I Like Boots.

Yesterday after dinner, Eli and I were getting ready to head out to the library. Eli has a pair of brown boots he got from Nick's brother, Chris & family, for Christmas. Eli's cousin Lukey has the same boots and Eli made sure to remind me of this (how do they remember details like that?). Anyway, as we are putting on his boots he said to me, "I Like Boots".  I just said, "I know you do, honey."

Boots in the rain!

Boots and shorts!

Boots and friends!

Boots on Papa's motorcycle!

Boots in the car!

Boots down the slide!?

Ouch!

Boots on the tractor.


Eli likes boots!

My Commute

My commute to work today included me hopping over a large puddle of urine in the stairwell of my parking garage… just one of the perks of working downtown!

Ninety-nine zillion

“Ninety-nine zillion,

Nine million and two

Creatures are sleeping!

So . . .

How about you?

When you put out your light,

The number will be

Ninety-nine zillion

Nine million and three.

Good night."

-Dr. Seuss' Sleep Book

35 Irvine Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota

35 Irvine Park, Saint Paul, Minnesota

This beautiful historic home in St. Paul was acutally built by Nick's Great-Great-Great Grandfather, Michael Murray (Nick's middles name is Murray).

Michael Murray founded Northern Cooperage Co., a wooden barrel manufacturer which operates today in its original building on the lower West Side, now known as Greif Bros. (http://www.greif.com/) (Info from the Minnesota Historical Society.) He hired architect Edward P. Bassford to design his home but died of pneumonia before it was completed in 1890. His wife Ellen moved in the house with her six kids and took in boarders, Her daughter Mae (or Mary) later married Rollin Lanpher, Jr. and they later moved into the house.

 

The house suffered much through the years of the decline of the neighborhood. By 1972, it had been subdivided into sleeping rooms, covered with asphalt siding, stripped of its tower cap and thoroughly vandalized.

 

History:

The 1887, 1889, and 1891 city directories indicate that Mrs. E. A. Murray resided at this address. The 1893 city directory indicates that Mrs. Ellen A. Murray and William Murray resided at this address.

The 1895 city directory indicates that Mrs. E. A. Murray, Edward Yanish, and William J. Murray resided at this address.

In 1910, Ellen Alice Dollard Murray (1852- ,) the widow of Michael Norbert Murray, lived at this address with her son, William J. Murray (1873- ,) a cooperage manager, and daughter, Ethel Murray (1880- .)

The 1916 city directory indicates that Mrs. E. A. Murray and her daughter resided at this address.

In 1919, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Murray resided at this address.

The 1924 city directory indicates that Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Lanpher, Mrs. E. A. Murray, and Edward Yanish, all resided at this address. The 1918 city directory indicates that Mrs. E. A. Murray, her daughter, and Edward Yanish all resided at this address.

The 1930 city directory indicates that this address was vacant.

In 1969, Charles J. Skaggs resided at this address. [1]

Michael Norbert Murray

The home in 1919. You can see two little ones in the front of the home.



Nick kicks some Baby Giant you-know-what!

So last night while I was at yoga, Nick was putting Eli to bed. Eli had been in his room for some time when all of a sudden he calls for Nick and says that the Baby Giants are in his room again. Being the wonderful father that Nick is, he says to Eli, "What?! Where are they?" Eli points out where one of the Baby Giants where when Nick (pretended to) pick up a Baby Giant and told it that it needed to leave. Nick walked that Baby Giant and a handful of other Baby Giants out of the house, one by one, all while Eli laid in bed belly laughing at his silly Daddy. Maybe Eli realized how silly this Baby Giant business was... I guess we will see tonight if the Baby Giants are coming back and if we need to kick them out again??!!

Baby Giants

Eli is going through a phase of being afraid of the dark. We use to be able to put him to sleep with the door completely shut and no nightlight. Until recently, he has been requesting for the door to be opened and sometimes for us to leave the hall light on for him. Lastnight he became freightened and he ran into our room. He told me there were baby giants (baby giants?!) in his room and that he was scared. We laid together in my bed and I explained that only Mama, Daddy and Eli are in the house and that there is nothing to be afraid of. We laid together for a bit quietly when after a while Eli said, "I'll keep you safe, Mama." What a sweet little guy...

Bonnie

Over a year ago, while trying to teach Eli my sister's name (Megan), Eli said something that sounded like Bonnie. Megan liked it, so we went with it... now we all call her Bonnie. They have a very special bond, Eli and his Bonnie...

Smooches from Bonnie.