' lives more convenient. (Or even the person who shall remain nameless whose ticket I "conveniently" paid online.)

You want me to put your homework back in your bag? Sure thing. That'll be 3% off your allowance.
Should I set out your backpack and shoes by the door in the morning? No problem! Another 3% for me!

I think I've finally found a way to earn an income for my services as a full time mom.

Then again, I work for smiles and hugs too. Wouldn't you?

My Kids at the Grown-Up Table

The other night we went out to eat at "La Madeliene" and we let the kids sit at a table for two nearby. They got a kick out of pretending that they were there without Mom or Dad. They were very well behaved for the guy that delivered the food (and came back three times with drink refills). It was nice to be able to watch them interact with each other from a short distance away, and to see little privileges like this spark their independence.

My Lunch Buddy

We're having fun eating "flatbread with cheese warmed up."
This is Norah's daily lunch request. It's not very nutritional, but at least it's a lot easier for a three-year-old to say than "quesadilla."

My Playdates

During the crazy week (that shall not be remembered) while we were packing everything in Connecticut I was fortunate to have wonderful opportunities for playdates for the kids. This was a win-win because it saved them from extreme amounts of slave labor at home, and gave me peace of mind knowing that they were having quality time with friends before the move.

Norah, here, is happy as a clam to ride along in the jeep belonging to her friend Sam. I couldn't get a picture of her driving, however, because every time she got behind the wheel she took off like a bullet. (As a matter of fact, I noticed that even when she was in the passenger seat she'd sneak her foot over and press on the gas pedal. If I were you I'd stay off the roads near our house in about 12 years when she's learning to drive a real car!)









Toby spent the last week in Connecticut at his summer day camp, and on the last day he got his face painted like Harry Potter. For a kid that's never seen the movies, read the books, or experienced any of the media tie-ins to the series he's pretty excited about it all. But that's who Toby is.

My Little Girl's Big Day

Today was Norah's first day of preschool. She only went for an hour, but she went through essentially 3 outfits before we got out the door. Next week she'll start going two mornings a week.
She seems pretty excited, don't you think?

My Survivor's Summary

We packed. In about a week.
We moved. In a day.
Toby started school. After an earthquake and a hurricane.
...

We have survived.

My Hard Road Ahead

My Dad relocated us from Connecticut to Colorado when I was almost 14. I don't think any of us imagined the blessings that could come from leaving the only home we'd ever known for the great, wild west. 

My Dad bought me my first CD at 16: Paul Simon's Graceland. His musical influence on me started way before that, and I think he's the only person that could slip in a CD with a completely straight face, play the first song and say "It's the Squirrel Nut Zippers!"

My Dad (and Mom) dropped me off at college just before I turned 18. I don't think he made it back to Greeley more than twice until I graduated 4 years later, but I've always considered that an expression of his faith in my independence and individuality, as opposed to the alternative: that he couldn't stand the smell of the town where I chose to go to college. :o)

My Dad walked me down the aisle at 20--twelve years ago today. Probably not his first choice for things to do with your daughter before she's 21, but I believe he was proud of my choice.

My Dad gave each of his daughters a gift from Tiffany's one Christmas, saying that every girl deserves to see that little blue box under the tree at least once. 

My Dad became a Papa 6 years ago, when Toby was born on Father's Day. I couldn't imagine a better Father's Day gift for my Dad. I have been so proud of him and the experiences he provided for Toby and Norah. (He took Toby to his first Major League baseball game, bought him his first baseball glove, and they caught a foul ball together!)

I will have to bury my Dad this week. I'm 32--half his age. I hate to think of all the memories we're going to have as a family without him here. It really hurts, both for me and for my Mom and sisters, but also for my kids and for BJ. Just the potential of missed conversations, quiet times, trips, and gatherings leave such huge holes in the road ahead.

If you'd like to come share with us in celebrating my Dad's life we'll be at Colorado Community Church in Denver at 3 pm on Tuesday, August 9th.

My Heart Hurts

Last night, August 3rd, my Dad passed away.
He was surrounded by his family. We all expressed how much we love him, how proud we are of him, and that we know he loves us.
My heart has a huge hole in it, and I ache for the times we would have had with him--he was only 64.

