First Dentist Visit

Another first for Liam and Finn- a trip to the dentist! At their 18 month check-up, our pediatrician encouraged us to set up an appointment for the kids to see a dentist. I think it was smart to go with a pediatric dentist instead of a general dentist. I'm sure it would've been fine either way, but the minute we walked into the door, the kids were enthralled with the big tree and playhouse built into the office and the staff seemed very prepared for our little guys. To help the boys feel more comfortable, the assistants encouraged them to sit in the big chair and she took them for a "ride" as she raised the chair up and down. I think it made them feel more at ease to have some fun in a space that was big, new, and a little scary.

The dentist was awesome and gave us good tips for oral care when it comes to toddlers. He was very comfortable interacting with the kids and knew the best way to check their teeth without creating too much trauma.

Some ideas of questions to ask 
at your child's first dental check-up:

-What toothpaste is okay to use? How much at each brushing?

-How many times should we floss our child's teeth during the week? (I know this sounds stupid, but I didn't realize we should be flossing their teeth at all yet.)

-What are some habits that could affect our child's dental care? (i.e. Milk or juice in a sippy cup at night, binky, sucking fingers, etc. Our kids don't have anything to drink with them at night, but they do still use a binky.)

-What is the best way to brush my toddler's teeth? (I needed help with this, because I can't seem to get a great brushing with my squirmy little boys.)

-What are the benefits of flouride?

More proof that our boys are just like normal siblings and NOT identical: Finn has great enamel and healthy looking teeth, but Liam has some softness and gingivitis, with some concern and watch for cavities. Since they pretty much have identical diets and we practice identical habits for both, it was chalked up to mostly bad genes. :(

All around, our first dentist visit with the boys was a SUCCESS. We'll keep watching Liam's teeth and if things don't get better, we'll be back in 3 months for more options. Yay for healthy teeth!

*Thanks to Children's Crossing Pediatric Dentistry!

Water Play

Another dreary morning and we're stuck inside. I got some ideas for water play on Play At Home Mom LLC and decided to try them out:

First Activity: I went to the Dollar Store and found a package of clear water beads. When I got home, I separated them into 5 containers and added food coloring for red, blue, green, yellow, and purple. When they were ready, I put the boys in some smocks and placed the containers where they could reach them. I also gave them each a separate bowl, because I thought they might like mixing the beads and taking them out and putting them back in the bowl. Finn really enjoyed mixing the colors together. Liam enjoyed throwing them across the table, because they were just miniature balls! I decided to give Liam a big mixing spoon and he enjoyed stirring the beads and spooning them into different containers. I think the new texture and vibrant colors were really fun the boys!

*Note: My kids thought they were something to eat at first, so I had to watch out for mouthfuls of water beads. They caught on pretty quickly that these were just for play. ;)

Second Activity: While at the Dollar Store, I also picked up a bunch of different kinds (textures and colors) of sponges. I cut the sponges up into different shapes (circles, triangles, squares, star, heart, squiggly shapes, etc.) and then put them in a big bowl. I took another big bowl and put both in front of the boys. I filled a cup of water and poured it into the bowl with the sponges and let them at it! They REALLY enjoyed this. They loved picking up the sponges and squeezing the water into the other bowl or just splashing in the water. Liam really liked the star shaped sponge because we sang "I am like a star" every time he pulled it out. It was fun to talk about colors and shapes.

*Note: I've come to realize that playtime is learning time. Instead of getting worried about messes or water getting everywhere, I made a conscious decision to let them explore, create, and learn- even if that meant throwing sponges on the floor or getting water on the table, chairs, etc. It took a couple of minutes for me to be okay with that, but letting them explore and learn is more important to me than worrying about a mess for 30 min- 1 hour.

Nothing beats running around outside and exploring, but this was pretty fun for the children! I think we'll try it again and see what else we can learn and do with our new water toys. If you're like me and feel suffocated during the winter months, these are some fun activities to keep little ones happy and occupied, along with a good feeling at the end of the day that Mickey Mouse Clubhouse wasn't the only thing stimulating little brains. ;)

Let out of jail!

Have I ever mentioned how much I dislike winter? I have lived in Utah a majority of my life, but I still get unhappy at the first sign of cold weather. When you're a mama of busy toddlers, it's especially torturous. So when today turned out to be pretty nice, we booked it outside and walked to the park. We all felt like we had been let out of jail- parents and children alike!

I know we live in a desert. 

 I know we're in a drought.  

I know we need the moisture. 

But, this mama needed this!

Second Lunch.

I have a dirty little secret.
My children eat off the floor. 

