The Adventures of the Johnson Clan: September 2016

Sunday, September 25, 2016

~Fall time Smiles~

Aside from some weather issues, we've had such a pleasant week in Mason City. So many fun times occurred: International talk like a Pirate day, Maddix scored a touchdown in Football, Aaron's first school group, first library reading time, Got to eat lunch with Maddix at school during Parent Week, Our Apple Day, Star Wars Birthday Party, Sad BYU game, Women's Broadcast, Trav's 4 day weekend! Daddy-Son dates, and our temple date was cancelled due to some sicknesses.

F.H.E on the importance of listening

waiting in line for lunch... just like Buddy!

Group Naptime

~Apple Day 2016~

This Face

Apple Pie resulting from Apple Day:)

Sunday, September 18, 2016

~Two Chapters in, and we're loving the story~

Two chapters in and I'm hooked on the my Book of Life. Chapters meaning weeks, and this new chapter being one in which Maddix is in school and Aaron is starting his scholastic endeavors. We are at such a pleasant place in life. The boys are getting along better than ever and it melts this mama's heart; at this very moment they have been playing together in their room peacefully with legos and Pokemon for the past hour and a half. I was able to clean up the kitchen, front room, and settle into my bed to watch Anne of Green Gables (always been considered a Sunday appropriate movie) while I write this blog. Having Maddix gone in school builds that happy anticipation each day to soak up as much time with our special guy as we can get; weekends are such a treat when he's around.

look at the way he admires his older brother

And in turn... Maddix is
a typical older brother

In the past two weeks we've transformed our life from ultimately commitment free to almost every moment of each day jam packed. We have school, the gym, errands, callings, playdates, the library, alliance meetings (it's a medical association group), BYU games, yard work, etc. SO, the past two weeks in a nutshell, We've:

Played Ultimate Frisbee with a group of friends;

My brother came home from his mission!

The stomach flu pass through our home (poor Maddix);

Took Travis to a mandatory work retreat and on the way home went exploring;

Went to an Officer themed Bday party;

Mourned some BYU losses;

Went to an Alliance meeting at the most BREATHTAKING home;

STARTED FOOTBALL (We've had two games & team pictures)!!!!!!!!

Started up group lessons at the Gym;

We now stay after school with the same group of friends/parents, then walk home with the same friend each day. We had a playdate with them, Fred is Maddix's age, and B is Aaron's age.

Back to School Night while it rained BUCKETS; Travis even made it!

Had more playdates;

Facetimed with my mother and siblings.

He was elated to play football

GoOo Team!

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Dress ups

Cried in time-out until he
fell asleep!

Saturday cleaning! They did GREAT

Football celebrations, and then the mourning over consecutive losses.

And then after spending months unhappy with a terrible haircut and color job, I'm happy to say it's FINALLY growing out to the point I enjoy it again: Must be documented that I have been getting ready for the days!

Sunday, September 4, 2016

~And off to school we go~

This Week was The SINGLE most Anticipated week of my past year. Ever since last year when we almost started Maddix in Kindergarten in NY we have thought, planned, and anticipated the day when he would actually leave and start school.

This past Wednesday was that day.

I have felt bi-polar, and still do, about the idea of having Maddix leaving me for the majority of the day, but definitely it's just a new phase in life and so far we're trying to focus on all the positives.

On top of this change, A-A Ron also hit a new stage:

He has a officially started "school" and is doing homeschool Pre-school M,W,F here at home; he loves being big like his brother.

And then I also started back to school Monday as well; suffice it to say, we went from having abnormal amounts of free time where we didn't know what to do with ourselves, to waking up one morning and finding ourselves on a dead run until the weekend!

So our week went as follows:

Monday- Aaron and I had first days of school. At night we had Back to school dinner/F.H.E

Tuesday- Meet your teacher,see the school day for Maddix. He made my bed in quiet time w/out help or being asked to. Rode bikes in the front for our last full day together, just me and both boys.

Wednesday- Took Maddix to his first day of school; Aaron and Maddix held hands the whole way in. Thankfully we knew the girl who sits next to Maddix, from swim lessons, and his teacher is so sweet. Aaron and I drove straight to the gym where we now go each morning, then home for school time, recess, lunch, quiet time/my homework time, and then he, Nala and I walked over to Maddix's school (with just a little extra time for Aaron to play on the playground and Nala to run in the field before all the kids come out; we also have friends there that we love seeing each day).

When Maddix came out of school the first day his was all lit up to see the three of us waiting there; he loved his first day.

Thursday: Pretty much the same routine, only Aaron and I completely bathed/trimmed, and pampered Nala in place of school time one day, and mowed the yard/did yard work another day. When we picked up Maddix we ended up playing a long time with all friends after and didn't get home until almost 5:00pm (And Aaron and I left to get him at 2:20); even though walking takes awhile, I love every minute of it because I get to chat with Aaron the whole way there, and then hear all of Maddix's stories from the day as we walk back; there are no distractions and nothing more important than me just getting to hear his stories in that time walking home. Then there is the bonus that Nala is so worn out after walking 2 miles a day:)

Friday: Repeat. And I love my gym time in the morning! I have a friend who drops her girl off and a friend who drops off her two boys and Aaron never wants to leave the daycare and his friends each time we leave. My time at the gym is my one hour a day for just me and I look so forward to putting the majority of this back pain behind me as I fight my way back into being in shape; and currently I am listening to The Bourn Identity while I'm there and I think it's motiving to listen to all he does and then push myself harder in my own workout. I also love so much that I have a gym buddy again. She pushed me so hard on the treadmill the other day that my legs were jelly!

Okay, so Friday night we had a family movie night of cuddling on the bed, and eating popcorn before Travis and I did a little studying and then watched a movie.

Saturday- THE BEST DAY EVER: Travis had the day off! We slept in until 6:45am (normally up at 5:00 these days). Then we headed up to Rochester for our monthly Costco run/Day with cousins. After Costco we loved hanging out with Vance and Alison's crew before making the two hour drive home. Since it had been a long day, we picked up Taco bell and rented Jungle Book and came home and all four of us cuddled in bed; Ah, I just love movie cuddles!

Sunday: Today, we enjoyed church (Travis was happy to get his lesson over with in Elder's Quorum), we came home and are just relaxing looking at old pictures before we start up with dinner and picking up the house for the Sister's to come over for dinner.

So that's our life now: We're back to having busy days. The nice thing is knowing they really are just as busy as we make them, and we can slow it down as needed; however, all the things we do each day are things we love (aside from Travis who hates his current OB rotation), so although they're tiring, we wouldn't have it any other way (WELL... I could do with less reading for school and little more time with Travis, but HEY, that's just me being picky;)