Parenthood Lesson #35,305

November 11, 2015 By

I am chomping at the bit to get outside and play every day. And every day after school, all Hadley and Bode want to do is chill out and unwind. Who can blame them, really? They’ve just spent eight hours holed up in a veritable prison of lunch ladies, algebra and spelling tests.

I’ve tried to give them space and time, even though it’s not in my DNA. I always need to be doing something and it drives me nuts to be stuck inside the house.

Hadley, in particular has been resistant to it. Or rather, she’s the most vocal about it. Even if Bode doesn’t want to do something, he’ll reluctantly do it because he’s a pleaser. Hadley? She’ll do what she wants and only when she wants to do it. They’ve both had these personalities since they came out of the womb.

So, I’ve been careful with my words. I don’t want to demand too much of Bode because he’ll always do it but it should never be unfair to him. And for Hadley, I try to limit my requests to things that need to get done because I’m frequently greeted with resistance or “WHY?”

My friend Lisa recently called me in a panic to pickup Hadley’s bestie Alex from school. No problem. Hadley was out on the trampoline and knowing this would be something she’d be excited about, I tested the waters to see how she’d respond without first knowing what I asked of her.

“Hadley, I need you!”

“OK, Mom.”

“Wait. What? No ‘what do you want me to do?’ Or ‘I’m busy right now’?”

“OK then. What do you want me to do? Can’t you see I’m busy right now?”

Lesson learned: Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor

Validation

November 9, 2015 By

We recently had parent-teacher interviews and I’m really blessed with two great kids who have always been well-behaved and well-liked at school. Here’s how they are doing (though this post is mostly about Hadley in her transitional year).

Bode. Fourth Grade. Non-issue. Beloved by his teacher and classmates. Student council. Cross-country. Soccer pro. Terrible artist. Math whiz and his nickname is “the human calculator.” Obsessed with the Rubik’s cube. He comes home from school, does his homework without being asked and is obedient and thoughtful. I can’t take credit for him at all because he’s completely self-motivated and, let’s face it, the kid is not normal. But I’ll take these kind of abnormalities.

Hadley. Sixth Grade. Has risen to the challenge this year changing from a non-structured Waldorf learning environment back to public school and I feel so validated in switching her back. I’ve limited her activities to cross country, piano and VBC (our school’s broadcast program) so as not to overwhelm her because she needs A LOT of downtime.

She started so so so so far behind (no) thanks to her incompetent teacher last year and has made huge strides thanks to the loving guidance of her new teacher. In just a few months, she skipped ahead not one but two reading groups (rarely/never happens) and is a wonderfully creative and imaginative writer. She still struggles in math and spelling but is making huge improvements. I wish I could help with the lack of motivation but here’s something we learned about Hadley during our 5+-year-long ordeal with potty training: she is the most stubborn kid on the planet and if she doesn’t want to do something, she won’t do it (or will be kicking and screaming as she does). The good news is when she is passionate about something, she gives her all and does a beautiful job. For our pumpkin party, I asked her to draw an arrow to direct people to our backyard. She created a masterpiece of an arrow that would have brought ‎Leonardo da Vinci to tears. I would have drawn this: =>.

It sure would be nice if she could channel some of that to her academics but we all have our talents and she will be numbered among the artists, dreamers and innovators of this world.

Her newest obsession? Reading.  Last summer, I bought the Fablehaven audiobooks for our looooong drive to Canada. We raced through all five books (more than 80 hours worth) and then she begged me to buy the books. She blew through them  in a matter of weeks, creating a new dilemma: I literally could not get her to read before. And now I literally cannot get her to stop reading, which is fine until I want to go outside and PLAY.

I’m not sure what alternative universe I’m in but I guess I’ll take it.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley

The Undefeaters

November 7, 2015 By

Fall sports season is a wrap!

Soccer

Bode has been with his soccer team for a couple of years and they’re finally gelling really well together. So well, in fact, that they went undefeated, which was particularly awesome because he’s had a rollercoaster few years playing. He started out as a superstar preschooler and was a top scorer. Then, as the other kids got stronger, he lost his confidence and held back. He has finally found his niche on defense and though he’s not a flashy player, he is a smart one who always makes solid passes and is a team player.
I asked Bode if they had a team name this season. He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know. Call us “The Undefeaters.”

Talk about a premonition.

