Merry Christmas to our Princesses!

Chris and I enjoy watching our girls get excited about Christmas and this year was better than any others so far. As the girls get a little older, they start to get more and more excited about Santa coming. It was so fun watching Maddie get prepared and talk about Santa's arrival. She knows about how Santa comes down the chimney when we're asleep and how we need to leave cookies and milk for him and this year she even wanted to write him a thank you note. I think it is fun for us as we tend to relive our childhood through our kids. We remembered how we used to feel and act as kids on Christmas Eve - how Chris would get up in the middle of the night to see what Santa had brought him and then go back to bed until morning, and how I would have such anticipation on Christmas Eve that I would have a hard time going to sleep that night and then always woke up at 5 or 6 am and would want to open presents.

This year Santa brought the girls a new play kitchen. They loved it, especially Brooke, who wouldn't come out of it even to open her other Christmas presents. It was so much better (and cooler) than their old kitchen. This was one you can walk into and cook, plus it makes noises. When you put the kettle or coffee pot on the burner - it makes a noise and looks like it is boiling and the skillet sizzles. Plus the microwave makes a noise like it is cooking and the phone rings. Okay, I know I sound like I like the kitchen as much as the girls and to be completely honest - I played with it before they did - but it is COOL! (I told you I was re-living my childhood.)

Their other present this year from Chris and I was a transformation of their play room. We have a room downstairs for all their toys. It was unfinished and pretty boring - so I decided that we would transform it into a "princess" room since we have three little girls. (again - I would have wanted a princess room as a kid) We didn't want to spend the money to actually finish the room, but we wanted to make it a place that they wanted to play in and that was special. So, we hung fabric on the walls and ceiling to make a tent look and then added other extras to make it look really girly. Below are the before and after pics of the room. The girls just loved it! They knew we were "finishing" the room for them for a few weeks now, but we've had a lock on the door and have been very secretive as to what we were doing. It was really hard for Maddie - she doesn't like surprises just like her mommy - and she wanted so badly to see it before it was done. But, we were really good about being sneaky and made it to Christmas morning for it's official unveiling to the girls. I know they like it because they have played every day down there, which is more than they have in a long time.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Well it's been another great Christmas. The girls got so many gifts that they just loved. There will be lots to play with in the coming months. We hope your family had a Merry Christmas and we look forward to sharing more stories & pics in the coming new year!

First Snow of the Season

We had our first snow this December - actually on the 16th - and Maddie and Ashlyn couldn't wait to go out and play in it. I had asked that they wait for their daddy to get home and the literally hit him at the door as soon as he walked in ready with their snow gear on. This was really Brooke's first time playing in the snow and going sledding and she had a blast along with her sisters. We love the snow - not really the cold, but the snow is so much fun to play in. We were thankful that we got to see some and it even stuck around for a white christmas this year!

Tinkerbell Turns Two

Today, our baby turned TWO years old! I just can't believe it. The last two years has flown by. Brooke has just grown and changed so much. Yesterday, we had her birthday party and she celebrated as Tinkerbell! She got so many presents - a couple of new dolls, including a stroller and baby bed for them, a stuffed cow that moos, a pig pillow that will be awesome for taking with us on trips as it folds in half to look like a stuffed animal and then unfolds to become a pillow - and that was just to name a few!

She also blew out two candles on her "Tinkerbell" cake (or technically Maddie did before she had a chance!)

It is so hard for me to fathom that this will be my last baby. We have decided that we feel our family is complete and don't plan to have any more kids. However, today has been a bit tough for me as I see my baby actually leave the "baby" stage and really become a BIG GIRL! Wow! I'm so excited to see what the future holds for Brooke - she is such a special girl and such a blessing to our family.

Happy Birthday Brooke - We love you!!!

