Dumb...dumb...dumb & very lucky!

“Seven Posts in Seven Days” 6 of 7

Written back in January 2009

What does a terrible father do on a Saturday when it’s 10 degrees in January? Ohh, I don’t know, how about take your 6 month pregnant wife and 1 ½ year old daughter tobogganing (sledding for our American readers) down a 300 foot, slick, wintry slope on a plastic inflatable sled? Brilliant idea!?!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a complete moron… (Just a part-time moron…thank-you very much)! The ORIGINAL plan, this past Saturday, was for Nic., Maggie and I to join Jordan, Kari and Peyton to go tobogganing. It was a beautiful day and we thought it would be a fun outing as a family. The ORIGINAL intention was for Jordan, Kari and I to have some fun with Peyton. Nicola would watch from the top of the hill and Maggie would just run around and play in the snow. Inevitably, Maggie was climbing on the sleds so I took her down a couple times to see if she would enjoy it. Of course she loved it which was quite evident by her giggles all the way down the hill. The little monkey even walked all the way up the hill on her own just as happy as could be. (You can imagine how long of a walk that would be when your footprints are 4 to 5 inches long and your stride is pretty much heal-toe-heal-toe all the way up). Nevertheless, she was a trooper.

Then came the, “…it seemed like a good idea at the time…” lapse in judgment. “Hey, Nic,” I said, out of breath, as I got back up to the top of the hill to see her, “…you wanna try? Why don’t you, me and Maggie all go together?” When we spoke about this very important moment of decision after the fact, even Nicki admitted that she really didn’t have any hesitation before hopping on a saying giddy-up!

Given that our current combined body weight is loosely comparable to that of a foreign compact, while also taking into consideration Newton’s 3 law’s of motion; factor in the laws of gravity and momentum and the coefficient of friction of us on a plastic sled on iced-over snow, not to mention the lack of steering control over this particular form of transportation, RED FLAGS should have been going off left, right and center as we loaded ourselves onto the seemingly harmless plastic missile. Nope… I guess something about tobogganing turns even the most responsible Canadian parent into a mindless, grinning, 8-year-old Evil Knievel.

(for a refresher on Newton’s 3 laws, feel free to follow the link to a fun, kid-friendly, education site http://teachertech.rice.edu/Participants/louviere/Newton/index.html)


So there we were, all loaded up. Nicki was in the back holding on to me in the middle and I was holding on to the all too innocent, naïve and trusting Maggie in the front. We were all smiles as we began our descent. Like a train pulling out of the station, we slowly began to move over the edge, “…Weeeeeeeeeeeeee,” squealed Nicki gleefully around 30 feet down the hill, “this is fun!”

Now I’m not sure whether it was the boom as we passed through the sound barrier (remember Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation), or if it was when we suddenly found ourselves traveling down the hill backwards, or if it was when Nicki’s squeeze on me caused my legs to start tingling, but I do remember thinking, “Ohhhhhhh Boy...this is not good!"

Dragging my heals I tried, in vain, to slow our super-sonic excursion as images of the “Crash of ’82” when I wrapped my brother Justin’s neck around a barbed-wire fence during another ill-fated crazy-carpet ride, flashed through my mind. And then it happened... In a Matrix-like, slow motion, frame by frame, endless bending of the space-time continuum, we began to roll into our inevitable crash.

The crash itself is still kind of foggy (I think I closed my eyes). All I know is both Nicola and Maggie disappeared in a plume of snow. I guess some form of instinct, in this particular situation, forced me to actually let go of Maggie in the early stages of the crash to avoid landing on top of her.

Nicola and I each plowed into the snow and came to the end of our respective tumbles quite quickly. Immediately we scanned around us for our Maggie who, to our nauseating horror, continued a NASCAR-like crash, tumble, barrel role right past us down the hill. “Ohhh…what have we done…” I scampered over to her, Nicola at my heals, “we’ve killed our precious little girl!!!”

Motionless and silent, Maggie came to rest on her back…face covered in snow, eyes closed, mouth wide open waiting for somebody to push the “un-pause” button to let the sounds of her screams out. Isn’t it funny how, in moments like these, all you, as a parent, want to hear is your child scream and cry.

Howl she did as we wiped the snow from her face and carefully checked out every inch of her before picking her up. Amazingly, she was unscathed by the crash and within a minute wanted to be put down so she could climb back up the hill.

With Maggie well on her way back to the summit and the two of us still somewhat in a daze, our thoughts immediately turned to our other child; the unknowing participant in this ill-fated ride who got to experience it all in the dark; kind-of like Disney’s Space Mountain roller coaster ride.