Volleyball

This is the fourth season I’ve coached volleyball for the 2nd Ward Young Women at church and it was a blast! Hadley is only 11 (Young Women are 12-17) but I recruited her and a couple of her younger friends to play so we’d had enough girls. She continues to be a source of frustration because she fights me at every turn. The girl is good and could be great. She oozes natural talent and really thrives out there…and then when she steps off the court, she claims she’s only lukewarm about volleyball. Really? Apparently she doesn’t see what I see.

Last year, we beat our arch rivals 1st Ward in the tournament but then they beat us in the finals. This year, we were in it for the win and, despite our strong competitors (most of whom play volleyball in club or school), we were the Little Engine That Could. We came from behind to beat them during the tournament, had a showdown in the finals and were declared Stake Champions!


Great job to all! After a busy fall, I’m looking forward to our winter hibernation.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley

Happy Halloween!

November 1, 2015 By

As much as I love Halloween, it made me a bit sad this year. The kids are growing up fast–too fast–and let’s face it: Halloween just isn’t the same without little kids. This Facebook flashback from five years ago tells the tale with our cute Mario and Princess Peach. Apparently the only thing that hasn’t changed is Jamie’s pumpkin obsession.

Hadley in particular looked so grownup as an archer. Aren’t my  girl and maple tree gorgeous?

 

My friend Suzy was generous enough to send Bode a legit NASA costume, which he beefed up with Jamie’s scary pumpkin mask. Um, OK.

Between our ward’s truck-or-treat and class parties, there was plenty of fun.

Sixth grade

The Pumpkins also made celebrity appearances at the Volunteers of America Halloween party for homeless families….

…And visited our local high school’s special needs kids and our kids’ school. Bode proudly made a speech while Hadley pretended she didn’t know us. I wore my embarrassing pumpkin glasses just for her.

Our neighborhood has been ranked #5 as the best neighborhoods to trick-or-treat in Denver, which I attribute to our fire station that hosts a party and fire-truck-led procession, and then the countless families that go all-out for Halloween. That parade has been one of our highlights–it’s so fun seeing all our friends dressed up but Hadley was among the oldest so her days are numbered.

Jake, Noah, Nicky, Bode, Vinny and Curtis

Our superhero neighbors

Another reason for my nostalgia: gone are the days when we trick-or-treat as a family. My friend Julie took Bode out with all his besties while I threw a party for the tweens in our ward. A few of the girls dressed for fashion, not comfort (roockies) and after an hour, ditched their shoes to go barefoot. Hadley could have trick-or-treated for hours (chip off the old block) but when you have half your group blistered and limping, you call it early after a mere hour and a half, go back to your house to review and trade your stash, and watch a spooky movie.

And yes, I was the killjoy who kept yelling at Waldo to STOP HIDING SO I COULD TAKE A PICTURE.

Happy Halloween 2015!

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, holidays, Humor, Jamie

Pinewood Derby Drama

October 29, 2015 By

The Pinewood Derby. Every Cub Scout’s dream. Every father’s worst nightmare.

To let you know Bode’s pedigree: As a kid, Jamie won first place locally and his brother Chris competed against hundreds of cars to win regionals. The Pinewood Derby is serious business for the Johnson clan

This year, my boys were in it for the win. They researched YouTube videos for the best strategies and implemented a risky three-wheeled design with purposely bent axles and a rail-riding strategy.

There were four lanes so each car raced once in each lane.  I joked to our friends I wouldn’t tell them which car was ours unless we won. 

He triumphed in the first heat.

And his second.

He dominated the third.

And won the fourth heat for a clean sweep.

We assumed he’d win best overall average because he beat every car (including the overall winner) but in the end, he took second place–the difference between first and second place was a mere 0.03 seconds.

That night before bedtime for scriptures and prayers, I read a touching story from the Friend, the Church’s children’s publication. It was about a father obsessed with winning the Pinewood Derby. They were on track to go to the winner’s bracket when his 8-year-old son pulled him aside and told him he was supposed to go head-to-head with a boy with disabilities who hadn’t won any heats.

“Dad, we need to do something to my car to make sure Steve wins.”

The dad was humbled by his son’s gesture so ruined the alignment on the car. Steve was thrilled to win the race and there were two winners that day.

After reading the story, there was a long pause. Was my sweet, thoughtful boy as touched as I was about this kid who gave up the chance to be in the winner’s circle so another could win?