Brooke - A Two Years Glance

Brooke's Pillow

Many times children have an attachment to something when they are little. For many kids it usually is a blankey or a stuffed animal. My kids have not really done this much. In fact, I don't remember Maddie ever having something she was attached to. Ashlyn has gone through some small spurts of attachments - she had a blanket that she always wanted to have with her at bedtime, but that ended pretty early on. She then moved on to a stuffed dog that she needed to have with her quite a bit; however, she has seemed to have stopped needing it as much now. But the newest thing is with Brooke. She is attached to her pillow. She doesn't really seem to care too much which pillow it is - although it does have to be a small pillow like the couple of ones that Grandma Johnson or her cousin Kelsi has made. She mostly has to have it with her when she goes to bed or takes a nap, but she often wants to have it in the car or she'll just carry it with her around the house. She is so funny when she decides she needs it and when she needs it - you better find it or she won't stop fussing for her "pilwo".

Traditions

Something that is very important to Chris and I is that our family starts traditions that the girls will remember when they are grown up. Hopefully, these will be the things that they look forward to each year and may even pass onto their own families some day.

We haven't started too many yet, but one of our family traditions is Friday night sleepovers, which sometimes consists of the girls pushing their beds together and at othertimes consists of everyone sleeping in our bed, which usually kicks Chris to the couch. Another one we have started is having new Christmas pj's for the whole family to wear to bed Christmas Eve and open presents in the next morning. (This one tends to make for really great "Christmas morning" pics.)

Well, this Sunday we realize that how we put up our Christmas tree has become another family tradition. Something that I have always enjoyed while I've put up the tree in the past is watching (or really listening to) the movie "A White Christmas". It is an old classic (and is NOT Chris' favorite), but I love to have it on in the background. It really gets me into the Christmas spirit. This year the girls asked if we could put the tree up and watch mommy's favorite Christmas movie too! They wanted to have it on as well, which made me smile inside and know that we were creating another tradition as a family. And putting the tree up this year was better than any other since the girls are older and wanted to help put the decorations on the tree. They mostly enjoyed getting to put each of their past year's handmade ornaments on the tree. We talked about how old they were when they made them and they reveled in their precious artwork. They had the best time putting the tree up and I'm sure they will look forward to do it again next year.

I anticipate more family traditions to come and am excited to see what they will be.

Too Messy - Too Tired

I guess cleaning your room is an exhausting task?!? I gave Ashlyn one job to do today and when I went into her room to see how it was coming - this is what I found...

I suppose she shouldn't stuff everything under her bed because it wears her out to clean under there?!?

"I'll Huff and Puff and Blow Your House Down"

When trying to decide what the girls would be for Halloween this year, we had the roughest time coming up with something other than "a princess". Having girls it seems to be the only thing they want to be. I have nothing against "princesses", I just thought that it might be fun or exciting to be something different. So we thought extremely hard at coming up with something clever and I think we were successful this year!

Maddie, Ashlyn & Brooke were the Three Little Pigs! And of course you need a Big Bad Wolf - and luckily we had Daddy to play that part! In order to get Maddie to buy into this costume, I had to make a deal with her and Ashlyn that if they would "trick or treat" as a pig then they could be the all famous choice - a princess - at school. (I honestly couldn't blame Maddie for not wanting to go to school as a "pig").

So, check out the Halloween pics from the day. As you can see we had two different costumes, but I have to admit, they pulled off The Three Little Pigs wonderfully! We got so many compliments as to how cute they were. But honestly, it wouldn't have been the same if Daddy wouldn't have been the wolf - he really finished off the theme perfectly and was such a trooper the whole time. I'm so thankful I have a hubby that is so patient and fun loving!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Three Little Pigs & The Big Bad Wolf

"That Wolf is Scary"

Trick or Treating

"What Cute Little Tails!"

Maddie as a Snow Princess at School.

Ashlyn as Snow White at Preschool.

Little Bumblebee (Baby Dylan)

The Importance of Brushing Your Teeth!

As moms, we all know how important it is for our children to brush their teeth! Chris and I have always tried to get the girls to brush their teeth first thing in the morning and before bed. I can't say that we haven't forgotten a time or two, but we try our best. However, I will say that we let them brush their own teeth and we don't do it for them.