Okay, let me spill the facts:

1. I am NOT exaggerating when I say I sweep the floor at least 5-6 times a day.
2. Toddlers are messy
3. I've tried helplessly and hopelessly to keep 'em boys away from the fallen cheerios, Saltines, and grapes that have made their journey from peanut butter hands to the cold, brown tile, but it's HELPLESS and HOPELESS. Am I missing something? Because the way my kids scavenge the floor like ruthless dogs, you would assume food just tastes better after it's been on the ground for 10 minutes.
4. Did I mention toddlers are messy and I have two and a limited amount of time and energy to worry and clean, so I take my chances?

No, this is good. I've been wanting to get this off my chest for a while now. While I'm at it, take a good look at Liam's highchair.
It's caked with food, juice, and other stuff I'd rather not think about.

And...jackpot.

My Valentines

Today is Valentine's Day. The boys and I had a lazy morning. We stayed in our pajamas until after lunch and took our time getting ready before B came home to pick us up for dinner. I love it when I relax about checking the items off my list. The children are very sensitive to any stress or impatience I experience when I fail to execute my detailed plan for the day. I still make lists and a schedule every night, but I've decided to not go into self-destruct mode if I don't cross off every item.

Since we don't get out a lot lately, 

I decided to get us all fancied up for our date with dad.

(Admit it. Your heart is melting right now.)

After dinner, we picked up some Cherry Garcia and added it to the Paradise Bakery chocolate chip cookies B surprised me with today 

and let the boys enjoy some heavenly sweetness. 

Then we ran up and down the hall to calm the sugar rush before bedtime.

You know those days where you sit back in your chair and look at your life right at that moment and acknowledge things are good, right, and, for the most part, make sense? You cherish that minute. You cherish it so much because you realize the very next minute could be the exact opposite. Ah, the gift of an ordinary day. The gift of healthy, squirmy children with chocolate stained faces. The gift of a house filled with noisy toddler mumbles and laughter. The gift of a nourished marriage that begins and ends each day with a kiss. The gift of knowing, despite the insecurities that are part of living in this world, we are loved. 

Happy Valentine's Day everybody.

End of January. So much in between!

Tomorrow is the last day of January 2014. Seriously? January is a busy month for the Johnson family with numerous relative birthdays, banquets, new resolutions, and, of course, the celebration of Brandon Johnson marrying me. Let me see if I can sum it up:

On January 14, 2014, B and I celebrated 3 years of marriage. It's not many years, but so much has happened in those 36 months, it feels like a longer time than it is. To celebrate, B took the WHOLE day off and we got Grandma and Grandpa Johnson to babysit while we headed to Downtown SLC and spent the afternoon/evening doing sealings in the Salt Lake Temple, eating dinner at The Garden, and going to a movie. (Saving Mr. Banks- loved it.)

(I don't know why this picture is all glossed over.)

We got all fancied up- B in his suit and tie and me in my sparkly dress and heels. We both smelled really nice, too. We walked slowly around Temple Square with my arm in his and reminisced about our wedding day and our beautiful life together.

It was nice to be by ourselves for a while and look glamorous and crush on each other. Yet, as I walked through the doors of our home when it was all over, I couldn't wait to get the dress off and head for the boys' room and kiss their little heads as they slept and whisper "I love you." Oh how I love my beautiful home and the darlings I share it with...including my incredible, intelligent, kind husband.

Speaking of amazing husbands, mine really is. This month he was awarded, for the second consecutive year, Engineer All Star for Master Control and then promoted to Software Engineer Level 3 (highest engineering level for the company). These accolades came with recognition at the yearly banquet, a pair of all-stars, and a nice raise. A bit braggy? Yes, yes I am.

(Last year, he got bright green ones. Pretty epic.)

So, what did we do to celebrate? We took the children on Frontrunner! (Remember our last experience on Frontrunner, Elder Shaw?) For my dad's birthday, he asked all of us to pick something we'd like to do with him this year so he can post it on his "memory board" he and my mom are creating for his office. We mutually decided the boys would really enjoy riding the Frontrunner train with Papa from South Jordan to Provo. 

Finn did this the whole time: 

And Liam did this pretty much the whole time:

When we arrived in Provo, we walked a couple blocks to downtown and stopped to look at the progress of the Provo City Center Temple:

(A little blurry? Dad's first time taking a picture on my Galaxy SII.)

We ended up eating lunch at a little Chinese restaurant and then walking/jogging back to the station to catch our train back to South Jordan. 

Thanks Grandma and Papa! 

And Auntie Tay.

The End. See ya in February!

January Birthdays: Lori J

Tonight we celebrated the birth of Lori Johnson. She is the mother to my husband, the grandmother to my children, and a wonderful friend, mother, and mentor to me. Some things I appreciate about Lori:

-She LOVES my children.
-She LOVES my husband.
-She LOVES me.
-She is incredibly kind, devoted, and close to the Spirit.
-She is BYU's biggest fan: LOYAL, STRONG, AND TRUE.
-She has an infectious laugh.
-She has perfected the art of "blooming where you're planted".

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA J!