Snowman

Maggie became obsessed with snowmen when her Grandma Tara started reading her the Frosty the Snowman book. So with ALL THIS FREAKIN' SNOW we had to make ourselves a snowman of our own! This snowman looked fantastic about 4 hours ago, but of course there hasn't been a break from the snow, so now he looks like some sort of crazy snow monster.

Oh well, there's plenty more snow to make another one tomorrow, or a hundred more!

Do Princesses Fix Flat Bicycle Tires?

Maggie headed down to the garage with Daddy to help with a request of Mommy's to have her table's stools cut shorter so she can actually sit on them without falling off. She discovered Daddy's bicycle tire pump, and insisted that Daddy show her how to use it. She then preceded to fill up all the tires on her bike (plastic tires that is) with air. She then filled up Mommy's and Daddy's bike tires with air too.

I think we have another bicycle mechanic in the family...her work attire is a bit fancier though.

Maggie's House, Part 1

Here's some house pictures for those of you who have been asking to see them. I'll add some of the upstairs later. I'm not going to show everything though---if you want to see the rest of the house you'll just have to come visit us:)

Hallway from Playroom to Living Room

Playroom/Office

Playroom

Playroom and Patio Doors to Deck

Kitchen from Playroom

Kitchen from Dining Room

Dining Room

We found this table before we left Boise, and got an amazing deal on it. We're loving having an actual dining table.

Living Room

Living Room with Staircase

Living Room with Part of Bay Window

What do you do with all this snow????

You play in it!!

Feelings

SURPRISED

BORED

EXCITED

MAD

HAPPY

SHY

She really needed this...

It's a Tea Party

I would have never guessed that my 2 1/2 year old would love sitting and having tea parties. Maggie's always been interested in the activities that mimic what she sees around her. She loves taking care of babies, she loves cooking in her kitchen, and she loves making and drinking tea---she is apparently quite the domestic diva. Today I got her all squared away with a teapot full of tea, a pitcher with some milk in it and a sugar bowl.

We sat and had great conversation about what her baby is up to, and enjoyed some tea together.

It was a great tea party!

She asked me to also take a picture of her with her baby:)

More Pictures from Maggie's Last Week at School

Showing Chelsie the baby in her tummy

Reading her family book with one of her favorite student teachers, Brooke

She loves this dollhouse, and Kamlin:)

Reading Books

Storytime at the library with her friends!

Stuff My Kid Says and Does

• EVERYTHING she does now that's silly or funny, is followed with "I did this when I was a baby." Apparently she did lots of silly jumps, and crazy somersaults as a baby:)
• If there is something she's hesitant about she tells me, "I'll do that when I'm big."
• She says "There's something I like at Mazzah." When I ask "What?" She smiles and responds with a big smile, "HUMMUS!"
• She says "There is someone I like in Moscow." When I ask "Who?" She smiles and responds "Joe!"
• She likes to set up her babies on the stairs and "drive" them places.
• She LOVES to have birthday parties. When the cable guy was here setting up our internet she never actually spoke to him, just told me right in front of him that he was going to stay and have a happy birthday party with her. He smiled, and apologized saying he had to go do some work at another house.
• She calls her daddy "Uncle Daddy." I know, I know! Zac's completely freaked out that she's going to say this to someone who doesn't know us well, and they'll think we've got some crazy incestuous family or something. She explained that Daddy is Sage and Issac's uncle, so he's an "Uncle Daddy."
• She talks to imaginary people when she's playing. I frequently hear her in the other room carrying on a conversation with someone. Sometimes it's someone she knows, and she is just pretending they are there playing with her. Last weekend Issac hit her baby, and she even came into the kitchen to tattle on him after scolding him herself.
• She calls us "Honey Sweetheart." I wonder where she picked that up?
• Her favorite treat is officially...JELLY BEANS! Those of you that supplied her know who you are:)
• She now works at Zamzows (still with Jason, only he works there "just a little bit"). She sells balls there and cleans windows.
• She lifts up her shirt and asks me to feel her baby kicking multiple time throughout the day. Even out in public.

There is so much more, but I could go on and on! Basically she's the cutest little thing, and I get to watch, listen to, play with and cuddle her all day!

Hello WINTER

Spring, almost, and then two days later...

we wake up to Winter!