Well, for some time now we have been dealing with Maddie's teeth issues. It all began back at the beginning of this year when she started complaining of her cheek hurting. Like most people, you look for canker sores or a bite inside her cheek or on her tongue, but I couldn't find anything. It took me almost a week for her to finally direct me to a tooth on the top that I noticed was starting to turn gray inside the middle of the molar. We immediately got her into the dentist and after several visits and an attempt to fix the problem using laughing gas, we determined that she would need to be sedated - which only a pediatric dentist could do. We made an appointment for Maddie to get her teeth worked on in July and on that day we met my parents in McPherson at the quilt shop (obviously for my mother-in-law to do a little shopping). While in the quilt shop and while my mom and dad were getting the two younger girls, the clerk gave the girls each a package of Smarties without my knowledge. And before I noticed it, Maddie had eaten 4 little candies! (she was not to have eaten anything due to having surgery in a couple hours) So, I informed the dentist when we got there, not really thinking is was that big of a deal , but they wouldn't do the procedure because it was unsafe with food in her stomach. UUUGGGGHHH! I was completely disappointed, so much so I could have thrown up! We had waited almost six months for this to be done and with one small mishap, we were being given a new appointment almost three months later!

Luckily, the three months went pretty quickly and we were set for our rescheduled appointment on Sept 30th. And... then on the Friday before I was called to tell me that both the dentists had their babies and our appointment would have to be cancelled until they got back from maternity leave. Needless to say, I was again disappointed. However, finally on this Monday we got a call to reschedule again and they could do it yesterday morning!!! So, we went in yesterday and Maddie didn't have anything to eat so we were a go for surgery. She was given a little poke of "sleepy" medicine when I gave her a big bear hug and within minutes she was out of it. It was so hard to carry my baby back there and watch them give her an IV and see her little eyelids taped shut. The procedure ended up taking about two hours and after 2 extractions, 2 pulpotomys (a root canal for a child), 4 caps and several fillings and sealants - she was done. The poor girl has so much metal in her mouth she almost looks like she has braces - but it was necessary to get her back on the right track. The hardest part was watching her come out of the anestesia. She was shiverring (which is normal) and soooo wigglely. I thought she was going to wiggle right off the table. She was crying and grabbing her head because she was dizzy. It was so hard for me - I hate seeing one of my children in this type of situation. But, we got it done and she was so brave! She even got to put her two molars under her pillow last night for the tooth fairy - who brought her $2!!!

So, now you can see the importance of brushing your teeth!!! Honestly, Maddie's problems were somewhat because she has inherited bad teeth - but, it was also from not brushing good enough and not flossing. So, learn from our mistakes and check your kids teeth and possibly brush for them (at least on occassion). Trust me, after spending over $1000 in her mouth - it is so worth it! Just a little note - Ashlyn has PERFECT teeth - thank goodness!!!

First Dance Routine

This last Sunday was Maddie and Ashlyn's first dance program. They were the halftime entertainment for the Guns and Hoses Charity Football game, featuring the Salina Police Dept against the Salina Fire Dept. They were so excited to show us what they have been learning at dance class AND they got to wear their Halloween costumes as well.

Below are both of their routines. I have to admit, it was sort of a disappointing day as Ashlyn ended up being a little scared and too cold to dance her whole routine and Maddie was accidentally put in the wrong group and was not even doing the routine she learned. I felt so bad for Maddie as she was crushed that she couldn't show me what she had learned, but I was impressed at her dancing pretty good for a routine she hadn't even learned. Hopefully next time will be much better.

Ashlyn is Snow White

Maddie is a Winter Princess

Celebrating 30!

For Katie's birthday, me and my girlfriends spent a weekend away - no husbands and no kids! We ended up going to Wichita since we didn't want to spend half our time away driving. We started Friday evening off by going to dinner at Texas Roadhouse where Katie got to sit on the sadle. And after spending some time in the hot tub at the hotel and having some girl talk, we finally hit the sack at nearly midnight! (Which by the way is close to three hours after my bedtime...yes I know, I'm old.) The next day we spent time resting and relaxing and chit chatting all day long. We even enjoyed some pampering by getting manicures and pedicures. Obviously, we didn't party hard, but honestly, it was so nice spending time hanging out with girlfriends and enjoying a quiet relaxing day!


Watch Katie "Yee Ha" for turning 30.

