Happy Birthday, Matt-ee-oh!

Today is Matt's birthday. Oh, the memories! I think of everything Matt has endured in his five years on Earth and I thank our Heavenly Father that Matt-Matt is here with us. He's very good-natured and loving and happy. He's a good boy and I'm lucky to be his mom.

So, for his birthday, Matt got some cool clothes and such from his Mema and Poppy, both of whom are in Colorado. Lori got him some cool jets while she was here visiting.

Mom and Dad got Matt some K-nex. Matt loves to build things. He really, really loves to build things. His creations are such a big deal to him and I've had to teach the girls to be respectful of them. I didn't realize how much had been drilled in until the cousins were over and I heard Abby tell Trenton, "Be careful, those are Matt's and they're very important to him!"

Josh and I went the easy route and combined Matt's likes in his two gifts from us. Matt LOVES Wolverine and motorcycles. So, he got...

Wolverine on a motorcycle!

He also likes Star Wars, Transformers, and jets. So we also got him...

A Transformer that is a Star Wars jet that changes to a trooper robot!

Matt asked for a Spider-Man cake. So, I tried to be fancy and this is what I came up with.

I think you get the picture of what it was supposed to look like. I only had two candles though (oops!) and I wrote Happy Birthday Matt along the sides of the cake. I guess it wasn't too bad. If you looked at it from a distance. A very far distance.

Today is also Tara and Jabon's anniversary. Tara and I are three years apart, but we have a lot of dates in common. We're about 45 minutes shy of being exactly three years apart. She was born right before my third birthday party, and she's tried to continue to steal my thunder ever since. (That's just a joke, Abby, I mean, Tara.) Tara and Jabon's anniversary is the same day as Matt's birthday--that one was Matt trying to steal their thunder. Our youngest children are exactly two months apart. Her oldest son, Cody, has his birthday the day before Josh's. Just a lot of similar dates.

And, I can't post this without showing you Millie's latest escapades.

Matt and Millie were playing under the table together. They were both giggling their heads off. It was so funny.

Fun times in the Johnson Household.

'Fess Up Friday and a Trip to the Pediatrician

It's Friday. I admit that I exercised this week, but I forgot to weigh myself this morning. My mojo has definitely taken a hit lately. I'm going to weigh in and measure tomorrow. That will be good. I've decided to alter my goal. After having such a long plateau, there is no way I can healthily accomplish my goal of 132 lbs by September 16th. What's so frustrating is that I was working toward my goal, but my body rebelled. Ugh. So, my new goal is to lose a pound a week. I hate that I have to alter things, but that's much better to do than to do something drastic and unhealthy or just be upset at myself for failing.

More about our Friday...today I took the kids in for their well-child checkups. All four of them. That wouldn't have been such a big deal except that shots were involved. I knew Millie would need shots, since it was her 6 month checkup. And I knew Matt would need the rest of his kindergarten shots. I did NOT know that Emma was going to need Hep A shots. Okay, shot. But, with how much she FREAKED out, you would've thought the nurse was blindfolding her and offering her her final cigarette. She and Matt cried so much that they both upset Millie and she cried and cried and then got her shots and then cried and then shut down and fell asleep before we left the doctor's office. Abby was originally told she'd need a shot too, but then she didn't. Then she cried because she wanted a shot. Note to self: all four kids at once may not be the way to go in the future. During Emma's freak out I was laughing my guts out. I was holding her in my lap and she thrashed and screamed and cried and I tried to control my laughter. If I were a good mom (and/or a liar) I'd say I laughed to keep from crying. But, I think I laughed because it was such a ridiculous situation. Absurdity. That's the theme of the Johnsons' lifestyle.

So, that was my Friday and my confession for the week. How'd you do?

The Best Things in Life Are Free...

...But you can give them to the birds and bees.

I want MONEY!!

Yes, besides being a song covered by nearly every band ever formed, this statement rings true. Life is getting tougher trying to remain on one income. This is one reason for my recent blog-absence. It's hard to get on and blog about the goings on of life when you're stressed to the gills over money.

We've been looking at our options of what to do. We have no interest in paying for childcare (and I can't make much money right now since school is out and the only way I can really make money is as a teacher), so it's on Josh's shoulders to find a second job. Unfortunately, he works at the only hospital in town and the clinic, which is the next largest medical facility, is not an ideal second job. Although, it would work easier as a first job. This is the junky stuff I've been trying to avoid blabbing about online. So, I'll just get to the point. Josh is considering becoming a travel nurse. He's looking at going to Arizona so he can make lots more money and we could eventually move there and buy the RIDICULOUSLY cheap houses and he can get the degree he's always wanted for the job he's always wanted.