I would imagine the baby’s view of the whole experience as follows:

There’s baby… just chillin’ out in his/her room, sippin’ on Momma’s morning orange juice, feet crossed, hands back behind it’s head, listening to the Enya-like, slow soothing rhythm of Momma’s heart beat…about to call room service to order an early lunch… then… suddenly, the beat starts to quicken to a hard rock climactic anthem as the room starts to shake… there are muffled screams…and then…. BOOM… BANG… SQUISH… QUIRT… THUD… THUD… THUD… EEEEEAAAKKKK… “What the heck… where am I ??? What’s going on out th… Well would you look at that… I had my very first poop. Yeahhhhh me !!!”

Quite worried, all Nicki wanted was to feel the baby move so we packed Maggie up and went straight home. Upon entering the house, Nicki went straight to the kitchen and… well… basically started eating sugar.

Let’s just say…baby was completely fine with the exception of a massive hyper-active sugar induced hang-over.

Dumb…dumb…dumb & very lucky we are indeed. Everyone is fine and now I have yet another storey to exaggerate to Maggie and Baby 2 when we’re all sitting around the living room in 2029.

JRM 3/25/2009

P.S. Well this was post 6 of 7 on my "7 posts in 7 days"objective. Nicola's last day of work is just over a week away so I'll have to finish number 7 before then so she can pick up where she left off last summer. Thanks for stickin' with me.

Top O' the mornin' to Ya !!!

Happy St. Patty's Day from Maggie O' Mooney !!!

JRM 3/17/2009

All I want for Christmas is a thong banana hammock!

“Seven Posts in Seven Days” 5 of 7

There has been some debate amongst my family and friends as to whether or not I am still “on track” with my mission to do 7 posts in 7 days. Now I haven’t gone back to confirm it yet, but I’m pretty sure I didn’t say 7 post in 7 consecutive days; a technicality, I know, but this rationalization lets me feel a little better about not having yet fulfilled my commitment. Nicola often says I should have been a lawyer. ; )

A little over a month has passed since my last entry. Now, with Christmas just around the corner, we, like everyone else, are getting busy with the activities of the season. Blah.

It’s intriguing how the whole Christmas-time experience has changed as I have gotten older. When I was a kid, I looked forward to Christmas with eager anticipation. Each year on December 1st I would begin counting down the days. I would start thinking about and looking forward to vacation from school and time together with the whole family, all the while not-so-quietly wondering what Santa might leave me under the tree that year. I loved playing outside in the snow or playing street hockey during the day and then warming up with hot chocolate and enjoying casual evenings playing games and watching movies.

I am now beginning to realize that much of the joy I experienced this time of year came from being a naïve, care free, default participant in someone else’s Christmas. That someone else was my Mom.

Each year, throughout the month of December, Christmas lights and decorations would just magically appear throughout the house; so too would the Christmas tree and stockings. The fridge and pantry would miraculously fill with an assortment of beverages, snacks and treats. Little bowls containing endless supplies of candies and nuts would materialize out of thin air on every table in the house and candy canes and eggnog were available anytime, anywhere, any place.

Christmas Day we would wake up to the smell of Egg McMooney’s (Dad’s specialty) and stumble down to the living room to feast our eyes on the bounty of perfectly wrapped treasures billowing out from beneath the tree. Our private photographer (Dad) would document the occasion as we kids ravaged the pretty paper to reveal what Santa had brought us. There was always that one package we could tell contained socks and underwear that we would leave to last ‘cause what kid wants new socks and underwear for Christmas? (I’ll never forget the one Christmas my brothers Justin and Josh got thong banana hammocks in their stockings…I know…that is just wrong on so many different levels). Eventually, we kids would retreat to our bunkers with our presents in tow and would return, when called, to enjoy a feast at the dining room table complete with festive serviettes, candles and holiday tunes playing in the background.

What happened?

Now as December 1st hits, so too does the pressure. What’s the budget for Christmas this year? What are we going to get for the people we love who really have all they need? Maybe we can get something for everyone if we don’t get anything for each other. When are we going to your parent’s house? When are we going to my parent’s house? When am I going to finish my book report for Papa Clark? When are we going to go get all this shopping done?

For the past week, as each day begins, either Nicola or I say, “let’s put up the tree tonight.” This, of course, involves me going into storage to find it and all its accompanying decorations, hauling it up to the living room, moving furniture and figuring out how it all goes together again. Something inevitably comes up and still it remains on the list of things to do.

