Monday Morning Chaos

We woke up a bit late this morning, but we still made it out the door right on schedule. However, since we were running late, Murray was going to have to eat breakfast at daycare today. He finally slept until 7:40 today. Hooray! Anyway, we were right on schedule; Murray was strapped in the warm car, happily snuggling with his blanket. I threw the keys in the front seat along with my purse, but as soon as I went to open my door, the truck shut off and the doors locked. The sound of the doors locking with my precious baby in the car could very well be the worst sound I've heard to date. Keys and Murray both inside, I almost fell over. I ran in the house (even though he was locked in, I didn't want to leave him out there by himself) to search for the spare set, but couldn't find it. I finally grabbed the home phone, went outside, heard a crying Murray, called Craig and then the police. MPD arrived in a flash (though it felt like an hour) and saved the day, but by that time, Murray was hysterical with fear and getting cold. We arrived at daycare, late, sad, and a bit wound up. I was carrying him in ever so carefully, I lost my balance on the ice and almost dropped him and broke my neck at the same time. After slamming his foot in the car door last week, I'm beginning to feel as though there may be a curse on the Durango. I felt like such a terrible mom, but the kind officer who helped us assured me that this is common. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day, but I think maybe I'll go back to driving the car.

Something to be Said for Winter


Though you can't tell (due to Murray being so bundled up), he loved his first sledding experience. He giggled and laughed, even when Daddy tipped him over in a snow bank. The dogs enjoyed being able to run around too. I guess there a few good things about winter after all. As the saying goes, having a child changes everything (even my immense dislike of winter).


Murray is getting another tooth on top, so that means mornings of upset at 4:00am. We have no idea why he wakes at the same time every morning, but like clockwork, the soothing begins in the wee hours. We take turns getting out of bed and comforting him back into a restless slumber. I have 2 theories about this: One, it's teething, or two, it's due to the fact that he's only napping for an hour a day in his new room at daycare, so he's actually over tired. My guess is the latter rather than the former, because since we've been home with him and letting him nap longer, he's been sleeping until at least 6:30am.


I suppose as soon as we get him adjusted to this new routine, everything will change again. :)

Christmas 2008









Maggie's God daughter and life sized Barbie spent Christmas day with us. It was a joy to have them. I hope you find his picture as hilarious as I do. Criag spent much time playing with Barbie and S.


Maggie and Fred joined us as well, and we so enjoyed having them. We had a ton of laughs and very much fun.





Grandpa Doug stayed in town all week, so Murray finally was able to spend some time with him. They were hilarious together.

Unfortunately, my memory card was out of space on Christmas Eve at the Beckerleg's, so I have 2 picture which aren't very good. We do have good video though.

We were all truly blessed; though the holiday brought much grief (due to missing my mom immensely and the passing of our fellow blogger/mommy friend, Emilie) we felt joy as well. 'Tis the reason for the season. God Bless.

Be At Peace

I am saddened to write that Emilie has passed away. As you are well aware, though we've never met, I've come to know her in a unique and indescribable way. Emilie was so amazing; words cannot express how incredibly sad I am. Stephen, Daniel, and Ben, you were SO LOVED! God bless you all.

And, as Peace Garden Momma; aka Roxane, says, please take the time to visit http://lemmondrops.blogspot.com/ and read about Emilie. Also, if you get a chance, you will love Roxane's writing (see my link to Peace Garden Momma).

Merry Christmas

Merry Chirstmas all! I do hope that your holiday brings comfort and peace, and that we all remember the real reason for the season. God Bless.

Whirl Wind Weekend

We were supposed to head to the cities on Saturday for a mini vacation and the Vikings game. The weather was too bad to go on Saturday morning, especially with Murray, so we ended up leaving yesterday morning without him. It turned out well. The roads were much better, and Craig and I had fabulous "grown up" time. We had a suite at the Hilton (where the Vikings stay) on the 24th floor, with special access to the top floor restaurant where we were treated to complimentary food and drinks. We shopped the skyway, and today we stopped in Albertville, where I refreshed my wardrobe and purchased final Christmas presesnts.

We've left Murray overnight in the past, but never when we've been out of town, and not for this long. We were both so lonesome for him; it was an absolute joy to pick him up at daycare this afternoon. It was good for all of us though, and thanks to Craig's mom and dad for taking him.

