margaretyagan

Aunt Claire and I are Customers of the Week at Starucks!  That’s so cool!  Oh, and it didn’t make the headline, but I’m also rocking this whole potty-training thing.

On Monday I wore my panties all day except when I was awake.  Aunt Claire and I went to cooking class, where I made cupcakes!  After cooking class, Aunt Claire and I went to Starbucks and the park. 

Tuesday was a lot of fun with soccer practice.  Nana was really impressed when she got here and I was wearing my panties!  I didn’t use the potty with Nana,  but as soon I got my pull-up on for nap time, I emptied my bladder!  After Mom got home, she and Aunt Claire continued to encourage me to use the potty — and I did!  Everyone was so happy and I even called Daddy at work and left him a voice mail.

Wednesday was another fun day with Aunt Claire, including cooking class, Starbucks (hey, we’re customers of the week!), the park, and panties.  After dinner, I was in such a good mood that I even pretended to be a penguin.

On Thursday I woke up with Julie and had a good morning with her.  Nana came to pick us up and take us to her building for a swimming lesson.    I kicked off the session by taking a big, bold jump right into the water and letting my head go all the way under!  Though we got off to a great start, it wasn’t my best day in the pool.  I only swam for about 15 minutes.  Although I was really excited, I kept swallowing water.  Julie has been been trying to show me how to blow bubbles with my mouth to keep me from swallowing water but I haven’t caught on yet.  Julie says I should practice blowing bubbles in the bathtub.  Sounds fun!

After swimming, Nana had a delicious lunch ready for me.  I ate turkey kebab, grilled cheese on a wheat toast, fresh tomato and cucumber salad, milk, strawberries, and a Macintosh apple!  After I ate I took a nap in my pack-and-play.  When I woke up, I faught Nana’s attempts to put on my panties until she finally relented.  As soon as I got my new pull-up on, I filled it up!  I had a delicious dinner (zucchini and rice) and then Mom came to pick me up and take me home.

I spent most of Friday with Julie.  As we were out and about we stopped by Walgreen’s and while we were there I told her that I had to pee.  Luckily, we were right next to Julie’s house, so we went there and I peed in her toilet!  Talk about a big accomplishment for the day.   I played with Mom after she got home and eventually Dad got home while I was taking a bath.  As Julie suggested, I practiced blowing bubbles in the water and got pretty good at it.  Dad and I invented a new game where I jump off the ottoman and land on one of the letters of my alphabet rug.

On Saturday I woke up with Dad and since it was laundry day, he took my mattress out of the crib and I got to jump on it.  So fun!  We went downstairs and I ate some purple yogurt before heading out. 

We stopped by BoD on our way to the car — wearing my panties, of coures.  I got a Dobble Dog and got a bagel with cream cheese, which I ended up eating half of.  After Dominick’s, Stanley’s, and Whole Foods, we headed back home.  Mom, Dad, and I planned on heading back out to run some errands, but by the time we got our acts together it was already time for my nap. 

After I woke up, we headed straight for Menard’s (where I discovered skateboards) and then to Target (where I used a public potty!).  The most exciting part of Target was that I bought new Dora panties!  I even tried to put them on while we were still in the store.  We got home and Aunt Claire had already started making a yummy dinner. Even better, she had a present for me:

Oh, and her dinner was made even yummier when we got around to eating cherries for dessert.

On Sunday I was surprised to wake up with Mom.  Dad joined us a few minutes later and before I knew it, we all headed out to have breakfast.  We got to The Bongo Room before it even opened, so we headed back to the farmers’ market until it opened.  Once we finally got in to the Bongo Room, I didn’t eat a single bite of food.  I kept thinking that I had to go to the bathroom, so I ended up taking Mom and Dad on three trips in there but to no avail.  Since my potty status was ambiguoug, we didn’t stop by the park and instead headed straight home.  I spent the rest of the morning hanging out with Mom (Dad had to go to work).  After lunch and my nap, I woke up and helped Mom start cooking dinner.  I also got to video chat with Grandma Droste!  Right before dinner, Dad let me step into my pool (on the room).  I wasn’t supposed to get my clothes wet, but I accidentally slipped and got my shorts wet, so Dad said that I could just get my whole outfit wet.  I even got my hair wet by laying on my my back and kicking.  The salmon burgers were delicious and I ate a whole one before eating more cherries and getting a tutorial on how the cherry bitter works.

