Hockey, in all forms!

Mags is a Minnesota girl. She was born here, yes, but more importantly she loves Minnesota. She loves sticking her tongue out while it's snowing. She loves standing in the cold wind. She slows her steps and dragged her feet through the snow. We watch hockey on TV all the time, we live in the state of hockey after all. She falls asleep while I read her the book The Snowy Day, EVERY night (Obsessive much?). So it should be of no surprise that when we went to our local arcade she adored watching her Uncle David playing air hockey. She wanted to 'help' him. And being the ever patient uncle he is, he slowed down his game so she could play. Her hand barely large enough to grasp the handle. The air puffing up into her wild hair. Her arms stretching as far as she could across the table top. All while dolled up in her RunDMC shirt and french braid!

Lincoln Park Zoo

The Lincoln Park Zoo is in downtown Chicago, free to the public and open 364 days a year! It's fantastic and full of cool animals. Maggie and I ventured downtown to explore the new gorilla habitat. No surprise Mags liked running free with the wind n her face and licking rocks more than the gorillas but it was fun getting out and having a new experience.

I never knew how geologists could be so fascinated by rocks! Apparently Maggie understands...
The gorilla was as fascinated with Mags and she was with him :-)

Anything in water is a winner for this lady!
And of course... SNAKES. She loves them. As long as they are behind glass I'm fine with them too. But hear my words child - No pet snakes!
Then She mouthed everything! I have given up on germs. The fact she is not constantly sick reminds me she has an amazing immune system and with all her other challenges I am grateful for an iron immune system!

Her awesome pointing skills! Makes me smile to she her progress!

Hockey!

Being the Minnesota girls that we are... We love hockey! I don't know if it's the ice and cool breeze or if it's the names we can't pronounce or spell. Cute boys who can skate. The fights! Well duh it's the fights! It's all about full contact sports with Mags. She likes action. My Dad and Kelly were able to get us Chicago Blackhawks tickets (13th row near the goalie- sweet!)

The Wee fan excited for Hockey!

All decked out in proper attire including a smile.

And she was so happy during their warm up! She loved the straw in her drink, impromptu chewy - very clever little girl.

Hockey @ Madhouse on Madison

Everything was going well until... National anthem. Load noises, louder music, weird lights... It was all down hill from there.

She just couldn't take it. My little fan wanted to get out of there so fast it wasn't funny.

But watching the game from the bar inside the arena was perfect...

What did I take away from this experience? Well...

1. Nothing ever goes as planned - So What? That's life! I'm not going to stress or get mad over it but I think a babysitter will be arranged for next time.

2. Recognizing what the world is like through Mags perspective is complicated and I need to work on understanding it.

3. Maggie looks darn cute in a hockey jersey!

SNAKES!

A couple weeks ago I took Maggie and her Uncles to a Reptile store, because of zoo has no snakes or that many reptiles. She makes a great 'Ssss' sound every time she sees a snake like her stuffed animal or if she she sees on TV or anything that looks like a snake, like an earth worm. And pet stores are always fun to go to with Maggie - but our local pet smart has maybe 10 snakes. This place add 1,000 - seriously they are a breeder store for the nation so they have stacks of containers, 10 high filled with baby Boa Constrictors. It could either be something out of a horror movie or really cool - still debating... I personally wasn't freaked out by the snakes that were confined behind glass in the store BUT more by the odd people coming in to buy food to take home which got me thinking who is my closest neighbor who owns a snake would could eat me....

She was in love!

Lots of 'WOW's

Cute right? In my home... :( Maggie you can have a dog

If they weren't behind glass I'm pretty sure Maggie would have tried to hug it.

This is hard to see (sorry all these photo's were taken from my phone) but this baby boa constrictor is eating his breakfast... crazy!

Swedish Institute of Minneapolis

My Mom, Maggie and I decided to add some culture to our day and visited the Swedish Institute.

This HOUSE, yes a family built this house and lived their before donating it to the Swedish community, is the most impressive, ornate & royal home I have ever been to.

The outside is castle- like. Their are columns and gargoyles guarding the home. The carriage house behind the main home is larger then our whole house. When you walk in you enter the foyer and the main fireplace...

Yes even the Queen would be impressed - the family who lived here made their fortune by publishing a Swedish Newspaper at the turn of the 20th Century, before Facebook and CNN, and the locals were dying for news from their homeland and apparently were willing to pay for it!

It feels like an old castle in the middle of Germany or France

The interior is magnificent - I felt like I was breathing less to maintain oxygen levels in this museum...

Happy holidays Norway Style - Even though it IS the Swedish Institute they have displays for Norway, Finland but mostly Sweden.

The house was full of decorations - but Pictures were not allowed :(

When I think Swedish and Christmas, I think Santa Lucia, and American Girl doll Kristen. She wore this simple white nightgown and a beautiful wreath with candles on her head and brought Christmas buns to her family.

On the top floor of the house they had a play area for kids and luckily Maggie was the only kid their, otherwise she wouldn't have gone in, But she let me put the plush wreath on her head and played with the kitchen just long enough to snap a couple pics with my phone.