(Katie - you knew I HAD to post it)


Katie, Dana, Me and Julie



Pampered with Pedicures & Manicures

Getting Older

Everyone hates getting older - or most people anyways... however, in the eyes of a child, one year older is the best thing in the world. On my next birthday, I will be hitting the big 30! I'm really not having too much trouble with this since Chris is already in his 30's - I kinda already feel that I'm there as well. However, this birthday can be hard for some people. Two of my good friends turned 30 yesterday and today! So, the girls wanted to wish them a Happy Birthday.

Happy Birthday Dawn and Katie!!

Pumpkin PaZOOla

Yesterday my friend Amanda and I took our kids to the Pumkin PaZOOla at the Salina Zoo. It was a really nice day to go and the kids had fun looking at the animals and doing the extra activities they had available. However, we learned that if we go again next year, we will make sure we do the extra activities first before checking out the animals since we ended up missing out on the free pumkins for the kiddos and we weren't able to get our faces painted. Nonetheless, we still had a great time. Here are some pics.

Trey, Maddie and Ashlyn on the Obstacle Course!







Brooke digging for a pumkin prize.

Ashlyn, Maddie & Trey in the Corn Maize

The kids enjoying the Petting Zoo!

My Obsessions

For the last couple months, I have been obsessed with going to garage sales! I just absolutely love it. I think my obsession comes from the fact that I'm really not able to go shopping like I used to since we are now living on one income, so this is my way of shopping.

I have found a lot of clothes for Maddie and Ashlyn, especially sizes they will be growing into. (I really don't have to look for Brooke since she has huge wardrobes to grow into because of the two older girls hand-me-downs!) I also love to pick up puzzles for Maddie, books for Ashlyn and learning toys for Brooke. Last weekend I even found 2 pairs of roller skates for next summer. I can't wait for the girls to get to use them. I also tend to find lots of home decor and scrapbooking supplies and I even pick up clothes for Baby Dylan to grow into, which is kind of fun since I'm not used to shopping for boys.

However, this weekend I found my best deals yet! I ended up getting an 8-foot tall Christmas tree for my friend for $1. Yes, a buck! And, it gets better than that, as we were putting the tree together to make sure all the pieces were there, we ended up finding another tree and a brand new lighted Christmas wreath (the huge ones that you put on the side of your house). I did go back to the garage sale and told her about the other tree and the wreath and I got to keep the tree for my other friend that was in need of one, but the wreath was not supposed to have been sold, so I'm glad I went back to check. To bad, it was really awesome. So, in the long run, I got two Christmas trees for 1 buck! Then yesterday, I found a pretty nice couch (or large loveseat) for my friend and I got it for $5! What a find. I am just loving it. I think my favorite part is getting nice things for such a bargin!!! Too bad the garage sale season is about to end, but I'll be ready in the spring to start back up again.

My other obsession (or really more of a goal) is to lose some weight before the end of the year. I tried doing weight watchers, but they have changed their procedures to make it much harder to do without joining and I just don't have the extra money to spend on a membership. So, I've been doing a diet called the Idiot Proof Diet. Basically it is a fast way to lose weight doing the diet in 11-day increments. The first 11-day try I ended up losing 6 pounds. However, my fear was that I would lose the weight fast and then gain it all back once I went off the diet. But, much to my surprise I have been off the diet for a few weeks now and I have maintained my weight lost. I have now gone back on another 11-day session to see what I can lose this time. My goal is to lose 26 pounds total - I hope I can reach it.

September Catch Up

This month has flown by and I have not even had enough time to sit down and post anything. So, here is my attempt to catch up the happenings of September...

Dance lessons have started this month and Maddie and Ashlyn are really enjoying learning tap and ballet. They are in two different classes, which means we go to the dance studio on two different days - however I think it is working best that way so they can make their own friends and they don't have to be in competition with each other.

