One year ago today...at 10:37 a.m....we receive the best gift ever!! At times it seems like it was just yesterday and then other times it seems so long ago. Murphy has been sick this week. She has a cold and has been home from daycare two days. The doctor didn't want it to get any worse. So I stayed with her yesterday and my mom today. Rob's dad came over mid afternoon and took over for my mom so she could head home. I'm sure she got lots of attention today!
We bought her a gift to celebrate her Gotcha Day. It is a pull toy, a turtle that was hand made in Colombia. I think she'll really like it. I also have a feeling that Riley will freak out and bark at it. We're also going to get ice cream tonight, although Rob is probably the only one who cares for ice cream right now. Murphy is sick and I'm not an ice cream lover. Maybe supper...we'll see.
A few weeks ago I was really homesick for Colombia. I don't know if it was the thought that what has transpired over the past year or the life we had there, or the fact that we got to spend all of our time with her. I just really missed it. Maybe not the spinach and cheese I got all the time or throwing my toilet paper in the garbage. But the overall picture. I miss going to the market. I miss Luz Mery saying every morning "Hola Maria Jose" while Murphy and I sat in the dining room alone because everyone else could sleep past 6:00. Megan, Juel, Maria, Benji: we miss you. (Rob and Carmen, too, but you left too soon for us to really get to know you!) Murphy is the same age that Carmen was at this time last year. I often wonder how you were able to be away from her for so long. I remember the day we got sentencia and you said "I just miss Carmen so much". I didn't know what it felt like then. But now, I can't imagine it.
I know I have lots to catch up on. My life has finally calmed down since the end of August. Everything that I've done has gone well, and I really feel a sense of accomplishment. But I'm also tired and ready for some lazy days. I'm not sure when those will happen! One piece of exciting news, the dragon was slewn. I think that's how you spell it. Now if only his sidekicks would get the ax, we'd be even happier!
Rob and Murphy are taking a nap. If you don't know Rob, you might be surprised to find that he's very sentimental. One year for our anniversary, he sent me flowers at work. I was working in Sioux City at the time. We went out to Applebees for dinner. He kept telling me "I'm sorry they didn't have irises". I had no idea why he was sorry so I finally had to ask. He said "Isn't that what was in your wedding bouquet?". I said "that was very thoughtful, but no, they were lilies". So anyway, he is wearing the same outfit he did a year ago. Not me. I wear jeans to work. Not skirts. So when they wake up, we'll take a family picture, eat our ice cream and whatever else we decide to eat, and I'll try to post the picture tonight. And then I'll get caught up soon.
Murphy, we LOVE YOU. You are a blessing to all of us. Our lives are wonderful because we have you. We thank God for your birthparents. We hope they know that you are loved and cared for. We thank Him for the wonderful care you received at Los Pisingos and at your foster mother's home. We thank him for year number one and look forward to all the rest.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
September update
Now that school has started, we're busy but it's mostly stuff in town. Which is fine. That way we aren't always driving. I don't mind drives there. It's the drive home that always takes forever.
On September 5, we went to Aberdeen to get Rob's hair cut. The barber has one of those dolls that dances if you push it's hand. It taught Murphy to dance. Now she dances to any music or at the mention of "dance". Ironically, the 5th was also the day she learned to say Riley, no no, puppy, and ball. No no Riley and no no puppy are heard a lot at our house. They usually go along with ball as in "No no, Riley. That's Murphy's ball".
We did get a big trip in though. My boss used to live in Denver and he has season tickets to the Broncos. We got his tickets and went to the Charger's game with Rob's sister and her boyfriend. The trip didn't start out well, though. I took Murphy to Aberdeen and met my mom. She spent the weekend with my parents. I think they all had a good time. I didn't have trouble leaving her. I had trouble leaving Riley. I dropped her off at a kennel near Aberdeen and it was terrible. Terrible, terrible. I don't know what I expected but it sure wasn't that. When I pulled up to the place, there was a sign that said "Animal Control Shelter". Hmm...you mean "place pets go before they're put to sleep"? It's not starting well. Then, there were two buildings. One with small dogs (which Riley is) and one for big dogs (which Riley is not). Guess which one she went to? The big dog building. So we walked through and there were concrete pens with poop and pee everywhere. The dogs were laying in it. And then when the pens were cleaned out, everything got shoveled to the center, where I was walking. The huge dogs there were barking and barking. Poor Riley was shaking in her paws. She would have been shaking in her boots if she had them. Maybe she should have had some to stay out of everything we were walking in. So the man had me put here in a cage and leave her. I said "should I leave her kennel or her food or bowls or toys?" He said "no, she won't need any of that". Not feeling good here. And Riley was crying. And howling. I have tears in my eyes at this point. I leaned down and told her I loved her and left. I went outside and called her name and looked through the little hole in the wall. I could see her standing up against the cage barking. She finally came out and telepathically begged me to take her out of there. I bawled and bawled. As I drove into Aberdeen todrop off Murphy, I called Rob and he didn't answer. So I called Jill, a girl I work with that has a dog and I knew would understand. She said "go get her and bring her to me. I'll watch her." That's not why I was calling but I sure took her up on it. So I dropped off Murphy and went back and got Riley. 45 minutes cost me $8. Like I said, I don't know what I expected but it sure wasn't that.
