margaretyagan

On Monday I had a great day with Nana and Tuesday was back to school, as usual.  I had a great day at school (except for the really tough good-bye with Mom), especially playing with puzzles and the farm animals.  It was also great to get some time outside. 

I spent most of Wednesday with Nana until Aunt Claire started playing with me after my nap (around 3:00).  We did a lot of somersaults together in the living room ad then went for a walk — shockingly — to Starbucks.  What was different this time was that I suggested it!  Aunt Claire asked “Maggie, what do you want to do?” and I said, “Get coffee!”  We stopped by the park and I made a new friend (Ava) and played with her the whole time.  I had a great dinner and a really good bath.

On Thursday I started my transitoin to the “twos room” at school.  I was in a great mood all day and adjusted really well to the 2s room.  In particular, I was happy to see a bunch of my friends who used to be in my room, but moved up to 2s a while ago.

I woke up with Dad on Friday and had fun playing and eating dinner until Nana got here.  We got to spend some time outside today.  When I got up from my nap I was excited to see Grandpa Yagan here to play with me.  We had fun until A/C took over for dinner (even though Dad was supposed to be here by then!).  After dinner, Mom, Dad, A/C, and I all played downstairs before going to bed.

Dad and I did our usual Saturday routine, and we even added a trip to Carter’s (where I picked out my own new doggie jammies) and then a trip to Target with A/C and Dad.  We dropped Aunt Claire off at home and went to soccer practice.  It was a disaster again, so Dad un-enrolled me in this class.  I am going to take next week off and then join a new class in a new location the week after.

After practice I ate lunch and went to sleep.  When I woke up, Mom, Dad, and I all went to the park and we had a ton of fun despite the cold.  I ate a pretty good dinner and then went to sleep.

I woke up on Sunday with Dad and we had a fun morning (being extra quiet so Mom could sleep in!).  A/C visited us for a while, but mostly we were just having fun together.  After Mom got up, she, A/C, and I allwent to Starbucks and Bagel on Damen for coffee and breakfast.  I “grazed” on their food and other random snacks instead of eating a proper lunch.  I played with Dad until about 12:45, when I went to bed.

I got up with Mom and A/C and tried on a pink Wellesley tee shirt that Aunt Claire brought me.  Fits great — and I look cute in it!  Then Mom gave A/C a ride to the airport and Dad and I played downstairs and cooked our usual Sunday dinner — salmon. 

When Mom got home, I ate great and then took a bath and went to bed.  I babbled for a while and then screamed for Mom about half an hour after I went to bed, but then I was fine. 

Last year I took 18 steps!

The beginning of this week started out with unseasonably warm weather and I was extra happy that Dad didn’t have to travel at all for work, so I got extra time with him, too.

I got to spend a lot of time outside with Nana on Monday.  We took some bread with us when we to the park and made some pigeons very happys.  I think the squirrels are still hibernating, though, because we didn’t see many running around.  After Nana left, Dad and I ran to Dominick’s and bought some green Jell-o to take to school tomorrow.  Dad dealt with the boiling water, but I got to pour in the cold water, stir the Jell-0, and scoop the Jell-o into the cups.  It was so cool — I’ve never done that before!

Dad took me to school on Tuesday and I had a really good day.  I was putting my soccer skills to good use kicking and playing with the balls in the large motor room.  We also had a St. Patrick’s Day party, which was a blast.  The green Jell-o I made and brought to school was a total hit.  It turns out that I don’t really have any appropriate green clothes, but Dad found a light-green tee shirt that I wore under my Cubs jacket.  After we got home, Grandpa Yagan came to play with me for a few minutes before I went to sleep.

Wednesday was Nana’s birthday!  Happy Birthday Nana!  I had another fun day with Nana (after Julie covered breakfast).  We got to spend some good time outside, even going over to the dog run, where I counted the dogs and urged the lazy sleeping docs to “wake up, dog!”  When Nana and I got back from our last walk I was so excited to see Mom back from her business trip.  We had a lot fun together before geting ready for bed.