Then it was bed time! I’ll miss being customer of the week…

Last year I went to the Brookfield Zoo!

I was so excited to get to spend a week in Dow with Grandma and Grandpa Droste and Aunt Claire.  It was so hot most of the week that I didn’t get to do many of things that Grandma had planned for me, but I had a great time anyway.  

I got to go to work with Grandma, especially in the mornings. I took my toys (babies, play-dough, books, blocks and tricycle) with us, and I did a great job playing and hanging out.  I had a great time playing with Jameson and Jake (4-years-old and 18-months-old, respectively).  We built with blocks and Play-Dough and colored together on Grandma’s new, 8-foot conference table.

I worked really hard on potty training.  I didn’t use my potty much, but I did a great job “holding it” all day!  Grandma and I went shopping at Baxter’s to get “potty prizes,” but I had a prize for Baxter’s: an accident!  People seemed impressed with my vocabulary and verbal skills, along with my ability to count in Arabic. They were amazed!

We also spent an entire afternoon at the Magic House (on Friday the 13th, no less).   We played in the WaterWorks; played on gigantic wooden “musical” instruments (which I loved); enjoyed the magnet and sand tables; created my own modern art; and checked out the hydrostatic generator (“the deer-in-the-headlights” photo). I loved watching other people do it, but when my turn arrived it was too loud for me.  We finished the day at the Picnic Box Cafe’ (with famous, St. Louis Gus’ Pretzels; a green “Frog Spit” juice bar; and some milk), followed by a visit to the gift shop, whre I got a Magic House t-shirt and Play-Dough rolling pins).

On Saturday I drove back home with Aunt Claire and we had a really fun trip together.  Of course, Mom and Dad were so excited to see me!

On Sunday I woke up with Dad and we pretended it was a Saturday, so we went to the grocery stores like usual.  After Whole Foods, we went to DSW, which seemed like the biggest shoe store EVER!  Then I got to watch Daddy get his hair cut with Miss Sam.  We got home in time for lunch and then a nap.  When I woke up, Dad decided to start a new potty-training regime: no more pull-ups when I’m awake.  Just panties.  I screamed a bunch, saying that I was scared of my panties, but eventually I relented and walked downstairs.  I didn’t use the potty the rest of the day, but I didn’t have any accidents, either!

Last year I graduated out of my high chair!

On Monday I woke up in Lake Geneva, had a little breakfast of yogurt & fruit, and then we headed home (stopping by starbucks, of course).  We got home by 11:00 and Dad went to work.  I hung out with Mom, cleaned out the fridge, and made some sesame sugar snap peas and brocolli for lunch.  After my nap, Uncle Danny came to visit!  We walked to Dominick’s and stopped by Commercial Park for some fun outdoor time.  We tried to get gelato, but it was closed.   It rained on our walk back home, but we were fine.  We cooked dinner and were happy to have Aunt Claire back!

Danny was around for much of the week, which was a fun little addition to the usual.  Julie couldn’t play with me this week because she was having surgery (I hope you feel better, Julie!), so I got to spend a little extra time with Nana and Aunt Claire this week, too.

On Friday, I hung out with Claire all morning until Nana took over around 10:00.  After Mom got home, she, Aunt Claire, and I got in the car and headed to Dow!  We picked up our veggies on the way out of town.  Traffic wasn’t great, but eventually we made it down to Bloomington for our pit stop.  We got gas, stopped at McDonald’s (where I shared Aunt Claire’s smoothie and french fries and got my own apple dippers, without the dip!), and then got to Dow around 7:45.  I had a few great quotes along the way:

• Puppy, are you not bringing it on?
• Oh my Buddha!
• Can you see my Buddha?
• I will be so excited when I’m 16…then i can drive all alone. Aunt Claire, I think I will drive a purple car.
• Give me some French fries in my hands cuz I wanna eat em.
• Aunt Claire: “You’re such a sleepyhead.” Maggie: “Nooo, I’m a wake-up head!”