So we headed out of town and met Christy and Rob (yes another Rob) and started driving to Denver. We made it as far as Thedford, Nebraska where we spent the night. We drove the rest of the way into Denver on Saturday. We found our motel and decided we'd go to the Rockies game since we were there. It was really fun until it started to pour. They played the Dodgers so we got to see Manny play. He got booed every time he came up to bat. There were some drunk guys behind us and one was from Minneapolis and hunted every year about an hour from us. So it was kind of fun. The people next to us were originally from South Dakota as well. Sunday morning we all got dressed up in Charger gear except Rob who was a Charger fan for the day but really a Packer fan. He did wear blue, though. My Rob made up for it as you can see in the picture. We had one very obnoxious lady behind us and one obnoxious Rod Smith jersey wearing jerk in front of us. Otherwise everyone was pretty peaceful. Not like the St Louis fans. They were very nice. Also not like the Minnesota fans. They were not nice. So the Denver fans were somewhat in the middle. The game didn't start off well. The Chargers did terrible. And if you follow football at all, this was the game that Ed Hochuli made a very, very bad call that was discussed on ESPN for days after. The Chargers came back but still lost. It was still really fun, though. The drive home...not so fun. We got home around 6:30 Monday morning. We slept for a few hours then went to work. I went to Aberdeen after work to pick up Murphy. She was well rested. Riley had quite a weekend, too. She chased Jill's dog (tormented Jill's dog) and even got to go to a friend's house. I think Baby (the dog) was ready for Riley to go home.
While at my mom's Murphy learned about kitties. How to say the word and how to love them. Poor Louie. He just wants to be pet. So he thought he had it made when Murphy showed him her affection. He soon got tired of it and hid from her. Her word for kitty is "K". And she says it all the time.
The 15th, the day we got home from Denver, was also the anniversary of the day we got our phone call from Luann telling us we had a baby girl. It's hard to believe it's been a year.
On the 19th, Murphy got a new cousin! My niece had her baby, a boy named Gavin, that night. I don't think she knows yet that she won't always be the center of attention.
That next week was really busy for me. (And Rob, too I guess.) It was homecoming week. Tuesday was coronation. Rob's cousin, Morghan, was the queen from last year so we went to watch. Another cousin, Meghan, Morghan's sister, put lip gloss on Murphy and loved it! She was the entertainment of the night. For us at least. Wednesday I volunteered (or did someone volunteer me?) to help with the community clean up. I helped the senior class paint the spill way. I really did enjoy it but didn't exactly have the time to do it. Friday was the parade. The theme was "Olympics". Friday morning we came up with our float: The newest Olympic sport: Corn Husking. We had two of the guys husking corn in the back of a pickup while three of us girls handed up candy and stickers. We got done with that and moved on to the chili cookoff. The recipe for this was also decided on last minute. And then was changed by the time we got there. We didn't dress up or having corn in our recipe but we did get third place out of 15 teams. Next year I put it on my calendar to start planning earlier so we can win!
Murphy got tooth number seven on the 26th. She has four on top and three on the bottom.
Tuesday the 30th our school played in a special volleyball game. It was called Volley for a Cure and we all wore pink t-shirts in support of breast cancer. For those of you don't know, both my mom and her sister were diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age. My mom tested negative for the breast cancer gene but I know it's in my future.
Riley is still doing well. Calming down a little. Still peeing on the floor every once in a while. She can make it all night though now that she sleeps with us. She's only allowed under the comforter though otherwise her cold nose ends up touching us. She is quite the bed hog as she likes to sleep right next to you. For me it's not that big of deal. She keeps me warm. For Rob who is warm blooded, she makes him sweat. When Murphy wakes up the first thing she wants is a kiss from Riley. No one else wants one so she might as well get as many as she can.
On September 5, we went to Aberdeen to get Rob's hair cut. The barber has one of those dolls that dances if you push it's hand. It taught Murphy to dance. Now she dances to any music or at the mention of "dance". Ironically, the 5th was also the day she learned to say Riley, no no, puppy, and ball. No no Riley and no no puppy are heard a lot at our house. They usually go along with ball as in "No no, Riley. That's Murphy's ball".
We did get a big trip in though. My boss used to live in Denver and he has season tickets to the Broncos. We got his tickets and went to the Charger's game with Rob's sister and her boyfriend. The trip didn't start out well, though. I took Murphy to Aberdeen and met my mom. She spent the weekend with my parents. I think they all had a good time. I didn't have trouble leaving her. I had trouble leaving Riley. I dropped her off at a kennel near Aberdeen and it was terrible. Terrible, terrible. I don't know what I expected but it sure wasn't that. When I pulled up to the place, there was a sign that said "Animal Control Shelter". Hmm...you mean "place pets go before they're put to sleep"? It's not starting well. Then, there were two buildings. One with small dogs (which Riley is) and one for big dogs (which Riley is not). Guess which one she went to? The big dog building. So we walked through and there were concrete pens with poop and pee everywhere. The dogs were laying in it. And then when the pens were cleaned out, everything got shoveled to the center, where I was walking. The huge dogs there were barking and barking. Poor Riley was shaking in her paws. She would have been shaking in her boots if she had them. Maybe she should have had some to stay out of everything we were walking in. So the man had me put here in a cage and leave her. I said "should I leave her kennel or her food or bowls or toys?" He said "no, she won't need any of that". Not feeling good here. And Riley was crying. And howling. I have tears in my eyes at this point. I leaned down and told her I loved her and left. I went outside and called her name and looked through the little hole in the wall. I could see her standing up against the cage barking. She finally came out and telepathically begged me to take her out of there. I bawled and bawled. As I drove into Aberdeen todrop off Murphy, I called Rob and he didn't answer. So I called Jill, a girl I work with that has a dog and I knew would understand. She said "go get her and bring her to me. I'll watch her." That's not why I was calling but I sure took her up on it. So I dropped off Murphy and went back and got Riley. 45 minutes cost me $8. Like I said, I don't know what I expected but it sure wasn't that.