Thursday was a struggle when Mom dropped me off.  I cried a lot and Mom felt guilty leaving me.  I eventually adjusted and had a good day, especially because Miss Mimi gave me a lot of one-on-one time with Miss Mimi.  Then it was time for my birthday party!  Mom and Dad came over around 4:00 and we had a great time celebrating.  They brought berries for me to share with all my friends.  I even got to hand out stickers as a party favor!

On Friday I was so excited to wake up to see Aunt Sarah and Dustin here.  We had a really, really fun day together.  I think they were pretty impressed with all my new tricks and my new haircut.  It was especially fun to go to Michigan Avenue and walk up and down.  I hadn’t been to the Bean since last summer — I appeciate it so much more now.  I had a bit of a late lunch and then went to bed.  Mom, Aunt Sarah, and Dustin all did dinner time with me and then Grandma and Grandpa Droste got here just before bed time.

I got up on Saturday and took a shower with Dad.  We didn’t go grocery shoping as we usually do.  Aunt Sarah and Aunt Claire were ready to play with me!  Dustin, Grandma, and Grandpa all came up and joined in the fun.  I was having so much fun that I wasn’t even interested in helping Mom and Dad cook.  Around 11:00, Grandma Droste and Mom took me upstairs and got me dressed up in my special birthday dress.  When I came downstairs, there was a party going on!  Everyone on Mom’s and Dad’s side of the family drove or flew in to celebrate with me.

We started with a delicious lunch.  Well, at least the couscous was delicious.

Then it was time to open my presents.  I had such a great time and got lots of awesome, fun, and cool things.

Finally, it was birthday cake time.  Mom was so thoughtful in getting the perfect cake…with real blueberries and blueberry stuffing!

Then I was pooped and ready for a nap.  When I got up there was more fun with everyone.  Dinner wasn’t too productive (more couscous, though), and then bedtime again.

Sunday was “so saaaad” because everyone left!  At least I got to go Starbucks with Grandma Droste and Aunt Claire.  It was great to see everyone again, though.  I had a really hard time falling asleep for my nap.  At one point I called for Daddy because I had taken off my own diaper!  When I finally fell asleep, I took a great nap, sleeping until 5:00 (and only getting up then because Dad opened my door).  Grandpa Yagan was here to play with me for a bit before Dad and I gave him a ride home.  When we got back, we went right down to the office to do somersaults and draw on the board. 

While we were down there, Mom got home from work.  We had a family dinner, where I devoured my fish and roasted cherry tomatoes.  It took me almost two hours to fall asleep, though, so I wonder if I’ll be grumpy in the morning!

Last year I was celebrating Nana’s birthday! 

Mom got up with me this morning and I had fun starting my day with her!  We took a shower together and then I helped her get ready to go to work (on a Sunday!?).  Dad got up and joined us downstairs.  Mom let me open another birthday gift (thanks for the sweatshirt, Marty!) which I really like.  After Mom left, I ate and then Dad and I played in the office for a while.

I helped Dad take out the garbage and do a couple other chores before we went to Target to buy some stuff for my birthday parties this week, including a pair of shoes.  That pair of shoes turned out be very challenging for Dad.  We couldn’t find anything at Target, so we went to Payless, where we struck gold!

After a quick stop at Staples, we made it home well after my lunch time.  I ate a decent lunch and then went to bed a bit after 1.  I slept until 3:00 and then Dad and I went to the park.  It was a bit colder than it looked, but despite the chilliness, I discovered a newfound love for the covered brown slide.  First, I just went down it normally (after wandering around for a bit):

Then, I discovered that I could go down on my belly, feet-first:

Then, the coolest thing ever, I discovered that I could go down on my belly, head-first:

We got home at the same time as Mom and I had fun reading and playing with her until I helped Dad cook fish.  Then I was excited that Mom’s friend Kyle joined us for dinner.  I impressed by eating two bowls of plain red kidney beans.  Nice!  We also played the cheese game for her, and then I ate an entire bowl of blueberries.  All in all, a great meal.

After Kyle left I jumped on Daddy’s belly and tried to eat his nose before going upstairs and chatting with Mom while she got me ready for bed.

