Dang, I guess we're well into Fall.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Lake Arrowhead, land of the Yes on 8
This past weekend Team Johnson headed up into the San Bernadino mountains and made our first visit to Lake Arrowhead. I had no idea a place like this existed so close to Los Angeles. It took us about 2 and a half hours to make it out of LA traffic and up the mountain. The road we took up the mountain is actually build on the side of the mountain and winds up the road like a thin ribbon wrapped around a massive wedding cake. Even through the smog, fog, haze and marine layer you could see what looked like eternity or at least a lot of southern Cali. The trek up the mountain on Rim of the World drive reminded me of Cathy, Heidi and I's dangerous pilgrimage into, up and down and all the way around the mountains of New Zealand. Truth be told, I got sick on the way home. But it was a great weekend. We had won a weekend in a cabin at a silent auction, one of our favorite things...not cabins, but silent auctions. My dad and Doreen met us and stayed in the loft and Jonathan and Jenn drove up too and stayed on the pull out in the living room. There was an old fireplace and an antique lock that Jonathan teaed dad was the same brand as the one him and McCain cracked in WW II. The shower was more like a power hose in a creepy closet, but the air smelled like pine and there were gray squirrels everywhere...not in the shower but outside. I saw a few Blue Jays and one tiny chipmunk. We spent most of our time in the village where we saw a lot of McCain bumper stickers and overheard a lot of stuff that would get your told off in LA - some racist stuff, some redneck stuff and some gays are going to hell stuff. But the lake was beautiful and the ducks made the kids smile. We ate at the same two restaurants both days. The waffle house for breakfast (the 2nd day we were swarmed by bees) and Woody's Land of overpriced cafeteria food. We walked around the shops, Noah got her ears pierced and we drank specially brewed ice teas. Noah and Isaiah shared a decaff blueberry Roobios. Isaiah drank most of it. The second day a baby bear was in a big cage with a woman who looked like she was going to be malled at any minute. The bear kept biting her arms and she pretended not to notice the blood trickling down the finger tips. I went for a hike with Jenn and Jon around Gregory Lake and was informed by Jonathan that the leaves turn colors because the sap pulls back into the tree - thank God for Blackberries.
Clean Teeth
Noah's first dental examine. The receptionist at our dentist, Lorie, who I love and happens to be Italian suggested that I take Noah to one of my visits so she could see me get my teeth cleaned and checked before she had her first visit. It was a brilliant idea. We talked about my visit on the drive over, and I told her what they were going to do in terms like, "tickle my teeth to get them clean." She was so excited and anxious that when I was done she asked if it was her turn and was disappointed when I told her she had to wait until we came back. She asked several times before we went back and was such a champ on her big day. She help her mouth open oh so wide, as you can see, and watched Dora on the TV. I was very proud of her and her beautiful smile. I'm in disbelief about how fast she is growing and I love that she brushed her own teeth. She has a variety of toothbrushes depending on her mood and always finished up her brush with a big cup of water from the sink - which sometime leads to a 3 am potty or a 3:30am bath and pee pee sheets. She comes in after she brushes her teeth and shows me how clean they are and lets me smell her breath. Isaiah also has a few pulsating tooth brushes and once he gets one of them into his hands he carries it around the house brushing his teeth until you sure the batteries are going to run out. And then he wails when you take it away.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Little people
I try to look at my kids and see them the way the world sees them. I try to see if I can be unbiased. I can't because I think they're so special. I know Noah doesn't listen and Isaiah always sneezes a river of snot but I think they are perfect for us. I love when they're in bed and there's peace in my house and in my mind. I sit and look at pictures of them, even if those pictures are from earlier in the day. Are they that beautiful or is it just me?
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