Potty Training: A Lifelong Process...

Attention Readers: Please read ONLY if you have PT'd (potty trained) a child at some point in your lifetime. Also, if you tend to get offended easily, this post is most likely not for you...

Hunter: "MOMMY! What are you doing?"
Me: "I'm washing my hands."
Him: "Did you get poop in your underwear?"
Me: "Nope."
Him: "Good job. Did your pee get in the toilet?"
Me: "Yes."
Him: "Oh I'm so proud of you for not going potty in your pants! Now you can have a sticker!"
Apparently we all need positive reinforcement on the matter.

Before I had the wonderful experience of PT-ing, here are a few incredibly stupid thoughts I had on the subject:
1) If the parent really knew what they're doing, it wouldn't be that big a deal.
2) The PT process should only last a week, and my kid is so smart, he'll have it down solid (no pun intended) in a couple of days...
3) Once a child is out of diapers, they are considered "officially trained."

Why I know better now:
1) All kids are different. As with all parenting, there is no "manual" or "how-to book" that will work perfectly for your kid. The only skill you really need to be good at PT-ing, is a keen sense of smell, and the ability to "feel" around on the carpet when there has been an accident...
2) PT can last for years (or atleast, it can seem like years). Especially if you need to learn a lot of patience.
3) Once a child is out of diapers, the poop just seems to spread easier. Another side note: Watch out to all boy moms out there! Little boys are way too excited to practise "aiming" at the garbage can, the wall, and yes, even the sink! NASTY!

Lights, Camera, Santa!

Each year, our city puts tons of lights up all over the park (how do animals, dragons, mermaids, and spiders have anything to do with Christmas? Oh well, the kids love it- so really, that's all that matters!) We like to take the fam on the free annual hayride through the lights & stop in for some hot choco-
Here are the boys all bundled up and ready to go! They loved the hayride- who doesn't love a 5mph ride through a park full of Christmas lights?!

"Santa, where did you put your reindeer?" Hunter was surprised (but excited) to see that Santa stopped in!

Kye wasn't really going for the whole "sitting on Santa's lap" idea- I guess it's good to know he'll throw a fit if a stranger picks him up. He was more interested in watching from a distance...
Hooray for the lights! Hooray to our tax dollars being put to good use! Hooray for the kids being easily amused! I've officially decided this is a new favorite family tradition!

Little Lady's Man

At 15 months, Kye is already a huge flirt- Hopefully, O's mom won't mind that I posted this- it was too cute to resist!
Every time Kye sees this little cutie, he practically attacks her with hugs- She's a really good sport about his constant affection...
Man, if he's this friendly now, the girls will have to watch out in a few years!

"I'm Looking At You Through My Eyes" & Other Random Tidbits...

Back when I was preggo with Hunter, Brett & I taught sunbeams. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of teaching primary knows the sunbeams can come up with some majorly random sayings.

There was this one little boy in particular who used to put his hands around his eyes and say "I see you with my eyes," & I remember commenting to his mom that I hoped my kids would have that much personality...

Well, the other day at breakfast, my wish came true! Hunter stopped eating his cereal and said, "Hey mom, look! I can make binoculars out of my hands!"
"Cool," I smiled and continued absentmindedly feeding Kye.
"MOM! LOOK! I'm looking at you through my binoculars!" He then took his hands out of "binocular" position. "Now I'm just looking at you through my eyes."

Another funny moment- While we were decorating the tree, Hunter found that he could get these snowflake ornaments to stick to his shirt. "Look, guys! I'm like the Christmas Tree!"
Cute, is he not? Now, I've mentioned before- HOW do I get him to smile? Does anyone have any suggestions for how I can get rid of his deer-in-headlights-look when posing for pictures? HELP!

Easy Kitchen Makeover!

Now that the musical is no longer taking all my time, I get to work on a few projects I've been meaning to do the past few years...

Here are the cabinets before:

After:

Ta-Dah!

