We love the W*ii

My sister and family got a W*ii for Christmas for their kids, I wonder who is going to be using it more, my sis and brother-in-law or the kids?

They brought it to our house for all of us to experience. Muskie Man loves this system and I have a feeling we will be saving our pennies to purchase one, if we can find one somewhere. Everyone got in on the fun--even Grandma and Grandpa! Minnow was cheering everyone on.

Grandpa getting ready to bowl with Minnow cheering him on:


Even Grandma got in on the bowling action:

Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Minnow is so fun at this age. She enjoyed opening her presents: ripping the wrapping paper (with a little help from Muskie Man), playing with the boxes and looking at the toys. We did not get out the wire cutters to cut all the little twisty wires on the toys until Christmas morning, there was enough going with opening presents.




Minnow got all dressed up Christmas Eve for church. She enjoyed listening to the kids sing in church. Christmas Day she listened to Muskie Man do a reading during the service.



Christmas Day we had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Muskie and Aunt Stein and Uncle Moff. We then went for a walk around town and pulled Minnow in a sled around the yard. She laughed and then she cried while on the sled (she was getting cold).



We had a wonderful Christmas Eve and Day and the celebrating will continue with more family coming for the next few days.

Winter Band Concert

So we went to the "Winter" Band Concert at Muskie Man's school last night. It was essentially a "Christmas" concert, but one wouldn't want to offend the politically correct.

Minnow LOVED the music. She danced and jumped around and was so well-behaved. She behaved better than she does in church, no wrestling math for Muskie Man! Minnow's favorite group was the Concert Band, they played more Christmas Music and more upbeat music. The groups did a great job and Minnow had a fun night.

My Last First Date

18 years ago yesterday I went on my last first date. Muskie Man took me out, and the rest is history, we were just babes in high school. We became best friends and married after graduating college. We have literally grown up together.

We've been through alot, had some fun adventures, endured some difficult days, and now this is our wonderful little family.


Thanks for asking me out, Muskie Man!

Go Packers!

We cheered our Packers on to a victory today! Minnow was all dressed up, ready to watch and cheer with a rousing, "Go, go!"

She fell asleep a half hour before the game started and took a marathon nap--she slept during the whole game. She will have to watch the highlights on the news!

Playing in the Snow

Minnow and I have gone outside to play in the snow a couple times. One of those times, I was shoveling the driveway and Minnow was hanging out in the snowy yard. I was shoveling away and I heard Minnow start to screech. I ran over to her and she had lost her balance, falling face-first into the snow. She couldn't get up and got her first face wash of snow. Cute!

Minnow still isn't too sure what to think of the snow:


After playing and shoveling, Minnow checked out the Christmas decorations. She declared them beautiful by saying, " Oh, Wow!"

Observant Little Minnow

Minnow is very observant, she doesn’t miss a thing. Any time there is something out of place in our home, she finds it and shows us. The remote is left within her reach—it’s like she has a radar and goes right to and grabs it. We try to avoid this, as we don’t know what buttons she will push and mess up the TV—remember the Friends episode when the TV got stuck in Spanish? That is my fear!

If we leave the cabinet locks off by chance, she notices immediately and goes right for the cabinet that is unlocked. If the bathroom door is accidentally left open and the toilet cover is accidentally left up, she is up to her elbows in toilet water before we know it! YUCK! This is making me keep the toilets extra clean these days.

We love you observant little toilet-water-drenched Minnow!

Ready, Set, Snow!

Last week when the wind chill was below zero I realized that Minnow was not properly prepared for winter. So we ventured to the Osh Kosh B'Gosh outlet and found a snowpants/coat combo for 60% off! YEAH! (this week it's probably 70% off, but we'll keep what we got)

We got the coat just in time for a big storm that came through this weekend. Now we just have to find Minnow some boots and then she's ready to head outside into the snow.

Minnow just had to model her new gear:

No Longer Itchy

Minnow has recovered from her itchiness. We went to the doctor on Monday and it turns out she is allergic to amoxicillin. So much for the non-allergic rash! Her ear looked better so we were instructed to stop the antibiotic and give her Zyrtec. She is much better.