It seems as though there is some “Christmas Party” or event going on every other night for either my work, Nicola’s work, our Church or with friends. I dread the traffic and battling ruthless mini-van driving moms in mall parking lots. (There is nothing sexier than a kid-toting momma giving you the finger as she cuts you off to grab that parking spot you’ve been waiting 15 minutes for) I loath long line-ups that lead to overworked, under trained and under paid teenagers at cash registers. “…uhhh…can I get a manger to till 3 please…and please bring security… I think this guy is about to lose it.” Wrapping paper??? What a waste of money. I have an idea. Those neighborhood newspapers that get shoved in our mailboxes every week before going directly to the trash would make great wrapping paper. There!!! I’ve reduced my carbon footprint tree huggers. And really… do we really know so little about each other that we have to cop out by buying obligatory gift-cards to box stores?

I digress. Please forgive my self-pitying rant. I guess I feel like Dorothy and her three wanting sidekicks seeing behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz.

Christmas, like Love, involves work. I realize now that, as a kid, I was very blessed, even spoiled during this time of year. Putting up the tree, stockings and decorations involved time and effort. This didn’t just happen. Somebody did it. There was nothing magical or miraculous about the fridge and pantry being stocked with holiday goodies. Somebody went shopping and somebody did the baking. Somebody had to keep refilling the candy & nut bowls and replenish the eggnog & candy cane inventories. Somebody had to wage war in mall parking lots to buy all the presents and stay up half the night on Christmas Eve to wrap each one with love knowing that we wouldn’t marvel at the wrapping but rather thoughtlessly destroy it to get to our prize. Somebody had to plan and prepare the holiday feast while we were out playing in the snow and somebody had to clean up the mess while we curled up with our hot chocolate watching our late-night movies.

I mourn the innocent naivety of my youth and the care-free Christmas experience. At the same time, I thank my Mom & Dad for making our Christmas time as a family so wonderful and memorable for as long as they did. As a parent, I now realize and accept that Christmas time is no longer about me and, as I take my place behind the curtain, I hope I can do as great a job as my parents did and make the experience of Christmas joyous and amazing for Maggie and her future siblings.

I would be remiss not to point out, in all this self indulgent rambling, how important it is, during this time of year, to consider how many people out there would love to have my “troubles”. As Nicola and I evaluate the modeling of our faith to Maggie, we really want to focus more on those in need and sharing our limited prosperity with a community full of lonely and suffering people. I firmly believe this is where we will rediscover the true spirit of Christmas.

Well that’s it. If you managed to get all the way through this, you must be bored or you took your Ridilyn this morning. Please leave a quick comment to say you’ve visited our site.

By the way, you want to know the most ironic thing I’ve come to discover in this dissection of the Christmas experience? At the age of 34, I am somewhat embarrassed to say that I would love nothing more than to get some nice new underwear and comfy socks for Christmas. Please Grandma… no thong banana hammocks…they make me look like a pirate.


JRM 12/09/2008

"Seven Posts in Seven Days" 4 of 7

Last Friday Nicola and I enjoyed our second Halloween with Maggie. It is amazing how fast time flies. Last year, for Maggie's first Halloween, we dressed her up as a skunk which, considering some of her diapers, was easy for her to pull off.
This year Nic selected something a little girlier for Maggie to wear... yes our little skunk blossomed into a beautiful little butterfly.

At the beginning of the evening we met my cousin Darrin, his wife Jill and their daughter Charlotte at Market Mall for some Halloween fun. Maggie and Charlotte had a blast walking around the mall window shopping.After a couple hours at the mall we made stops at Papa & Grammie Clark's and Grandpa & Grandma Mooney's. Sadly (actually it was kind of funny) by the time we got to Grandpa & Grandma Mooney's Maggie was so tired that she just powered out on the floor.

At the Clark's...

At the Mooney's

Somehow throughout our evening we managed not to collect any candy but we sure did have fun. Hope you enjoy the pictues.

JRM 11/6/2008

The Babies Are Here...The Babies Are Here

OK... the 7 in 7 got interrupted Friday with Halloween and then my acquisition of a computer virus on Saturday which had me down until late Sunday night. I will resume later tonight including Halloween pictures but for right now, I just wanted to share the exciting news:

The Babies are Here!!!

Justin called me early this afternoon to share the news. Jen had her scheduled C-Section today and everything went perfectly. Justin, Jen and Caden have "officially" added 3 beautiful, healthy baby boys to their family.

Though I'm sure Justin & Jen will provide all the details and pictures on their blog in the coming days, this is what Justin said today:

Dylan Michael Mooney was born at 12:38pm weighing in at a whopping 6lbs.
Evan Timothy Mooney was also born at 12:38pm and weighed in at a rough & tumble 5.25lbs.
Liam David Mooney followed at 12:39pm coming in at a svelte 4.85lbs.