Last year I had my last bottle ever!

Today was a very Dad-intensive day!  He woke up with pretty early (a little after 6:00) and we took our time playing and eating breakfast.  Normally we’re in a hurry to get back from the grocery stores before soccer practice, but my new class starts at 11:30, so we had plenty of time.

We didn’t get out of the house unti close to 8:00, when we went to Dominick’s.  Dad was in a good mood and let me get a Starbucks water (or at least he said that was why he was getting his own venti drink!) and he let me stand up in the big red cart.  We got a lot more stuff than usual and in particular, Dad opened up a package of colby jack cheese and let me eat four (4!) slices.  I also had fun talking to my three favorite regulars, Mr. Dan, Ms. Barbara, and Ms. Joanne.

Our next stop was Stanley’s, where we bought a pint of blueberries and I ate them up while Dad bought a bunch of produce.  Then it was off to Whole Foods.  I think it’s better to get there a bit later, because then they have their sampling stations set up.  I ate pineapple and a whole lot of bread (my favorite).  We got home and saw Mom for a few minutes before she took off.  I helped Dad cook some food and then it was time for soccer.

Soccer was a disaster.  So, I’m in a new class called “Cottontails” intended for kids 30-42 months (2 1/2 to 3 1/2).   Of course, I’m the youngest kid in the class and some of these kids are really good at soccer.  No worries, though, through the early part of the class I was doing great.  I’m not the fastest anymore, but I’m still way better than average.

But then practice got pretty abstract.  Coach Eve told me to imagine that I was a bird and the soccer ball was an egg.  Then I had to imagine that I was an astronaut (what’s that?).  Then I had to imagein that the soccer ball was a snow ball  in the middle of an avalanche.  I know, right?  This is nuts.  Anyway, just after the half-way point (it’s a longer class, to boot) I just gave up.  I made Dad pick me up and I just put my head on his shoulder.  He tried to get me to play the silly avalanche game and instead I just sat on my blue circle while everyone else did the drill.

The best part of practice was at the very end.  While Dad wasn’t looking, I sprinted out of the gym and into the lobby.  Dad followed me out, so I ran…right into the women’s bathroom.  Ha, Dad!  I’m way smarter than you think I am!  Somehow he managed to break into the women’s room and find me hiding in a stall…that was being used by another girl!  It’s a long story, but yes, picture Dad in a women’s room, stall door open, little girl on the potty, her Mom next to her, and me behind the girl sitting on the potty.  Oh man.

We got home way past my nap time (to say nothing of lunch time).  I didn’t eat too well (perhaps the 4 slices of cheese, blueberries, and tons of bread had something to do with that).  I fought my nap for a bit but finally slept for a couple hours. 

When I got up, it was time to go to Nana’s birthday dinner at Bella Notle.  We had a great time!  I nibbled on everyone’s pasta (Nana’s linguine, Mom’s rigatone, and Dad’s spiral doo-dads) and probably ate as much of Nana’s tiramisu and she did! 

We got home right around 7:00 and Dad and I played around in the office before playing around in my room.  Finally, I went to bed, exhausted!

Last year I was hating on bulgar (though now I quite like it!).

So, my first night without a pacifier wasn’t so bad, but one consequence is that it’s a lot harder for me to fall asleep once I’m up early in the morning.  I was up before 6:00 AM, and whereas before I might have grabbed a pacifier and fallen back asleep, today I was up and ready to go. 

Dad reluctantly got up (he tried to get me to fall back asleep in his bed — ha!) and we took a shower before heading downstairs to get breakfast ready.  I ate really well and it looked like a beautiful day!   Nana came at 8:00 and before I knew it, the two of us headed out to the park.  I love the park!  Nana was impressed by how well I handed the equipment and how much I wanted to walk instead of get pushed in the stroller.  When we got to the dog run, I even told the lazy dogs to get up and run around, too.