So we headed out of town and met Christy and Rob (yes another Rob) and started driving to Denver. We made it as far as Thedford, Nebraska where we spent the night. We drove the rest of the way into Denver on Saturday. We found our motel and decided we'd go to the Rockies game since we were there. It was really fun until it started to pour. They played the Dodgers so we got to see Manny play. He got booed every time he came up to bat. There were some drunk guys behind us and one was from Minneapolis and hunted every year about an hour from us. So it was kind of fun. The people next to us were originally from South Dakota as well. Sunday morning we all got dressed up in Charger gear except Rob who was a Charger fan for the day but really a Packer fan. He did wear blue, though. My Rob made up for it as you can see in the picture. We had one very obnoxious lady behind us and one obnoxious Rod Smith jersey wearing jerk in front of us. Otherwise everyone was pretty peaceful. Not like the St Louis fans. They were very nice. Also not like the Minnesota fans. They were not nice. So the Denver fans were somewhat in the middle. The game didn't start off well. The Chargers did terrible. And if you follow football at all, this was the game that Ed Hochuli made a very, very bad call that was discussed on ESPN for days after. The Chargers came back but still lost. It was still really fun, though. The drive home...not so fun. We got home around 6:30 Monday morning. We slept for a few hours then went to work. I went to Aberdeen after work to pick up Murphy. She was well rested. Riley had quite a weekend, too. She chased Jill's dog (tormented Jill's dog) and even got to go to a friend's house. I think Baby (the dog) was ready for Riley to go home.
While at my mom's Murphy learned about kitties. How to say the word and how to love them. Poor Louie. He just wants to be pet. So he thought he had it made when Murphy showed him her affection. He soon got tired of it and hid from her. Her word for kitty is "K". And she says it all the time.
The 15th, the day we got home from Denver, was also the anniversary of the day we got our phone call from Luann telling us we had a baby girl. It's hard to believe it's been a year.
On the 19th, Murphy got a new cousin! My niece had her baby, a boy named Gavin, that night. I don't think she knows yet that she won't always be the center of attention.
That next week was really busy for me. (And Rob, too I guess.) It was homecoming week. Tuesday was coronation. Rob's cousin, Morghan, was the queen from last year so we went to watch. Another cousin, Meghan, Morghan's sister, put lip gloss on Murphy and loved it! She was the entertainment of the night. For us at least. Wednesday I volunteered (or did someone volunteer me?) to help with the community clean up. I helped the senior class paint the spill way. I really did enjoy it but didn't exactly have the time to do it. Friday was the parade. The theme was "Olympics". Friday morning we came up with our float: The newest Olympic sport: Corn Husking. We had two of the guys husking corn in the back of a pickup while three of us girls handed up candy and stickers. We got done with that and moved on to the chili cookoff. The recipe for this was also decided on last minute. And then was changed by the time we got there. We didn't dress up or having corn in our recipe but we did get third place out of 15 teams. Next year I put it on my calendar to start planning earlier so we can win!
Murphy got tooth number seven on the 26th. She has four on top and three on the bottom.
Tuesday the 30th our school played in a special volleyball game. It was called Volley for a Cure and we all wore pink t-shirts in support of breast cancer. For those of you don't know, both my mom and her sister were diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age. My mom tested negative for the breast cancer gene but I know it's in my future.
Riley is still doing well. Calming down a little. Still peeing on the floor every once in a while. She can make it all night though now that she sleeps with us. She's only allowed under the comforter though otherwise her cold nose ends up touching us. She is quite the bed hog as she likes to sleep right next to you. For me it's not that big of deal. She keeps me warm. For Rob who is warm blooded, she makes him sweat. When Murphy wakes up the first thing she wants is a kiss from Riley. No one else wants one so she might as well get as many as she can.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
September pictures
She got pretty far in and couldn't get herself back out.
This is what happens when Riley is left alone to entertain herself.
Carrying her new purse and kitty.
This was pretty funny...she was carrying my work keys around her neck. She also loves to play with fake necklaces (anything that she can wear around her neck.) She got them caught together and handcuffed herself behind her back.
Yes, I am that mother that takes a picture before she tells her child to get out of the box.
Murphy and Riley playing in the Hoosier cupboard in the front entry.
We have no idea what she's doing. Maybe she's going to be a bronc rider.
She loves to sweep.
The back of the skirt.
The front of the shirt.
Christy and Rob (#2, Jayne, Tinklebell) at the Charger/Bronco game. (The infamous Ed Hochuli game)
It's shocking that we only had two obnoxious fans bothering us after seeing who we were sitting with.
At the Rockies game with Christy.
Coors Field
She loves to kiss the baby in the mirror.
Everybody wants to sit with Daddy and cheer for the Chargers!
Murphy riding the school bus.
She did look like a girl earlier in the day. Notice the green socks that matched her outfit at church.
Monday, September 01, 2008
August pictures
Grandma Karen's protege. Murphy loves licorice. Lucky for her that her Uncle Wayne gave her some because her Mommy won't.
Looking stylish on my four wheeler with my beads around my neck, licorice on my face, holding my toothbrush and shampoo.
The cyclops on Murphy's head after being stung by an unknown assailant.
Murphy and Haley at her first football game.
Grandma and Murphy playing with wrapping paper. She didn't want Grandma to wear the hat but she really didn't want to wear it herself.
Murphy's first pony ride at the fair!
She loves to play in the sheers.
