Its summertime!

So Jacques is now in NoDak with his Grandma and Grandpa Specht. His heart remains here in Hawaii, but at least now he has Grandma to soften the hard days of being away. He has been fishing a couple of times and caught a few Pike. Uncle Gordon helped him with filleting the fish...then cooked em up and enjoy! Jacques also brought home a humongus carp, he just could not bring himself to believe that fish couldn't be cooked some kind of way. The carp ended up in the pit...and barbequed but no one ate any! Jacques gets to begin drivers education next week. Thank goodness his driving skills will come from an actual instructor...he will not "learn" from his mother.

A couple of weeks ago we acquired a new pooch off of Craigslist. Pua was supposedly a Chocolate Labrador, and she may very well have a bit of lab in her...but I am thinking she is more Pointer than anything. She will be 1 year old in July and she TOWERS over Timme. They have become pretty good friends and give each other a lot of exercise. The twins have really learned to appreciate Timme for being so relaxed and small. Pua is bigger than she realizes and sometimes puts us on our butts. She is a great dog, very smart and wanting to please. We got lucky with her.

Devin and Carter tell me every single day I have to go to work..."Mommy, you go work...we can just stay here." They have come to the belief that they are perfectly capable of staying home with the dogs while I go to work. Devin says it with such conviction, I almost believe he might be just fine there taking care of Carter till daddy gets home from work. They will "hide" behind pillows and in corners, they run from me when I tell them to go and get into the car. Everyday has become quite an adventure when it comes time for me to leave for work.

Carter spends a lot of time playing games on his iPad. Devin spends some time...Carter is just more content to sit and play. Devin, chooses to run around the house all day expending all of his energy getting into things and making trouble with the dogs. It is amazing to me that Carter understands that when he is playing a sniper game, if he aims ahead of a moving target...when the shot gets there the target will be where he sent the bullet. Carter refuses to use the potty but if he needed he could probably aim a sniper rifle. Crazy kids.

Here are our pix of Santa coming to visit.

Christmas and such

I can't remember whether it was Carter who started calling Devin, Denin or was it Devin calling himself Denin but either way he is now Denin. No doubt he is still our MONSTER. I think the child would live nude if we let him. He will run around w/ no clothes pretty much any time he can get away with it. He has also decided since Timme goes pee in the yard so should he...and he does...whenever he gets to run round w/ no clothes. Devin has figured out how to run the iTunes on my Mac and is also pretty handy with the PhotoBooth software. He and Carter will open it click the take picture button count down with the computer then when it clicks the photo, they both giggle uncontrollably. Very entertaining! The other day we were in the car and I handed him something to munch on and he beams this wonderful smile and bursts out..."FOR ME???? For me mommy, is this FOR ME????" SO adorable! Now the both like to point things out and ask..."For me?".
The first thing out of Devin's mouth many mornings is, "Where is my dad, is daddy at work?". They are both always very happy when they wake up and daddy is home for the day. The days that he works, they run out to the gate as soon as they hear his truck pull up on the other side. "Daddy's home, Daddy's home!" He lets them get in the front seat while he backs into the driveway. They all get out and close the gates together. Very cute to watch them so excited to see their dad. 

Carter is talking a ton...he loves to "wedy set GO!" He usually has a car or 2 in his hands and is either running them along some surface or crashing them together. My favorite thing is when he says "Yes" because he is usually smiling and he enunciates so well when he says "Yes". I honestly don't know where his nutrition comes from...milk I guess. He is the milk drinkingest almost 3 year old I've ever seen. Pizza is his most favorite food these days. Devin eats tomatoes, onions, frozen blue/black/ras/strawberries and avocado. They both eat plenty of candy cookies and soda but Devin just does a better job offsetting all of the junk with super healthy foods.
They have had bikes for over a year. I picked them up at a garage sale for like 25 bucks. They have played with them off and on here and there. Finally the last couple of weeks, Mike and I on separate occasions have worked with them on pedaling. Walla they seem to have figured it all out for the most part. Training wheels are still on but they are doing really well for almost 3 year olds!
 

PJ's!

Devin and Carter have been going through a phase where they refuse to change into their "day" clothes. Every single day it is a fight to get the Sponge Bob off of Devin and the Cars off of Carter. After fighting with Carter this morning, Devin had just woke up. Dad very smoothly while changing his morning pamper switched to Devin's Sponge Bob swim trunks...by the time he noticed...it was not a big deal. Well that is Monday...24 hours to go till its on again!