We got back home and played around in the yard before coming back in for lunch.  I woke up just in time to head out to my two-year check-up at my doctor’s office.  I did great!  I passed everything with flying colors; here are my stats:

Length: 35 3/4″ (90th%)

Weight: 30 lb., 2 oz. (just under 90%)

Head circumference: 19 5/8″ (95%)

So, yeah, I’m a big girl!  Typically, people reach half of their final height by their second birthday, meaning I’m on pace to be about 5′ 11″.  Apparently this rule of thumb slightly over-predicts for girls and under-predicts for boys, so maybe I’ll have to settle for 5′ 9″ or 5′ 10″.  Rough life!

I got two vaccines, my 4th DPat and I first Hepatitis A.  But more importantly, I uttered the words “I’m a burrito,” to which my doctor said, “I guess that’s a sentence!”

After I got my stickers, we went straight to my first haircut at KidSnips.  You can see the entire event for yourself.

What do you think?  Comments welcome!

Then I ran around, just for fun, I like I do when I go watch Dad get his hair cut.

When we got home we played around and I talked to Marty and Grandma Droste on the computer.  Then I opened a birthday present from Aunt Sarah before enjoying dinner!

Last year I was enjoying being 1.

It’s my birthday, so I figure I should party like it’s my birthday!  Mom took the day off and kepy me home from school (so that’s why I went to school yesterday!). 

I got up around 6:00 and took a shower with Mom.  Mom started a “goodbye pacifier” ceremony, but I wanted nothing to do with that, so she aborted the mission.  I opened my first birthday present, from Sheila, which was two little purses.  We had breakfast and then Mom took me to the aquarium!

When we got there, Mom bought me a one year membeship to the aquarium for my birthday.  That’s so cool!  We saw turtles and fish and sharks, all of which I liked.  I loved the penguins and especially liked dressing up as the penguin and exploring the habitat.

Then we went to the dolphin show, which I totally hated! I watched for a while but then totally freaked out.  I refused to even look at them and we left the show.  We went back to the penguins, which cheered me back up.  The next stop were the sea horses and turtles again.  Mom let me have my pick at the gift shop, so, of course, I bought “Busy Busy Penguins!”

Nana and Grandpa invited me to lunch for my birthday at Rain Forest Cafe.  I was a little freaked out by the elephants and the monkeys, so I sat on Mom’s lap most of the time.  I ate chicken and apple sauce and Grandpa’s french fries.  Even my brithday cake freaked me out (the sparkler in paritcular), but I loved the cake and the ice cream.  I definitely have Dad’s sweet tooth!  Nana and Grandpa let me have my choice in the gift shop, so I bought a monkey and a green cup.

When we got home, it was nap time.  I asked for my pacifier, but Mom reminded me that now that I’m 2, I don’t get them any more.  I cried a bit but then fell right asleep for over two hours.

When I got up I was hungry and Mom let me ruin my dinner with a bunch of yummy snacks including a candy duck (from Vienna!) that I named Stewie before I ate him.  I talked to Grandma Droste, Aunt Claire, and Aunt Sarah (all separately!).  I  stayed up past my bedtime reading a few books until Dad got home from work and was so excited to wish me a happy birthday!

Last year was my birthday!

Monday was a pretty normal day.  The weather is definitely getting nicer and I’m excited for spring.  Julie was here in the morning and then I played with Nana, as usual, for the rest of the day.

Tuesday was good, except that I had a pretty hard time saying goodbye to Mom.  I sang a ton of songs at school today.  My favorite was Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.  I sang it over and over and over — and that was just before breakfast. 

Tuesday night was rough for me.  I was awful to poor Mom!  I intentionally made a huge mess in the kitchen, threw brocolli on the floor, and then banged my spoon and fork until she took them away.  When I got in bed and Mom was leaving my room, I took my pacifier and threw it on the floor.  When Mom gave it back to me and started to leave, I did it again!  Ha ha!

I was a bit surprised on Wednesday morning when Mom took me to school instead of leaving me with Julie.  I had another another tough good-bye with Mom, but my teachers gave me some extra TLC until I was back on track.  My friends and I got to go on a buggy ride outside today.  That was a lot of fun.

When I got home with Mom I actually asked to use my potty for the first time in weeks.  Nothing “happened” but it’s a start!  Tomorrow’s my big day!

