Fun at the Farm

We had a fun day at a farm this weekend. A family not far from us holds a really cool day at the farm event every September. The event is in memory of their son who died of a brain tumor at age 15 months. All proceeds from the event go to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, very neat!

It was our first time going and definitely won't be our last! We had awesome weather and Minnow had a blast. I think Muskie Man and I had as much fun watching Minnow have fun.

Feeding a camel:

Petting a bunny:

Pony ride:

In the hay bale maze:

A very serious "cow:"

Heading home, very tired, with a balloon:

I Did It!

I first want to preface this post with the phrase, "toddlers are gross."

"I did it!" this was the exclamation that came out of Minnow's mouth. I was wondering what she did that she was so proud of. She held up her hand for me to see and at the end of the index finger was a huge booger. "I did it!" she said again, very proud of her accomplishment.

Before I could explain to her that 2 year-olds aren't supposed to pick their noses, she said: "high five, Mommy!" At least the hand she extended to me was the one without the booger.

A Language Explosion!

We've been having a language explosion around here for the past month or two. Minnow's vocabulary has been just exploding. Sometimes we have to try very hard to translate what is being said, but for the most part, we figure it out. It is so nice that she can verbalize what she wants instead of just grunting and pointing.

She repeats what we say and understands if we give her simple commands. It is so fun to watch her grow in to this funny, interesting little person.

One of my favorite phrases is "I want a W*ii" She watched my nieces and nephews play the W*ii on our vacation in June and loves this thing. She cheers for them as they play and also wants to participate in Gui*tar Hero. Several of our friends have the game too, so she can watch it at their homes.

The first time she asked me for one, I told her to ask her daddy. He was out in the garage and came in about 15 minutes later. She ran up to him and looked up (she comes up to his knee) and said, "I want a W*ii." It was priceless! What is she going to ask for next, a pony?! I don't think we will be getting a W*ii any time soon, but she can enjoy the games at other people's homes.

Fun in the Sun

Memorial Day was a beautiful day--sunny and in the 80's. It was the first really warm day we've had this spring. Minnow and I went to the Memorial Day ceremony held in our town. The high school and middle school bands played and a few veterans gave some remarks. It was a nice ceremony and reminded us what the day was really all about, honoring those who have given their lives so that we can enjoy the freedom and the life that we have in this great country.


Minnow had fun petting the various dogs that were in attendance:


After Minnow's nap we set up her little pool in the backyard. She played for a long time and had alot of fun.


It was a fun day and made us look forward to many more fun days in the sun.

What a Nice Friend!

We have such a nice friend. She is letting us use a slide and teeter totter/rocker toy for the summer. Her daughter outgrew them and they were just sitting in her garage. Thanks T! Minnow had fun trying them out this afternoon, and I'm sure she will get many hours of enjoyment on them.



When it was time to go in for a nap, she spontaneously kissed the slide. I guess Minnow approves of her new toys!

Who needs books?

Minnow's new favorite thing to look at is an old P*arents magazine I have laying around. She pages through the magazine looking for pictures of babies, of which there are plenty. She then imitates what the babies are doing in the ad or picture: a baby is yawning in an article about sleeping, she yawns; a baby is taking a bath, she pretends to wash herself. My favorite is the baby that is crying, Minnow opens her little mouth and lets out a squawk. She had me laughing out loud at her imitations. Thanks for the laugh, funny little Minnow!

Thoughts of another Mom

As Mother's Day is just a few days away, my thoughts can't help but be with Minnow's firstmom. After all, she gave me my Mother's Day. She gave us this amazing little person who brings joy to us every day. I know that she is happy that Minnow is with our family, she has told me that numerous times. I also know that she is sad that Minnow is not with her. It's so strange how these two opposite emotions are so close.

I thank N for first of all, giving Minnow life, and most of all, for choosing us to be Minnow's parents. Minnow has made us a family. We love you N, and we love our Minnow!

Mmmm!

Every time we drive by a Cul*vers (which are all over in this part of the country), I hear Minnow's little voice pipe up from the back seat: "Mmmm!"

Does this mean we partake in this tasty treat too often?