She is back to her regular old self--smiley and into everything. Her new thing is wearing sunglasses around the house. She wants me to put them on, walks around for a while, takes them off and wants them back on again. This is how I spend my days--I love it!

Itchy Minnow

I have an itchy little Minnow who has developed a rash. I took her to the doctor last Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, because she was not feeling well. She was diagnosed with her first ear infection and put on Amoxicillin. Minnow seemed to be feeling better the next day. Yesterday she developed a rash and is uncomfortable. She lays on the floor and writhes around, poor little itchy thing. I called the very helpful 24-hour nurseline and the friendly nurse said that 5-10% of kids on the antibiotic can develop a rash 5-7 days after starting the medicine. It is a non-allergic rash. Minnow woke up this morning ichier than ever and her face was puffy. We have an appointment at our clinic for this afternoon. I just have to put up with the itchy, writhing Minnow for a few more hours.

Thankful!

Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for in our household: I am thankful for Muskie Man, who is my best friend; Minnow, who is the joy of our life! I am thankful that Muskie Man has a good job that he enjoys (most of the time). I am thankful that his job allows me to stay home with Minnow and pursue my Arbonne business. We have a wonderful home that is large enough for our families to gather in and celebrate holidays. Thank you, God for all of our blessings, which inlcude our families and friends!

My Thanksgiving day began with Minnow yelling from her crib at 5:45 a.m. Aren't babies supposed to sit in their cribs and jabber for a while when they wake up? Not Minnow! Actually, it was probably ok, it made us get up and finish getting things ready for our visitors who will be arriving just in time for the Packers game--all 20 of them--both of our families will be celebrating with us today.

I got Minnow something to drink and turned on the coffee maker. It brewed and brewed and very little coffee came out. It made strange noises, and very little coffee came out--time to get a new coffee maker. My family LOVES coffee, so we NEED a coffee maker. Luckily, KMart is open on Thanksgiving! KMart also happens to be the only "chain" store we have in our little town. I went to KMart(which was very busy) and bought a new coffee maker this morning. If that is the only thing that goes wrong today then it will be a good day. The turkeys are in the oven, now I have to go peel potatoes.

Happy Thanksgiving, Go Packers!

Check your information

Muskie Man is the principal at our local high school. He has been getting strange emails for the past few days from random people around the country. Apparently there is a school in another state (not near us) with the same name as his school. This school has had a little bit of a cheerleading scandal--something involving suspension for inappropriate dancing. Here are a few examples of the weird emails that people actually take time to send--and then send them to the wrong person!

This one is titled: "Mean School"
Suspending those Cheerleaders is crazy....you are punishing them for being inventive and using a little imagination...it was all in fun and hurt no one....as far as showing anything you can go to any Mall in the summertime or the local beach and see much more than that...sounds like a mean place to go to school....you hurt a lot of people for no real reason only intoxicated with your own power and like to play gottcha...too bad...... Ron

Here is another email:
Get a life, gentlemen. There was no harm here. Unbelievable.

Here is Muskie Man's response to these emails:
I am the principal of ________ in (our state). We have received several communications on this issue and understand this to be a story from ______ High School in (other state)--not (our state). If you still feel the need to express your opinion and related feelings, perhaps you want to check your contact information and contact the appropriate people--in the correct state.

On a different note, have an enjoyable Thanksgiving.

For the record, Ron from the "Mean School" email responded back to Muskie Man with this:
You made my day...sorry for getting the wrong guy..(school) ...you have a great sense of humor...you dont need a "mean" letter...Ron

The world of email is tricky--this guy got Muskie Man's sarcasm!

Mommies aren't allowed to be sick!

So we've been a bit under the weather here in Muskie-land. Minnow came down with a stomach flu type thing on Sunday. We had to wake her up for church, gave her a little formula, she wouldn't drink much, and got her ready. We sat her down in the pew and she had a weird look on her face and then had a big spit-up/puke--all down her dress and dribbling down her chin! She was rather lethargic during the service which was a nice change of pace as Muskie Man usually ends up wrestling with her during church. When we got home after church, she was crawling around and I heard a strange noise come from her and then smelled it! GROSS! She had several scary diapers that day and slept alot.