We love being in Great Falls and even thinking about leaving is tough. So instead, I'm going to focus on some other random part of this whole ordeal. Nurses must be too sensible to be superstitious. One of the travel places contracts travel nurses for 13 weeks. That just seems like an odd number to me. Why not 12? I don't get it. When I worked at a hotel I learned that most hotels do not use the number 13 in room numbers or floors. Since then, I've noticed it all over the place.

The theatre is very superstitious. You use a Green Room for performers to use backstage, but you NEVER paint it green. That creates bad luck. And the whole thing about "Break a leg" was because people were afraid bad spirits would hound a person who was told to have "good luck," so in an effort to trick those bad spirits, performers were told to Break a Leg.

So, now I've been trying to figure out...am I superstitious? I was raised by a nurse, I married a nurse, but I'm a thespian at heart. I don't walk under ladders--that's just dangerous. I don't break mirrors--that, too, is dangerous. I look closely for white patches on black cats that cross my path--that's because I'm weird. And I tell people to Break a Leg. And I will never walk into a green Green Room. And I make wishes in fountains. That's not superstition, though. That's delusionally wishing I were a princess. And that brings me full circle. If I were a princess I'd have a castle and very few cares in the world (in theory).

How superstitious are you?

If I Can Remember....

I need to get back on here to rant and rave about stuff. I don't know what. Usually when I rant and rave I don't know what I'm going to say, but I need to utilize this blog by what it was originally intended for...an outlet for me and my need to sardonize. I don't know if that's a word.

My other reason for blogging is to catch everyone up on the goings-on of the Johnson clan. So, here are some updates:

Millie turned 6 months old on Monday!!

Yes, my baby is getting bigger. And so are her eyes--my word! She often has really big, alert eyes that take in everything all around her. And the overalls she was wearing today were soooo cute! I had to take a picture of them. She's begun eating cereal and fruits and veggies. Usually the veggies end up getting spit all around her. She devoured her pears today, though. She's fun and just so beautiful.


This is our house. I took this picture the day we put our rocks in. It's a nice little place, don't you think? We placed the rocks in the flower beds along the front of the house right in front of the white foundation areas on either side of the front door. This picture makes our front door look like it's just floating above the ground. It's not, don't worry. We have stairs. I know you had to catch your breath just then.

Here's a close up of the rocks. We have our pathetic little petunias planted there, but they're just a little color and they were only $1.99 for four plants. Jackpot.

So, kid updates. This is just another cute picture of Millie, but I have stories of the other kids.

Matt says the weirdest stuff. He makes me laugh. The other day the kids helped me wash the cars. Matt took his sponge and as he did the whole "Wax on" movement he said, "Good bye, dirty. Hellooooo clean!"

When Lori and her boys were here Dad pulled the slip and slide out for the kids to play with. Matt has always been a little shy about water. He doesn't like to get water in his face. So, to psyche himself up to run through the water (because he just ran the length of the slide, he never allowed himself to slide) he chanted, "Wolverine, Wolverine, Wolverine, Wolverine!" By that time he reached the slide so he sucked in his breath and blinked furiously as he ran through the sprinklers. Finally, he made it safely through the water. He would then strut his stuff and cockily chant again, "Wolverine! Wolverine!" Sometimes at the end of the slide he'd just joyously skip and sing, "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah! Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!"

To get to the Buffalo Jump, you have to go through the little town of Ulm. The kids have begun doing things that I remember doing as a kid. It just helps me understand how annoying I am. Anyway, as we headed through Ulm the girls were meditating and saying in the perfect monotone, "Ulllllmmmmm, Ulllllmmmmm..." (I remember doing this as a kid.) But the meditative "Ulm" was quickly expanded to "Ullllmmmmm is the place, Ullllmmmmm is the place." And finally it became the full expression of "Ulllmmmm is the place to rock and roll, Ullllmmmm is the place to rock and roll." Because everyone knows that the 20 people that live in Ulm are big partiers.

This is a picture of the final bit of the sunset today. I took this picture at 10:25pm. The longest days on the plains are truly long days.

So, that's about all I've got to say about that. (Forest Gump reference for you there.) I'll try to find some random subject to rant about. I don't know about you, but I'm missing those posts.

