margaretyagan

I woke up this morning shoting “Grandma!!  Grandma!!” but all I got was Dad coming in to my room to get me dressed.  He managed to pick an outfit that met my aunts’ approval in cuteness and matching.  That’s rare!  Even more rare is that I chose something over cooking my own eggs for breakfast: hanging out with Aunt Sarah and Aunt Claire!  That’s right, while Dad labored away at my eggs, I watched videos on the couch.  Why didn’t I think of this earlier!

I had a pretty good breakfast, but I didn’t do too well with my peanut butter waffle.  After breakfast, I got more quality time with my aunts and Grandma while Mom slept in, Grandpa went to church, and Dad went to Lowe’s.  After everyone was back, Dustin and I had teatime before he and Aunt Sarah went to back to Lexington. 

I missed Aunt Sarah so much that within an hour of their departure, I asked Aunt Claire if we could call her.  I also really enjoyed hanging out with Grandma and watching all the people, dogs, and busses go by.  She kept calling me a “goofy girl” when I did silly things. Here’s some silliness provoked by Aunt Claire:

At lunch, I ate one of the best meals of my life!  I learned that leftovers are one of the best parts of Thanksgiving dinner.  I scarfed down potatoes, turkey, carrots, and other yummy things.  Finally, I was pooped (my lunch and nap had been pushed back so I could maximize time with my family).  Mom put me to bed and when I got up, it was an empty house!  Everyone except Mom & Dad had left.  We played until the Bears were clearly out of the football game and then we got out our Christmas tree.  Mom was really excited and Dad was very enthusiastic, but I wasn’t at first:

Once the tree was out, I got to help put the ornaments on.  Notice how I ooh and ahh at them:

And once the tree was all ready, Dad convinced me to put on the Santa hat:

Finally, the tree was all done and it was time for dinner.  I ate pretty well (more yummy leftovers) and then I took a bath and went to bed.

Last year the Christmas season got off to a grumpy start!

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I woke up this morning with Dad and he got me dressed in a new dress that Aunt Sarah brought me.  We went downstairs — managing to be quiet enough not to wake Mom up.  Aunt Claire was sleeping on the couch, so of course she woke up when we came downstairs.  We cooked an egg and I also got a waffle with peanut butter for breakfast.  Grandma and Aunt Sarah came upstairs and watched me finish eating.  Unfortuantely, when I took my medicine, I gulped it down so aggressively that it spilled all over my dress and I had to change.

Grandma and I took a trip to Dominick’s, but all the regulars were on a well-deserved vacation today.  When I got back, I danced with Aunt Claire:

We pushed my lunch and nap back a bit later that usual.  I ate ok and then Grandma put me to bed.  I slept pretty well and I woke up to organized chaos taking place in the kitchen: prepping for Thanksgiving dinner was soon in full force.  At one point, there were nine people running around the kitchen!

Finally, it was time to eat.  I love turkey!!!  Even more than salmon (which I helped cook for Aunt Claire).  Grandpa Yagan helped me cut the pieces small enough for me to eat.  And Dad let me eat blackberry cobbler and ice cream — lots and lots of ice cream!  I even entertained the entire table:

Finally, while everyone else was cleaning up, I played with Grandma Droste untilbed time.

Last year I was setting up my first Christmas tree.

When I got up this morning, a huge army of people were there to get me — Dad, Aunt Sarah,and Aunt Claire!  I had so much fun getting ready with them.  I had a pretty unevntful breakfast.  I wasn’t feeling great and ended up spending most of the day inside.  Luckily, Aunt Sarah and Dustin got me outside for a bit, taking me for a walk to Alliance Bakery and buying me a turkey cookie.  Aunt Sarah also fed me brownies — I don’t understand why Dad calls them yucky brownies!  They were so good!

I had dinner (Nana’s zucchini & broccoli frittata) and then got ready for a realtively early bath and bedtime since I wasn’t feeling great. When I got out of my bath, I noticed that Grandpa Droste had installed a Sesame Street ceiling fan in my bedroom.  After we got ready for bed, Grandma and I said goodnight to Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird!