Amazing what a little tinted glaze can do! Thanks to A & S for the advice & supplies!

It only took me about four days (nap-times) to finish!

One down, about eight more to go! But don't worry, honey, my thirst for change has been momentarily quenched. Brett can now sigh with relief, cross his fingers, & hope I can hold off 'til next year...

Movie Review...

Last night I happily joined thousands of crazed fans for the midnight movie premier of Twilight! We were able to go be entertained- & not just by the movie- in the middle of the night! How fun is that? (Thanks Becks, by the way, for setting that up!)
Drumroll...

I give it 4 stars

* * * *
A bit overdone, but I'd gladly watch it again. Honestly, I think the "oohs" and "aahs" each time Edward or Jacob (or Carlisle) came on screen were a bit cheesy, yet funny at the same time. Maybe it was because it was so late I had some really good laughs throughout the show.

All in all, NOTHING beats reading the book, but I really can't wait to see it again!

The Lullaby...

Of Broadway!
Well, Brett & I are happy to say that we are DONE directing the stake musical! We had over 100 cast members (65 were children)- so you can imagine how I've pretty much lost my mind lately. When all was said and done, it was definitely more work than fun, but once again a good experience, nonetheless...

Despite all my complaining, I grew from it- Last night, a parent came to thank me: "We just don't have the extra money to put our kids in music or dance lessons," she whispered, "So we are so grateful they were able to do this show. Thursdays & Saturdays have been their favorite days!" It sometimes takes a comment like that to put things in perspective. (And of course, now I'm feeling major guilt for being so grumpy...)

Kye has been such a good sport through it all. He was really good to sit on grandpa's lap & watch the show. Thanks to everyone who helped out with him during rehearsals- I don't know how we would've done it.

Here's an idea of the fun part- Our stage was small, but the talent was big!
And, can I just say how many great friends & family members we have- thanks to all of you who came to support us! We kept saying how grateful we are to have such amazing friends! You guys are the best!!
Yeah, and for those who missed it, it was truly your loss('cuz it was dang good)! But, I'm happy to share a few little snippets with y'all!
Hunter was very patient, especially when I turned out to be a major stage mom... He'll probably grow up to resent me, but I sure had fun watching him!
One of the perks of being in charge- I was able to pick & sing my dream song from Aida! How fun is that?!
Brett sang a VERY difficult song, although he makes it sound so easy...
I am grateful that President Monson is a self-proclaimed "show-a-holic" & that the church allows us to have the opportunity to do things like this- How can you go wrong by giving families (especially the kids) a chance to develop their talents & present a FREE, wholesome family activity-
So, after my little "sabbatical," I'm excited to say I can now enter the blogging world again! The last few weeks have been pure craziness, but I think it's safe to say we're almost back to normal. (Well, after I give the house a good scrub & finish about seven more loads of laundry we'll be back to normal).

It's Time...

...For me to announce our stake musical:
A Night of Broadway
Musical Review
Friday, November 14 @ 7:00
Saturday, Nov. 15 @ 2:00 & 7:00
Families (namely the kiddies) Welcome!
For those of you who want a fun, FREE, family activity, come see 120+ stake members perform a bunch of different snippets from some popular musicals. We have over 60 kids performing- so that alone should entice you!

I'll be posting a sneak peek shortly!

Thanks!

To my amazing hubby, for not only letting- but encouraging me- to go on my much needed girl's weekend! I felt some temporary guilt for leaving him all alone to handle a huge list of items, but he took care of EVERYTHING on his own, PLUS, I came home to a CLEAN house and happy kids! How great is that?

Also, thanks to the girls for another super fun getaway!
I'm driving myself crazy trying to get that darn song out of my head ;)

I'm Ready

For a much needed break!! ;) YEAH!!!!

Looking Back...

One year ago...
Our home was filled with the sweet sounds of an infant and young toddler- lots of crying.