'Fess Up Friday

Help me!! I took the week off AGAIN! It started out busy and I just never regained. But, I wasn't completely inanimately watching tv. We did tons of yard work this week. Josh did the lawn and I weeded. And then I weeded. And then I weeded the raspberries (they're mean little suckers). Then we weeded the front flower beds. These boogers have been bugging me since we first moved in a year ago. The previous couple, who lived here for 16 years, had done a lot to the property and kept it up very well, but the wife loved the wildflower look in these blasted flower beds. I couldn't tell what was weeds and what was flowers last summer, plus I was pregnant, so the beds went out of control. Plus, we have this family of garter snakes living under our front steps that feed off of the neverending supply of bugs on those darn wildflowers, so the whole thing HAD TO GO!

And go it did. We sprayed everything DEAD. Then Josh and my dad shoveled the DEAD stuff out. So then it was BARE. We put down weed block and rocks and I planted a couple of petunias and it looks so pretty now. It's so nice. (In case you need guidance as to my mood at this moment, the caps are me yelling through gritted teeth. That's right. I haven't had enough sleep this weekend and I'm a little loopy and you know you LOVE it.)

Anyway, back to the excuses for not exercising, Josh and I went to get this rock to lay down. At Ace Hardware, mulch was about $13 for a bag that covered 10 sq ft. I was using a gift card we got and that was going to put me over budget. Instead, I bought the weed block and flowers. So we went to a sand and gravel company in town and paid $18 for over 2600 lbs of rock. Yes, 2600 LBS! Josh, my everlovin' stud of a husband shoveled all that rock out of the back of the truck and into the beds. Then I raked it level. Plus, I used my foot to push it. Sometimes that was easier than the rake. So, I got work outs, just not "official" ones. But, they start again on Monday. They have to or I'll have to punish myself. Don't ask me how. I'm full of empty threats. Just ask my kids.

So, I just fessed up to more than I should have. How'd you do?

(BTW, Kayleen, I don't have a workout buddy. It's too hard to ask someone to workout with me. First, I don't know who to ask, second, my living room is too small for two people to workout in, and third, I have to work around an ever-changing nursing schedule. So for now I just have virtual workout buddies--you guys.)

Go Jump Off a Cliff

Before Lori and her boys head for home (they're leaving in the early AM), Dad took us to see the First People's Buffalo Jump. It's not even 10 miles away from Great Falls. I didn't realize we had so many historical sights so close by. What have we been missing???

The kids stood next to a buffalo. Don't worry it was stuffed. And they were allowed to touch it, so that made it even better.

The way the jump worked was that a young man, about 13 to 16 years old, would wear a bison calf cape and act like an injured calf and play up to the lead cow. She's follow him up the hill and the rest of the herd would follow her. Then about four other young men would wear wolf capes and start freaking out the herd. They'd be following the lead cow who would be led by the "injured calf" and he'd take them to the edge of the cliff. Because of the buffalo's poor sight, they would not be able to tell that they were actually heading off a cliff until it was too late. It was actually a bit freaky to realize what the young men had to do to have these HUGE animals stampeding behind them. The young men would jump off the cliff onto a shelf and quickly scramble out of the way so they wouldn't be kicked off the hill too.

Dad led Abby and Emma to the edge of the cliff. The grass color change is where the cliff begins.

This is what the shelf looked like. At the edge of the rock is the steep decent to DEATH! It was a bit scary. The cliff ran about a mile long.


Dad and Matt at the edge of the shelf. Matt said being at the edge of the cliff "was fweaky."

Millie slept until about five minutes before we left. She was such a good girl.

As we left, Dad asked the kids what they learned. I think it was Emma that said, "Never jump off a cliff!" Smart kid.

The Dam Joke

I've never felt too restricted in my religion, but I've never been one to shy away from a little rebellion. Although I try not to swear, this is one of my favorite jokes.

The other day we went to one of the dams. Here's what's pretty cool. There are several dams built on the falls that Great Falls is named for. The falls were discovered by Lewis and Clark in their infamous trip through the Louisiana Purchase. So we took a dam excursion.

The dam.

This is the dam suspension bridge you have to cross to get to the dam island in the middle of the Missouri River.

We had lunch on the dam island.

The kids were all running to use the dam bathrooms.

Trent and Millie. There ain't no dam joke for this one.

Dad took the kids up the dam island rocks.

Mom and the kids looking into the dam water.

I know it's a lame joke, but the dam joke makes me giggle.