Last year I was having my second Thanksgiving!

I woke up this morning and was excited to see Mom get me out of my crib, especially on a day I didn’t have to go to school.  I got dressed, which with Mom actually includes fixing my hair.  We went downstairs and made an egg and a waffle.  Dad came downstiars while I was eating.  We all played together, but I was a bit fussy.  Aunt Claire came up and played with us, too.  I got more and more fussy, until eventually I got some motrin and Mom put me down for a nap very early — before 10.  I slept until well past noon.

I ate lunch with A/C and Mom; I loved the sweet potatoes.  After lunch, the three of us made a trip to Starbucks.  A/C and I going to Starbucks?  That’s no surprise!  Unfortunately, I cried all the way there.  I wanted my hands in my pocket, then I wanted them out.  I was cold and crying.  When we got there, I got to place my own order: water!  Mom and A/C planned on staying there for a while to warm up, but I was in a such a bad mood, we just headed home.

Back at home, I was getting ready to have a dirty diaper, so I said to Aunt Claire, “ca-ca, no problem!”  Mom convinced me to sit on my potty, which I did for about ten minutes until finally — I pooped!  It totally freaked me out.  I screamed.  I cried.  I was scared!  Finally Mom flushed it down the toilet, A/C cleaned me up, and everything was good again.

Apparently this was a really, really big deal. Mom and A/C cheered and we called Dad, who has having Thanksgiving lunch with Grandpa Yagan.  I played with Mom and A/C until Grandma and Grandpa Droste got here.  I was especially excited to see Grandma Droste!  I hung on to her and wouldn’t even leave her arms for A/C.

After eveyone got settled in, I gave people heart exams with my stethoscope.  Luckily people were all good.  Then I played Legos with Grandpa Droste:

After we played, I got ready for dinner.  Dinner was pretty good, but the best part was getting to take my medicine:

I was pretty fussy and went right to bed.

Last year I was wearing pink and black, too.

I really slept in this morning, not getting up until about 8:15!  I really needed the sleep given how tired I was, but this was a near record.  When I got up Dad and Aunt Claire were there to get me!  Dad left me with Aunt Claire to get dressed and come downstairs.  Dad and I got my eggs started, but I ate lunch wtih A/C while Dad worked.

I had so much fun with A/C.  We played and I gave her lots and lots of hugs.  She was so happy!  Since I woke up late and had a late breakfast, A/C pushed back lunch a bit, but I put on quite a show devouring the salmon.  I think she was impressed.  She put me down for my nap, and when I got up, I shouted “Aunt Claire!” — pretty cool, no?

Dad had made a doctor’s appointment for me (at Mom’s request — thanks, Mom!) so he took me over and indeed, I had another ear infection — my fourth in the last 12 months.  If at any point I have five in a 12-month period, I have to go see  a specialist.  Yikes!  The doctor was pretty impressed with my stethoscope (though hers seemed a bit more high-tech) and my general disposition.  Oh, I weighed in at 30 lb. and 32 inches:

On our way out I got an Elmo sticker and we drove to CVS to drop off my prescription, where we randomly met Mom who was picking up a prescription.  Mom and Dad switched cars so I could get Mommy-time.  When we got home, I played with Mom and A/C and then had dinner.  I got to help Dad make brownies (in fact, he used “helping Dad cook” to get me to eat three additional bites of chicken!).  Mom gave me a bath while Dad went to pick up my medicine.  As soon as he got back I took it and went to bed, at 7:50.

I woke up this morning with Dad, who got me ready for to go to school with Mom.  He decided to greet me with cameras in hand:

We got dressed and I went downstairs to pack up my bag and get my snack:

Traffic was pretty good on my way to school and all was well until the velcro on my shoes ripped Mom’s pantyhose!  I had a fantastic day at school and played with the baby dolls and strollers more than I usually do (I think Grandma and Nana will be very happy to hear this!).  I piled the stroller high with lots of babies and pushed them around the room.  I also made an Indian hat.  Indians are cool — they have corn and hats.  What a great life!