Riley loves to play in anything she can chew.
Murphy loves to play with Daddy and Riley loves to play with Murphy.
Mommy got a new dishwasher and Murphy and Riley got a new box.
Don't touch my blanket!
Murphy loves to play the piano and Landon loves to get out of lessons.
Keely, Maria, Murphy, and Kalla.
Mommy, you're taking too long in the dressing room.
Three of the world's best babysitters!
I love corn!
Pickles, too.
Did I mention watermelon?
Murphy does not like being kept out of places.
See what I mean?
The dreaded flamingos. Although they did keep Murphy entertained for a day.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
August update
Monday, July 28, Murphy and I went with some of my coworkers to a chuckwagon. One of the by-products of ethanol is feed, or distillers. It comes in dry or modified-wet form. One of the truck drivers that gets a lot of distillers has a chuckwagon and participates in contests in South Dakota. Everything has to be authentic. So that night, he cooked for us. It was really good. There was some sort of meat that I didn't eat along with vegetables, corn bread, and upside down pineapple dessert. Being a dessert lover, that was my favorite part. Murphy's favorite part was chasing the chickens and kitties. It made me homesick for farm life. I just don't see Rob ever being a farmer. Not even a hobby farmer. No cows either. I'm not even sure I can get him to live in the country. I've told him all the wonderful things about living in the country but in his mind, you just miss out on all the action if you live in the country. Someday, maybe.
We had a post placement visit the next day. Erin, I hope you never plan a quick trip to our house. It was the first time she'd been here and the first chance I had to show her all the stuff we bought in Colombia. Murphy's Gotcha Day gifts, her clothes, her room... I kept saying "Oh I have to show you this..." Good thing she knows me by now and we get along so well! I have no idea when the next visit will be. I've read on other people's blogs that they don't like them but I actually do. It gives us a chance to talk about Murphy and not everyone wants to hear us gush about her for hours!
My mom's sister turned 50 on the 29th, so we had a little surprise party for her that weekend in Winner, where she lives and teaches Art at the high school. My aunt and uncle planned to go down there. She knew that part. She didn't know others were coming. My mom picked up Murphy and me Friday afternoon and I filled her car way full. We were a little late because I had to take the babysitter home get our stuff loaded. On the way there, Murphy needed a nap but over her dead body was she going to take one. My mom ended up singing to her for quite a while before she finally fell asleep. Another aunt and uncle met us down there and we walked into Karyl's house together. She was quite surprised. Little did she know her friends had a party planned for that night. We all went out to eat and then we had to get her to the bar. We decided that someone would suggest taking her for a drink and the three men would take the kids home. (Her son is six.) But actually the men would drive around the block while we got her to the bar. We walked into the bar and it was packed. First of all, it was right before the Sturgis Rally and there is also alot of people on their way. And then it was Hawaiian night at the bar. She wanted to turn around and go home because it was so crowded. By the time we got to the back, she figured out there was a party. The men arrived shortly after. We only stayed for a little bit and then some of us went home. Jeremy and Karyl stayed a little longer since the party was for her. Saturday we played cards for a very long time. I had to play for church on Sunday so we ended up coming home on Saturday. It was a fun weekend. But for future reference I should remember to shower and have on decent clothes any weeekend around my birthday.
The next week was a busy one for us. Rob had a school conference in Sioux Falls so Murphy and I went with him. We left on Wednesday and didn't have any time to relax the whole time we were there! We stayed in a great motel (that oddly only has full sized beds) with a swimming pool and we weren't there long enough to enjoy it! Thursday I spent the entire day in the mall trying to find the perfect white dress for her to wear for her one-year pictures. Yeah, I was a little late. Finally I found one at the Gap; the first store I'd been in and hadn't seen it. So then I had to return everything else I'd found "just in case I didn't find a white dress". We met our friends Rahn, Maria, Keely, and Kalla at Chevy's for supper that night. We miss them so much! They lived right across the street from us in Elk Point and we spent quite a bit of time with them. Rahn and Rob coached football together so they had to watch game tape after every game. Until like 3:00 in the morning. I taught Keely piano. Kalla loves Rob (and the kitties). After we moved she literally didn't speak to me because I took them away from her. Maria and I shopped together (even the day after Thanksgiving one year!), drank coffee and wine together. Rob and Maria could hang out. Rahn and I could hang out. It was just that kind of friendship. I don't think we'll ever find that again and we miss them SO MUCH! After supper we went to our friends Leroy and Denita's house. Murphy climbed up and down the steps. Until she fell and hit her head right where you could see it for pictures! I have to back up a little. Wednesday night Rob's sister went with us to Old Chicago to eat. We saw this lady with really cute hair. After Christy and I spent some time trying to remember it so I could get mine cut like that, I just decided to ask her if I could take a picture of it. Our husbands thought we were nuts but she said she was a hair dresser and would love it if her clients brought in pictures of what they wanted. So Friday morning I went to the girl in Tea who used to cut my hair when we lived there. I was really happy with the cut. Then I took Murphy to Harold's to have her pictures taken. The girl used a flower to make her smile. It really worked until she tried to take it away. Then she bawled. So when I changed her clothes into the white dress I'd spent the entire day looking for, she bawled because she didn't have the flower. We ended up with about six pictures in the dress and some of them she is just outright bawling. So much for the dress! The other ones turned out really well. I still haven't ordered them of course. By the time we got done, Rob was done with his conference so we had to go and get checked out of our room and head home. See why we didn't have any time to sit and relax? Saturday morning we got up and I took three of our summer babysitters to the lake. Murphy and Riley, too. The girls jet ski'd and swam. Finally I had a relaxing weekend!
