Aubri decided it was time to say goodbye to her nukie after three and half years. She was very confident at first and then the reality set in around bedtime. She said, “Mommy, I didn’t know it would be so hard and it’s sooo hard. I’m never going to sleep again.” I hugged her tightly for a while and she wanted me to list all of her friends and family members that don’t have nukies. She then watched a short video and came out to the living room crying to daddy, “Daddy, I want my nukie. I don’t want to give it up to the Nukie Fairy.” We just kept reassuring her and telling her how proud we are of her. She continued crying and fell asleep in daddy’s arms. The good news is that Zac said she slept through the entire night without waking up. The Nukie Fairy brought her a Cinderella doll that she was very happy with. The journey will continue…
Notice in the video how she rubs the bag, that’s how she rubs her blankie when she has her nuk. At the very end of the video Aubri gets really sad. It breaks my heart to see her so sad, but I know it is time. You can just tell the reality of it really sinks in for her.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Trying to Enjoy a Minnesota Winter
Since I was born and raised in Minnesota, you'd think I'd be used to the cold by now. It seems like I dread the thought of winter more and more each year; and the older I get, it even seems colder than I remember previous years feeling.
I often wonder what made people live here in the first place. What's surprising, is that I've recently discovered that many people around us actually really enjoy winter. I'm a big fan of Minnesota summers and falls, and I honestly don't mind the snow... it's just that anytime we dip below about 20 degrees, my limbs have difficulty thawing out which makes winter a bit uncomfortable. Maybe I'm not supposed to be living here? There's many other places that are "less cold".
So, with trying to come up with a realistic solution for my (hopefully temporary) situation of living in this frozen climate, I figured that many people enjoy winter because they actually take advantage of winter sports.
This past week, we tried skiing, skating, and sledding. I REALLY enjoy skiing, though I'm not sure how to afford it on a regular basis. Gavin also went skiing with me for half of the day and liked it as well. We tried skating as a family last night, which didn't last long because it was pretty cold and the two older kids were having a tough time staying on their feet. (Sara and Micah went sledding while we skated) It's hard not to feel a little inferior next to all the hockey kids skating circles around us, too. Sledding is a good family activity, especially since it's the only one Sara is willing to do (out of the three mentioned). But again, at our kid's ages, any outdoor activity is kind of a lot of work and doesn't last too long.
The other thing that crossed my mind is that maybe I'm just not clothing myself properly for Minnesota winters. My friend Jack (who I went skiing with this past week) really enjoys winter, but he also mentioned that he wears long johns everyday through the winter months. I've never thought of doing that. It makes sense I suppose. My problem is mostly my fingers and toes though. Layering socks is an easy thing to do, but wearing gloves all day long would make everyday tasks a little difficult. For example, yesterday while leading the music at church, my fingers were so cold while I played guitar that they turned numb. It wasn't necessarily cold in the sanctuary, but somehow my body feels the cold from outside, even when I'm inside.
I realize I kind of sound like a wuss just writing this post, but I guess I'm curious, for those that are reading this, what do YOU do to enjoy winter?
I often wonder what made people live here in the first place. What's surprising, is that I've recently discovered that many people around us actually really enjoy winter. I'm a big fan of Minnesota summers and falls, and I honestly don't mind the snow... it's just that anytime we dip below about 20 degrees, my limbs have difficulty thawing out which makes winter a bit uncomfortable. Maybe I'm not supposed to be living here? There's many other places that are "less cold".
So, with trying to come up with a realistic solution for my (hopefully temporary) situation of living in this frozen climate, I figured that many people enjoy winter because they actually take advantage of winter sports.
This past week, we tried skiing, skating, and sledding. I REALLY enjoy skiing, though I'm not sure how to afford it on a regular basis. Gavin also went skiing with me for half of the day and liked it as well. We tried skating as a family last night, which didn't last long because it was pretty cold and the two older kids were having a tough time staying on their feet. (Sara and Micah went sledding while we skated) It's hard not to feel a little inferior next to all the hockey kids skating circles around us, too. Sledding is a good family activity, especially since it's the only one Sara is willing to do (out of the three mentioned). But again, at our kid's ages, any outdoor activity is kind of a lot of work and doesn't last too long.
The other thing that crossed my mind is that maybe I'm just not clothing myself properly for Minnesota winters. My friend Jack (who I went skiing with this past week) really enjoys winter, but he also mentioned that he wears long johns everyday through the winter months. I've never thought of doing that. It makes sense I suppose. My problem is mostly my fingers and toes though. Layering socks is an easy thing to do, but wearing gloves all day long would make everyday tasks a little difficult. For example, yesterday while leading the music at church, my fingers were so cold while I played guitar that they turned numb. It wasn't necessarily cold in the sanctuary, but somehow my body feels the cold from outside, even when I'm inside.
I realize I kind of sound like a wuss just writing this post, but I guess I'm curious, for those that are reading this, what do YOU do to enjoy winter?
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