The trip home was tough.  It was raining, traffic was bad, and I was very tired.  I kept saying I wanted to sleep, but I didn’t.  When we got home, Dad rushed down to meet me, but I cried when he took me out of Mom’s arms.  I ate two meatballs and devoured a ton of plain yogurt.  Mom kept trying to get me to say “Dip, baby, dip!”  Sadly, I got a time out when I pulled my placemat off the table and spilled a full glass of milk.

It was pretty late by the time I finished, so Mom actually suggested skipping my bath (!).  Dad pointed out that I had a shower with Mom yesterday, so technically it’s not even bath night.

Last year I started to help unloading the dishwasher!

I slept in this morning and woke up this morning with Dad and we had the pleasure of Mom joining us before I even got dressed. I still had a bit of a stuffy nose, so Mom took me into the shower with her and the steam cleared my head.  Dad came up and got me dressed and then we got started on cooking my egg, which I finished with Mom.

I ate my entire breakfast and then after stopping by Dad downstairs, we got ready to go to City Hall.  On our way, we drove under the El quite a bit, which I considered to be a tunnel and got really excited about.  Mom filed for a home owner’s exemption and paid our tax bill.  I just ate O’s and a nice woman tried to give me a lollipop, but Mom rejected it.  The woman was sad.  I said hi to lots of people and got really excited about the elevators.

We came home and played for a while until lunch time.  I ate broccoli frittata and pumpkin ravioi and mashed sweet potatoes with blueberries for dessert.  Then I took a nap (though it took me over half an hour to fall asleep).  I was a in a good mood when I got up and I played with Mom (visiting Dad downstairs a couple times) and cooked dinner.  We made new things out of my Lego’s, including an airplane, an apple tree, a Christmas tree, and a flower.  Mom has a great imagination!

We learned a new song, debuted here:

We’ve also adapted the ABC game (thanks Grandma & Grandpa Droste — I’m learning so many letters with my cards!) so that now instead of starting with a letter and finding an object, I get an object and we find the letter.  I still get really confused that two things can start with the same letter (D: Duck and D: Daddy?!?! or Puppy and Penguin!??).

Dinner was uneventful and I went to bed a bit early, around 7:00.

Last year I was hating on cranberries!

I woke up this morning with Dad and he got me dressed and ready before going downstairs and cooking an egg.  Mom came down just as I was getting ready to sit down and finished up my breakfast while Dad went for a run.  After he got dressed, he and I went to practice (Mom went to work), which turned out to be the last soccer practice of the season (don’t worry, I’m enrolling in the next season!).

Practice was pretty good.  I’m totally good at running and at red light, green light.  Kicking isn’t quite my forte yet and I still hate the parachute.  The biggest fun today was making a new friend, Ethan.  He likes to hug as much as I do!  Here are some clips from practice:

It was such a nice day outside that after practice we went to the park, which was teeming with other kids, probably fearing it was truly the last nice day of the year.  Maybe it’s because I’m still under the weather, but I pretty much wanted to swing and do a couple runs down the slide.  We played until almost 11:30 before heading back home. I ate a pretty good lunch and headed to bed.

When I got up, Mom was home and the three of us went to Carter’s, Home Depot, and Stanley’s.  When we got home, I helped Dad cook fish, talked to Grandma Droste on the web cam, and read books with Mom.  Dinner was delicious: fish (which I cooked), mashed sweet potatoes, roasted zucchini, and couscous with peas.  I cleaned my plate and then ate about 25 raspberries.  Yum!

Last year I weighed 19 lb., 3 oz.

I got up this morning with Dad, as usual on Saturday, but before we could even get dressed, Mom had joined the party in my room.  I think she was surprised to find me standing on my dresser (Dad lets me do things like that!).  Dad and I went downstairs to make breakfast while Mom showered.  Dad and I went to our circuit of grocery stores, but this time we shot some video at each one, as well as one of us getting ready to go:

Mom was waiting for us in the doorway when we got back home. I helped put the groceries away and then Mom took me to the park.  It turned out to be a really beautiful day — I was happy that I didn’t have to wear my bulky winter coat or snow pants! While we were there, I chased a boy around for several minutes, trying to give him a hug.  His mom said “Oh, she’s a little lover!”  He doesn’t know what he’s missing; no one should turn down a Maggie hug.