When we arrived in Moscow it was mostly spring-like weather with a few intrusions of winter---fairly sunny, some rain, and an occasional snow flurry that wouldn't stick too much. Then Winter really hit. We woke up one morning, and looked outside to find a winter wonderland. Each morning we've woken to even more snow, at least a couple more inches each day.

Maggie and Boston are loving it. Maggie and I took Boston to the park that Zac and I used to take Boston to when she was a puppy. Boston ran around in crazy circles, shoving her snout into the fantastic snow. Maggie dropped to the ground and rolled around, just laughing and giggling. Ahh....Moscow winters.

Meet Bob

Maggie has been asking for a "pink kitty" for quite awhile. Zac is quite adamant about no more cats, so he has promised her that when she finds an actual "pink kitty," she can have it---he's certain she'll never find one.

Zac and I both agreed though that it would be nice to get her a little something special with our move. We decided that a fish would be perfect. When I told Maggie that she could get a fish she stated quickly that she wanted a pink one, and she wanted to name him Bob. Why Bob? Well, Zac bought her this silly book when she was younger called Fifteen Animals, By Sandra Boynton. The character in the book has fifteen animals, all of which are named...Bob of course. So last weekend we ventured out to find our new little family member. A pink Bob! She adores him. She feeds him, sits and talks to him, and even reads him books.

Now if we could just find a pink kitty:)

Updates, Updates, Updates

Riding in her Vandalmobile at the grocery store!

walking to daddy's new office

family storytime at the library

lounging in her tub

enjoying some morning coffee (a splash of decaf in some milk) with mommy

dressing up in her playroom

Magnolia is still doing very well with this big transition. This weekend she was actually extremely happy and content. I’m not sure if it was because she’s feeling the comfort of this simple life as well, or if it had something to do with Daddy being home more than he was during the week. Zac was actually in Couer d’ Alene on Friday evening with two of the principals from The Land Group, Phil and Dave. He assisted with their move out of the office there, and then Phil and Dave joined us back in Moscow Saturday evening. We all went to the U of I basketball game and had a blast. Maggie spent the first half very quiet, watching everyone (especially her “favorite boy” Joe Vandal) very closely. By the second half she was belting out the fight song, dancing, and asked to go down and see Joe. Zac, Dave, Phil and I just watched and laughed. It was so great having them here.

This week is going to be all about getting Maggie back on a child friendly routine---less boring errands ran all day, and household chores that leave me running around like a crazed woman, and her a bored and acting-out toddler. My focus will be to get her out in the community where she can meet and spend time with peers, and to incorporate as many of her interests into developmentally appropriate activities at home. I’m trying to learn the balance of creating an early learning environment and a home environment at the same time. I have to admit, it was always a relief to me that so many of her early learning needs and interests were met at school. I’m also learning the intense benefit of support, growth and learning that comes from peer interaction. It’s a lot to assume you can be your child’s “everything.” Her mother, her teacher, and her friend. I’ve seen some mothers do this very well, and others that have struggled with it. We’ll see how it goes for me.

We attended family story time at the Moscow Public Library last week, and will plan to do that each Thursday. Family story time included many of the same activities as the story time in Boise, but at the end, a family art activity was included. This was actually Maggie’s favorite part of story time, and I got to chat and meet some of the other mothers of toddlers in the area. Most of the families were from Viola which I thought was interesting.

My hope for this week is to also visit the Moscow Parent/Toddler Cooperative. This group meets each weekday morning, but each family chooses which days they would like to attend. Parents prepare activities, snacks, field trips, etc, so participating in the group is done at a minimal cost. I’m hoping it will be a great way for Maggie to meet some new friends. I’ll keep everyone updated about how it goes.

Baby Sister or Brother Update: I’m so happy to report that we found a doctor! After a few doctor interviews we have chosen a family practice doctor in Moscow, Helen Shearer, for the rest of our prenatal care, and labor and delivery. The family practice doctors in Moscow deliver around 50% of the babies born in the area. I think I’m really going to enjoy that she can support the WHOLE family. She’ll be able to care for the baby right after the baby is born, and she will see both the baby and me for postnatal visits. Before our interview with her, which was at 10:45am, she had already done 6 OB visits. She delivers all her own babies, unless she is out of town, and averages 50-60 deliveries a year. I was so pleased to hear the epidural rate is only 50% in Moscow. She shared that Gritman, the hospital here in Moscow, is very supportive of natural childbirth.