Justin said that the Doctors told him that Evan & Liam are identical. All three boys are doing very well and will not need to stay in the NICU. They are free to go home. Jen, however, will need to stay in the hospital for a few days to recover and adjust to being half of her weight from yesterday... haha!

Keep an eye on Justin & Jen's blog for all the details and pictures in the weeks to come.

www.themooneyclan.blogspot.com

Nicola, Maggie and I are so full of joy and absolutely thrilled for you guys. We'll see you very soon!

JRM 11/3/2008

"Seven Posts in Seven Days" 3 of 7

Did you get the hint?

It was a beautiful evening in early August. I was working outside in the garage using power tools. Tired and sweaty from a long day’s work, I paused to enjoy the subtle smell of campfire emanating from the neighbors fireplace. As I contemplated bringing my work to a close for the night and making my way to the shower, I heard that familiar squeak of the back screen door opening. “…you’ve been workin’ so hard sugar…how ‘bout you come on in for a nice cool glass of lemonade?”

As I undid my tool belt, I slowly wiped my brow and replied, “…sure, darlin’, that sounds great…let me just unplug my power tools first…you can never be too safe with your power tools you know…”

Anyway… Nicola and I are proud to share some wonderful and surprising news; we are expecting a little brother or sister for Maggie! We’re not sure how or when it happened but the Doc. says that we’re about 13 weeks along and due sometime around the 1st of May. It’s a miracle!

Last Thursday we had our first appointment at the low-risk maternity clinic and got to hear baby’s heartbeat for the first time. The baby’s heart rate was a steady 150 bpm. What an incredible and humbling sound. God truly is awesome. It made my tummy flip. Maggie may just get her wish after all.

Please keep Nicola and baby in your prayers over the days, weeks and months ahead.

JRM 10/30/2008


And now... here are a few random pictures of Maggie for your enjoyment.... because, really, that's what people go to blogs for right!?! Pictures...







Goodnight all... tomorrow is Halloween! We are so excited as Maggie is now old enough to take around to get us some candy... The cuter we make her, the more candy we get... pictures to come. J

“Seven Posts in Seven Days” 2 of 7

I was trying to decide what to cover in this 7 day blog marathon which, by the way, is an insane commitment considering I’ve never done this before. In my logical way, I made a list of chronological events that have occurred over the summer, crossed referenced them with our library of photographs and then, naturally, I built a spreadsheet to analyze the relevance of the material relative to a statistical cross section of our viewers. (what? isn’t that the way you do it?) :)

For chronological reasons, the day 7 post would have been about my brother Justin and his wife Jen who are currently pregnant with triplets. As Jen is now almost 36 weeks and about ready to burst, I thought it prudent to bump the news up to day 2 of the blog marathon just in case the boys decide it’s time to party sometime in the next week.

A couple of weekends ago, Nicola, Maggie and I hopped in the car for a 2-day turn around road trip to Regina to visit Justin, Jen and Caden. Calgary to Regina is a 6 ½ to 9 hour drive each way depending on who’s in the car. Since Maggie was in the car it was a little closer to 9 hours including a hotel stay in Moose Jaw along the way (don’t ask). Given Maggie’s go-go-go nature, being strapped in a 5-point harness for hours on end was pure torture to her and, well, she let us hear all about it. I’m just glad my navigator was able to sleep through it all. :)

The following are a few pictures from our visit:

Auntie Jen, cousin Caden, Maggie & Mommy chillin' on the couch. You really have to see Jen's belly in person to appreciate how big it really is. (I know girls don't like to hear that but guys marvel at this kind of thing... sorry Jen.)

Caden and Maggie playing together on the couch. Caden is Justin & Jen's 2 1/2 year old son. He knows that his mommy has babies in her tummy but I don't think he realizes how cool it will be to have 3 little brothers to teach the way of the Mooney.

Caden & Maggie watching Diego together on Caden's 'lil Spider-man love seat. I love little people furniture. When I was a kid we had to lay on the cold basement floor to watch TV... AND we had to walk to school in waist-deep snow up hill both ways in our bare feet.

Uncle Justin proudly wearing his Alberta colors in the city of green. Way to keep the faith brother!

"hhhhmmmhhh... Caden sure is lucky to be getting 3 little brothers to play with. I wonder if he would let me have one of them... I mean really... OR... maybe I'll ask Mommy and Daddy to order me one of my very own.... brother... or sister... I don't care... but it has to be here by the first week of May..." Maggie ; )



To read more about Justin, Jen, Caden & the triplets, I encourage you to visit their family blog.

Their Blog address is: http://www.themooneyclan.blogspot.com/

We are so excited to meet the boys. Please keep the whole family in your prayers in the weeks to come.


JRM 10/29/2008