We stopped by Starbucks “on our way home” and brought Dad the usual.  Of course, I got my Starbucks water (Mom points out Starbucks might be my first brand loyalty!).  When we got home, Dad had lunch ready for me, which I devoured (that makes three meals in a row, after not eating all that well since I threw up a couple weeks ago).  After lunch I took a pretty long nap, about two and a half hours.

After my nap we played for a while in the living room and then all went downstairs to the basement.  I ran around while Mom and Dad cleaned up and organized to make our home more welcoming for the Drostes when they visit us for Thanksgiving.  As you can see, they might have been working hard, but I was hardly working:

After we finished, I helped Dad cut up some peppers and then read a few books with Mom.  I ate a great dinner (Nana’s burger, broccoli frittata, green beans, yogurt, and apples).  After dinner I went up for my bath and bedtime.

I woke up on Monday morning with Dad after Mom had already left work.  We played in my room and had breakfast, as usual.  We played, read, and went for a walk before my nap:

It’s also worth noting that I have a new favorite song, which Dad randomly started singing me a few days ago.  He remembers it from Sesame Street when he was a kid:

When I got up from my nap, Grand-Papa was here.  I had a really fun time playing with him and was pleasantly surprised when he decided to take me to the park despite it being rather chilly outside!  Papa left just before Mom came home.  Dad let me sit on my potty naked for a while and read me Where’s the Poop while we were in the bathroom.  Mom got home and we all had dinner together.

I was in a bad mood when Mom woke me up on Tuesday.  I had a very runny nose and would have liked to sleep a little later.  But when I got to school I gave Mom a quick good-bye and got into my day.  I really enjoyed the science box we have at school and story time was good, too.  I spent most of my time playing with Lexi.

I was pretty hyper when Mom came to get me and it was harder than usual to get me to leave.  When we called Dad from the car on our way home, he was nice enough to sing the Ladybugs song to me twice!  I kept saying “one more time” but I guess two was enough for him.  I ate some fish for dinner as well as some kidney beans from Mom’s soup.  I had a bath and wad in bed by 7:30.

Wednesdays are usually a day at home but with Nana in Syria for a while, I’m now going to school on Wednesdays.  I was in a good mood when I woke myself up at 6:05.  I had a bad runny nose and a cough and it was a yucky rainy day to make it even worse.  My teachers called me a “thinker” today, though I have no idea how they could possibly determine such a thing.  I really enjoyed playing with the puzzles and the maze books. Maybe they’re just politely calling me a nerd, not knowing that I’m destined to nerd-dom anyway.

When Mom came to get me I was in the big buggy and I immediately (and nerdily?) declared, “out! out!”  We had a good ride home but I was very disappointed that we couldn’t reach Dad at work to sing 12 Ladybugs.  I had fish, chicken, and veggies in yogurt for dinner.  I gave Penguin a big hug and kiss before going up to bed.  Oh, and it’s worth noting that Bert has joined my bed friends (along with Elmo, Puppy, Bunny, Joey, and Duck), but he stays in the crib all day — he never makes it to the top two that I’m allowed to take downstairs with me.

Thursday was totally uneventful.  I gave out a ton of hugs at school and eagerly participated in the art and music activities at school.  On the way home, I ate part of a tissue.

I woke up really late on Friday (or perhaps Dad didn’t wake up until I’d been up for a while) — 7:25.  Dad cooked me breakfast and I had a really fun morning, though I got fussy around 11.  I took a pretty long nap (12-2:30) and played with Grand-Papa all afternoon, including a pretty long visit to the park.  I ate a really great dinner — an entire chicken kabob, two huge meatballs, and two bowls of yogurt!  I’m going to be a big girl!

Last year I got to eat amaranth and peaches!