Grammy and Grandpa Bob Come to Town

Grammy and Grandpa Bob visited San Diego for their annual mid-winter respite from the Pennsylvania winter. This time around in addition to the usual rounds of babysitting, Mexican food, and zoo visits, Grammy and Grandpa Bob helped Annie and JP prepare for and cope with their kitchen remodel.

The grandparents' arrival coincided with the start of a rotten head cold for Josie. This combined with recent potty training success and giving up of her pacifiers ("binks") possibly caused Josie to vehemently protest her bedtime and nap. Once she started losing her daily nap star, she needed an additional incentive to stay in bed. Depending on our daily schedule and the weather she might choose a trip to the zoo, a visit to the park, a Sid the Science Kid episode, or a treat.

Grandpa Bob successfully takes a picture with a cell phone -- no small feat!

Josie and Grammy take to the slide! Josie loves a pre-slide swing

Weeeee!!!!

Roslyn is now able to discern Grandpa Bob from a box of rocks. In fact she really loves him and his singing.



Lately Josie has developed a new game. Essentially you walk around and pause for an imaginary stop light for a duration and frequency determined by Josie. The good news: the game can keep her occupied for hours. The bad news: she doesn't like to play alone and she becomes easily angered if you suggest jaywalking.

Waiting for the "light" to turn green

Grammy, Grandpa Bob, Annie, Josie and Roslyn explored the San Diego Zoo Safari Park while Daddy and a friend tore cabinets, counter tops, and flooring out of the kitchen.

The Sissers Crazy

Looking for animals in the outback

Josie has a very sweet book called Stellaluna about a young bat who becomes separated from her mother and lives with a robin family for a while. It was not surprising that Josie was super duper schmooper excited to see the new (to her) fruit bat exhibit.

This picture is right side up

This picture is upside down

One weekend Dad was left at home to test out paint colors in the shell of a kitchen while the others traveled up to the Los Angeles area to visit the La Brea Tar Pits and hang in Santa Monica.

Fact: Girls love fossil bones, too.

While the kitchen sink spent a few days out in the yard, Mama, Josie, and Roz spent a few days in Pennsylvania for the annual Johansen Soup Off.

Josie colors Valentines in the airport

Josie plays stop light in BWI

At Grammy and Grandpa Bob's house Josie's Occupy Nap movement continued. Here she was rewarded for good naps with jaunts outside and visits to the basement. The weather was in the 30's, the ground was snow-covered, and Louie dog was always up for a romp. The basement has a wagon, a dollhouse, beads, chalk, markers, stuffed animals. It's a tough call.

Tossing snowballs to Louie dog

Throwing snow off the bridge never gets old

Snow angels

Basement party!

Josie and Avery

A very proud potty person

The Hagman bunch always travels up from Louisville, KY for the Soup Off. Their boy, Asa is chatty and friendly and wild. He and Josie make really sweet playmates and occasionally nag each other like an old married couple.

Heart & Soul

C'mon kids, plenty of keys for everyone!

Table of Champions

The morning of the Soup Off Josie and Asa whipped up a batch of Car Soup. Very tasty.

Stir it up, little Josie

Josie and Roslyn loved the Soup Off as they appreciate most parties. All the toddlers ate (a little), played, took turns leading a parade, and danced to the ukulele stylings of Drew and PD.




Before Asa returned to Kentucky he and Josie had one last romp in the snow.

Josie's dexterity continues to improve. She can now build elaborate towers, draw more deliberate shapes, and attempts to color within the lines. She likes to give a "thumbs up" sign, but she usually has to look at her hand to get it right. She still struggles with her rock-n-roll horns while her musical tastes become more refined ("Mama, Van Halen is not the same as Van Hagar.") She struggles with the hand signs that Mama is trying to teach Rozzie, but she doesn't want help. As long as she can pull her own pants down in the middle of the night to use her potty, Mama and Daddy are happy.

Towers

Josie spells her own name, but requested someone else to make the "e"

Coloring

Making observations in CLE

Josie continues to love the freedom and knowledge at the zoo.

Putting her frogs to bed

Roslyn is strong like an ox, but is yet to crawl. She loves sitting up to play with her toys and seems to be developing an interest in mobility with so many things just out of reach.

She can feed herself cereal bits, steamed vegetables, tofu, and crackers. Josie did not self feed until months later.

Somewhere between the moon and New York City Roslyn started taking regular naps and sleeping consistently through the night. This is far from recent news, but should be noted in her historical record.

About three weeks ago she started signing. She can sign hello, please, milk, eat, more, and change. She might be able to sign music and cracker. It is also possible that she thinks Mama's name is milk.

Signing "eat"

Self feeding

Roslyn bears more resemblance to her Johnson kinfolk, but sometimes takes on a Johansen look.

Looking a lot like Uncle John

Josie and Rozzie are learning to play together very well. Josie is so loving to Roz although she has hurt her a couple times by accident -- What's with toddlers falling on purpose?! Roslyn lights up when she sees Josie and tries to imitate her squeal.