Last year I felt yucky!

I woke up this morning with Mom, which is pretty unusual for a Saturday.  I came down with Mom while Dad got dressed.  Mom had to go to the office for a bit, so Dad and I made breakfast together and I ate pretty well.  We skipped Dominick’s and only went to Stanley’s and Whole Foods.  I requested that Dad play “One Was Johnny” the whole time we drove around.  I can tell Dad doesn’t like that song, but I’m in charge of the music in the car.

We went to my last soccer practice of the season.  I actually did the motorboat this time and even got a few good kicks in.  I start my third season next week – I wonder if I’ll get a new coach? 

It was such a beauitful day that Dad and I went to the park after practice.  We played for almost an hour.  I’ve grown so much since last fall — I can do practically the entire big playground all by myself. 

We got home and ate lunch.  I struggled again to fall asleep for my nap, but eventually I got a couple really good hours of sleep in before I got up.  It was still nice outside (though definitely colder) so Dad and I went to the park again for about half an hour.  We got back home about the same time that Mom did and the three of us had fun playing in the office and then eating dinner.  I had a great time getting ready for bed with Mom, too.

I had a bit of a rough night; I kept waking up and requesting my extra pacifier (yes, I now sleep with two pacifiers!).  I guess this will all change when I give up my pacifiers on Thursday.  I woke up with Mom again and hung out with her while she got ready to go to work.  I took a shower with Dad and then went downstairs and made breakfast.  I ate really well and then Dad and I had fun reading books and playing with play-doh. 

It was another beautiful day, so once it got warm enough, Dad and I made a trip to the park again.  We had a great time, but when the sun went behind the clouds it got a bit chilly.  I had a ton of fun and can’t wait until it’s even nicer and I get to go every day!

When we got home I ate a pretty good lunch (though I made a mess of my shirt and my pants!) and then struggled a bit to fall asleep.  I woke up again complaining of a missing pacifier (I had one, the other was on the floor) but went back to sleep when Dad retrieved it for me.

When I woke up, I hung out with Mom and Dad and had a lot of fun!  Dad went and returned my books to the library. I wanted to go, but it was closed so we weren’t going to be able to check out any new books. While Dad was gone, Mom and I got started on dinner – without Dad! Mom is so fun to cook with! When Dad got back we did the fish together, though. Then Mom gave me a legit pony tail!

I didn’t eat as well as usual, but still did fine (especially with The Cheese Game!). I read books with Mom after I finished up and then went to bed!

Last year I hung out with Connor.

I had a great day at school on Thursday, “full of personality” as my teachers said.  I spent most of my day singing, especially Stewie the Duck’s Water Safety Song.

I woke up with Dad on Friday and Nana came over just as we were starting breakfast.  I had a fun morning with Nana but really struggled falling asleep for my nap.  Took me about 90 minutes to finally get to sleep, and I ended up sleeping until 4:30.  Grandpa Yagan came over at 2:30 and kept waiting for me to wake up so we could play together.  When I got up, Grandpa was ready to have some fun, and he even stayed through dinner and watched me play “The Cheese Game” with Dad.  Mom got home just in time to put me to bed!

Last year I ate mango.  Is that where my nickname came from?

 adsf

I woke up on Monday and was surprised to see Dad for a little bit before he took off for work.  Julie was here to play with me, but she didn’t seem to be feeling as well as usual.  Nana came around 9:00 and we had a great day together.  My Arabic keeps getting better and better!  I can’t wait to go to Syria.  Julie didn’t feel well enough to come back in the afternoon, Nana stayed with me all day, including dinner and putting me to bed.  Thanks, Nana!

Tuesday was my first day back in school in about 12 days because I stayed home all last week.  I was very excited to be back at school and see all my friends.  I was really nice and helpful to my teachers and really enjoyed playing with some new toys.

Wednesday was a great day for me.  I had a good time wth Julie and a fun morning with Nana.  We thought about going to the park in the afternoon, but decided against it — still too cold!  Maybe next week?  When Mom got home I had a particularly fun time cleaning up before bed time:

 Last year was a square day.