Monday she woke up feverish and not herself. She didn't want to eat anything, but did drink quite a bit of pedialyte. Minnow just sat on my lap all day and cuddled and napped. Muskie Man came home from school and was sick himself. I guess him walking by me with Im*odium A/D was a good sign he wasn't feeling well. He went straight to bed, but spent most of the evening throwing up. He even laid on the bathroom floor for a while and was not drinking anything--I was a little concerned.

I woke up in the middle of the night not feeling well. My body ached and I had the chills. Tuesday I felt like I had been run over by a truck or something. Muskie Man was feeling a little better but still slept quite a bit. Minnow was doing better also, but still had some scary diapers and wasn't eating much. I think I slept about 18 hours on Tuesday. Muskie Man and I traded off napping and taking care of Minnow. It was not a good day. By Tuesday evening, Muskie Man was on the mend, he even made a frozen pizza.

Wednesday dawned with all of us feeling much better. I was 100% better and able to function. Minnow is still not quite herself, but is laughing and playing, just not eating alot. Muskie Man is back at school "educating and motivating," as he always says.

I have come to the conclusion that mommies just aren't allowed to be sick--who takes care of the rest of the family, who cooks, who cleans, who takes care of moomy?! Well, I'm off to clean my germ-infested house.

Halloween

Halloween for Minnow consisted of a Baby Boo Bash hosted by one of "The Girls" for us moms and the kids. T, who hosted the soiree, went above and beyond with decorations, food and a trick or treat for each kid. We had a fun time.

We also went trick-or-treating which meant visiting our neighbors and two friends' homes. Minnow had had enough by then. Minnow even got some candy, of course she can't eat it, so Muskie Man had some treats.

Minnow was a little bee. We like to say she was a hornet as this was our high school mascot, way back when. She liked her costume, especially the "hat," except she kept taking it off and wanting us to put it back on again. It also gave her some interesting "hat hair!"

Our Adoption Journey - Part III

It was so nice to see N again. She was doing well considering she had major surgery a few hours earlier. Then a nurse came in with the baby. She handed Minnow to me and my heart just melted. She was beautiful, a perfect little angel! N was tired and sore, so after we talked to her mom and dad on the phone, we let her get some much needed rest. We were able to take Minnow to a room for NICU parents that was not being used. It was basically a hospital room without a bed. It had chairs, TV, and bathroom--not bad accommodations. We had several hours to start to bond with Minnow, it was an amazing few hours. She was awake most of the time, just studying us.

We spent almost every waking moment that we could in the hospital bonding with Minnow. We also were respectful of N and wanted her to have time with Minnow. She kept Minnow in her room at night and I know that was a memorable time for her. We enjoyed getting to know N better and are so thankful to her for giving us the best gift in the world—a daughter.

It was an emotional time in the hospital with N. She was losing something and we were gaining something. I was more emotional than Muskie Man, as N and I would go for walks in the halls and talk.

Minnow stayed in the hospital for almost 4 days. We finally got discharged and were able to take Minnow “home.” I know it was hard for N to see us leave with Minnow, we were sad and happy at the same time, which is hard to describe.

We stayed in Colorado for another week, waiting for the Interstate Compact to come through. We enjoyed our time in Colorado, it really helped us bond as a family. Had we been home, Muskie Man would have been torn between staying home and going to school to get things ready for the upcoming school year. Family and friends would have been visiting. We were able to bond as a family.

Muskie Man was and still is amazing with Minnow. He took care of her a lot those first few days as he knew he was going to be very busy once we got home. We went on a few excursions while in Colorado. We went to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World, the mall, and to Estes Park and got some nice photos by a mountain stream.

We finally got word that the Interstate Compact had gone through and we were free to go home. Once again, I got on the phone to book plane tickets. We had left home as a family of two and we returned as a family of three.

Our Adoption Journey - Part II

We were a little nervous about the first meeting, which would be lunch with N and a social worker from the agency. What do you say, “nice to meet you, can we please have your baby?” We got some advice from some friends who are adoptive parents.