I wish that I could post pictures, but my memory card was full, and I forgot to run to the business center to empty it. The hotel is gorgeous, our view was fantastic, and the staff incredibly helpful. The Hilton in Minneapolis is my new favorite hotel, and I can't wait to stay there again (the prices, even for a suite are quite reasonable).

Only a few shopping days left; but I think we're finally finished. Now I have to wrap, which is my least favorite of Christmas. Maybe I can bribe Craig to do it; he's better at it anyway.

Dear Emilie

I don't know how to begin, but I'm very sad today. Through the blogging network, I have been following a wonderful writer's blog; she's a fantastic mom (boys 9 mo. and two yrs.), loving wife, friend, and inspiration to many. Emilie (http://lemmondrops.blogspot.com/) was diagnosed with cancer while she was pregnant with her second child. Yesterday, we were saddened to learn that Emilie's time on earth is coming to a close.

I don't really know how to react. Though we've never met; I feel a strange, but very powerful connection. Peace Garden Mama, (http://peacegardenmama.blogspot.com/), and I were able to steal away last night. Not only were we finally able to meet in person, but we both felt a pull to be together due to Emilie's news. PGM (also known as Roxane-Peace Garden Mama) lost a very close friend to cancer in 2000, and of course, dear readers, you are well aware that I lost my mom last November. I couldn't imagine losing her, I still can't believe she isn't here, but in the same respect, I can't imagine how it must feel to know that you are leaving your loved ones. My mom died with dignity and an amazing amount of grace, and I know that Emilie will do the same. I can only pray that they will meet in heaven. They do have a lot to tell each other.

Emilie, Steve, Daniel, and Ben: Your prayers are with us, and we wish you peace.

PS Emilie, if it wasn't for you, I would never have met Roxane, and never would I have been inspired so much to just write. God bless you. BE AT PEACE.

A CAH! For Christmas


Murray has been "practicing" opening presents at daycare. So when we received a gift from our neighbors, we let him try, but Kirby (in his typical I'm-the-king-of-the-house fashion), beat him to it. By the way, Murray enthusiastically refers to Kirby as "CAH". He can't quite get that "t" in there yet.

All's Quiet On The Home Front

Not much to say today. We are having a quiet week, much to my chagrin. We are leaving for the cities on Saturday, provided the weather holds. I know we are supposed to be watching for a storm, but Craig tells me we'll be driving away from it. We'll just have to see. I sure hope we can leave - I would love to finish my Christmas shopping in Minneapolis. We're staying downtown; Craig and his buddy have Vikings tickets, so Murray and I and his buddy's wife (our friend, LaDonna) will do our own thing on Sunday. We decided to take Monday off so that we can take our time driving home on Monday. We even have a house sitter and everything, so we don't have to worry about the pets.

Murray is finally adapting to the pre-tod room, and this morning was the first morning he didn't cry when I left. Of course, yesterday, I accidentally slammed his foot in the door of the truck, so that did not help matters at all. I have never felt so horrible in my life. I stayed with him until he settled down, gave him some Tylenol, and then proceeded to cry all the way to work. He was just fine when I called mid-morning yesterday and has had two very good days in a row. Big sigh of relief. He's also crawling on all fours (finally), cruising everywhere, and walking very well with assistance. I can only hope that he's walking on his own before we go on vacation. It would be very hard to have a 15-month old who isn't walking on that long of a trip.

I'm off to work on laundry and dinner. Let's pray it warms up.

Snow Days

So much for my dream of skipping the blizzard and having 90 degree weather. The good news, after 9.5 inches of snow is that I do love snow days. Craig had to go to work, since he is within walking distance; I'm home with a napping Murray. It's so peaceful. Our fabulous neighbors plowed our driveway, and it's fun to watch everyone in the neighborhood climb out from under the snow (in a good way). It reminds me of my favorite movie, "Grumpy Old Men". Yesterday, we ventured over to my in-laws, got stuck twice, but made it home safely. I haven't seen a storm this terrible since 1997.

Anyway, I'm off to nap myself. What better way to embrace a snow day than a nap?

Unmentionables

There is something wonderful about peaceful winter Saturday mornings. . .this morning it was my turn to sleep in, so I snuggled under the covers after Craig got up with Murray and reveled in a couple of extra hours of sleep.