We spent some time at the Kansas State Fair the first two weekends of September. This year was different since Aunt Mindy was here. She got to join us in watching the girls ride the rides, which is obviously their favorite part of the fair! Brooke was also big enough to ride a couple of rides this year as well. She enjoyed it so much and was so cute giggling on them. The older girls wanted to ride the bigger rides this year - so Daddy and Aunt Mindy got to ride with them. Mommy rode a few rides, but not many because I get sick on the spinning rides. However, I did get convinced this year to overcome my fear and I rode the Mega Drop with my neices and nephew. (This is the ride where you go up really high and then sit and wait for it to drop you back down) I was so scared and probably could have thrown up, but I did it and was very proud of myself once I got done. Although, I have no desire to ride it again. On the second weekend, Chris and I worked at our friends food booth and sold Tacones and Hogs. (In case you are wondering, Tacones are a tortilla baked into a cone shell and filled with taco salad and a Hog is a 1/2 lb full beef hotdog wrapped like a pig in the blanket) They are awesome and probably my favorite foods at the fair, which eating fair food is my favorite part of the fair!!

Lastly, this week we got to see our Maddie cheer at the Southeast football game. She attended a mini cheer clinic during the week and then cheered during the second quarter of the football game this last Friday. She did a very good job, but I didn't get any pics that weren't either too dark or blurry - sorry. It was so cute seeing all those little girls out there cheering for their team.

Chris and I wonder what activities and sports our girls will get into. It is fun to watch them try and experience new things and determine if they like them. I guess we'll have to wait and see what they choose.

Labor Day at the Lake

We spent the weekend at the lake with family and friends. It was a blast, especially since we got to try out a jet ski this time. I've never been on one before, so it was a little scary at first for me, but I got past my fears quick. The first time Chris and I went out together, we accidently fell off - twice! It was fun though. The girls loved going on the water with Daddy. They were much more into the lake this weekend than they were on the 4th of July. The last day we did some tubing and boy am I sore!!! I think I used muscles that I've never used before. But, it was still a great end to the weekend, especially since it didn't start off great.


Daddy & Maddie on the Jet Ski



Ashlyn & Daddy on the Jet Ski



Mommy & Angel Tubing

My Knight in Shining Armor

My weekend didn't really get off to a great start. However, I will say that my husband was my "Knight it Shining Armor" as he came to my rescue several times and did so without complaining and with a kind and compassionate heart! It started on Friday morning - on my way to the bus stop to get Maddie off to school. I didn't even get out of the neighborhood before I noticed that I had a flat tire. I immediately called my darling husband to tell him the great news and he graciously came home to help me with my tire. Chris aired up the tire enough to drive the van to the tire shop and then took Maddie to school while I waited for the tire to be fixed. Once that ordeel was over, I decided I would check out a few garage sales and do a little shopping with my friend Angela. No bid deal, right? Wrong! Before going into one of the stores, I decided to quickly change Brooke's diaper before we went in - and set my keys down on the floor of the van. Once I was finished, I scooped up Brooke, the dirty diaper, my purse and shut the locked door - but forgot to pick up my KEYS! Immediately I knew what I had done and again had to call my "Knight" to rescue me once again. Chris stopped what he was doing, went to the house to get the spare key and met me at the van to unlock to door so I could get back in. What a trooper!! The day continued as I picked up both Ashlyn and Maddie from school and went to the grocery store to pick up a few items for the weekend. Since it was Friday before Labor Day weekend, Dillons was packed and I told the girls that if they were patient in the store and behaved, they would get a special treat after supper. Unfortunately, that did not turn out in their favor. Both girls could not keep their hands off of each other or anything in the store. I eventually told them both that they were on their final warning and if they touched anything in the store or each other, they would not be allowed to get their special treat. And, I once again had to stick by my threat. When Ashlyn grabbed the frozen food door and kept opening it, I turned to her and told her that her special treat was gone. And, you would have thought I told her that her world was over. My beloved 4 year old, whom I love with all my heart, decided to throw a fit like she has never thrown before - literally! She plopped her adorable little behind (I can say that now since it has been a few days) down on the floor and started throwing a crying fit - and it wasn't quiet by any means. So, as any good mother would - I walked away from her, not to give her the attention that she most certainly wanted. However, my plan did not work as I thought it would. You would expect that once you walked clear across the store that she would get up embarrased or scared or something!!! She didn't and instead continued to throw her fit, which made me more mad than I have ever been! I proceed to walk right back up to her, get down to her level and sternly tell her to get her behind off the floor immediately or she would be in bigger trouble than she has ever been before. She thankfully did what I asked and I whisked her into an isle that had NO shoppers in it and gave her a significant paddle on her backend. It may not have been the wisest thing to do as spanking in public is not the most appreciated thing in this world, but I needed to get that behavior nipped in the bud immediately. She now knows (thanks to Daddy's stern lecture once we got home) that her behavior that day will NOT be tolerated, Period! Chris decided to end our day by taking the family out to dinner and Mommy got to pick. I chose Applebee's so I could have a chicken salad and stick to my diet. We finally got seated, received our drinks and was about to order when Maddie started crying that she had a stomach ache. We waited a few minutes, talking with her to determine if it was a pain or if she was sick to her stomach and decided that we better leave as we did not want her throwing up in the restaurant booth. So we left and Chris went and picked up hamburgers for us to eat at home. However, my "Knight" had done one other good deed that evening that I found out about later that night. Chris and I drove separately to the restaurant so he could catch a movie after supper and I could take the girls home to put to bed. I got to the restaurant first and waited with the three girls. As Chris was driving to the restaurant, he saw a car stopped on the road and pulled over to help. The car he stopped for had run out of gas and Chris luckily had a full 5 gallon jug of gas in the back of his truck. So, not only was my husband my "Knight" that day, he also came to someone else's rescue. He is such a great guy and I love him with all my heart! Thanks to my wonderful husband - I am the luckiest woman on Earth!