Everything went very smoothly, the social worker did a great job. N was happy to meet us and even wanted to spend another day with us while we were in Colorado. We had a great time getting to know her--she is a sweet and kind person. N wanted us to be her daughter’s parents. She was due in August so we had about 2 months to plan for a baby. WOW!

We went about our summer, excited about becoming parents and a little overwhelmed about the whole thing. We had 2 months to prepare! It was also a change in mindset—we were ready for a boy (most likely) from Guatemala who would come home to us at about age one, here we were going to have a newborn girl! Exciting!

How to start planning? I was at Wal-Mart one day and dared to venture into the baby section and got completely overwhelmed. I called Muskie Man in tears as I was leaving the store! He advised me in his wise way, to call a good friend who had a one year old and ask her what we really needed. She was so sweet and had a list for me by that evening. Thanks Amy, for making our life easier! We purchased the basics—travel system stroller and car seat, bottles, burp cloths, etc. My family had given us a diaper bag full of “stuff” so that helped. We would get the rest of the items as we needed them.

The weeks and months went quickly. We painted the baby’s room and arranged to borrow a crib and changing table from my sister. My sister and family delivered the furniture on August 13. We put it together that afternoon “just to have it ready.” I had been researching flights and rental cars. I knew the schedules of the airlines. We had been graciously offered a place to stay so that was not a worry. We had suitcases out and mostly packed, just some essentials that had to be packed at the last minute.

At 12:30 a.m. on August 14 my cell phone rang. N’s water had broken and they were on their way to the hospital. WOW, what a wake-up call that was! We rushed out of bed. Muskie Man jumped in the shower and hurried to work to put his “out of office until further notice” messages on his voicemail and email. I got on the internet to look at flights and rental cars. Did you know that if you have to book a flight less than 12 hours out, you have to actually talk to someone? We booked a 6:00 a.m. flight to Colorado, and a rental car for when we got there, and hit the road at about 3:00 a.m. for our hour and a half drive to the airport. We got a call on the way that N had to have a C-section because the baby was breach. Our daughter was born at 1:37 a.m. (mountain time) and everyone was doing well.

The flight was smooth and on time. Our bags made it—both bags came out at the same time! When does that happen?! We got our rental car and went to the hospital. We were about to meet our daughter!

. . .to be continued

Our Adoption Journey- Part I

Long overdue, here is part 1 of our adoption journey.

I don’t remember the exact date of our diagnosis, I can’t even remember the year right now, must be mommy brain, or maybe I’ve blocked it out. After a few tests and procedures, we got the word that we wouldn’t be able to have biological children without invasive medical procedures, which came with a low success rate. We didn’t even discuss it alot, it just didn’t seem like a good way to spend our money.

So we grieved, each in our own way for quite a while. Muskie Man was ready for adoption before I was. I don’t know what was holding me back, maybe the thought that we would never get to see a baby made by us, with our physical traits. That is probably a good thing,--ha-ha.

I had a discussion with my brother one night. His words stuck with me. He said that it’s not who makes the baby it’s who raises the child. I hate to admit this, but those were wise words and really changed my mind. I started researching agencies in our state and the different programs they offered. We discussed it and decided on international adoption and the Guatemalan program.

We had originally planned on international adoption vs. domestic because we had seen failed matches and the heartache that was caused. My brother, the one with the wise words, and his wife, had gone through 2 failed matches and we saw their heartache up close and personal. My brother and his wife now have 2 sons, biologically, and are a happy little family.

So we went to an informational meeting, got the paperwork, and began the great paper-chase: we got fingerprinted, a couple times; went for physicals; filled out immigration forms; had our homestudy completed; got original birth certificates and marriage certificates; the list goes on and on. We had everything notarized, received the great state seals—and completed our dossier!

I remember talking with a friend as she was asking about our paper-chase progress and I said we weren’t going about it as quickly as some probably do, but it will get done when it’s supposed to. I don’t know what was holding us back, but we see God’s hand in it all.