She got tooth number six on the 15th. Now she has three on top and three on the bottom, but they don't match up.
On the 16th we went to the Brown County Fair in Aberdeen. I was in 4-H and spent every summer at the fair when I was young. Remember I was a farm girl so I showed sheep and steers, along with having tons of arts and crafts, sewing, photography, baking...you name it. This was in the early 80's and my cousin Brett and I would roam the fair by ourselves with no chance of being kidnapped. We even did it at the state fair. There isn't a chance now that I'd let Murphy do that. We took her on a pony ride, which she loved, and took her through the petting zoo. We didn't go on any rides. I think next year will be better for that. We met a friend of ours that we hadn't seen for years. He got married while we were in Colombia and we hadn't met his wife yet. It was nice to see him all grown up! He worked with Rob at the Zoo during college so they have plenty of stories to tell. And if you aren't from around here, the Zoo isn't a zoo. It's a bar.
School started for Rob on August 19th. It wasn't a whole lot different than the rest of the month because he'd been going in full time since July. That night I took Murphy and Riley for a walk. I'm sure it's hard to imagine but I talk the whole time. This time, though, Murphy talked back! We have a book that says "the cow says moo, the sheep says baa, three singing pigs say la, la, la". Except when I memorized it, it's silly pigs, not singing. So anyway, she said moo, baa, and la, la, la. She actually said la, la, la all the time after that. She's never picked up on anything else in the book. Maybe I said those first few pages more than the others.
I swear she's a brain child. She picks things up so quick. On the 21st, Roxie asked her to point to her nose and she did. So besides moo, baa, and la, la, la, she points to her nose a lot.
That week, our dishwasher quit, so we ended up getting a new one. Not what I wanted to spend my money on but it's better than washing them by hand!
On the 28th, I picked Murphy up from daycare and noticed a bite on her forehead, which wasn't really uncommon. That night she was playing with Riley and tripped and fell. She didn't cry but within minutes, her head had swelled up tremendously and we freaked out a little. We ended up taking her to the emergency room and found out that she'd been stung, not bitten. The stinger was still in her head but the poison hadn't been triggered until she fell on it. The PA pulled out the stinger and her head went back to normal size. It never really even bothered her. We could push on it and she didn't even flinch.
I can't forget to mention Riley. She's doing well. Still kind of a pain. Still peeing on the floor. But we love her.
So there's August. Our life gets a little busier once school starts. There are so many activities to go to. I choose not to go to all of them. It's way too much. More from September soon!
We had a post placement visit the next day. Erin, I hope you never plan a quick trip to our house. It was the first time she'd been here and the first chance I had to show her all the stuff we bought in Colombia. Murphy's Gotcha Day gifts, her clothes, her room... I kept saying "Oh I have to show you this..." Good thing she knows me by now and we get along so well! I have no idea when the next visit will be. I've read on other people's blogs that they don't like them but I actually do. It gives us a chance to talk about Murphy and not everyone wants to hear us gush about her for hours!
My mom's sister turned 50 on the 29th, so we had a little surprise party for her that weekend in Winner, where she lives and teaches Art at the high school. My aunt and uncle planned to go down there. She knew that part. She didn't know others were coming. My mom picked up Murphy and me Friday afternoon and I filled her car way full. We were a little late because I had to take the babysitter home get our stuff loaded. On the way there, Murphy needed a nap but over her dead body was she going to take one. My mom ended up singing to her for quite a while before she finally fell asleep. Another aunt and uncle met us down there and we walked into Karyl's house together. She was quite surprised. Little did she know her friends had a party planned for that night. We all went out to eat and then we had to get her to the bar. We decided that someone would suggest taking her for a drink and the three men would take the kids home. (Her son is six.) But actually the men would drive around the block while we got her to the bar. We walked into the bar and it was packed. First of all, it was right before the Sturgis Rally and there is also alot of people on their way. And then it was Hawaiian night at the bar. She wanted to turn around and go home because it was so crowded. By the time we got to the back, she figured out there was a party. The men arrived shortly after. We only stayed for a little bit and then some of us went home. Jeremy and Karyl stayed a little longer since the party was for her. Saturday we played cards for a very long time. I had to play for church on Sunday so we ended up coming home on Saturday. It was a fun weekend. But for future reference I should remember to shower and have on decent clothes any weeekend around my birthday.