Summer Blog Catch Up

Sometimes I get too busy to blog and miss out on some funny moments or cute pics. Therefore, I am catching up with some blogs that never got posted this summer.

PEACEFUL ASHLYN - Sometimes, this is Ashlyn at her best! She wears me out and sometimes it's so nice when she does the same to herself and crashes. AAAAHHHH, finally peace and quiet!

LITTLE BEETHOVEN'S - The three girls actually thought they were playing great! It was so cute, however, I think Brooke enjoyed it the most.

ASHLYN'S HAIRDO - This is what happens when you let a four year old do her own hair!

BIG POUTER - The girls got the same exact pair of pj's for the summer ad I thought it would be a cute pic. Obviously, not all my children agreed - check out Maddie's big pout!

ASHLYN'S VBS DEBUT - Watch how Ashlyn get's so into the actions. She made me laugh, so sorry that the video gets a little bumpy at times.

GOOFY DADDY - Chris will probably kill me for posting this, but it is too funny. Here he is as Daddy Walrus!

Caught in Action

We have a new thumb sucker in our house - Baby Dylan. Baby Dylan is my cousin's baby that I am watching during the day. He has now decided to join our Brooke in sucking his thumb. He's been doing it for a few days now, but I haven't been able to catch him on camera. However, I finally did yesterday. There's no denying it Dylan - you were caught in action.

Ashlyn's Boo Boo

Today, Ashlyn came up behind me and asked me to turn around and look at her as she had something to show me. When I turned around, I saw Ashlyn wearing one of my bras on top of her shirt. And before I could tell her to get it off, she tells me "Look Mom, I have boo boos." Not the type of boo boos that most kids talk about!

Back to School

Today was Maddie's first day of 1st grade. We were fortunate to be accepted out of district to the Southeast of Saline Elementary. However, since this school is out in the country, Maddie gets to ride a bus to and from school this year. She was so excited to go back to school and was so brave when she climbed up those stairs of that big bus. However, Mommy wasn't as brave as I shed a few tears as my baby got on the bus and went to school for the whole day. Ashlyn also cried because she wanted so desperately to go on the bus with her sister.





It was also a different feel at the Johnson house as well. It was earily quiet, which I determined was because Maddie and Ashlyn weren't fighting, and Ashlyn was somewhat sad that her playmate of three months was not here to keep her company. (Brooke just doesn't play the same as Maddie does). However, it won't be long until Ashlyn's afternoons will be spent at preschool - or at least they will three days a week - and then I won't know what to do with myself since I will only have Brooke and baby Dylan (my cousin's baby that I'm watching during the day). But for now, we will make good use of the quality time I get to spend with my two younger children.