We handed in our dossier for final review and approval in May of 2006. A few days later I got a call from my brother, the one with the wise words. He doesn’t usually leave a message, but he did this time. He even got a hold of Muskie Man at school--this had to be important. His wife’s cousin had contacted them and was wondering if they knew anyone in their church who was looking to adopt a child who was part Hispanic. (His church is completely Hispanic.) They said they didn’t know anyone in their church but thought of us and got us in touch with my sister-in-law’s cousin.

We didn’t even think twice about pursuing this opportunity, we truly believe that God puts opportunities before you for a reason. So, we whipped up a “dear Expectant Mom” letter, emailed it to the agency who was working with the potential birthmom, N. She got our letter and wanted to meet us. We were guardedly excited but made plans to visit. N was in Colorado so we booked our tickets, hotel and rental car and a few weeks later we were off.

. . .to be continued

Fun Night

Minnow had a fun night last night. She was at my friend D's house while I did an Arbonne party. That's my work from home business.

D came through in a crunch for us. Muskie Man had to supervise at a high school football game. He was supposed to take Minnow to the game (you know how she likes sports), but the weather looked bad--thunderstorms in October??!! He also had to be on duty at the last minute. D is a great friend for helping us out at the last minute.

Minnow had the time of her life at D's house! First of all they have a dog which was very exciting for her. She just kept saying "woof, woof" all night. Secondly, she got to climb stairs. We do not have stairs in our house as we live in a ranch house. D also had some really cool toys as her grandson is at her house often.

When I came to pick up Minnow she was banging away on a xylophone and wasn't even excited to see me. The first ten minutes of the drive home, I was entertained listening to Minnow in the backseat babbling away with the occasional "woof" thrown in there. I think she was re-living her fun evening at D's house! Thanks D, for coming through for us, I owe you lunch!

On the Road Again

Yes, we dared to travel with Minnow. . .again. This time it was the whole family, all 3 of us. We ventured to the Northwoods to visit my brother and his family for a long weekend. Muskie Man was excited because he got to do one of his favorite pastimes--muskie fishing. It was a tough weekend on the water, but he had a good time.

Minnow traveled pretty well. It is much easier traveling when Muskie Man is driving and I can help to entertain Minnow. It also helped that we had the portable DVD player in the truck. Minnow LOVES her PraiseBaby DVD's--we have 3 different ones. We heard each DVD at least 2 times during the course of our travels, that's alot of songs. I guess that explains why I have praise songs constantly going through my head!

Minnow had a fun weekend with her cousins, who always keep her entertained. She even took her first steps at their house, way to go, Minnow! She must like the Northwoods.

Go, Go!

Minnow loves sports. She has been going to sporting events since she was about a month old. She has been to volleyball matches, football games, basketball games, a wrestling tournament, baseball and softball games. . . pretty much any sport Muskie Man's school has, she has been there!

For the past few months, when Minnow notices a game on TV, she drops what she is doing and starts clapping her hands. Anytime she hears the crowd cheering, she joins in clapping. She also does this at games. She often ends up clapping for the wrong team--we have to work on this!

Lately, as soon as she notices a game on the tube she drops what she is doing and says, "go, go!" She repeats this phrase over and over and over again as she watches the game. Now we just have to get her "cheering" for the right team!

Traveling 250 miles alone with a one-year-old

Minnow and I traveled 250 miles to the Twin Cities to visit my sister and family for a long weekend. I had the trip planned out perfectly (in my mind, anyway)--we leave when Minnow is ready for a nap and she sleeps for the majority of the trip. She wakes up, I stop at the next McDonald's, change her, make her a bottle, treat myself to an Iced Coffee (totally addicted), and go the rest of the way with a well-rested, changed, and satisfied baby. WRONG! Part of the trip went as planned. Minnow slept for 2 hours, then woke up crying. We stopped at the nearest McD's, changed her, got her a bottle, got me an iced coffee (YEAH!) and started to drive again--then the screaming began.

What to do?! I had her backpack diaper bag next to me--what was in it? A toothbrush--I handed it back to her--silence for about 20 minutes. The toothbrush is then tossed and the screaming ensued. What else is in the bag? A book--hand it back to her--silence for a few minutes until the book is tossed. More screaming. This "game" continued for the remainder of the trip. I was down to the last item in my "arsenal," an empty water bottle, when the exit for my sister's house appeared. We made it!