Baby is quite the active little thing; moving around inside me all day and night it seems. I even woke the other morning to a lopsided belly! I learned at the 20 week ultrasound that my placenta is in the back of my uterus pushing the baby forward. This explains the early kicks that I felt, and how quickly I started showing. We also watched baby attempt multiple times to bring his/her thumb to mouth. It was beautiful! We can’t wait to meet our little mover and wannabe thumb sucker!

Life in Moscow

Is amazingly simple. Which is such a change of pace for us. I was so worried about this big life transition for Maggie and she seems to be doing quite well. She comments frequently about her "new home" which makes me realize she's really processing that things are different, and that our home is here now. She's been acting out a bit in public, but considering all the errands she has had to endure with me, I'm understanding the way she's reacting.

She is absolutely loving that we live so close to Russel Elementary, where she gets to watch the "big kids"play during the day, and then we get to go and play there as well in the afternoon. She loves that we can walk to our library, and she especially loved that she found a Signing Time DVD on her first visit there. She loves that Vandals are everywhere, and she can't wait to see "her favorite boy" (Joe Vandal). She is enthralled by the ice and water dispenser on the refrigerator, and fills up about 5 cups of water a day. She loves going up and down the stairs, and choosing which potty she is going to use.

Tomorrow we are going to the preschool story time, and next week we plan to visit the Parent/Toddler Cooperative playgroup to see if it's a good fit for us.

Next week, after we are all unpacked and a little more settled, hopefully we will start getting settled into more of a routine.

For those friends that we weren't able to get together with before we left, I'm so sorry. We were unbelievably busy those last three weeks, and were living in complete chaos. I PROMISE that we will get together when we get to Boise, when we'll actually have more time to visit and socialize then our busy life allowed previously. We already miss all of you. And don't forget...you are always welcome to visit us in Moscow!

To family, I don't know quite what to say. As usual, I'm humbled by your love and support. Every time we think "maybe we can do this on our own" we realize that we can't get by without the support of our loved ones. To those of you who helped us pack, clean, cared for Maggie, cared for Boston, shared words of encouragement and love, prepared to sell our home, etc.----WE LOVE YOU!!!!!! Please visit soon, call often, and Skype us lots, and we'll see you on our next visit to Boise before you know it.

Stay posted for more updates. We still don't have Internet, so updates may be coming less often for a bit, and late in the evenings when I sneak away for a decaf and some blog time at One World:)

Last Week of School

Tears are still filling my eyes, even as I write (in a coffee shop in downtown Moscow---kind of embarrassing by the way), about Maggie having to say goodbye to her friends, Chris and the other teachers who have loved and supported her for over two years. Maggie has LOVED her time at school. She has learned and experienced so many amazing things at school that have supported her in becoming the amazing 2 1/2 year old she is today. Everyday I'm amazed at some tidbit of information she shares that she learned from school, I am struck by the power of her friendships with her little friends whom she adores. I'm humbled by the love, care and support she has received from Chris and a few of the student staff that have cared for her over the years---Chelsie, Brooke and Charlene especially. I keep reminding myself that her time in this loop with Chris and her friends would have been coming to an end this spring/summer anyways, and we would have been making that big transition to preschool. Zac and I knew that moving to Moscow, and the life we would have here, was going to provide new and fantastic opportunities for Maggie, but it's never easy letting go of something that is already so good.

Chris got Maggie a special "moon cake" for her last day at school. Her friends decided that the cake called for a "Happy Birthday Party" in Maggie's honor, so they went ahead and sang her "Happy Birthday." Considering how much she's "into" birthdays and birthday parties, I couldn't imagine a better last day.

Below are some pictures Chris e-mailed me of Maggie's last day of school. Enjoy...

Chris and Maggie reading Maggie's family book that she made for school. Maggie asked to take it with her, and we read it almost daily. Chris always supported a home/school connection to help Maggie and the other children feel secure.

The Moon Cake

Just a little happy I think:)

Maggie and Chris

Friends, friends, friends...this last year was all about building relationships with her peers.

Have I mentioned she loved school?

Gak....a Maggie favorite!

Maggie and her baby...Maggie has been playing with this baby for two years. Out of all the dolls in the class, she always chooses this one to play with. This doll was Chris' daughter's. On Maggie's last day she asked Chris if she could take the baby to her new house in Moscow.

Chris of course let Maggie keep the dolly.