The next week was a busy one for us. Rob had a school conference in Sioux Falls so Murphy and I went with him. We left on Wednesday and didn't have any time to relax the whole time we were there! We stayed in a great motel (that oddly only has full sized beds) with a swimming pool and we weren't there long enough to enjoy it! Thursday I spent the entire day in the mall trying to find the perfect white dress for her to wear for her one-year pictures. Yeah, I was a little late. Finally I found one at the Gap; the first store I'd been in and hadn't seen it. So then I had to return everything else I'd found "just in case I didn't find a white dress". We met our friends Rahn, Maria, Keely, and Kalla at Chevy's for supper that night. We miss them so much! They lived right across the street from us in Elk Point and we spent quite a bit of time with them. Rahn and Rob coached football together so they had to watch game tape after every game. Until like 3:00 in the morning. I taught Keely piano. Kalla loves Rob (and the kitties). After we moved she literally didn't speak to me because I took them away from her. Maria and I shopped together (even the day after Thanksgiving one year!), drank coffee and wine together. Rob and Maria could hang out. Rahn and I could hang out. It was just that kind of friendship. I don't think we'll ever find that again and we miss them SO MUCH! After supper we went to our friends Leroy and Denita's house. Murphy climbed up and down the steps. Until she fell and hit her head right where you could see it for pictures! I have to back up a little. Wednesday night Rob's sister went with us to Old Chicago to eat. We saw this lady with really cute hair. After Christy and I spent some time trying to remember it so I could get mine cut like that, I just decided to ask her if I could take a picture of it. Our husbands thought we were nuts but she said she was a hair dresser and would love it if her clients brought in pictures of what they wanted. So Friday morning I went to the girl in Tea who used to cut my hair when we lived there. I was really happy with the cut. Then I took Murphy to Harold's to have her pictures taken. The girl used a flower to make her smile. It really worked until she tried to take it away. Then she bawled. So when I changed her clothes into the white dress I'd spent the entire day looking for, she bawled because she didn't have the flower. We ended up with about six pictures in the dress and some of them she is just outright bawling. So much for the dress! The other ones turned out really well. I still haven't ordered them of course. By the time we got done, Rob was done with his conference so we had to go and get checked out of our room and head home. See why we didn't have any time to sit and relax? Saturday morning we got up and I took three of our summer babysitters to the lake. Murphy and Riley, too. The girls jet ski'd and swam. Finally I had a relaxing weekend!
She got tooth number six on the 15th. Now she has three on top and three on the bottom, but they don't match up.
On the 16th we went to the Brown County Fair in Aberdeen. I was in 4-H and spent every summer at the fair when I was young. Remember I was a farm girl so I showed sheep and steers, along with having tons of arts and crafts, sewing, photography, baking...you name it. This was in the early 80's and my cousin Brett and I would roam the fair by ourselves with no chance of being kidnapped. We even did it at the state fair. There isn't a chance now that I'd let Murphy do that. We took her on a pony ride, which she loved, and took her through the petting zoo. We didn't go on any rides. I think next year will be better for that. We met a friend of ours that we hadn't seen for years. He got married while we were in Colombia and we hadn't met his wife yet. It was nice to see him all grown up! He worked with Rob at the Zoo during college so they have plenty of stories to tell. And if you aren't from around here, the Zoo isn't a zoo. It's a bar.
School started for Rob on August 19th. It wasn't a whole lot different than the rest of the month because he'd been going in full time since July. That night I took Murphy and Riley for a walk. I'm sure it's hard to imagine but I talk the whole time. This time, though, Murphy talked back! We have a book that says "the cow says moo, the sheep says baa, three singing pigs say la, la, la". Except when I memorized it, it's silly pigs, not singing. So anyway, she said moo, baa, and la, la, la. She actually said la, la, la all the time after that. She's never picked up on anything else in the book. Maybe I said those first few pages more than the others.
I swear she's a brain child. She picks things up so quick. On the 21st, Roxie asked her to point to her nose and she did. So besides moo, baa, and la, la, la, she points to her nose a lot.
That week, our dishwasher quit, so we ended up getting a new one. Not what I wanted to spend my money on but it's better than washing them by hand!
On the 28th, I picked Murphy up from daycare and noticed a bite on her forehead, which wasn't really uncommon. That night she was playing with Riley and tripped and fell. She didn't cry but within minutes, her head had swelled up tremendously and we freaked out a little. We ended up taking her to the emergency room and found out that she'd been stung, not bitten. The stinger was still in her head but the poison hadn't been triggered until she fell on it. The PA pulled out the stinger and her head went back to normal size. It never really even bothered her. We could push on it and she didn't even flinch.
I can't forget to mention Riley. She's doing well. Still kind of a pain. Still peeing on the floor. But we love her.
So there's August. Our life gets a little busier once school starts. There are so many activities to go to. I choose not to go to all of them. It's way too much. More from September soon!
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Summer is almost over!
I know, most of you have another month. But Rob's contract with the school means he goes back to work tomorrow. He hasn't done any of the things I wanted him to get done this summer. I don't think I even had time to tell him what I wanted done! So while school is starting and our lives will get even busier, this is our life. This is normal for us. I never have to ask Rob what he has going on during the week. I know. I have all of the home events on my calendar. He will be at all of them. Add that to school board meetings and a few more weeks of golf and we have a busy household. I think what I'm sad about is that I like 90 degree weather. I don't like snow. I don't like to be cold. I want summer all year long. I also know we don't get that luxory living in South Dakota.
We had planned to go to the lake for the 4th but Rob had to do the color guard in the parade that day. The parade route goes right by our house so I took a blanket outside and Murphy, Riley, and I sat there and watched. Riley made it to the first guard vehicles going by and then I had to take her in because she was scared to death. Murphy loved the parade. Rob was first in the parade and I didn't know if she would recognize him since all of them were in their BDU's and would look similar. Not a chance! She knew her Daddy! She stuck out her arms and kept saying "Oh Oh Oh" while every guard guy had a big smile on his face. I'm sure they were supposed to be pretty somber but how do you not smile at that!? We kept getting candy thrown at us but Murphy's mother won't let her have candy. So we gave it all to the people watching down the street. I did let her have a package of Smarties and I'd get her one at a time. Until I wasn't paying attention and she reached down and grabbed the rest of the package and stuck them all in her mouth. By the time the parade was done Rob was back at our house. So we loaded up the car and went to the lake. Riley road really well. She slept the whole time. She didn't really like the boat but she was content sitting outside the cabin in the pen we have for Murphy. She had her toys, bed, food, and water so she was set. Plus we went on many, many walks. Murphy did not like her life jacket. It's pretty tight and she just did not want it on. Rob took her out on the jet ski and it put her to sleep. He didn't go very fast so I think the hum of the motor was soothing to her. She had varied reactions to the boat. She was tired when we took her out so she was pretty grumpy. She did like to see all the people on shore and the boats and jet skis going by.