We enjoyed 4 days with my sister's family and then prepared for the trip home. It began the same as the trip there with a nap, waking up, McD's (changed diaper, bottle, and iced coffee!), but then the screaming began and didn't stop. My well-prepared arsenal of distractions failed! I was even more prepared this time--more books, her doll, a photo album she likes. No luck, she screamed and screamed for 40 miles! Then, as we pulled into our town. . .silence. She sleeps.

Hayride

Minnow had her first hayride and visit to the pumpkin patch on Sunday. We met “the girls” and their families and had a great time. “The girls” are 3 moms who I became friends with from a new mom’s group. We decided we are no longer “new” moms so we kicked ourselves out of the group and now just do things on our own. We also email daily, sharing funny stories, advice and the challenges of being moms. I love “the girls!”

We don’t usually get together with the husbands so this was an extra special outing. The hayride was just that--we rode on a flat bed trailer filled with hay that was being pulled by a tractor. We got dropped off in the woods where there were various animals in pens—animals such as reindeer, goats, donkeys, miniature horses, a lama, an alpaca and a rabbit. (These animals were in separate pens, wouldn’t want the reindeer to step on the rabbit—that could be traumatic for the kids!) We all got a pumpkin to take home and got some great pictures.
It was a fun outing—Minnow loved the animals, especially the reindeer.

Babies!

I’ve watched a 10-month old little boy 3 times in the past week. I will have him once or twice a week through October. His babysitters from summer went back to school so the family was kind of in a bind and both sets of parents thought it would be nice for the kids to play together.

I have a whole new respect for mothers of multiples! These babies keep me on my toes. Minnow has had socialization with kids her age up to this point, and has been kind of wimpy. A kid would take a toy away from her and she would just let them. Well, not anymore! Maybe it’s because he is on “her turf’ or whatever, but Minnow is kind of a bully. She takes toys away from J and cries when he takes them back. Sharing is just not part of her lifestyle right now, but we're working on it.

She also did kind of box-out move which I was actually kind of proud of, being a former basketball player. The kids were by a window sill looking out the window and Minnow gave J a little forearm and tried to move him away. The only thing is that J didn’t really move, he out-weighs Minnow by about 7 pounds which at this size is quite a bit, Minnow tried for the box-out but wasn’t very successful. Keep trying, Minnow!

So we have baby-proofed the house, but some things just cannot be put away, locked down, or out of reach. These things include the T.V. and accompanying audio system, consisting of speakers, DVD player and receiver, the gas-log stove, and the various remotes we have scattered about the great room.

We’ve barricaded the T.V. and audio system with a baby papasan chair Minnow has not used for months, blankets, and a boppy. (and wow, do these items really add to the classy décor of our great room!)This barricade has proven to be successful and impenetrable. Minnow will occasionally try to get through the barricade and her maneuvers are met with a chorus of “no!” She now looks at the T.V. and says, “no, no.”

Minnow is intrigued by the gas-log stove, and although we have not had it on during these summer months, we still want her to be used to not touching it as it does get hot when operating. When she crawls toward it and wants to touch it she is met with a chorus of “no!” She now looks at the gas-log stove and says, “no, no.”

The remote controls—we try hard to keep these out of reach, but once in a while she gets her little hands on one of the remotes and is met with a chorus of “no!” She now points at the remotes and says, “no, no.”

What are we teaching Minnow? In her little mind, the T.V. is a “no,” the gas log stove is a “no” and a remote is called a “no.” Poor little thing, she is going to grow up confused!

Deer!

One of the many things that makes Muskie Man a proud daddy is the fact that one of the first words Minnow said is the word “deer”—as in the animal. A favorite hobby of Muskie Man is deer hunting, second to fishing. Many hours are spent reading hunting magazines and watching hunting shows. (We even have to pay a few dollars a month extra on our cable bill so he can get the Outdoor and Sportsman channels.)