Snow and Stuff

Yes, it was snowing this morning! I drove to the Y in a white-out. That is about enough to send me over the edge. At least the snow didn't stick to the ground or Muskie Man would have to shovel after work.

Here are a couple pictures from the past few weeks. Minnow just keeps growing and is looking like a little girl and not so much a baby.

Giving Muskie Man high five from the boat:

Practicing driving the boat:

Just lookin' cute:

Out of Hibernation

Our town has come out of hibernation. It was 50 degrees and sunny today, so Minnow and I went on a nice walk this afternoon. There were squirrels running all over, birds were singing, other people were out walking their dogs, and moms walking with strollers. Kids were running outside for track practice, others were kicking soccer balls, and you could hear the sound of bats hitting baseballs somewhere in the distance. It was wonderful!

It wasn't the first walk of the season as we have walked several times as a family, all bundled up, but it was the first walk for just the 2 of us. Minnow and I have walked many miles together. Before we became parents, I would see moms walking their children with strollers and couldn't wait until that was me with my child in my stroller. Minnow and I started to walk together as soon as we brought her home. We've worn out the back tires of our jog stroller--gotta get new ones this week.

Minnow used to fall asleep on our walks, but now she looks for dogs, birds and squirrels. She says hi to people as we pass them by. I'm sure down the road, we'll have deep conversations and solve the problems of the world. For now, I'm glad the town has come out of hibernation and that our walks have resumed.

Happy Adoption Day!

Happy Adoption Day, Minnow! One year ago today Minnow's adoption was finalized and what a journey it was to get to Colorado for the court hearing. We flew out in an April snowstorm and were one of the last planes to leave before the airport closed. It's not the most fun thing watching your plane get de-iced. Angels were watching over us.

We arrived in CO to forecasts of yet another storm the day of our hearing. What if it got cancelled? The storm missed the area and everything went well. The hearing lasted all of five minutes and we got the signed decree! Minnow was officially part of the Muskie family! YAY! We had a wonderful weekend from there, we stayed at a nice little condo in the mountains and enjoyed beautiful sunny weather.
Here's one of my favorite pictures from that fun weekend a year ago:

Please don't touch my Minnow's hair

To whom it may concern:
Please don't touch my Minnow's hair, I know it's pretty, but I don't know you and you don't know Minnow. This goes for you, cashier at Fleet Farm who couldn't stop patting her head and feeling her curls. Also included is the random lady at the grocery store yesterday. You also said you had a puppy in your car in the parking lot which seemed just plain weird and bordering on creepy.

I know that you people don't often see kids with hair quite like Minnow's, it is very pretty. Why do you always have to reach out and touch it? We don't reach out and pat you on the head? A spoken comment would be just fine.

Thank you,
Muskie Mom

Road Trip

Minnow and I spent the past 5 days in the Twin Cities visiting my sister and family. We drove with my parents, which brought back all kinds of memories as a kid on very long road trips. It was nice to not have to travel alone with a toddler.

Minnow had fun playing with her cousins and seeing her aunt, uncle, grandma and grandpa. We went to the zoo, the Mall of America and visited some family who live nearby. We also celebrated my dad's birthday.

Minnow like the zoo, especially the monkey and tigers. She looks a little less than thrilled being strapped in her stroller:


She was so excited to visit the zoo that she fell asleep on my back in the Ergo carrier:


Days were spent getting spoiled by grandma and grandpa. They love Minnow.

Minnow enjoyed being read to by her cousin:

We had a great time, but were happy to be home. Minnow missed her toys--she was getting tired of playing with her cousins' "boy toys" like hotwheels and trains. Minnow also missed her daddy and greeted him with a huge hug!

Thanks to my sister and family for putting up with all of us for 5 days--you guys are great hosts!

Stopping to Smell the Roses

Muskie Man gave us a dozen roses a few weeks ago. They were for a fund-raiser for a civic organization of which he is a member. It was so nice to him to remember us and made our winter day a little brighter.

I decided to teach Minnow how to smell the roses. She was gentle with them and bent down to sniff them. We got to enjoy the roses for over a week, I couldn't believe they lasted that long. Thanks Muskie Man, for making us take the time to stop and smell the roses!