Bode finally responded, “Oh, let’s not do that.”

He’s more like his father than I thought.

Filed Under: Bode, Humor, Jamie, LDS

Our Halloween Mystery

October 22, 2015 By

We have had some paranormal activities Chez Johnson that are wreaking all sorts of havoc and sending a shiver down my spine.

Our ghost first put holes near the top of our blinds. Then, the florescent light cover in our kitchen not only crashed to the ground but these spirits somehow carried it all the way to the garbage can outside. And don’t get me started on the jar of peanut butter that floated to the basement, the most minor of the trespasses but still a head-scratcher.

All of these situations have been met with the  doe-eyed innocence of our kids. “Mom, I have no idea how that happened” or “maybe it was Fat Kitty,” which makes me seriously worry about their power of persuasion if they’re trying to convince me that our obese, declawed cat could become airborne (though peanut butter might be a good motivator).

To their credit, they haven’t turned each other in but when you’re only one of two siblings, the odds are not ever in your favor. We’ve repeatedly trying to instill within them that lying is worse than the actual crime but to no avail.

I have yet to catch them red-handed but got a kick out of toddler Jack’s blue-faced lie about the free cupcake he’d swiped in a celebration for the New York Giants.

The good news is that we are making some progress. I’m not sure about the topic in my daughter’s Sunday School class last week but she finally confessed to her teacher, “YES, IT WAS I WHO TOOK THE PEANUT BUTTER TO THE BASEMENT AND ATE DIRECTLY OUT OF IT WITHOUT A SPOON.”

If only the trespasses of my little spirits could always remain so innocent.

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor

Oh Canada: The edition not in Canada

October 20, 2015 By

When you drive 3,000+ miles alone with the kids, there are certain stretches of road that you dread. Mine is the 11-hour drive from Vernon, B.C. through the wastelands of Washington and Oregon before landing in Boise.

The bad: Waking up at 4 a.m. to drop Jamie at the Kelowna airport for his 6 a.m. flight.

The good: There were no suicidal, cliff-jumping cows like last year.

The debatable: Whenever we’ve passed Dry Falls in years past, there’s always been a lot of cars so we pulled over at this pitstop in Central Washington. We learned Dry Falls was once five times the size of Niagara Falls.  During the Ice Age. I’m not sure if this was a letdown or fascinating marketing about an enormous waterfall that is no longer there.

Boise

Once we finally arrived in Boise, we overnighted with my former mission companion Katie’s family. The kids pressured me to play BeanBoozled (the worst game ever) where we ate such memorable jelly bellies like booger. Grass. Vomit. And those were the good ones.

Fortunately, the rest of our visit wasn’t nearly as traumatic.

Twin Falls

From there, we did a slight detour to play in the Snake River  with my friend Jenny near Twin Falls. Driving along I-84, I thought this area was an arid wasteland but how very, very wrong I was. Unlike Dry Falls (read: NO FALLS), Shoshone Falls is 212 feet high–45 feet higher than Niagara Falls and at its peak, it flows over the rim 1,000 feet wide.

My outdoorsy kids met their match (and were exceeded) with Jenny’s wonderfully wild Idaho kids.

Here, Bode is playing with one of her twins in the Snake River in a stirring portrait I call “Synchronized Mud Flinging.” His sister (on the receiving end) had another name for it.

Salt Lake City

I wish we could have stayed longer but it was onto Utah for a quick two days with Jamie’s wonderful family where the kiddos snuggled with their cousin Darby for the first time.

And I sneaked in a quick hike to the Living Room in my former home.

Normally we’ll stay in Salt Lake City for several days but we were crunched on time. Bode was staying an extra week with Grandma and flying home by himself while Hadley and I were racing back so she could climb her first 14er.

I’m so grateful for our many friends, family and adventures we had–it truly was the summer both my kids learned to fly.

===

In case you missed our other Canadian adventures this summer:

Oh Canada: The Lethbridge Edition

Oh Canada: The Canada Day in Raymond and Waterton Edition

Oh Canada: The Calgary Edition

Oh Canada: The Banff/Canmore Edition

Oh Canada: The Lakehouse Edition

Oh Canada: The Kettle Valley Railway Trail Edition

 Oh Canada: The Edition Not in Canada

 

Filed Under: Bode, Family travel, Hadley

The Real Scariness of my Goosebumps Pre-screening Party

October 14, 2015 By

Last March, I was invited to host a pre-screening for “Cinderella,” which was a rather magical experience to see this classic with so many close friends.

