Adventures in Babysitting

Friday, September 26, 2014...  I had the opportunity to babysit the Sweeney girls and I enlisted the help of Justen's amazing Aunt Debbie who brought her granddaughter Madison.  So, it was Debbie, me, and 5 little girls aged 5, 2, 2, 10 months, and 9 months.  And they're ALL mobile!  It was so crazy and fun and exhausting.  I figured at the end of the day I'd know for sure if I was really ready for baby #2.  (jury's still out)

We got there at 8 and spent the first part of the morning playing in the house (the Sweeneys have ALL the cool toys, including a slide and trampoline) and eating breakfast and snacks.  We got Liz and baby Ally to take a nap, and poor Emily just kind of laid around playing on the tablet since she had a fever.

Of course, Lana and Madison refused to nap.  It was just so exciting to be around all those new toys and fun kids!  Before the girls woke up, we sang aunt Debbie Happy Birthday and had cake!  Madison and Emily enjoyed eating the icing, and I even gave Lana some which went over very well.

After naps we all went outside where Madison and Liz ran around kicking balls and going down the slide.  Emily wasn't feeling well so she crawled under the blanket I spread out on the grass for the babies so sit on.  The babies, who are getting so big, decided they were too cool for the blanket and crawled every which way.  I kept having to pry grass out of their hands.  Silly girls!

Madison and Liz played so well together, and Lana was such a good girl despite not napping AT ALL!  Both Madison and Lana slept as soon as the car started on the way home, cute girls.  All in all, it was quite the adventure!

Family Ties

It is important to note that no family is perfect, especially not mine.  However, it's the only family I have and despite our imperfections I long to be near them.  It is so hard for me to live so far away from the people I love.  My mom told me today to be proud to be a Castle, because I'll be a Castle a lot longer than I was a Johnsen.  But, that's easier said than done.

I was a Johnsen for 33 years, and we Johnsens are proud people.

I miss my parents, and I miss my brothers, and I miss my sweet nephews and niece.  I miss being a part of their lives, watching them grow up in person instead of the occasional instagram picture.  I am missing out on knowing my brothers' wives, and they married some pretty amazing ladies.  And worst, my sweet daughter Lana is missing out on knowing her grandparents, aunts, cousins, and 5 uncles that I adore.

When I grew up, we were close to a few of my dad's siblings because of church.  We spent holidays with my mom's sister, and saw my grandparents at holidays.  It's not like we were an island, because church becomes like a family, but we didn't grow up amidst family.  I became extremely close to my mom's side (aunt Janis and Melanie especially) as an adult, and call a few of my Johnsen cousins my friends (Karman, I'm talking about you, buddy!), but extended family was more an ideal than a reality.

So I guess I shouldn't mourn the disillusionment of my family's closeness.  We grew up together, but I haven't lived at home WITH them for 17 years (yikes).  My brothers have grown from boys into men, with families, careers, and lives I'm not really a part of.  And my dream of little Lana playing with Cason, Tysen, Echo, Graham, Clayton, and Dylan will come to fruition every few years, I hope.
She won't know them well, or have a close relationship with them, but she will LOVE them because of how much I love them.

She'll know that Caleb's laugh is loud and makes everyone else start laughing, in high school he was so good at football, and that he is always there to help if you need it.  She'll know that Jake is always good for a board game, is usually the smartest guy in the room, and that I owe him copious amounts of money that I swore I'd pay back.  She'll know that Sam is sarcastic, thinks he's a professional athlete, loves sports, and goes crazy for the hot light at Krispy Kreme.  She'll know that Tommy is tender-hearted, kind, and works really hard at staying fit.  She'll know that Joe is funny, silly, and always has some kind of chocolate or candy access.

I have to remember to tell her all about her family, my family, until we can be together again.

10 months!

How is my little Lana Juanita already 10 months old!  She is so fun and precious to me!  In honor of her 10 months of existence, here are 10 awesome facts about Lana:

1.  She has 8 teeth and loves to show them off.  Lana is a big smiler, and kind of a biter...

2.  Lana thinks her daddy is the greatest thing since slice bread.  In fact, she says "dadadada" all the time, and has actually started saying "daDDD"!  We're not sure if she understands that Justen IS daddy.

3.  Lana loves her bath, and loves being in water, period!  Lana is happiest in the pool or in the tub!

4.  She is a good eater, especially if it's fruits! 

5.  She loves books and being read to.

6.  Lana is no longer content in her crib.  She wants out!

7.  She also doesn't love her carseat...

8.  Lana loves carpet fuzz.  If there is fuzz on the ground, her little pinchers will find it and scoop it in her mouth.

9.  Her favorite toy is mom's water bottle.  She has claimed several of them as her own, and gets so excited when she gets to drink from it.

10.  Lana's all-time favorite new activity is swinging!  We took her to the park and put her in the swings and her little face just LIT up with joy!