Blessings... every night.

Tonight after keeping Isaiah up way too late partly due to having friends over and partly because he was having such a good time running around in my t-shirt with Noah and Ali, until he threw milk on every body - but I digress. So tonight at bed time with one of the biggest boo-boos he's every had like a hickey across his belly, we say our prayers (Our Father) and then stretches his hands out with spirit fingers and says "I bless Ali, Jonathan and Johnny." He's so sweet about 95% of the time and the other 5% he's a two-year old boy who jumps and runs and pushes it as far as he can.

My kids, the cats.

Noah does not want a pony or a unicorn or even a princess dress (well, she already has the princess dress.) What Noah wants is a small dog or cat and after a visit to the vet where she had the privilege of meeting about ten kittens, she now wants a kitten, or a cat for that matter. And since we didn't get her a cat, she has become a cat and has convinced her brother that he is a cat too. They meow. They ask for milk. They pretend to scratch. They crawl around and hide in their cat house. They have cat names. Noah is either Princess Flores Kitty or Princess Ada Kitty. Isaiah is Spike. They answer with "meows," and curl up on my lap and ask to be pet. Isaiah also pretends he's a shark and tries to bite me when he kisses me. I much prefer him as a kitten.

The DIfference...

The difference between mommies and daddies is when mommies get home from date night they go straight to check on the babies and when daddies get home they go straight to the bath room. Every time.

Grand Daddy Derf Does Stop

Just LIke Mommy

I have a few minutes before the kids wake up from their naps. And yes, I'm trying to get Noah's four-year-old self to nap until she's 18. The dogs are barking like they're mad, not angry but crazy and I need a shower. Play group starts in 45 minutes and thank goodness, I'm not hosting. I am hosting a pantyhose party tonight. Which should be nice and it'll be a treat to treat my friends to all the sweet treats of dessert wine and dessert. So this is Noah at four years and a couple of months. She is a pure delight, save for a few times a day when she pulls on me and I have to let her know, "I don't like having my _____ pulled or pinched or stepped on." I used to wonder back when she was in the heat of her terrible twos, where are all the delightful moments? I remember weighing everything and thinking that the majority of the time I'm just a laborer for the family (the kids, the dogs, Broderick.) The rest of the time was split between shear frustration and anxiety with delight peppered in just enough to keep me on the safe side of crazy. But I have to say that the moment, to the day, that Noah turned four - it all changed. She understands consequences, she is able to communicate what she needs and finally has the ability to connect her good behavior with a happy home and a peaceful mommy. I think it's partly due to Ms. Martha and me having the time to properly discipline and support each of my children. I also think I'm more laid back as the mother of a second child and I truly believe that me and Broderick are co-captains of Team Johnson, although I'm really more of the captain and he's the co, but whatever. I feel supported, and appreciated by everyone in this house - well except for the dogs whom I have got to find the time to play with. Anyway, this is Noah a few weeks ago at swim class. She's a swimmer. I would still be in the pool with her, but she can swim across the pool on her own! We're so proud of her courage to try new things. Dang, these dogs bark ALOT!!

See, I give him cupcakes....

Isaiah and his itchy, bumpy self. This was taken in June when we were in Rhode Island. I discovered these cupcakes at my favorite of favorite places - Whole Foods, or as my sister-in-law calls it, Whole Paycheck. She ain't lying. For the last 2 weeks, we've had Isaiah on a very strict diet - in stick I mean, mostly hotdogs and soy milk, why? Well because those are about the only two things that are NOT processed in plants that also process nuts or diary. After over a month of agonizing visits to the fourth allergist we've determined Isaiah is allergic to dairy, eggs, nuts, which we knew. We did not know he was also allergic to mushrooms, mustard, pineapple (which is used to sweeten everything natural,) corn (which is used in everything also,) oats (something we used to rely on for a basic breakfast.) Oat flour is also in a lot of stuff including most lotions since it can be calming on everybody but Isaiah. He's also allergic to sweet potato, salmon, sunflower which is a natural oil that is in a lot of items you'd never expect, but in about every dry snack from animal cookies, to chips and oh, a few other things. There is a list on the refrigerator that lists everything Isaiah can eat and it fits on an index card. The list of the things he can't have is short and sweet and has the 10 or 12 items I mentioned above and a note that says, *DON'T FEED ISAIAH ANYTHING FROM OUTSIDE THIS HOUSE. When we go to Lego Land or Playgroup, I watch him like my life depends on it - even a bite of something seemingly innocent could throw this month's trial off. The goal of this month is food elimination - so we can figure out what else other than diary, eggs and nuts he should stay away from. But so far, as I suspected, his skin isn't any better. In fact the day he started his diet he contracted some viral rash that covered his body with hundreds of tiny itchy bumps. Nothing relieved the itching except a very strong steroid - which I held off giving him for a week until I just could take all the blood in his crib and on his clothes from his scratching. He's finally doing better and we are all relieved, I just wish he didn't have these allergies. It helps to remind myself that of all the difficult issues that children can have, this is one that I can handle. It's a pain in the butt and most people don't understand how serious I am until I explain - if he has peanuts he could be dead in 2 minutes - that sort of gets folks to pay attention. But this is the least of so many evils.

Big Nana

I've had some memory problems, both in life and with my computer. I finally got it sorted out. These were taken when my mom and I took the kids to Rhode Island for my cousin's wedding. These were taken at the home where my mom grew up. I wish I could write, in detail, what this day was like but so many things have happened since then. Nothing big or momentous, well maybe a few momentous things, but mostly just a lot of trips to pick Noah up from school. I've been to Trader Joe's and Whole Foods about six times each. There's been doctor's appointments, a trip to Washington State for a girl's trip and a bunch of meetings with contractors and our architect as well as endless phone calls catching up with old friends ala Face Book or supporting friends in need. Yesterday I had a police officer, two guys delivering a mattresses and box spring, a woman picking up the old mattress and box spring, my neighborhood workout, the guy washing our cars and getting Noah off to school all in the span of an hour. I feel most days I don't know who is ringing my doorbell or calling me, emailing me or texting me and am afraid of what they need and dread the amount of time and energy it's going to take to get them what they want or need. With all the help from friends, family and our nanny, I still could use a personal assistant. Up until now I'd been outside measuring space and researching storage sheds and planning on laying concrete and a day to clean out the garage. The good life is good - but it takes a lot of behind the scenes stuff to keep it in place and pretty.