Well, this generous movie promotion company contacted me again last week, but this time to host a pre-screening for Goosebumps.

I wasn’t familiar with this series that has sold more than 400 million books worldwide until Bode requested them for his birthday last summer and he has been counting down the days until the movie came out. Well, imagine how popular I was when I told him I was hosting a VIP pre-screening of the movie. Not only could he invite all his friends but they’d get to see it before it was released to the public on Friday. Mother of the Year!

I had 162 seats to fill and the promotion company generously threw in popcorn and a drink to everyone in attendance, not to mention Goosebumps T-shirt and swag giveaways. I only had five days to pull this together so I sent an email to friends first, planning to promote it to the general public the next morning but within a few hours, most of the seats were filled, many of which with friends. I capped it at 148 so I’d have some wiggle room for cancellations and add-ons.

And then I spent five days stressing. What if I didn’t have enough seats to accommodate everyone? What if there weren’t very many people who showed up? I was tweaking the list until the very last minute but amazingly, there were only two families that were no-shows. And then I had several “yes” shows thanks to Bode who didn’t tell me he was inviting several friends from school, which I would have been fine with if I’d had their RSVPs but they just showed up at the theater. Thankfully, there was room–not much but just enough.

The Boys

As for my take on Goosebumps? Delightfully fun and with a PG-rating, it was just scary enough without being over-the-top. However, there were definitely a lot of scary elements because the entire premise of the movie  is about R.L. Stine’s (Jack Black) dangerous creatures coming to life from his books.  I spent the entire time fretting it was traumatizing the younger kiddos. Forget the clown–Slappy, the ventriloquist’s dummy, was creeeeeepy.

I need not have worried because most everyone seemed to have a great time but no one more than Bode’s buddies. If there is a demographic for this movie, it’s 9-year-old boys. His friend Noah raved, “That was the best movie I’ve seen in a looooooong time” and Bode endorsed, “It was so much better than ‘Cinderella.’”

Of course, the true indicator is if anyone had spooky dreams that night. I sure did. I feverishly dreamed I didn’t have enough seats to accommodate everyone.

We all have our nightmares.

Filed Under: Bode, Humor

Victory at the Scarecrow Festival!

October 12, 2015 By

Usually this time of year, we’re entrenched in all-things pumpkin but due to a dismal season, we’ve all been lukewarm about it. Jamie lost one of his plants early-on and and has had a myriad of problems with the other–from our irrigation system breaking for a week to the neighbor’s dog (literally) eating the pumpkin’s flower.

This stuff ain’t for the faint of heart.

Jamie has put all his normal pumpkin-growing energies into BYU football, and after listening to what feels like 100 hours of BYU Sports Nation’s commentary (he listens to it daily), it almost makes me miss the pumpkins.

Yes, you heard me correctly. Hell hath finally frozen over.

Jamie’s other surviving pumpkin is small but due to a warm fall, he has kept it on the vine for three weeks longer than usual because it’s still slowly growing. He’ll take it to a weigh-off in Colorado Springs this weekend.

The kids’ pumpkins are about half the size as normal. Hadley’s pollinated later but she tended her patch waaaaaaaaay better than Bode and weeded it regularly; Bode’s weeds got to the point they were basically strangling the vines. I tried to help him weed one day but I think we did more harm than good so Hadley surpassed him.

Usually the kids enter their pumpkins in the same Giant Pumpkin Commonwealth-sanctioned events as Jamie but since he’s holding off, we haven’t done any of these festivals this year. The one we can’t miss is our town’s giant pumpkin weigh-off and I’m so glad we did because when we arrived, there were only two other pumpkins and then ours.

Those, my friends, are good odds.

The only other competition was a woman who grown had two beautifully round and orange pumpkins that weighed in around 40 pounds so they saved the kids’ for last. I had to chuckle as the crowd that gathered, marveling “those are big pumpkins” and we muttered back “these aren’t big pumpkins.”

See? We’re ruined for life.

Bode’s pumpkin weighed 170 pounds while Hadley’s was 189 pounds, which is a pretty small margin of victory considering hers felt a lot heavier. Oh, what could have been. 

When I later asked her how she felt about dominating the adult and kid’s division, she blithely replied, “I just cared about beating Bode.”

Game on, Weed Boy.

 

Filed Under: Bode, Hadley, Humor, pumpkins

Oh Canada: The Lakehouse Edition

October 9, 2015 By

How can you summarize a glorious week with family at a lakehouse tucked away in the breadbasket in Canada? You can’t, that’s why I prefer to document our family reunion on Okanogan Lake in pictures!

I chuckle when I see other family’s carefully regimented reunions, with every last detail planned. Their perfectly coiffed, matching family pictures. Ours is typical Borowski-style chaos. Wake up. Boat, kayak or SUP. Eat breakfast. Boat, play with cousins, eat. Boat. Eat. Cards. Games. Rinse, lather, repeat. Oh wait. Scratch that because the boys don’t shower.

What I particularly enjoyed about summer 2015 at the lake is the temperature–it wasn’t blazing hot 100+ degrees like last year. With temps in the upper 80s, I deemed it to be near perfect (for me, anyway; the hardcore boaters prefer scorchers). My brother Pat’s family is incredibly generous with their resources, time and patience bringing the rest of us up to their [trailblazing] speed.

A few of our favorite things:

Water play (duh)

Wakeboarding Hadley

Wakeboarding Bode

There’s never a dull moment with cousin Jaxson. Prior to tubing, we asked if he knew the hand signal for telling us he’s done (tapping the top of his head). “Sure!” And he proceeded to do the throat-slitting gesture. That works, too.

Driving to the West Side for our Annual Family Dive-off

Lakeside Movie Night at Todd and Kim’s

First Annual Stand-up Paddleboard (SUP) Competition

When you only have one paddleboard, you improvise and have timed races. Pat won. As always. But he’s almost 50 and we’ll soon dominate him.

Pat the soon-to-be dominated

Lots and lots of cards and games

Bode’s Birthday

DQ ice cream cake courtesy of Aunt Sue

My favorite moment: globe light + sparklers = a magical birthday eve

Davison Orchard Tours


And their best peach and apple pies. Ever.

A truly epic bike ride on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail

Everyone Flying into the Rooster Tail with Guns Blazing

Not pictured:

A lot of laughter, Jane’s delicious cooking, Emily’s addictive Greek bruschetta, bloodsport croquet (we broke Dad’s new mallets), Hadley’s first all-girl dance party on the boat, early-morning kayak runs, nighttime tales of the lake monster Ogopogo, Tim Horton’s Timbits, Rook tournaments, Screamers (half ice cream, half Slurpee) and the Borowski’s epic wakeboarding moves.

Jamie and I had a competition with my younger brother Jade in surfing (we called it The Worst of the Worst). I thought for sure I would win but after popping up my first try and successfully surfing the wake, I cracked and started regressing while Jamie and Jade got better, even dropping the rope and surfing on their own.

Near the end of the week, I’d only been out a few times and was downright frustrated until my sister-in-law Jane shouted out at me, “Do you know what your problem is? You’re not having fun!” She was right. I was so focused on surpassing the boys that my failures were getting the best of me. That very next attempt, I fought my way out of the water and had my best surf of the entire week. Turns out having fun IS the key!

I loved seeing my kiddos progress on the water–Bode popped back up on his wakeboard and Hadley started carving. She tried surfing by herself on the very first day and with Jane’s assistance in the water, was able to get up and surf a bit. She showed no interest in trying again until the very last night. When you have avid boaters, you have to be bold with getting your own time on the water so I asked Pat if we could do one last run before dark, which he kindly acquiesced. I had a great run and wanted to go again until Hadley asked if she could try surfing again.

This time, she said she wanted to do it completely on her own without Jane in the water and my gosh, if that girl of mine didn’t pop up and surf the wake. It was one of my proudest moments at the lake…and then a reminder that she’ll probably surpass me in the Worst of the Worst surfing competition next year and I’ll still be at the bottom of the bucket.

It’ll be worth it.

======

In case you missed our other Canadian adventures this summer:

Oh Canada: The Lethbridge Edition

Oh Canada: The Canada Day in Raymond and Waterton Edition

Oh Canada: The Calgary Edition

Oh Canada: The Banff/Canmore Edition

Oh Canada: The Lakehouse Edition

Oh Canada: The Kettle Valley Railway Trail Edition

 Oh Canada: The Edition Not in Canada

Filed Under: Bode, Canada, Family, Family travel, Favorite Posts, Hadley, Humor, Jamie, travel
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