Things Norah has Said Recently

Be quite my people!
Absolutely! (When I asked her to clean something up)

I'll add more later.

I never get a chance to blog and I am losing so many precious memories about my kids. Unfortunately our camera was lost on our Seattle trip. Fortunately I looked at the pictures of Nate and the four oldest kids going to see wicked before it was gone. I want to remember how they looked on he stairs of he paramount theater and Emma and Merian posing like the wicked poster.

I also want to remember the video of how Norah insisted on holding the cockroach at the pacific science center. She didn't even flinch. I think she was more confident than Derek.

It's after midnight. I just finished wrapping Christmas presents. I'm typing his on our iPod. I'm not going back to proofread.

Just some things so I can remember them when we all get old.

Megan likes to spell Norah with a silent "k": Knorah

Last Sunday morning I was awakened by a humming sound. Derek and Eliza were in our room playing. Derek told Eliza, "it's vibrating."
I wondered what they were doing so I asked, "what's vibrating?"
Derek's response, "That means it's shaking."

At breakfast that day he was talking about the flow rate of different liquids. I told him that was called viscosity and I totally expect him to use that word in the future.

Norah is not like our other children. She has always preferred to sleep in her own bed instead of with us. When she is cranky she tells me she is tired and goes to bed.

She also likes to go to church and will gladly go to nursery by herself. Maybe having so many mothers has made her less attached to me. Last week, when she saw Megan and Emma getting ready for the youth temple trip she got excited about going to church and asked them to help her get a dress. She actually cries when she is sick and I make her stay home from church.

Eliza is so good to Norah. She pretty much gives Norah what ever she wants. ie: green cups Eliza has even been so good to share her purse and flashlight and hasn't gotten upset when Norah calls it hers. We got Norah a purse and flashlight for a belated birthday present so Eliza has her stuff back now.

Introducing Hyrum Peter

On September 20th we welcomed Peter into our home. We are so glad he is here and everyone loves him so much.

I wrote the following in my journal very late the night after he was born. It's brief, but it explains the kids reactions when they came to visit Peter for the first time.

"The kids we so excited to see our new baby. Michael was the first to hold him and held him at least twice. Megan and Eliza looked at him with pure joy. Derek asked how we knew if he was really a boy and wanted to check it out for himself. Norah was a sleep the first time she came, but when Nate brought the kids the next day she didn't want to give up her turn holding him and she started doing this little piggy when she saw his feet." I wish I could remember exactly what she said. Something like "It's a girl." When I explained Peter was a boy she looked thoughtful and said something like, "It's not a girl, she's a boy."

Norah has been a wonderful big sister. Michael was the first one to hold Peter when we brought him home. Norah said, "be careful with him, he's my baby." She told Grandma Johnson the same thing while Norah and I walked upstairs to give her a bath. She brings diapers and wipes without me having to ask when ever she finds out he needs a diaper change. She warns me each time not to cover up his belly button. 

When we first brought Peter home everybody was taking turns holding him when he needed a brake to eat.   We mentioned that Peter only drank milk. Norah brought over two GREEN cups filled with milk. When Emma asked what that was for she answered, "we are thirsty." When Norah explained "we" was her and Peter,  Emma explained that Peter couldn't drink out of a cup. Then Norah asked, "he need a green top?" I love that she was willing to share her loved green cups and tops with him. Then, while she watched him eat, she thought I was feeding him with my elbow. Every time I say Peter needs to eat, she corrects me and tells me he needs to drink.

Eliza sings to him all the time and I have a hard time keeping her away from him while he sleeps.

Michael and Derek love having another boy. They've asked when he can move into their room and Michael has taken him up there to show him where he will be in a couple of years. (I don't know how they will fit!)

We are so glad he is here and part of our family. He's right where he belongs and he will make a great Johnson.

Elinore Rose

Lately, Norah has been taken to calling herself Norah Rose and will correct us if we forget the Rose part. She even did that to her nursery leader when we saw her at the park today.

Norah - uh, Norah Rose - likes to play outside, especially in the dirt. Today she was outside for a long time all by herself. When she came in she told me she had made beds for the rolly-pollies. Little did I know those beds were her shirt pockets that were stuffed with dirt and grass.

Yesterday she came to me and told me she had seen a fly and that she had named him Little Fella. Eliza heard her and then they went outside and made a house for him out of the wood we had on the back porch.

Derek, Eliza and Norah get along so well. It is fun to see them play together and Norah is definitely one of the big kids in terms of how she acts. (Although she starting to feel that something is about to happen and keeps telling us she is a baby and their isn't a baby in my tummy.)

Norah is an amazing talker and is constantly reporting on things using her favorite adjectives, colors.

Norah's favorite color is green, because Eliza's is, but Eliza graciously shares that with her, even if it means Norah has to have a GREEN cup with a GREEN lid and a green spoon. (Seriously, there have been times I've been tempted to throw away all those baby utensils and cup lids. None of the rest of my kids have used tops and it would make life a lot easier not to have special dishes.) Norah even insists that her eyes are green, even though they are a sparkling bright blue. I've been meaning to take her to a mirror to show her the truth, but I'm not sure if she'll even believe me then.

Nit-picking

Recently we learned that a family close to ours acquired a nasty case of lice. I've been periodically checking the kids and I think we are safe. The kids have discovered they love having their hair picked through. When we first found out, Mike had just gotten home from the 50 mile hike, but he insisted his head be looked at as well. After I did that Derek said it was his turn again because I had spent more time on Michael. In fact, he usually lines up for a second turn when I'm check the kids' heads over. Yesterday I found he had asked Eliza to check his head for him and he was very much enjoying it.