I woke up to a very happy Murray, who had been playing with Daddy and every toy in the house, it seemed. I didn't mind the mess; I joined in the fun, playing and dancing until nap time.

I just finished wrapping a few more Christmas presents, and am steadily working on the pile of dirty clothes that has once again invaded the laundry room.

Craig went to do some Christmas shopping, so when he gets back, I will have more presents to place under the tree. Speaking of Craig and Christmas shopping brings to mind a hilarious story that took place on Thursday. I got home from work to catch up on housework, but when I walked in the door, I knew something was up. Both dogs were hiding from me, which they tend to do when they've been naughty. No sooner had I taken my coat off, when I looked around the living room and found ENORMOUS bras strewn all over. Apparently, they had "opened" my Christmas present from Craig. The best part is that they were just way too big. They would have fit over my winter coat. I laughed until I was gasping for breath and then called Craig at the office to share the news. Anyway, I was able to ship them back to Victoria's secret and exchange them for the correct size. When I questioned him about the size he ordered, his response was that he looked at the tag of one of my current bras. Well, these are my ratty old nursing bras and although they are bigger than my normal size, they still aren't as big as those he ordered. Anyway, it's a perfect gift, because I'm obviously in need of some new unmentionables, but it's one of the many memories I will cherish forever.

The First Blizzard of the Season?

My last post was filled with grammatical errors, and I can only blame it on not proof reading the post. Yikes. I just re-read it and was horrified. I will try to do better.

The weekend brings another Christmas party tomorrow, but tonight shall be family night at home. These are my favorite evenings. After Murray goes to bed, Craig and I play cards, watch movies, or just do are own thing. Whatever we are in the mood for. It's just nice being together on a "non-school" night, knowing we have two days together as a family without work obligations.

We are stocked up for the blizzard; ready and waiting. It's supposed to be a doozy, so I hope you are all warm and safe when it hits. Then again, this is ND/MN; it could be 90 degrees tomorrow. Who knows? We can only hope.

Happy Friday.

The Stomach Flu Blues and Other Thoughts

Though it may seem as though I've abandoned blogging, I really haven't. It's just been so busy. The events of the last several days are as follows:

On Saturday morning, I walked the 5K Arthritis walk. I am not ashamed to admit that I came in dead last (no kidding, the sweeper was following me), but I made it. 56:47 was my time; thanks to Pam for slowing down for me so that I had someone to walk with. The whole event made me realize that if I can all of the sudden walk 3.1 miles, I can at least fit in 20 minutes a day and work up to more.

On Sunday, I was stuck on the couch with a miserable cold, but by Monday was feeling quite a bit better. . . until Tuesday. I went to bed about 9:00pm, and woke up at 11:30pm with the worst case of the stomach flu I've had in years. It was even worse than when Craig went to WCHA last March, when I had to get an IV for dehydration. The symptoms (I'll spare you the details) finally subsided by about 7:00am, but I was so weak that it was all I could do just to take sips of water.

Luckily, Murray and Craig haven't shown any signs, and I am praying (and disinfecting) with all my heart that they both remain healthy.

I woke up this morning to the scent of turkey roasting, which made me feel a little ill, but I survived. Turkey in the morning, you ask? Craig had a pot luck at work and made his famous shredded turkey in the roaster, so it was cooking all night. Anyway, my sleep-deprived thoughts started with thinking about how there are so many people who never get to smell the heavenly aroma of warm food cooking in their own homes. Then I was listened to the forecast, which got me thinking of the homeless population in our community. You don't always see them, but they are out there, trying to survive. Not only during the holidays do they suffer, but 365 days a year. All day long I've been plotting of something that I can do to help. Yes, we have our favorite charities that we donate to, but something is pulling at me to really reach out more than ever this year. I have decided what I will do, and hope that I will follow through. I don't think I will share this with you, dear readers, because in my mind, giving of the alms is an act that you keep to yourself. It's not about the glory or being a hero, it's just about helping those in need. I'm no Mother Theresa, that is for sure, but I'm going to try extra hard this year to be just a bit more like her.

