Cookies!

Our life has been temporarily taken over by cookie madness. Madi's a Girl Scout Daisy again this year, and cookie season is in full force.

Lord, grant us peace.

I swear they could make a movie about this subject. In fact, haven't they?  I mean...it is such an interesting phenomenon, this "cookie thing."

What fascinates me the most is the propensity for the moms to get so involved in the sales process. I mean, who's wearing that vest, anyway?  In fact, I've caught myself in the act more than a few times. I finally made a deal with another selling mom that we should call each other out if we start trying to take over for the girls. Thankfully, that's kept us in check (for the most part).

But I did make a ground rule last year that still remains...it is important to us that Madi, in some way, touches every sale. Whether through an email (her "intro" pitch took her 45 minutes to type), a personal phone call, or a personal delivery, Jimmy and I both feel very strongly that this is her job, not mine. She is the Girl Scout...not me.

Not saying that we won't support her, guide her, or coach her, but you won't find her cookies at an office or a location where or when she's not present. Not gonna happen. Only because we don't see any personal gain, experience or otherwise, for her, by doing that.

And please don't feel I'm judging if you see things differently...to each his own.

Last year, Madi set out with a goal of 100 boxes. Much to our surprise, she sold just over 400 boxes. This year, she decided--on her own--to jump her goal up to 600.  Ahem...excuse me...what did you just say, child???  I had to bite my tongue when she blurted out her new and improved goal with excitement.

At this point, she has just about hit the half-way mark. Will she make it to her goal?  Don't know. There is a lot of mayhem between now and February 15th in the form of school, gymnastics, and baton performances.

But I do have total faith in her abilities. She gains confidence each time she opens her mouth. And this girl?  She can sell some cookies for the military troops. I don't know how much she's raised so far, but man...I've only heard a handful of people say "no" to her request for a donation.

Sweet.

And speaking of sweet, I think I hear those thin mints calling me...again...

Sick days

They do have their advantages. I must say, the kids played together fabulously for the past three days.

Madi picked out their matching tee shirts that my dear friend Tabitha made them in preparation for Charlie's arrival into our family almost two years ago. Madi's says "Charlie's Big Sister" and Charlie's says "Madi's Little Brother." Thankfully, Tabi made them a bit big, and they still fit...but probably not for too much longer, so I was pleased to see them surface.

  

These two monkeys turned open spaces into campgrounds.

And they shared some computer time together, too. 

Madi loved showing Charlie that he can watch his favorite shows and print coloring pages.

 

Madi and Charlie stayed in their pj's for hours on end, they spent time coloring together,
they shared picnic lunches together in their pretend surroundings, and I've never seen more imaginative play come out of these two. They truly enjoyed each others company.
Much to my dismay, they both preferred to stay inside and play than get some fresh air outside. 

I think Madi was a little bummed out to return to school this morning, but our household desperately needs to get back to normal! Charlie and I will be taking a walk to the park for some of that fresh air and sunshine I've been craving!

perspective

This was one crazy week...

We encountered a virus in the Murphy family. I usually take pride in my immune-boosting abilities,  but I have to admit that I'm finally feeling a little rundown myself. Miss Madi managed to avoid the symptoms all week, but woke this morning with a fever.

But Mr. Charlie...yikes...he threw us for a loop this week.  Charlie hasn't been sick much since he came home to us almost two years ago. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to care for a really sick child.  He was spiking high fevers, so we did the Ibuprofen/Tylenol alternating thing for several days. He slept in our bed for three nights just so we could keep a close eye on his fever, and the last two nights I've spent in his room...no wonder I have these cooties, too!  

I took Charlie to the pediatrician on Wednesday morning and he was tested for the flu. The test ran negative, but apparently the test is only 60% accurate, so the docs wanted to treat with Tamiflu just in case, and a steroid to open his airways. When I went to fill the prescriptions, CVS was out of the Tamiflu, and they told me they'd order it. They never called, and Friday morning when I followed up, they still didn't have it, so I treated Charlie's symptoms best I could desperately trying to keep him hydrated and eating, which wasn't an easy task. Suffice it to say, he's not the best patient...

Charlie fell asleep quickly in his stroller after an early afternoon walk, and when he woke up at about 3 p.m., he was fit to be tied. Totally inconsolable. I'd never seen anything like it in his behavior...ever, and it made me completely terrified. Maybe my radar's a bit on the sensitive side, for obvious reasons, but his actions gave the word "tantrum" a new definition. He was kicking, crying, screaming and NOTHING seemed to calm him down. I called the pediatrician right away and they squeezed us in for an appointment. I couldn't even put pants on the poor kid because of his kicking, and he was still so inconsolable that I couldn't keep him in the office because I knew he was upsetting the other children. I received the workout of my life trying to keep him from squirming! All the while, Charlie was letting out a good amount of air, if you know what I mean. 