When we got to Grandma’s & Grandpa’s, Grandma was in the yard and I was so happy to see her!  I played with everyone until about 9:30, when I went to bed.

On Satruday, I hung out with everyone in the morning and had lunch at home before heading out to Great Grandma Droste’s for Great Aunt Jackie’s birthday party (complete with a Tinkerbell theme).  On the way there, we stopped by Treehouse to see where Grandma works.  I loved Jackie’s birthda party!  I played with her dollhouse, and loved Jackie’s new doll, which drinks milk!  I also enjoyed filling up my own cup from the water cooler and eating cake and ice cream.  On the way home, we stopped by Subway and then went to the Russell’s house to see Grandpa Droste. 

The next stop was Great Uncle Michael’s for dinner.  It was great to ese Great Aunt Karen and my cousin Erica and her husband Daniel.  Michael is especially fun to play with.  He cut up peaches for me, made me a balogna sandwich and I even ate a couple Cheetoes and some cotton candy ice cream!  I also discovered matchbox cars, which I loved.  After eating some Jimmy Johns, we headed home.

On Sunday we had a very low-key morning and then Aunt Claire took Mom to the airport — but I got to stay!  I was so happy to get extra time in Dow – another week of vacation for me!   

 Last year I started climbing the stairs!

 On Monday I woke up and ate breakfast with Aunt Claire.  Nick was around in the morning, which was fun; he even joined in on our tea party.  After he left, A/C and I walked to cooking class.  Miss Erin and Morgan were back – I was psyched!  We made ABC soup and of course, I enjoyed identifying all the letters before devouring them.  Then we went to Walgreen’s get passport pictures taken.  Apparently A/C doesn’t know what a challenge this is with me.  Finally, after about twenty minutes, we got a picture to work out! 

Next stop was the park, where I got soaked.  On the way home, we stopped by Bagel on Damen to get coffee (for A/C) and a Dobble Dog (for me).  I didn’t nap much and then had a pretty low-key afternoon which included picking up the passport photos.  Kyle came over for dinner — I love corn on the cob!

The rest of my week was prettynormal.  I had the usual schedule and classes during the week, having fun with Aunt Claire, Nana, and Julie.  The big excitement of the week started on Friday, when Dad got home and started frantically packing up while Julie entertained me.  We hopped in yellow cab (my favorite kind) and we headed off to Ogilvie to catch a train up toward Lake Geneva.

I had a great time on the train and enteretained a bunch of other riders on the way.

When we got to the end of the line, Mom was waiting for us.  I was so happy to see her and head straight for our hotel.  We went for a little walk around the neighborhood and made it back home with some delicious pizza.

I woke up on Saturday morning and Dad and I hung out on the balcony even though it was raining until Mom got up.  Then we got ready and went out for breakfast at Egg Harbor, which was yummy.  Then we went to the library where I pulled the whole rack of puzzles on to my head.  Then we left and went for a walk down by the water.  Dad and I sat on the dock for a while and got in some good QT.  Then  I accidentally stuck my foot in a hole and scraped up my leg so badly that it was bleeding.  Dad took me to the lifeguards on the beach where they patched me up.

We hopped in the car and went to a really lame petting zoo, Wal-Mart, and The Cheese Box, where the nice ladies gave me a whole thing of string cheese for free!  We went to our room and ate lunch before taking a nap.

When I got up, we went to the pool where I had a great time with Mom and Dad.  I’m so good at swimming.  I even got to sit in the jacuzzi for a couple minutes. 

After we got all dried up and dressed, we went to Popeye’s for dinner and then a yummy dessert at Kilwin’s. 

On Sunday I got up with Dad and we ate strawberries on the balcony until Mom got up.  We went to Scuttlebutt’s for breakfast and then got ready to go to the beach!  It was really hot and really fun.  I got in the water and the sand and then after just 45 minutes, I decided that I was done. 