Grandma and Maggie

Of course she wouldn't look at me when I took the picture... oh well I got a couple of her headdress.

Negligent blogging

Wow - have I been negligent in blogging.... My apologies

I wish I could say the past month has been filled with interesting and fun events. On the positive side I had a great relaxing trip to Chicago. Maggie was wonderful in the car ride and it was great to spend time with my dad and Kelly. I really enjoyed just having a break from the day in day out regular environment of MN.

Things of Note:

1. I cut my hair short - I cut off about 12 inches and more in the back - it's short of a messy blob - so quick to style and have had lots of compliments - see change is good.

2. Maggie is signing 'Please'

3. Maggie is also signing 'Movie' 'Yes' & 'Cereal'

4. My Ex ..... Oy (I thought he would go with some dignity but then he acts selfish yet again.... )

5. I received my court orders for the pretrial of my divorce (Prayers and hugs please)

That's the short sweet version - Stop reading there unless you wish to read my rant

Oy have I been in a rut. I feel like this endless cycle Maggie therapies, Maggie School, Maggie Doctors, finding Maggie's chewy and making sure I have Maggie rice cereal meanwhile I have nothing going on in Myk's Life - then I feel guilty for being selfish and then worse for feeling like a bad mother which leads to an even worse cycle - NOW I have to put some perspective on this situation. I have it so good, so lucky - amazing parents who have financially supported us through all this. Friends, far away though, who have been kind and generous. But it's the day to day activities that have just been weighing me down and making me feel like nothing is going to change.... I just needed to get that off my chest to try and be positive and know the light at the end of the tunnel.

we'll see

Love,

Myk

H2O fun

This past week when it was warm and summery (today's high, 59, feels more like September) we decided to explore the new water park at the zoo. 

Which is a double feature - Water and Animals -SCORE!

The combination of water sprouting from the ground and the sprinkling overhead is pure magic for a 3 year old. For Andy too - who, of course, was the utmost helpful uncle. 

This picture made me SO happy!! I was simply clicking away with my iPhone hoping to just get an image in focus and to my surprise when I looked through my images - A perfect mid-jump, in focus picture of Maggie practicing her awesome jumping skills. Kudos to Apple for creating a great camera phone!

If there was a medal, purple heart or Nobel peace prize equivalent for outstandingly patient uncle - My vote would be for Andy. 

It was a fantastic 30 minutes well spent. 

Even the Sunburn on my arms and chest was worth it for the enjoyment of watching them play.

Science Museum Trip

We went to the Science Museum to see the Titanic Exhibition (Which was Amazing!! They had money, clothes, dishes, and part of the hull) There is a beautiful picture window that over looks the Mississippi River, just lovely to look out over the city, Andy wanted to pose with Maggie next to it-

There was a 40 minute movie before the exhibition that I thought would be very difficult for Maggie - But thanks to Uncle David and Uncle Andy she did very well!!

She was more interested in the fish than the Titanic but who cares she made it through 38 minutes of the movie :) It's the little things that really make this Myk happy!

We're going to the Zoo, zoo, zoo

Maggie and Animals they just go together like ying and yang.

(I'm cute and ready to go to the zoo)

The Minnesota Zoo is actually not too shabby. A lovely spread of saltwater and freshwater aquariums. Maggie was captivated by all the fish, probably a little envious she wasn't in the water with them. Andy true to form, was pointing out every 'Finding Nemo' Character. It made me think about every fish tank at every doctor's appointment and in every therapy facility and you know what they all have in common?  clown fish - ah the power of Disney 

This Tiger was about 5 ft from us - he was so beautiful. I said "Maggie, that's a really big Kitty Cat" she was so excited if their hadn't have been a glass panel she would have tried to hug him.

Oh Andy - Without being asked, without complaint Andy would slide through the crowds and have Maggie in hand so that she could get a better view and if that meant sitting down and putting Maggie in his lap that's what he did! And it really paid off at the Bear's habitat, they both had a wonderful view of the bear.

This bear was such a showoff, a complete zoo ham. You could tell he was the Paris Hilton of the Zoo. When a flash went off he was right their turning his head to pose. It was unbelievable how photo-happy this bear was.  But he was so adorable swimming around just inches away from us, He turned his head towards us every time Maggie would laugh he was fascinated by her

Makes me want to go to the zoo again .

Chicago!!

I LOVE going to Chicago!!!

I get to see my dad and his wonderful wife Kelly, their weird furry children Bee and Nunzio (cats)

Sleep in a super comfy bed, one of those Tall four poster beds with 20 pillows(no exaggeration required) Watch a movie (he has like 3000) on a 60 inch beautiful piece of technology while lounging on the most comfortably slaughtered Cow for my benefit, sipping on an ice cold beverage - and I can do this at 2 am if I want - Nothing Better!!!!

And to add to my excitement .... the element of not knowing - no precise plans have been arranged so it's all on a whim, what were in the mood for, stay in PJ's till noon, watch movies consecutively for 4 days if that's the game plan who am I to interrupt destiny!

I Love Chicago!

PS. go Cubbies :)