Thank the Good Lord, I got word that a few good Samaritans noticed his agony and offered up their spots for Charlie. He continued to cry nonstop until about five minutes before the doctor came into the room. In hindsight, I totally suspect that painful gas was the culprit, but at the time I didn't know what to think. After that episode, the doctor definitely wanted Charlie to have Tamiflu, so I made some phone calls to discover that ALL of the local CVS and Walgreen's pharmacies were out of it. We looked like a boiler room with yellow pages, scribbling phone numbers down and making call after call until we finally found the last dose in stock at a Target a few towns away. Craziness. So thank God, after our wild goose chase yesterday, Charlie is now on Tamiflu and seems to be improving slowly but surely.

There is nothing like a good health scare to make you extra appreciative for your blessings. And there is nothing that brings out the love and nurturing of a Mom more than caring for your sick kids, right? I couldn't be MORE thankful to have my Mom and Dad here with us. They been such troopers in our time of need. It's such a blessing just to have an extra set of hands around when you need them! The kids definitely want their "Bubba" when they aren't feeling well.  And so do I:)

On this special day in our Catholic faith, marking the Solemnity of the Baptism of Jesus and the last day of the Christmas season, it certainly gives our family renewed perspective and a strong reminder to be grateful for everything that we have. We are thankful for the baptismal waters of eternal life that give us HOPE.

And while I'm here battling a mere flu virus in my home, it seems so insignificant when I think of my dear heart Mama friends who sit next to their precious daughters in ICU as they fight for their lives. These amazing mothers would gladly take severe gas pains...or a flu...or just about anything, I'm sure, to get their babies hearts and bodies healed and safely back home. As you reflect, today, on the Holy sacrament of baptism, please pray for these sweet children. Pray for their families who exhibit such amazing grace, faith and strength during such a difficult time. Please pray for the surgeons who work with these precious babes, and pray for their comfortable and complete recoveries. And I know their parents would welcome any additional prayers that you happen to think of:)

Pray for Lily Rancourt and follow her blog here:  Once Upon a Prayer

Please pray for Ivy Sammons and follow her blog here:  Joy in All Things

Cheap entertainment

During the holiday hustle and bustle, there was a day when I decided that the kids needed to do  something totally different and out of the ordinary. Something new and exciting to them. But it needed to be something inexpensive, as well.

My answer...a carwash

The old fashioned, mechanical kind that feels like you are on some kind of simulated ride at Disney.

Score.

Well...score for Madi, for Charlie--notsomuch.

And in typical theme park fashion, we waited in a line of three cars ahead of us. While the buildup of excitement was taking place inside those little brains, my type-A impatience left me thinking about all of the things that I *should be* doing. Sometimes, that's the break from routine that a Mama needs, too.  I was personally fascinated at how these drive-thru carwashes have evolved over the years. They now use brilliant multi-colored foam soap. Of course, Madi LOVED that part, since purple was in the mix.

 

Charlie started out okay with the whole thing, but he became more frightened as the experience went on. Madi was so incredibly sweet and loved the opportunity to comfort her little brother.  Overall, it was a great way to break up our errand-running day...but I'm not sure we'll be back there anytime soon. At least not with Char Char in the car!

 

 

 

The Best Gifts

We received a wonderful Christmas gift this year...unexpected family.

We had planned to celebrate with friends, because Bubba and Grandpa (my parents) were originally headed to NH to visit with my brother's family this year. Grandpa Murphy and Miss Suzanne were headed off to Atlanta to visit with her children and grandchildren.

But due to an unfortunate health scare, we received my parents early to Florida. Definitely a silver lining for us, especially since everything is okay with their health. Not so much joy for my brother and his family, though.  We obviously felt bad for them as the ones to spend the holidays alone, but we also felt incredibly grateful to have Bubba and Grandpa here with us in Florida for the holidays.

And then, our Aunt Diane and Uncle Rick decided to come down, too. They'd realized that there won't be too many more years to enjoy the magic of our children's innocent joy on Christmas morning. They had planned to stay at Grandpa Murphy's--which is about thirty minutes away--but thanks to some divine intervention, the garage door code didn't work. So we drummed up a fine little 'Plan B' for them to stay at our house. We enjoyed Christmas Eve Mass together at SVF and had dinner with Bubba and Grandpa at their house. And it was such a blessing to have them right there with us! Little did we know, they had never actually witnessed the magic of Santa firsthand, not having children of their own. What a gift it was for them, and for us, to watch Madi and Charlie discover their goodies from Santa that next morning!