Busted!

Minnow was busted with this box of kleenex just as she was about to start the shredding process.

Nighttime is for Sleeping!

Minnow has been having a hard time understanding this as of late. She seems to want to have middle of the night parties, and not in her crib. Last night/this morning she was awake, on -and-off, from 2:30-5:30 a.m. Therefore, I was awake at the same time, and a very tired mommy.

The party goes something like this: She wakes up crying, I leave her for a few minutes, hoping she will go back to sleep, but the cries grow to loud ear-piercing shrieks. I go into her room where she is standing at the end of the her crib eagerly watching for the door to open, clutching her little blankies. I pick her up and she immediately puts her head on my shoulder. We go into the living room and rock in Muskie Man's big chair and she is fast asleep in a matter of minutes. I wait a little bit and lay her back down in her crib. I return to my bed and try to go back to sleep. She stays asleep for about 25 minutes and the whole thing starts again--UGH!

Yesterday, Muskie Man brought her into our bed at 3:30 a.m. and she slept like a champ between us until she woke up at around 7:00, which is reasonable. I really don't want that to become a habit, however, we like our space. I tried to bring her into our bed this morning during the "party," but she wouldn't sleep. She laid there, waved her arms, and whispered, "baby" "Papa" "mommy" "daddy." It was kind of sweet, but not really at 4:00 a.m.!

Finally at 5:00 or so I told her that nighttime was for sleeping and that babies sleep in their cribs. I gave her a drink of milk and rocked her--again. She fell asleep within minutes and is still sleeping now at 8:40. I'm just hoping she hasn't scheduled another party for tonight!

Who Needs Toys?

Who needs toys when you've got fishing lures? Muskie Man gave Minnow a plastic worm and it's her new favorite thing to play with--never mind the hundreds of books, blocks and little people scattered about the living room. Minnow carries the lure around, puts it in old vitamin bottles (her other favorite toy) and just likes to touch and feel the plastic worm. Surprisingly, she doesn't try to eat it, even though it looks like a delicious gummy worm. We may have to pick up a few more packages of plastic worms, that would save us a bunch of money on new toys!

The End of a Season

Basketball season has officially come to an end for Muskie Man's school. We enjoyed many games on cold winter evenings. Minnow had fun dancing to the band, giving "knucks" to the kids, and high-fiving the Tiger mascot. The girls team provided us with an exciting season, going 21-0 until losing a heartbreaker last Thursday by 2 points.


On Friday Minnow and I spent the day watching my niece play in a basketball tournament, she's in sixth grade so the quality of basketball was down a little from the previous night. On our way home we drove through the service drive of Muskie Man's school en route to pick up our babysitter who was so generously "playing" with Minnow that night--for free. (thanks, K!) Minnow saw the school and exclaimed, "Go, go!" from the back seat and then proceeded to growl like a Tiger. She thought we were going to a game. I continued past the school and she started to cry--big tears. She is sad the season has come to an end. We'll just have to wait for the snow to melt--then come softball, baseball, soccer and track events.


Minnow was all decked out for the game, ready to cheer on her Tigers:

Shopping with Daddy

We received word last night that a friend I've met through MOPS, who had been placed with a baby in early January, was going to have to give the baby back to his firstmom today. The firstmom had a change of mind and has decided to parent. I fully believe that those who give birth have the right to parent, but I also know what a great mom my friend is and the loving, Christian home this little boy would have grown up in. My heart is just breaking for this family. I am keeping this family in my thoughts and prayers and asking God to give them guidance and comfort as they go through this tough time.

Last night I hugged Minnow just a little tighter and held onto her just a little longer as I put her to bed. I spent the hour before bedtime watching her hang out with Muskie Man, studying the new Bass Pro Shops catalog. I think they picked out a few new fishing lures together.

"This one, Daddy, it will catch you the big one!"

A Pat on the Back

Minnow gives great hugs. She leans into me, puts her head on my shoulder and pats me on the back. She even says, "Aww." I love it! How many people can get a pat on the back numerous times a day? Thanks Minnow!