Our anniversary was on the 19th. A Saturday this year. We dropped Murphy off at Haley's house, dropped Riley off at Rob's mom and dad's house, and went to Watertown for the day. We got a few things at Target, got a couple of things for Murphy to wear next year, and went to the movie. There wasn't a huge selection (five choices) and none of them looked overly good. We finally settled on Mamma Mia. Rob didn't know anything about it. I knew it had something to do with Abba. So when they started singing, Rob threw a glance my way and I said "I did not know this was a musical". Now that I've watched the previews, it sure looks like a musical to me. I'm not sure why that didn't click in my brain beforehand. It was good. Very good songs. Just not what we had expected. So then we went to Applebees for supper and back to the motel and played Phase 10 until 10:30. Totally relaxing. And then I got to sleep in a king sized bed and didn't wake up all night long! No baby crying, no dog barking. It was very, very nice. But I was still ready to come home on Sunday!
Yesterday Rob golfed in a tournament and I went to Aberdeen and found lots of good stuff for Murphy for next year. JC Penney's had their stuff for $1.97. I loaded up and still only spent $20! Then we went to a going away party for my niece Kara who is leaving for Forest Grove, Oregon to attend Pacific University's College of Optometry. It was really nice. Murphy and I got there early and were able to spend some time with the girls. Murphy didn't take a nap until late in the day so she was tired and sobbing by the time she finally fell asleep. We lasted until 9:30 and then we came home. Rob stopped in Aberdeen for a few things and Murphy and I came straight home. She went from the car seat directly to bed and slept all night. I knew she was tired.
Tomorrow Murphy goes back to regular daycare and Rob goes back to school. We have a post placement visit on Tuesday. We had a little scare this week. Back in May I had been working with one of the girls at LSS of MN to start the process for baby #2. I had one last question before I sent in my paperwork and money and she didn't get back to me. I emailed her again about two weeks later and she still didn't get back to me. Then when we were at the workshop, Erin told me that this girl was taking a leave of absence starting that day for the rest of the summer. So I called LSS of MN after we got back from the workshop and got a voice mail that said they were closed on Tuesday, July 1 at 10:30 for a meeting. But I called on Thursday, July 3. So I called again this week and got Wendy's replacement and she told me they weren't accepting families for 0-36 months. I said "well we aren't a new family (which was one of their requirements when I'd talked to Wendy in May) and I've been working with Wendy for the past few months." She could see my emails to Wendy in May and June so I had proof that I'd emailed and she hadn't gotten back to me. PLUS I had a message from their director that said I didn't have to pay the $250 registration fee. PLUS we'd gone to a two day workshop that cost us $2000! So I said "I'm going to insist that you put us on that list" and she said she'd have to talked to her director and get back to me. I called Erin at SF and told her I wasn't going to throw the biggest fit she'd ever seen if we didn't get on that list. Fortunately, we did get on the list. We know it's going to be three years before we get a referral and we're OK with that. But we can't get a referral if we don't get on the list. So that problem has been fixed. I still didn't get an answer to my original question from May but I should hear that answer this week.
Riley is doing well. We're struggling a little with house training. We take her on about seven walks a day, take her outside when she wakes up, when she eats, basically a lot! And she still goes to the bathroom on the floor. The other day I said to Rob "Remember when I said I wanted a cat? I meant I wanted a cat". We love Riley and know that we'll make it through this but some days are very frustrating. I'm not sure what's going to happen when we don't have a babysitter here all day and Rob's back in school. For the next two weeks, Rob's cousin's daughter is going to take her for walks. Plus, she'll stay outside in the baby pen. But she has performance issues. She will only go to the bathroom if we're watching. So if we tie her to her leash and leave her outside, she won't go. And the walks her keep her calm. So we'll still try to keep up on that.
Now for the big news on Murphy...she is walking! She stood up in the baby pool on Sunday, July 13 so I figured it was coming. And then on Wednesday, July 16 she took her first steps. Rob was at golf so I called him and told him. He came home fairly quickly and was able to see it too. Now she can run from Riley when he bites her ankles! And she can get into way more things. She still crawls every once in a while when she's feeling lazy but otherwise, she's moving all over. She got tooth number 4 on July 6 and tooth number five on July 22. She had no effects with either (and we aren't counting the stomach virus she had) and it was much more pleasant than a few of the other teeth. We don't go back to the doctor until December. Her new expressions is to make an O with her lips and say "OH". All the time. Really...all the time. It's pretty cute so we like it.
OK, well that's our July. See you in a month!
We had planned to go to the lake for the 4th but Rob had to do the color guard in the parade that day. The parade route goes right by our house so I took a blanket outside and Murphy, Riley, and I sat there and watched. Riley made it to the first guard vehicles going by and then I had to take her in because she was scared to death. Murphy loved the parade. Rob was first in the parade and I didn't know if she would recognize him since all of them were in their BDU's and would look similar. Not a chance! She knew her Daddy! She stuck out her arms and kept saying "Oh Oh Oh" while every guard guy had a big smile on his face. I'm sure they were supposed to be pretty somber but how do you not smile at that!? We kept getting candy thrown at us but Murphy's mother won't let her have candy. So we gave it all to the people watching down the street. I did let her have a package of Smarties and I'd get her one at a time. Until I wasn't paying attention and she reached down and grabbed the rest of the package and stuck them all in her mouth. By the time the parade was done Rob was back at our house. So we loaded up the car and went to the lake. Riley road really well. She slept the whole time. She didn't really like the boat but she was content sitting outside the cabin in the pen we have for Murphy. She had her toys, bed, food, and water so she was set. Plus we went on many, many walks. Murphy did not like her life jacket. It's pretty tight and she just did not want it on. Rob took her out on the jet ski and it put her to sleep. He didn't go very fast so I think the hum of the motor was soothing to her. She had varied reactions to the boat. She was tired when we took her out so she was pretty grumpy. She did like to see all the people on shore and the boats and jet skis going by.