My Dad

About a week ago I got a call from my mom that Dad went to the hospital with severe head and neck pain while he was on a fishing trip in Montana.
It quickly became clear that his condition was very serious, and after a flight-for-life trip to a larger hospital it was diagnosed that he'd had an aneurysm. My mom flew to Billings where he was stabilized (and unfortunately unconscious before she landed) and then flown to Denver for surgery.
I got on the first flight out to Denver on Monday morning (July 25th) and by the time I got to the hospital the doctors had performed surgery to stop the bleeding in his brain. The consequence of the surgery was that they had to cut off the PICA vessel to his cerebellum (where they located the aneurysm), thus causing a stroke.
Since Monday at noon I have been keeping vigil by his bedside, together with my mom and sisters, but he has yet to regain full consciousness.
On Tuesday night (July 26th) the doctors determined that the swelling in his brain necessitated a surgery called a craniectomy, where they removed a flap of his skull to allow the brain room to swell. This, along with the stroke, was a step the doctors expected, and he continues in critical condition at Swedish Medical Center in Denver.
On Thursday the nurses weaned him off sedation and removed his breathing tube. He has been breathing well on his own but he has not woken up to move or talk except in response to pain (like when the nurses adjust his pillow where he had the brain surgery he'll open his eyes).
We are in a long waiting period where we're not sure what will happen next. The neuro doctors have not been very visible in this process, but we have come to expect the best in nursing care. Everyone says he's in the best hospital for neuro in a 7-state radius, so we're getting confirmation that the team working with my dad is very good. (In fact, the hospital in Billings, MT only called 3 hospitals to figure out where to fly my dad for surgery: one in Seattle, one in Minnesota, and Swedish in Denver. We are very thankful that he was taken to Denver because we have so much built-in support.)
Please pray for my dad and for my family during this difficult time. I am flying back to Connecticut tonight, and in three weeks we are moving to Maryland. I have told my Dad that I'll be back to see him once the kids are settled. (I think he'll wonder why I spent a week in his room listening to him snore instead of being in CT preparing to move!)
We have been using the Caring Bridge website to post almost-daily updates about my Dad and his progress towards recovery. You can see his site by going to www.caringbridge.org and entering his website name, dougjohnson2011 or you can click on this link: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/dougjohnson2011

On a side note, it's difficult to say how hard and draining this week was for me and my family. This is going to be a long haul (think 3 or 4 weeks in the Critical Care Unit), and we are nowhere near out of the woods as far as the doctors are concerned. But we have been so encouraged by the support we've felt from family and friends.
This last week there has been a lot of tears, but there has also been a lot of laughter. One of the consequences of being out of the loop as far as my parents are concerned is that I don't know a large number of the people that have come to the waiting room to visit us (visitors to my Dad's room are limited to family). So we set up "camp" in the waiting room and go back to the CCU to visit my Dad on shifts (usually 2 to the room). One time I came back to our camp to find two people sitting on the couch near our stuff. Mom was in the room and my sisters were out. I started to introduce myself and say thanks for coming to visit when the lady interrupted me and said "Oh, I don't know you. This was the only couch not taken." Oops. When my mom came back out to the waiting room I could see her start to question if she knew this lady sitting next to us so I had to say "They don't know Dad, they're just sitting here." The lady said she must have picked the right couch because we were all so friendly.

My Neighborly Wildlife

This picture (Toby with 3 cousins) is funny to me on a couple of levels.

1) The boys were playing badminton in the woods.

2) There's a deer about 15 feet behind them that basically watched 10 kids play in the yard all day without moving. (There were many debates among the adults that day: was it just tired? thirsty or dehydrated? going to have a baby? dying?) It eventually walked off around the other side of the house without any drama.

3) I can't seem to find any resemlance among these boys, and isn't my nephew's calico hair awesome?

My Father's Day and 6th Birthday Combo Party

We had a combined Father's Day BBQ and birthday party for Toby on our first day in Colorado. (And my nephew turned 1 a few days earlier, so we had a special cake for him too!)




Toby got an ice cream cake for birthday # 6. The only thing redeeming this ice cream cake's decorations is that there are Reeses Peanut Butter Cup crumbles around half the cake. Someone did raise the question as to why they were only on half the cake. That was prime real estate in our family!







Norah enjoyed the blue-frosted cake (she's saving some for later) and keeping her scooter away from her cousin Kennadie.














Toby had another Star-Wars heavy birthday, but this maze book was really cool, and offered a lot of opportunties for quiet time. We also took a trip (just the 3 of us) to the Lego store in Park Meadows where they each picked out a Lego set (and Toby got a few extra things too).

My Last Days of School

The last few days of school were super busy. Each day was filled with games and activities to keep the kids busy--we had to add a week of school for snow-make-up days. Wednesday was water day so Toby got to wear his swim shirt. Norah accompanied us to the bus stop.






Toby next to his cubby on Thursday, the second-to-last day of kindergarten. (This kid needs a haircut!)














Toby and his teacher, Mrs. Young.
There wasn't a graduation celebration or anything, but each child got a certificate, a round of applause, and a bucket full of activities to do over the summer.