October 24 marked the anniversary of Hunter's treadmill accident.
Yup, kids can receive third degree friction burns from the treadmill... Hunter's fingers were burned down to the bone.

October 30 marks the anniversary of his skin graft surgery.
It was a sad day, because no parent ever wants to see their child in hospital garb. It was a scary day, because we didn't know how it would go, or how he would react when he woke up... It was a good day, because it meant we were getting it fixed. No more scrubbing my two-year-old's burning flesh while he begged "please don't hurt me, mommy."

It was a day to be grateful for all those blessings we often take for granted, such as parents living close & being willing to help, medical insurance & especially modern medicine.
It was also a day to be grateful for those blessings we sometimes aren't aware of, like the angels who entertained my 9-week old baby for hours and hours on end. Seriously, Kye would have to sit in his car seat day after day, for hours in a row, while we traveled to the U for burn therapy.
I'm so grateful that not-so-lovely experience is behind us! Now that all is officially said and done, I'm happy to say I learned a lot from it.

All the docs at the burn unit have mentioned what an amazing, fast, MIRACULOUS recovery Hunter has had- The Priesthood Power is real- I KNOW it's because of the many blessings he had! I also know we have a loving Father in Heaven who is aware of everything we're going through- & we have a Savior who has already taken our burdens, if we just ask...

So, although I would never wish a burned child on anyone, I am grateful for the strengthening of my faith that came from it... I'm also thankful it wasn't much worse- He's happy, healthy, and has full use of his fingers! Hooray!

More Parties, Followed By Some Goo Goo...

Annual Family Halloween Party!
Hunter's first time bobbing for apples...
Our little devil had lots of fun! (don't worry T- I was true to my word- no pics posted of your baby, see? I only post my own kids for the freaks to view... Good mom, eh?)
After another fun Halloween Party with the fam, Brett & I rocked out at a Goo Goo Dolls concert! I was able to relive many memories from 1996! (That was back when I was in junior high & Brett was graduating...) Can't beat great music for a great (free) price!

Crisis for some...

Okay, I have now officially been awakened from my lazy, "everything's great" attitude, as I'm sure have many of you... I'm more interested in politics than ever before in my life- I'm more concerned for my family's future than ever before as well. I found it interesting that while listening to our Prophet's council just recently, I felt prompted that hard times are coming...

So, I've been stocking up on just about everything I can think of (just in case)...
Today, I went over to the mall to browse the clearance racks for the boys '09 summer clothes. While I was there, I found out that Mervyns is going out of business. (where have I been, under a rock?)

Bad News: It really adds another damper on the economy... Merry Christmas, Mervyn's Employees. Did you know that according to the US Department of Labor, "there are currently over 15 million people working retail jobs across the country," not that I'm saying they're all working at Mervyn's obviously, but still!

GOOD NEWS: In situations like these, I figure it's good to try to be somewhat optimistic, so here it is: Next week is the biggest sale they'll do before the company goes to the liquidators. That can be really good news for those of us with growing kiddies! Get their next ten year's clothing supply for going-out-of-business-dirt-cheap!

For more political information, from a great guy: visit www.glennbeck.com
Be sure to search for & read his articles from earlier this month: What Happened, What's Coming, & What Can I Do To Prepare?

aNnUaL pUnKiN fUn!

For the last five or so years, we have had the tradition of picking our own pumpkins from the local pumpkin patch. (Accompanied by a hayride, of course!)
It's one of my favorite things about the fall!

Here we are with grandpa & grandma (sorry to whoever's bum that is)
Kye sat on grandma's lap & I sat on Brett's! (hubba-hubba) Look at that gorgeous sunset!
Hunter got spooked by some scary-masked guys that jumped out at us. Here he is, hiding behind grandpa.
Hunter LOVES his cool, older cousin, Lance.
All the cousins on the hayride!
Our annual family pic at the pumpkin patch.

Brett's sister, Tera, pretty much summed up my feelings: "We've been getting our pumpkins this way for so long, we'll never be able to get them the old, boring way!"

