The Adventures of the Johnson Clan: Let's get our Christmas on!

I cannot believe Christmas is in 4 days!

Maybe it's because there hasn't been any snow yet, just a dusting here or there

(that's NOT a complaint though; the weather has been beautiful).

I hear it's supposed to snow tomorrow.

Aaron said, "It's perfect; we will get snow on the first day of winter!"

So happy last day of fall!

Travis

Yesterday was his first day back after having four days off; those were some needed family days.

While he was home he took each of the boys individually and they finished their Christmas shopping.

He got to go see the new Star Wars with some friends from work, and just enjoyed a night out.

He attended his Work Christmas Party and was thrilled over the "Morty Moose" Christmas Vacation cup one of his co-workers had!

He enjoyed some cooking.
He took me on a date to Buffalo Wild Wings, and then accompanied me to Walmart for shopping.

We each took one of the boys on a date: He took Maddix. Maddix really wanted to build/make something with Daddy so Travis took Maddix shopping for a model to work on. They found a corsair plane and went to town building it together.

He actually got to see Addie during the day when she isn't a crabby monster (she is always ornery by 5pm, so Travis never sees her when she is very pleasant).

He slept in.

Got to go to church with the boys.

We enjoyed watching a few movies together after the boys were in bed.

And as always the time flew too quickly and it was already time for him to go back.

Lacey

I'm happy to report I have more to record than just "I slept, didn't sleep, or am just getting by."

I survived my first outing, just me and all three kids. We attended our ward Christmas breakfast; we even got all ready, only to show up and find out it was a pj party... oh well:)
I attended a friend's breakfast one morning, and it was so nice to talk amongst adults again!

I finished finals!!! Another semester down, one more to go!

Since school ended I feel this massive weight removed from my shoulders... and now the weight is resigning in my midsection... with my extra time I have been baking, a lot.

Aaron and I have made Christmas snowball cookies for Trav's work party, homemade butter, homemade cinnamon honey butter (lots of it), and tons and tons of banana bread! I also made our annual Santa/Snowman pancakes; those were a hit. And then we built our graham cracker houses. Fingers crossed I survive this holiday baking!

While Travis took Maddix out, I had Aaron as my date. We went to the YMCA where we played Racquetball (a room Aaron could run around and smack a ball around with no fear of breaking anything?? Umm... yes), then we played some fuse ball, and ended with some dominos; he was a wonderful date. He held my hand, opened the doors, and gave me a kiss on the cheek to end the night ;)

I also made it back to the pool once; it wasn't quite the "Transformation" I was hoping for. I couldn't kick with my legs, but I was able to use the flotation device between my legs and just swim using my arms, so that was good. It's going to be a long process of rehabbing my back.

Maddix

He is obsessed with Pokemon cards.

He loves that some kids on his bus are equally as into cards, so everyday when he gets off the bus he tells me about the cards those kids showed him, and what new things he learned (it drives me crazy, but he loves it). He's also learning curse words from a certain kid on the bus. He never says them, but he always tells me how annoying it is that this kid is always saying the "G" word, or the "F" word, or I guess today he combined the "G" and the "F" word for the ultimate curse word.

I'm so grateful for Maddix's goodness.

Maddix came home sick from the ward Christmas party and spent three days completely quarantined in his room... no joke. He had to wear a mask, sanitize his hands, and let us know anytime he was leaving his room to use the bathroom; I wasn't messing around with it being RSV season, and having a new baby. By the end of the three days he was more than ready to get back to school!

He loved his date with his dad.

He's been playing really well with Aaron.

He adores his baby sister.

He loved taking the candy canes to the firemen again.

Loved making his StarWars gingerbread man for school.

He loves having Nala greet him at the bus stop each day after school.

He's been so responsible, happy, kind to his brother, helpful, and legitimately funny; I love this new phase he's just entered into.

Aaron

In true Christmas form, he's become very naughty... and nice.

Daily we have to threaten to call Santa and have his presents cancelled from coming.

He has hit the "ferocious Four's" and he's constantly testing boundaries, talking back, throwing himself to the ground and actually kicking and screaming...

But he's also so loving, tender, goofy, cuddly, squirrels, wiggly, hyper, and caring little soul.

He loves his little sister to the moon and back. He constantly asks to spy on her when she's napping.

He's in charge of "diaper duty" and placing the dirty diapers in her little garbage. He snuggles her, reads to her, wants her on the floor by him while he plays... you name it. Even when she cries he says, "Ahhhh!!! She's SO CuTe!!!"

Adeline

This little girl is a champ!

Just 7 weeks ago today she came into the world and she wasn't even as long as the leg on her 0-3 month clothing; I thought she'd never fit anything. Last night I put her in her 3 month old jammies (she blew out all her other pjs) and they fit, perfectly. She has become quite the little chunk!

Up until this past week she's been eating really well, but since we introduced the bottle she doesn't eat off me very well. She rips her head around, acts like she has big bubbles, and it takes us about 45-50mins just to eat 9-10mins on each side; that's been rough.

She hardly ever pukes (the boys were horror movie vomiters), and I'm sure that's why she is gaining weight so much better than the boys did.

She scares me when she naps: whether on her side or on her back, she manages to pull the blanket up over her face! Even if the blanket isn't close to her head... somehow she wiggles down and in. And it's winter... in Iowa... so I don' know what else to do?!

She has began giving us a few genuine smiles.

She has started cooing and making cute noises.

And I saved the best for last..... she has been sleeping so so much better!

I called my S.I.L. (who just had a baby 2 weeks ahead of me) in hysterics back when Addie was 5 1/2 weeks old and pleaded, "why is she crying for no reason?? Why won't she sleep? Please tell me I'm going to survive!?"

She reminded me that between weeks 5/7 babies go through the Purple Crying phase where they're just ornery for no reason. She gave me some tips for what they were doing and I began implementing those. Now she is 7 weeks old and we are starting to get an even (if not slightly more) amount of good nights to bad nights. Last night was a good night.

I can feel myself returning as she chooses to sleep more.

Nala

Has been loving this warmer/dry December weather. Each day we wait for Aaron's bus outside and she loves playing fetch and running around.

Later in the afternoon I put her out on the porch where she lays watch for Aaron. She barks when the bus pulls up, so I know he's here. Then she waits for me to tell her she can go, and she usually tackles him in the yard to tell him "Welcome Home."

Then I put her back out just before Maddix get home. His stop is down on the corner so she really loves being told to go get Maddix. She sprints over to the corner to give him an excited greeting. Then she runs to me to excitedly tell me he's home. Then back to him so he knows she missed him. And back to me... you get it. It's cute. I always dreamed of having a dog that was waiting for me as I left school growing up and I'm so happy the boys have that.

She also caught Travis and I with a Petco bag and insisted on testing her presents out early.

She is so funny. She loves gifts. She totally knows when they're for her, and she gets sooooo excited to open them. I can't wait to see her dig into these gifts this year!