Minnow sees deer on TV or on a magazine cover and exclaims: “deer!” She also gets excited about the deer head that is mounted and hanging in our basement. This deer head has become kind of a family mascot and is affectionately named Charlie. If Minnow is in a crabby mood, which doesn’t happen too often, we just take her downstairs to see Charlie and all is well in her little world.

Many an hour are spent with Minnow’s little face pressed up against our windows, staring out at our backyard, looking for deer. We regularly have deer passing through our backyard, pausing to eat leaves and grass. Minnow gets very excited when she sees deer in our backyard. She starts rapping her little hands on the window and saying “deer” over and over again and practically jumping up and down. The picture is Minnow and two of her cousins watching deer in the backyard.

Minnow even spots the deer before we do sometimes. One afternoon she was getting all excited, standing by the window, saying "deer" over and over again. Muskie Man asked me if there were any deer in the backyard, I looked out the window and didn't see anything. Sure enough a minute or two later, two deer appear from the brush at the edge of our property. What any eye for wildlife little Minnow has! Muskie Man is so proud of his little outdoors-child.

Copycat

Minnow has taken to copying us. She imitates the sounds we make. . .I cough, she coughs, I clear my throat, she clears her throat, you get the picture. The following story is a great example of our little copycat—

I woke up one morning not long ago with a horrible headache and took an Aleve and had a yogurt. I should know better than to take pain medication in the morning as this usually makes me nauseous, but I thought eating the yogurt would help. Muskie Man left for work and I was hanging out with Minnow. I felt nauseous and went to the bathroom to throw up. I kept the door open so I could keep an eye on Minnow as she’s been getting into everything lately. Minnow crawled to the bathroom door and just stared at me. A few minutes after my not-so-nice experience of throwing up, I find Minnow standing by the toilet (the lid was closed, thank goodness, or we would have a whole other story). Minnow was making coughing/throwing up noises, just like I had been doing. Not very lady-like, Little Copycat!

Is she a minnow or a barnacle?

My dear, beloved minnow is becoming a barnacle! A barnacle is a crustacean that attaches itself to bottoms of ships and other various aquatic things. Well, my minnow is turning into a barnacle, and it's not a good thing!

I have this little creature attached to my leg as I'm working in the kitchen--so I've given up cooking and am making DH grill every night. I wouldn't want to endanger the little barnacle with cooking hot food near her! I've also had a hard time unloading the dishwasher as she is either attached to my leg which makes putting dishes away rather difficult, so I've given up unloading the dishwasher too!

The bathroom--the barnacle comes into the bathroom when I'm in there. I could be showering or doing business, she is there--no privacy whatsoever!

The barnacle wants to sit on my lap and "read" all day long! She is a speed-reader and just wants to turn the pages of the books, doesn't really care about the story in the book, she only wants to look at babies and animals, over and over and over again, and on my lap!

She wakes up during the night and usually just needs her nuk plugged back into her little mouth and drifts back off to sleep. The past two nights have been like this: reach for the nuk in the crib--feel two little arms, or tentacles, wrap themselves around my neck in a death grip and hang on. My little barnacle!

I'm really touched that she wants to spend so much time with me, but give me a little space, will ya, barnacle?! This better just be some sort of phase you are going through.

Peek-a-boo!

Minnow started playing peek-a-boo the other day. Don't know where she got this or who taught it to her, but it is hilarious! The funniest thing is she always peeks out with one little brown eye and then laughs out loud when she takes her hands away. Here's a picture of Minnow playing peek-a-boo with Muskie Man.

Welcome to Minnow Musings

Welcome to my blog--I've decided to enter the world of blogging. My blog will be about the everyday goings on in the life of a SAHM who is also a Work at Home Mom, and will tell that tales of our little minnow.

A lttle bit about our family, We are a family of 3 - there is Muskie Man, my DH, who works in education, loves to hunt and fish, and loves his little Minnow; there is me, Muskie Mom, I love to spend time outdoors, fish, work from home, and I love my little Minnow.

Minnow just turned one and came to us through the miracle that is adoption. I'll tell her adoption story one of these days.

The main reason for this blog is to write down the funny little things she does to add humor to my day. People are always telling me to write down these little stories, so here they will be.