We went home and I took a shower with Mom before having lunch at Simple Cafe and then heading back home for a nap.  We ended up waking up pretty late from our nap and so we had to head right out to dinner.  Dad let me pick where we went, and I chose Fischer’s (“the beautiful place by the lake!”) where I had cherry juice and deep-fried shrimp.  And yes, Dad even ordered it for me!

Then we went back to Kilwin’s for more yummy ice cream – the perfect end to a great weekend!

Last year I was shoe shopping!

Last year I went to the Children’s Museum!

I got up on Monday with Mom and Dad, but Mom wasn’t feeling well, so they got Aunt Claire up and Dad took Mom to the hospital.    I ate breakfast and then walked over to cooking classm, where only two kids showed up.  Talk about personal attention!  We made penne pasta with alfredo, which was delicious, and then we stopped by the park on our way back.  We also stopped by the bead store and made a necklace with my name surrounded by two caterpillars on it.   We went to Milk & Honey for lunch and made friends with Serena, a girl sitting next to us on the sidewalk.  After my nap, we turned on “Watch Me Baby” and I danced around.  Then Dad came and picked me and took me over to Nana’s, where I had a great time reading with Grandpa and eating dinner at the Rainforest Cafe!  And, most importantly, I pooped in the potty!!!  So, it was no big deal when I didn’t get to sleep until 9:00.  I hope Mom feels better and comes home from the hospital soon.

Tuesday morning was pretty uneventful (just the usual trip to the park where I got soaking wet…but that’s expected!) until we got to WIggleworms, where I was very clingy.  I insisted to Aunt Claire that “I dont like this class!”  But eventually, once the dancing began it was all good.  When we got back home, Nana was there…and so was Mom! I had a fun time with Nana while Mom got her rest.

On Wednesday, A/C and I walked over to cooking class and made my favorite food to date — blueberry pancakes with honey butter!  I ate every single bite.  I was glad to see Miss Angela again but asked where Miss Erin was!  I like sitting next to Riya and her grandpa.  As usual we stopped by the park on our way home, but it was so busy that we didn’t stay long.  The rest of the day was fun as usual, especially dinner, where I provided the entertainment (thanks to Dad’s encouragement):

Thursday morning was crazy!  It started out like any other Thursday with Julie, but around 10:30, Nana came over and Julie and I got in the car and went over to Nana’s.  I assumed we’d be going up to Nana’s floor, but instead we went all the way up to Nana’s pool where Julie gave me my first swimming lesson ever.  Julie is a great teacher and I had a great time!  I was a little nervous at first, but 20 minutes in I was jumping off the edge and going all the way under the water!  I practiced kicking on my stomach and making circles with my arms.  I’m looking forward to more swimming lessons on Thursdays!  TO make it all better, I got to spend the afternoon at Nana’s.  I ate  a great lunch, took a nice nap, and then went out for  a walk with Nana.  Dad came to pick me up around 6:30 and then we headed home for dinner and bedtime.

Friday morning had its own surprised.  Again, it started out perfectly normal with Julie, but in the middle of the morning, two of Mom’s and Dad’s friends (Steve and Marty) showed up and played with me until lunch time.  Claire was hanging out with us, too, and Mom & Dad stopped by, too.  I played with Mom all afternoon and then Dad, Marty, Steve, and Nick came home and played with me until, during, and after dinner.  Then Grandpa Yagan came over to be around after I went to sleep and while Mom, Dad, and their friends were at dinner.

On Saturday morning, I got up with Dad and after breakfast, we went on an adverture with Steve and Nick.  First, we took our car into the shop and got a rental car.  Then we drove out toward the airport where Nick picked up his car that he left out there.  The drive back was really slow, but I was in pretty good spirits.  We went to Big Star for lunch and then I took a nap before more fun and playing, espcially with goofy Marty.

Sunday was pretty low-key, especially in the morning:

After brunch at Jam, we headed back home for a nap and then dinner (pizza!) on the roof.  As soon as Steve, Marty, and Sara left, Mom and Dad went to get-ready-for-the-week-mode, but I was happy that Nick and Aunt Claire were still fun.

Last year I took my Grandma to school!