Hope they keep those hayrides coming for years to come!

End-of-Summer Special!

As you all know, I've been on a major Emergency Preparedness kick this year...
So, I got to thinking: What if we had an emergency in the middle of winter? We NEED a fire pit! (Great justification for our purchase, right?)

Hunter was so excited to help Brett set it up and make the fire!
Kye was excited to eat our cookie & marshmallow s'mores! Messy faces are cute. Sort of.
I was excited we were using the fire for fun & not because of an emergency! ;)

I've heard the expression UEA=Utah Enters Anaheim. Unfortunately, we did not go to Disneyland for UEA. However, since my mom is a teacher who doesn't go to the conference, we usually like to do something fun for the break! So Thursday we met Brett for lunch,
& since the zoo was a ZOO full of people (he he), we decided to try out This is the Place, since they were having a Halloween Celebration.


Hunter had lots of fun getting his face painted. (A pirate has to have a skull, of course!)
I dressed Kye up in Hunter's old doggie costume, and soon found out that was a bad idea. We ended up taking it off, since he screamed hysterically when I tried to put the headpiece on.


They had a little mini-train the kids could ride. Since Grandma L & Aunt Mandy are so cool, I volunteered to sit this one out and take the picture.

There was also a big train. Kye liked it, but Hunter thought it was "way too slow." (Can we say, spoiled?)


Anyone who knows me well, knows I would have made a horrible pioneer. (Yeah, I just would've laid on the side of the road to die!)

If you know me well, you also know I don't mix with horses (Or any other big, messy, stinky animals, for that matter- no offense, animals)...


Maybe that would explain why the pony rides were such a big hit.
I had no problem walking around until I stepped in some horse poop... Maybe I should've worn something other than flip-flops...

Lucky for Kye, Mandy saved the day!



Notice how large this horse is. This exact horse went on to get spooked & throw a little girl off onto the ground as we were walking away. Probably a good thing Hunter didn't witness that before his 3 rides.
Don't get any ideas, kids. We're NOT getting a pet horse!

"Wishful Thinking..."

Hunter & I had a funny (maybe I should be more alarmed) conversation last night as I put him to bed:
Hunter: After telling me all about the fun he had at his friend's earlier, "I wish I could live at Jackson's house."
Me: "But where would you sleep?"
Hunter: "In Jackson's bed."
Me: "Who would sleep in your bed?"
Hunter: "Daddy could. Or Kyler."
Me: "But your family would miss you."
Hunter: "Well, I would be in Jackson's family."
Me: "Then I wouldn't get to be your mom."
Hunter: "I know, Jackson's mom would be my mom!"
Me: "Oh, I would really miss you. What would I do without my Hunter?"
Hunter: "Kye will grow up and turn three, then you can have another baby."
(Okay, I give up!)
Me: "Well, let's call Jackson's mom and ask if you can join his family tonight." (I got up and turned his bedroom light on.)
Hunter: "No! No! I want to stay here! I'm in this family!"

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Now, if only I could see the future!!

Sing Loud & Win!

When I went to the Idol "auditions" a couple months ago I must have been in the right place at the right time... No, unfortunately, I wasn't in that right of a place- I just happened to get a hold of a souvenir "bones pen." (I guess Fox was promoting some show or something stupid- like all their ridiculous shows that lie and say they give everyone a fair shot, WHATEVER)

Anyways, we gave Hunter the pen and told him I won him a prize...

So, here's what I heard him telling Kye yesterday, as he wrote with his "bones pen"...

"Kyler, guess what? When I grow up big, I'm going on American Idol and I'll sing really loud so I can win you a bones pen!"

Keep the dream alive, Hunter- Keep the dream alive!

The Big Race!!

Saturday night, our ward's EQ hosted a Pinewood Derby so all the boys (and their almost-grown-up fathers) could have fun racing their cars down the track.