 

Charlie definitely embraced the ripping open of packages this year. He seemed to understand the concept much more than last year's festivities. Madi, who'd asked for nothing more than "a surprise" from Santa (even though she'd written a note for Peter--our elf on the shelf--to deliver to Santa, asking for parallel bars), was happy to receive a few special things. Her favorite of which was a pile of lumber and hardware in our backyard, along with a note:

"Dear Madi,

I understand that you’ve wanted me to bring you a set of your very own parallel bars. As much as I would like to grant your Christmas wish, you must understand that Santa’s first priority is keeping children safe.  Therefore, I cannot give you this gift at this time. 

I have noticed, however, that you really could use a new balance beam to practice and improve your gymnastics skills, so I’ve left all of the supplies in your backyard for your Daddy to build you a new one. I trust that you and your parents can determine the proper height, but please remember my top priority of safety… 

You are such a good girl, sweet Madolyn Murphy. I always enjoy hearing Peter’s reports of your kindness and your silly ways. And I know you are a terrific big sister.  Keep up the good work."

Yours truly,

Santa Claus

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas season and all of the best gifts in 2013, too!

Christmas Festivities

Oh my, have we been busy!  And sometimes I can't quite remember what we are so busy doing.  Until I look at our photos, and then it all comes back...

Early in December, we took our annual trip to Bethlehem. This is definitely one of our favorite activities to remember the reason for the season.

Madi and her friends were hilarious. They knew exactly what the Roman soldiers were going to ask them, so they were sure to be well-prepped. When the mean Roman soldier shouted, "What brings you to Bethlehem?" The girls replied, without hesitation, "We've come to pay our taxes!"  That response from four little girls ages seven and under just gave us a chuckle. Even the guard was taken aback.  As part of our tradition, Madi brought four roses, so she and her friends could each give one to Baby Jesus.

Our elf on the shelf appeared again this year.  No one was happier than Jimmy and I that Peter decided to come back. It is amazing how the behavior changes when Peter's around. Madi herself admits that it's true!  In fact, Madi wishes that Peter could stay all year long. So do we...

We celebrated Grandpa Wharton's 78th birthday together on the avenue. Madi loves that she gets to be included in the grown-up festivities while Charlie has to stay home with a sitter.

 

We ventured downtown one night to see the tree and to sit on Santa's lap. Madi asked for nothing more than "a surprise" from Santa.  Charlie was calm and cool with Santa. He said nothing, but he didn't appear to be scared. I believe he was taking his cues from Madi.

 

 

On Saturday, we took a field trip with our Girl Scout troop to sing Christmas carols at a retirement home. The girls did a great job singing, and it was a fun experience for all. It was a nice break from the hustle and bustle to do something kind for others.

Madi and Daddy baked and decorated Christmas cookies together yesterday. They had so much fun, and Madi decided to put a ball of cookie dough into Jimmy's pocket as a practical joke. She is her father's daughter...

 

We didn't manage to put a Christmas card together this year, but please know that we love you all, and we appreciate receiving your pictures and updates of your families. 

Merry Christmas from the Murphy family!

Our little gymnast

When I began writing this post in my head, it seemed almost wrong. Somehow I felt guilty posting about something that seems so insignificant in the wake of such tragic events, even though it is entirely significant in our lives. While we have the luxury of celebrating our children's accomplishments, others have had that luxury completely and painfully ripped away from them.

My heart hurts for those families in Newtown.

Yesterday was the third Sunday of Advent, representing joy and the coming of Jesus. Seeing joy in all things, and recognizing joy in all circumstances.

So despite the sadness that the families of Newtown are now enduring, we must go on...and we must celebrate, more than ever, our children and their accomplishments. We should embrace them with a fresh set of eyes, and realize that we cannot afford to take a moment for granted.

Yesterday was Madi's first gymnastics competition. And, once again, our daughter's physical abilities blew us away. She was poised and graceful under pressure. But me...not so much. I was a nervous wreck. Mommy must've absorbed every ounce of stress for my baby girl.  And Madi almost flawlessly delivered in all events. These were her scores:

Vault: 9.8
Bars: 9.3
Beam: 9.2
Floor: 9.5

Madi LOVED her experience. It is clear that taking some time off after Charlie came home did her some good and she has found her passion for the sport again. I don't know if gymnastics "team" will be in her future, but it certainly seems that the choice will be hers...