PicNik

Christmas2010, by Larissa Johnson

I'd like to share my Walmart Digital Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Ok It's been long enough

Eh so I took 6 months off...I can't even say I've been busy...just pretty much worn out and more interested in other things...facebook and all of the wonderful blogs I've found to peruse in any free time.
So what "is" going on with the Johnson's? Where do I begin? Hmmmmmm youngest to oldest.
Carter:
Carter's favorite sound is BeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeBeeeeeeeeeeeee. Anytime we see a car, truck or motorcycle it is BeeeeeeeeeeeeBeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! Speech therapy for Carter starts December 28th. At their 18 month appointment the Pedi says she wants to have hearing tested and a speech therapist assess their progress...I think she is loony but whatever I'll play. Good their hearing is GREAT...bad...they both have elected the monkey "ooh ooh ooh" version of "Hey mom, can I have?" So I guess 4 months later she was probably not completely loony and speech therapy might actually be ok. I do know many of the other twin mom's I keep up with are in the exact same boat so I continue to be less than concerned. I will admit that I would very much prefer the "mom can I have" to the monkey's but that will all be over soon enough. Back to what Carter is up to, he LOVES is Sesame Street! Every time we hear the Elmo's World theme he GRINS his biggest grin and looks to make sure I am equally excited that Elmo is about to fill our living room with the wonders of "What is Elmo thinking of today?". He and daddy have also decided that we should all watch Wheel of Fortune each night at 630pm...I think he just wants to get the TV off of PBS before Barney starts...Devin LOVES Barney...don't tell anyone tho! So when the twins were born we used color coding to keep things straight. Carter was green Devin blue. Well today Devin LOVES yellow and Carter is pretty much partial to red. I find this amusing because they are becoming their own little people w/ their own ego...opinions OH LORD the opinions! They don't much watch Sponge Bob but they always are excited to see Sponge Bob on anything...I know this because ANYTIME we see Sponge Bob they both start pointing and saying "Bob Bob Bob"!
Carter does not like to say "No" he raises his eyebrows and says "dop!" And now Devin who use to actually tell you "no need" also has taken to using the stop terminology he has a better "s" sound tho and will tell you "STOP!"
Funny, I made Christmas cookies the other night, Devin brings me the container of Nilla Wafers so I put it on the counter and decide to let him try a snickerdoodle. He takes the snickerdoodle, looks at it and just kind of is "eh whatever itsa cookie." Carter comes over for a Wafer...I hand him a snickerdoodle he looks at it and drops it on the ground looks at me and starts oooh oooh'ing for a Wafer...he wanted nothing to do with those snickerdoodle cookies!
Devin my monster, his attention span is getting much better...tho he really only pays attention to the tv when there is a good commercial on or someone is singing a fun song. Other than that he would much rather be looking for something he is not supposed to be doing...to do. I swear sometimes the toybox will go unopened for hours while he does his best to find something, anything he can get himself into trouble doing. He latest love is climbing the fridge. We have gotten away without a lock on the fridge till just about the last month or so. His increased interest in pulling basically anything he can get his hands on out of the fridge inspired Mike to finally pick up a couple of straps to hold the doors shut last night. It wasn't so bad when he was only pulling out what he wanted to eat...usually an onion or tomato. But lately it is well like I said anything he can get his hands on. Tomato and onion...what toddler LOVES raw onion? Devin.
Jacques continues his love for the video game...and well he's almost 15...so not much else. He told me yesterday that basically when he is not at school that is where all of his friends are...online playing video games. Essentially that is how they are communicating outside of the school...better than out around town causing trouble...but still stagnantly sitting around the house all the same. Needless to say I am not excited about too much time playing games. He does really help w/ the boys and has really started to keep up better with this chores. I cannot believe he is going to be 15 this year...ugh the time flies. It is a blessing having him in my face when Devin and Carter start wearing on my nerves...oooh oooh oooh...all it takes is one look at Jacques 6 foot tall and I remember how quickly it will all not be this way and I tell myself enjoy the oooh oooh ooh while I can...cuz Jacques little "awaditatudu"  in the blink of 15 years is no where to be found.
Mike got orders to the USS Chosin...we are all VERY excited to have another set of 3 year orders...guaranteed jobs here in Hawaii. Life is good!