Breakdowns and Bedrooms

Sun dog above the horizon

I'm pleased to report that we survived the polar vortex of 2014.  However, our old car didn't.  Bruce took it to work the day it was -16° outside, and it never started again.  We figure the weather killed the battery.  It's just another frustrating problem we'll have to pay for.

That day, Bruce got a ride home and along the way snapped this shot of what we came to learn is the phenomenon known as a "sun dog."  Emmie and I missed all the freakish weather because we stayed cooped up for four ~ l o n g ~ days.  I'm really glad we had our own house this year, because I don't want to imagine what it would've been like if we still lived with Bruce's parents!

While I've basically been a winter bum, Bruce funneled his energy into completing projects left and right.  The day after his car broke down, he took the day off work and finished painting our bedroom.  I'm so happy with the green!  The brown didn't look bad, it just made me feel all bland.  This green is vibrant, recalling springtime and reawakening.  It goes perfectly with the new piece of art we got for Christmas, thanks to my parents, Klimt's "Tannenwald," as well as my old favorite, Van Gogh's "Trees and Undergrowth."  Can you tell we're going for a forest theme in our bedroom?

I also get this cool Art Nouveau, absinthe vibe from it:

But so far, it hasn't given me any psychedelic dreams.

Emmie tries out her new bed

The other project Bruce accomplished was converting Emmie's crib into a toddler bed! I don't know when we got the brilliant idea to do this, but we realized quickly that maybe we should've done a little research first.  It was all fun and games until naptime, when Emmie cried and refused to sleep in it.  No matter how we encouraged her and kept putting her back down, she kept getting out and playing with the toys in her room.  Her new found freedom was both intimidating and overwhelming to her.  She never slept that first day.

By nighttime, though, she was exhausted and fell fast asleep.  In the morning, she got up and grabbed a toy, and returned to her bed to play quietly.  We left her door open a crack the night before, so after a while, she peered her head out and saw me across the hall.  "Hi Mama," she said shyly and then ran into my outstretched arms.

"Emmie!" I praised.  "You slept in your bed like a big girl!"

This winter is certainly causing some setbacks, but in here, we're moving right along.