Seeing as how I had ZERO interest in anything to do with scouting as I was growing up, I had no idea how much could go into pushing little wooden cars down a rickety wooden track.

Brett ordered a car off eBay, but it never came. When I heard rummaging sounds coming from the storage room, at first I had thoughts of large rodents attacking, but it was just my hubby digging through boxes to find his prized car from 1987.

Our 21-yr-old car won the ultimate booby prize, (everyone joked it was old and slow) the kids had a blast! Hunter LOVED it... ALMOST as much as his dad!

Why Do I Even Try?

Why is it, no matter how hard I try to get all the laundry done and put away in a day, I always end up with 1 basket that seems to just sit there taunting me all week long?It's not like it would take more than 2 minutes for me to simply put the folded laundry away, but somehow, I push the entire basket into a corner & forget about it until laundry day comes around again. This is what happens, week after week in my house...

Am I really that lazy? Or am I sabotaging my perfectionist self? Or, is it because deep deep down, I know empty laundry baskets just don't exist, so why fight the odds?

Well, my friends, not today. Today I will put that last little bit away, so that I can enjoy the laundry being entirely done! It might even last for more that an hour, provided we don't have any accidents, spills, or messes!

TAG- 5 Things...

5 Things I was doing 10 years ago:
1. hangin' out in the 11th grade
2. driving a teeny tiny Geo Metro we liked to call "the red roller skate"
3. thinking I was all that
4. singing & dancing & full of crazy dreams
5. dating the "wrong" Johnson

5 Things on today's to do list
1. take inventory on our food storage during conference
2. play w/ my kids
3. yard makeover
4. make up some killer dance moves for "the show"
5. laundry, dishes, exercise (as soon as these are crossed off, I have to do them again)

5 Snacks I enjoy, unhealthy to healthiest:)
1. glazed donuts, preferrably krispy kreme
2. candy- fruity first, then chocolate
3. icecream
4. yogurt
5. string cheese

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire (you mean "when")
1. pay off house
2. quit everything & just play (yeah right)
3. hire a butler
4. keep it a secret ;)
5. invest, invest, invest!

5 places I have lived
1. Taylorsville, UT (6 yrs)
2. South Jordan, UT (12 yrs)
3. Logan, UT (3 yrs)
4. Kaysville, UT (6 mos)
5. Layton UT (5 yr)

5 places I have worked
1. Currently (& most importantly) I am working as the Executive Director & Accounts Manager of the Johnson Home & Sarah's Chop Shop
2. Phazes Salon
3. Taco Time (yummy crisp bean burritos)
4. Discovery Marketing
5. Village Inn

Now five of you get to do this!!!
I tag Becky, Camie, Julie, Mandie, & Robyn

Enjoy the Moment!

It won't last much longer, kids!

(Although thanks to global warming we apparently have a few extra weeks of sunshine! Yay!)

What Happens When...

you completely ignore the garden all summer? This happens!
Honestly, we only planted 3 of each- zuchinni, tomatoes, red peppers & green peppers. Then, we did nothing.

The plants went crazy & took over the entire garden! Pretty cool for ignoring all the work that's usually involved with gardening...

0-4 in a Matter of Weeks

That's right, in just two weeks this child has gone from no teeth to four teeth (you'll just have to imagine the two teeth on top- he wouldn't hold still any longer) That could possibly explain my grumpiness lately. Grumpy baby = grumpy mommy!

Hooray for another great evening!

Good job to all the boys for being master grilling kings!

Gotta love the bounce-house! The kids had fun as always!
Thanks for the good food & good times guys!

Little Elf's 1st Haircut

Well, the first one I'm actually counting as a real haircut, that is...
Last week it was haircut night at our house, and we thought it was about time to give Kye a big-boy haircut! He was so excited to sit on daddy's lap with the cape, just like Hunter does!
He especially loved the candy I gave him two minutes into the process. (You gotta keep 'em happy.)

He looks so grown up. Now he doesn't look so much like an elf anymore. :(