Update

Eliza has a way with words. I will always remember when she was two and I pointed to a picture of a snail in a  book we were reading and asked her if she knew what it was. Confidently she answered, "Uh, huh, It's a...a...roller snake!" This week when Norah and I were making faces in a mirror, Eliza called the reflections "color shadows."

This week she will be five and she has grown up so much in the last year. She has even decided to go to the dentist!  She also found that she can dunk underwater and is now a certified fish. She had a great time at swim lessons with cousin Cecily and is constantly dunking underwater. She is very responsible, helpful, understanding, thoughtful and just a little bit mischievous. She is so smart and I've asked her a few times if she would like to go to MCP this year, but she would rather have pre-school with grandma. She'll be having school everyday with Derek, so I just might start her in first grade MCP next year. I'd also like to get her into ballet this year.

Derek is inventive as ever. Last week he propped up the box fan so it was almost lying on the floor and then flew paper airplanes over it, experimenting with different airplanes and fan angles. He has been wanting some Pokemon cards for quite a while so this week I bought him a pack. He earns a card every time he quickly obeys or does something like make his bed without being told. If I have to ask him to do something more than twice, he has to give me a card. (If he does it the first time, he gets a card. The second time I go to him and make sure he has heard me, and no cards are involved.) It has been a great week of him being a great listener and quick obeyer. He hasn't lost a card yet and is always looking for ways he can help around the house.

Emma got her ears pierced for her birthday and has inspired Megan to do the same. Emma has also decided to get her haircut short. She is loving being a beehive. She is so helpful and thoughtful. She's kind of the ring leader of all the younger cousins but she doesn't let that go to her head or abuse her "power." She is a good example and tries to straighten out problems when they arise. Her and Merian are close friends even if they are extremely goofy together. I can't even guess how many hours Emma has read this summer. She reads every chance she gets and a lot of times when she is not supposed to be!

Norah can't live without Megan and Emma. She is excited that we moved her bed into the girls' room and she doesn't ever want to come to bed with us. If she wakes us in the middle of the night and I bring her there she cries for Emma or Megan and says she wants to be in their bed. I'm not sure if I'm touched because of their closeness, or jealous because I am her mom and I'm usually the favorite. She loves the water and going swimming in Grandma Lewis's pool. She talks up a storm and says the funniest things. Friday, after a trip to 7-11 celebrating the end of swim team/lessons, it was "Mmm, mmm.  Best Slurpie I ever had."

Megan had a blast at the last dance. She amazes me. I would always go to the dance with a group of friends and I watched in disbelief when I dropped her off and she confidently (and gracefully) walked into the building by herself. So much for being a shy awkward homeschooler. When she was there she found a "sister" from last year's trek and hung out with her. They had a great time dancing all night. Listening to Megan's report, there was some serious calorie burning going on. Megan was also asked to dance nine time by boys she didn't even know. She must make an impression, however, because one said he remembered seeing her at the last dance. Carrie and I are planning a shopping trip with her to get her ready for High School. We have to talk her into buying clothes because she insists she has enough. A lot of what she has are hand-me-downs from aunts, and although she looks cute and loves what she has been given, I think once she has tasted what it feels like to wear new clothes you've picked out yourself, she will be addicted.

Merian has been breezing through the Harry Potter books this summer. Have I ever metioned how she always says "as you wish" when ever we ask her to do something? Luckily Eliza has picked that up from her. Merian only has nice, positive things to say. She is always telling me she loves me, that I'm beautiful and that I'm the best mom ever. She still likes to snuggle and I feel bad that I am not very good at that. Poor Megan shares a bed with her and Merian almost pushes her out. I've tried to get Emma to switch places so Merian can be with Eliza since Eliza likes to snuggle too.  I'll have to watch a movie with her soon so I will sit down long enough to be with her. Merian likes to watch the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice. That surprised me. I didn't know a nine year old would have patience for such a long movie or the archaic language.

Michael just got back from a 50 mile hike and will be leaving for Scout Camp tomorrow. Nathan reported that Mike did well on the hike, even though he was the youngest there and the trail could be tough at times. I'm proud of him. He's looking forward to going to the dances next month and enjoying the freedom being older brings. Friday he and Jacob rode their bikes to the newly opened Dairy Queen and bought their own dinners. Then Jacob spent the night and I neglected to give them a bed time like before. They stayed up all night watching movies, playing video games and eating DQ ice cream cake. Still, Mike mowed our enormous lawn and pulled weeds at Grandma Yeats before taking a short nap. We had to wake him up to pack for camp. He was half asleep so I hope he can remember where things are stored in his pack when he gets there. Live and learn.

The Brave Explorers at 5:15 AM. Clean - before the hike.

While Mike was on the hike we had cousin camp. It was a hit! The kids made shirts, had a field day, and learned about super saturated saccharine solutions where they made rock candy. They also made Harry Potter wands and since then have been practicing their spells. Even Norah can be seen waving her wand and saying "Legardian Leviosa" or something like that. We always end with a talent show and it's fun to see what the kids come up with. We leave it up to them. I think it is good for them to come up with the idea and practice it on their own. This year Emma choreographed a dance routine with  Kenna and Merian, Megan sang "What is this Feeling," with Emma, Merian and Aunt Erin, Derek did a balance beam routine, Eliza danced, Merian sang a Harry Potter song with Emma and Emma taught Norah the "But I can't pay the rent" skit.

Cousin Camp always involved plenty of swimming.

On Friday, Nathan and I celebrated 16 years of being married. It's amazing to think that much time has passed, all the things we have done and been through and how much our family has grown. Things only get better as time goes on.