Johnson Household

And, yes we celebrate half birthdays in the Johnson Household.  Saturday, after dance Dagny had one of her best friends, Samantha, from preschool and her mom came over for a BBQ.  Dagny was sooo excited to have Samantha come for a visit.  She literally sat in front of the cable box and looked at the time.  We told her when they were coming and she was looking for the numbers to change.  When she heard a car drive by, she flew to the window and looked to see if it was her friend.  It was so sweet! The girls had so much fun playing together.

After linner, we had Dagny blow out some candles on a  small cake Craig got her. Dagny really wants to be four.  But, when we told her that she is no longer 3, but  3 1/2 it seemed to satisfy her for the time being.

Here is my girl working out the plan of action on how to devour the cake in record time.

Monday, was Doodle Dance at her preschool.  It was the end of the year school recital.  We were prepared for her not to participate and run to us and say she was shy.  To our surprise she not only participated but she had a blast. Craig and I were so proud of her for doing so well.  I am crossing my fingers that this was a prequel to her dance recital in June.

Dagny has always seemed ahead of the curve when it comes to certain things.  She knew all her letters by two and when I mean knew, she knew them randomly.  You could show any letters to her and she would know them 99% of the time.

Craig and I have never made a point of drilling numbers and letters down her throat.  We are not that kind of parents.  But, we do encourage her learning.  She has, and have for a long time, the foam letters in the tub, tons of books that she loves to “read” and we make it a point to read to her every single night.  She has workbooks that encourage her fine motor skills and not just letters and numbers.  Dagny’s Grandma and Grandpa Johnson have gotten her numerous subscriptions (Highlights High Five,  Puzzle Buzz, and National Geographic’s) that she loves to work through.

I am serious when I say I never tell her to sit down and do any activities in the magazines or workbooks.  She knows where they are kept and on her own she takes them out and starts working on them.  Sometimes I am in the kitchen cooking and its very quiet, so I walk to the living room and there she is working on a puzzle from the Highlights. I just smile and let her be and go back to the Kitchen. But, if she has a question we always try to be there to answer them for her. She really enjoys involving us in her workbook activities and asks us to join her in the dinning room.

This past week, she asked to work in her math book.  She did this all by herself.  The only thing I did was write the number 4 on the top of the page for her to have a reference for the way the book writes the number.  I am not even that impressed that she knew the answers, because she has been able to do that sort of stuff for awhile, but how well she wrote her numbers.

So, I no longer have eye glasses or the need to wear them. Perfect timing with sunglasses season approaching. The only reason I was wearing them was because of my astigmatism.  Apparently, I was the perfect candidate for an LRI.  It was a very quick and simple procedure.  I was able to get it done in the office with some numbing drops and the whole thing took a few minutes.  Only thing I am still working through is my phantom glasses.  It’s a weird sensation to actually feel my old glasses on my face knowing very well that they are not there.

And, because its that time of the year.

Barbara

This weekend it was warm and dry enough to fake a spring day.  It’s been non stop rain and cold, very unfriendly outdoors weather, which by the way doesn’t sit very well with a 3 year-old that would rather be outside all day if possible.  In fact, she asks every morning “Mommy, is it raining today?” That’s just sad.  But, I do think there will be a shift in the weather soon.

Saturday, after Dagny’s dance class, the three of us headed over to Home Depot to pick up a new lawn mower.  We needed a new one for the past couple of seasons, but we have been putting it off.  The duck tape holding it together finally broke at the end last season and with that we could not put off buying a new one any longer.  It’s a slick new red mower and I think Craig might be in love.  He cut the grass for the first time this year, not that you can tell from all the rain we have had this week.

Later in the afternoon we went over to our friends son’s birthday party.  Dagny was so excited about going, she could hardly contain herself.  As I was getting her ready she looked at me and said “I like parties and cake.”  My little party animal.

We are pretty consistent about getting Dagny in bed by her bedtime or very close to it. But Saturday… Not so much.  We all had so much fun with our great friends.

You would think going to bed late Dagny would sleep in.  Yeah, that’s not the case.  She was up bright and early on an ungodly hour of 7 am on Sunday.  Dagny and I got ready while Craig slept in until 8:30.  How sad is that, 8:30 in the morning is considered sleeping in.  The joys of parenthood.

Dagny wanted to go outside badly, so I took her out front and let her burn off some energy.  I really wish I could bottle some of it up and sell it on the black market.  We’d make a fortune.

After dinner we went for a walk in Highland Park.  It’s one of our favorite places to go.

This past Monday was Dagny’s second week of  gymnastics.  She loves it, from what I can see. Which is not so much, because we can’t be in the gym with them.  I sit in the car and watch to see if I can catch a glimpse of her.  When I do, she has a huge smile.  I am just so happy that she is enjoying it. This summer we are signing her up for soccer.  I hope it goes just as well.  Like gymnastics, she has asked us to do it.

Barbara