Our anniversary was on the 19th. A Saturday this year. We dropped Murphy off at Haley's house, dropped Riley off at Rob's mom and dad's house, and went to Watertown for the day. We got a few things at Target, got a couple of things for Murphy to wear next year, and went to the movie. There wasn't a huge selection (five choices) and none of them looked overly good. We finally settled on Mamma Mia. Rob didn't know anything about it. I knew it had something to do with Abba. So when they started singing, Rob threw a glance my way and I said "I did not know this was a musical". Now that I've watched the previews, it sure looks like a musical to me. I'm not sure why that didn't click in my brain beforehand. It was good. Very good songs. Just not what we had expected. So then we went to Applebees for supper and back to the motel and played Phase 10 until 10:30. Totally relaxing. And then I got to sleep in a king sized bed and didn't wake up all night long! No baby crying, no dog barking. It was very, very nice. But I was still ready to come home on Sunday!
Yesterday Rob golfed in a tournament and I went to Aberdeen and found lots of good stuff for Murphy for next year. JC Penney's had their stuff for $1.97. I loaded up and still only spent $20! Then we went to a going away party for my niece Kara who is leaving for Forest Grove, Oregon to attend Pacific University's College of Optometry. It was really nice. Murphy and I got there early and were able to spend some time with the girls. Murphy didn't take a nap until late in the day so she was tired and sobbing by the time she finally fell asleep. We lasted until 9:30 and then we came home. Rob stopped in Aberdeen for a few things and Murphy and I came straight home. She went from the car seat directly to bed and slept all night. I knew she was tired.
Tomorrow Murphy goes back to regular daycare and Rob goes back to school. We have a post placement visit on Tuesday. We had a little scare this week. Back in May I had been working with one of the girls at LSS of MN to start the process for baby #2. I had one last question before I sent in my paperwork and money and she didn't get back to me. I emailed her again about two weeks later and she still didn't get back to me. Then when we were at the workshop, Erin told me that this girl was taking a leave of absence starting that day for the rest of the summer. So I called LSS of MN after we got back from the workshop and got a voice mail that said they were closed on Tuesday, July 1 at 10:30 for a meeting. But I called on Thursday, July 3. So I called again this week and got Wendy's replacement and she told me they weren't accepting families for 0-36 months. I said "well we aren't a new family (which was one of their requirements when I'd talked to Wendy in May) and I've been working with Wendy for the past few months." She could see my emails to Wendy in May and June so I had proof that I'd emailed and she hadn't gotten back to me. PLUS I had a message from their director that said I didn't have to pay the $250 registration fee. PLUS we'd gone to a two day workshop that cost us $2000! So I said "I'm going to insist that you put us on that list" and she said she'd have to talked to her director and get back to me. I called Erin at SF and told her I wasn't going to throw the biggest fit she'd ever seen if we didn't get on that list. Fortunately, we did get on the list. We know it's going to be three years before we get a referral and we're OK with that. But we can't get a referral if we don't get on the list. So that problem has been fixed. I still didn't get an answer to my original question from May but I should hear that answer this week.
Riley is doing well. We're struggling a little with house training. We take her on about seven walks a day, take her outside when she wakes up, when she eats, basically a lot! And she still goes to the bathroom on the floor. The other day I said to Rob "Remember when I said I wanted a cat? I meant I wanted a cat". We love Riley and know that we'll make it through this but some days are very frustrating. I'm not sure what's going to happen when we don't have a babysitter here all day and Rob's back in school. For the next two weeks, Rob's cousin's daughter is going to take her for walks. Plus, she'll stay outside in the baby pen. But she has performance issues. She will only go to the bathroom if we're watching. So if we tie her to her leash and leave her outside, she won't go. And the walks her keep her calm. So we'll still try to keep up on that.
Now for the big news on Murphy...she is walking! She stood up in the baby pool on Sunday, July 13 so I figured it was coming. And then on Wednesday, July 16 she took her first steps. Rob was at golf so I called him and told him. He came home fairly quickly and was able to see it too. Now she can run from Riley when he bites her ankles! And she can get into way more things. She still crawls every once in a while when she's feeling lazy but otherwise, she's moving all over. She got tooth number 4 on July 6 and tooth number five on July 22. She had no effects with either (and we aren't counting the stomach virus she had) and it was much more pleasant than a few of the other teeth. We don't go back to the doctor until December. Her new expressions is to make an O with her lips and say "OH". All the time. Really...all the time. It's pretty cute so we like it.
OK, well that's our July. See you in a month!
Friday, July 25, 2008
July pictures
I love cake!
I get my coloring from my aunt Christy!
My fancy new dress from Colombia!
Murphy tormenting Riley.
My first jet ski ride! (It put me to sleep!)
I love boat rides but I don't like my life jacket!
Riley found a comfortable spot to sleep.
Murphy loves the pool.
So does Daddy.
The lake was a little cold.
There are always two helpers in the fridge.
Murphy and Riley.
Our 11th anniversary. What a difference a year made! A baby AND a dog!
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