On Monday I woke up with Aunt Claire and after breakfast we went to cooking class — but for the first time we walked over.  Because we hadn’t walked before, I kept saying, “I don’t see cooking class, Aunt Claire!”  On the meny today were tortilla chips and salsa.  I loved it!  We came back and then I got to watch Claire’s friend, Andy, paint her bedroom.  It was very exciting!  Maybe Dad and Grandpa Droste will repaint my room sometime soon!  I took a good nap and woke up asking to back down and see Aunt Claire’s room!  Mom got home and went out to dinner with her friend, Bridget, so I got even more quality time with A/C, until she put me to bed.

On Tuesday I went to Target with A/C and wante dto push the cart around — I never realized how heavy they are!  We got back and went to the park, where I just wanted to swing the whole time.  Then we went to music class, which was more awesome than ever.  Miss Julie is great and man, having two hands makes me an even better dancer!  When we got home, I was excited to see Nana and have lunch with her.  After my nap, we made a trip to Wicker Park, which was great again.

After breakfast on Wednesday, Aunt Claire and I walked to cooking class again.  We made tofu tacos and I devoured them (even though it was still before noon!).  I liked getting to sit next to Miss Erin.  Then we went to Whole Foods where there were even more samples than usual – the fruit was especially yummy!  In the afternoon we went into the yard and I watered the flowers and played with the hose, getting myself and Aunt Claire soaked.  Yay! I laughed every time I hosed her.  Then I met her friend Luke right before Mom came home.  I got to help make dinner (salmon, potatoes, zucchini), which I loved.

I woke up with Julie on Thursday and I was very shy at soccer practice.  I kept clinging to her led and crying every time the coaches asked me to do anything.  FInally I was happy to play when they got the bubbles out and I loved helping to clean up.  Then we stayed at the park for the rest of the morning until lunch time.  My new game is to call Julie “Aunt Claire” and then laughing as soon as I do.  It’s a great game!  When we got home I tried using the potty, but without much success.  I ate chicken soup and milk with Nana and then slept from 1:30 to 3:45.  I woke up in a great mood, ate a snack, and took off for the park!

After I spent the morning playing with Julie, I got to hang out with Aunt Claire in the afternoon because Mom and Dad went on vacation (without me!!!) to Milwaukee.  After my nap we went down to Claire’s room and I helped put some of her books away on her bookshelf.   Then we went to the store to buy ingredients to make our own tofu tacos!  Then we went to Target where Aunt Claire bought me a new splash pool and some toothpaste.  On our way back, we picked up our new crop of veggies for the week.

I woke up extra early on Saturday (sorry, Claire!) and wanted to read books.  We made eggs and ate some cereal before walking over to BoD to get a Dobble Dog and orange juice…and of course, we continued on to Starbucks for A/C’s coffee fix.  On our way back we hit the park where I got to splash with the bears.  Then I changed into dry close and A/C took me over to Nana’s for some extra fun.  I walked into the roo strutting my usual jump/walk/dance routing.  I was starving and was delighted to see a home-cooked lunch awaiting me (thanks, Nana!).  I took a good nap and fun with Nana and Grandpa until A/C came to get me at 8.  When she put me to bed, my last words to her were, “Aunch Claire, just go sleep on your gray pillow!”

Sunday morning I went with A/C to buy some more pull-ups.  When we got home, we took the tricycle to Starbucks to get coffee for A/C and vanilla milk for me.  We stopped by the farmers’ market in the park on the way home.  I ate so many cheese and bacon samples — I was stuffed!  And of course, I got soaked with the bears and played in the water for half and hour.  I love the summer!

While I was at the park, I saw my friend Asher from cooking class.  After lunch and a short nap, I put on my swimsuit and we went out in the yard for play time in my new splash pool.  We cleaned the leaves out and then I had a great time playing.  In fact, I was in the pool when Mom and Dad got home.  They were excited to see me, but I declared, “Don’t just take me out of my pool!”  I wasn’t happy to go inside, but I was happy to go with Dad to get my haircut and to help A/C make tofu tacos when we got back!

Last year involved Home Depot craziness!