'Fess Up Friday

Yes, my friends. It's that time again. I've been a busy lady lately. That means that I have not been spending the time online, but I have been doing some other things lately: my sister Lori is still here (more photos soon), my novel has begun (that one's not coming to the blog anytime soon), and school's out. And somehow, blog-land lives on even if I don't post something every single day.

But, today is 'Fess Up Friday. I had a unique experience this week. I quit exercising. Not forever, but just for the week. I've been the same weight +/- 2 lbs for almost two months now. I have felt HORRIBLE about it, especially since I've been trying to do this incredible miracle-working program. So I took a break this week. I didn't turn on any workout video once, didn't run a single mile, ate like JUNK, and lost more weight this week than I have in weeks. I think my body needed a break. So, Monday I will begin working out again, but at a much less intense level than I have been. Maybe that will finally get me past this hurdle. I plan to do the core workout, kenpo, and plyometrics from P90X and go running the days in between. I'm going to try that for about a month or so. We head to Colorado in the middle of July, so I'll try it out until then. I'm taking my life into my own hands, people!

So, that was me. Funny. I ate so badly because I've been spending so much time at my parents' house. It's amazing how much junk food two diabetics keep in the house. Thanks to me, that supply is nearly out of their way. I'm so nice.

So tell me, how'd you do? Any good stories from this week?

Going to Choteau

Yesterday Mom and Dad led Lori and her boys and me and my kids to Choteau, MT, where we went to the "dinosaur" museum. It was a very modest museum (definitely not the Denver Museum) but a fun day nonetheless.

There was a dinosaur!

Emma, Trenton, Tyler, Matt, Teagan, Mom, and Abby

A bear trap. The schools in Choteau are said to go to lock-down when bears traipse down through town.

Emma took notes for Josh since he had to sleep so he could work last night.

Abby, Tyler, A Bear, Trenton, Matt, and Teagan

Uh, Abby, don't look behind you...

Emma, Matt, Abby, and Tyler

Millie was soooo rowdy! ;o)

This is what happens when you yell, "Make a funny face!"

We ended the trip with ice cream. Yummy.

Choteau is also the place where David Letterman's ranch is. There was an information booth there and I wanted to ask the lady how often she's asked where his ranch is, but then I thought I might be the only nerd in the world to ask her that, so I opted to just smile at her and make small talk. I'm a chicken.

Fess Up Friday and More

Dad and Millie (the first time he's held her and she hasn't cried)

I'm wearing a hospital band on my wrist. Sometimes stupid things just happen. This afternoon, before I had a chance to do much, I stepped on a nail. With bare feet. In my basement. I know, stupid, right? I moved a bunch of nails the other week when I changed our family room into a playroom and I'm pretty sure I must've dropped one. Well, it must've fallen just right so it could stand up from the carpet because it got me. Not too bad, but enough that I had to get a tetanus shot tonight. Stupid!

So, Fess Up Friday...hmmm.... except for today, I worked out hard everyday. I'm still not seeing the results I ache for, but I'm holding out hope--it's got to happen sooner or later!

I did work out with the second graders today as I helped with Emma's Olympics. I had the minimum number of parents I needed to pull it off. Thank goodness it all worked out. And thank goodness it's the last day of school. Finally!

Lori, my sister, is here visiting right now. I'm so glad she's here. I really miss her! I miss all you all too, of course! My cousin Heather was also in town with her boyfriend James. The camera hasn't come out too much, but I have a few shots.

Teagan, Lori and Millie

Teagan said, "Can I hold it?"

Gramma, Mom, Teagan, Lori, Heather and James

So, 'fess up about your week. How'd you do?

Last Week of School

This is the last week of school. Everyone else I know is out now. My poor girls have another two and a half days. I'm happy they're still kept busy during the day (because summer vacation gets boring after a while), but I'm tired of not being able to sleep in. I know. I'm selfish--either I want them in school to get them out of my hair or I want them home so I can sleep. It's always about me!!!

Abby is having a luau the last two days of school, so she gets to reuse the luau garb she got for her birthday party. Emma is having an Olympics. Somehow, I'm in charge of it. At the beginning of the year the teachers sent around papers asking parents how involved they'd like to be in their child's education. Of course I want to be involved, but I didn't know I was going to be a go-to-mom. At Halloween I organized the parental help for the second grade's roundup. Now I'm doing the same thing for the Year End Olympics. And it's not just Emma's classroom, it's all three 2nd grade classes. I so don't get it. I guess I should feel good that I'm trusted with the responsibility, but now I know to be a lot more conservative in the boxes I mark of the things I'm willing to do.

At any rate, it's almost summertime!