Murray is having a really rough time adjusting to his new room. The biggest problem, I think, is only one nap a day. He is so CRANKY by the time we get him home, that we usually put him down for an hour before supper. I suppose it will take some time to get into a routine. The good news is, I've decided to go back to working 9am-2pm, unless it's busy and they really need me. I can get my errands and housework done, and still spend extra time with Murray. I really do have the best of both worlds.

So, while I've missed blogging, here's to hoping I'm back.

New Post

Please scroll down under "Random Thoughts" to read the most recent post. It got lost in the mix.

Random Thoughts

What a week it's been! Murray sick, Craig on the road, the Game Feed at the Legion last night, and another Christmas party tonight. Tomorrow I am participating in the Jingle Bells Run/Walk for Arthritis. Phew! Next week looks to be a bit less busy, but that could change in a heartbeat.

Today is Murray's last day in the mobile infant room. I have mixed feelings. . .when I dropped him off this morning, we went over to meet his new teachers (who seem wonderful, as is the rest of the staff). He has been visiting their room since last week; even napping in there one day. I'm sure the transition will be fine for him, it's just a bit difficult on me. There's a bright side, though. He only takes one nap a day now; after lunch with the other pre-tods. That means he's exhausted at night and sleeps until about 7:30 am. It's fabulous, because Craig and I can both get ready for the day while he sleeps, and we're not rushing around running into each other. We don't have to wake up as early, either!

Murray and I have been faithfully taking our Ningxia from Young Living until recently. I kept forgetting, and sure enough, we both got sick. Craig thinks I'm bonkers, but we both remained healthy until we missed several days in a row.

Happy Friday to all; I hope your weekend brings joy!

Oh, Christmas Tree


Note: edited for spelling and grammatical errors.
Every year, it's the same argument. Real tree or fake tree? I prefer real, Craig prefers fake. Last year, I solved the problem by "lending" our fake tree to my sister (I actually gave it to her). In the 4+ years we have been married, I've always won the argument. This year, I didn't even have to ask. Craig came home last Sunday with one of the most beautiful blue spruce trees I've yet to see. We always go to Ole's Landscaping and Garden, and their trees never disappoint.
So, since Craig was on the road and we had so very much going on this week, we finally have it decorated. The worst part is attempting to put the tree in the dang stand. After a couple of hours on Monday evening of tree vs. stand vs. Craig and Marie, Craig went to Target and purchased a new and improved stand. It works beautifully, and he even bought a watering device.
I guess this just goes to say that sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. Marriage is all about compromise, right?

Finally News to Share

I can finally share the news that has thrilled me so much over the last week (see my post: Thrilled Beyond Belief). Check out Our Adoption Journey; the link is on the right hand side of my page. It's wonderful news!

Toy Box Fun

We purchased an ottoman several weeks ago to house Murray's toys. It's the perfect combination of foot rest/coffee table/toy box. Murray recently discovered how to open it and climb in. He is such a funny boy!

We had a very long night again last night with the croup. I ended up holding Murray in the recliner while he slept upright, though that still didn't help much. We took several trips outside to clear his passages, and also a long time in the steamy bathroom reading books. The cold air seems to work faster and better, so I think we'll opt for that again tonight. I took him in again today, and the doctor expects another rough night, but he should start feeling better tomorrow. Apparently the steroid shot they gave him last 72 hours, so we notice some improvement soon. The diffuser in his room with Eucalyptus seems to help as well.

He's been in a fantastic mood today, even tipping my plant over, after several stern "no-no's", he got that gleam in his eye and the second I turned around - CRASH. He's already testing us, and we're finding that he's quite stubborn, much like his mama.

I have a piano lesson to teach soon, so I best get prepared. She's learning so quickly for a beginner; I'm finding it difficult to challenge her!

Another ER Visit

We woke up this morning very early and thought that maybe a seal had taken up residence in Murray's room. I would much have preferred the seal over the croup. Grrr. . . I had a pretty good feeling that's what it was (I read a ton about baby and child illnesses), but he was fighting to breathe, so we took him in. They gave him a breathing treatment; sobbing ensued. Then he received a steroid shot; more sobbing. The poor baby. . .I couldn't get him to nap this afternoon, so I bundled him up and took him for a stroll around the block. Just what the doctor ordered! He's finally resting peacefully, and, while I should get caught up on the housework, will probably just rest too.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving!