Magnolia and Isabelle

Isabelle and Magnolia with their flower painted cheeks at the Community Walk celebration at East City Park

Magnolia has a new friend! A real friend! We met Isabelle and her mom Caitlyn at Coop Kids. Right away it was noticeable that Maggie and Isabelle were very similar little girls---quiet, like to cling to mommy, and careful observers. They've had a few play dates now and they really seem to enjoy each other's company! I'm so excited Moo has a new little friend!!

Here is a a close up of the flower face painting Maggie got at the park. Both her and Isabelle sat statue-like as the young girl painted them a pink and purple flower!

Such girls!

Another Letter to My Daughter

Miss Magnolia-

It's been awhile since Mommy has written you a letter. We've had lots of time the last three months with each other, and I've been watching you first hand grow into quite the little girl! I realized yesterday I really can't call you a toddler any more. You're certainly turning into quite the "preschooler." Everything is so incredibly interesting to you right now. You have to list off all the letters you see on every sign we pass. You must also type those amazing letters on the computer to make the names of the people (and pets) you love. You have mastered that incredible tool we call "scissors" and now you must cut about everything! We've had some interesting conversations about what is okay to cut and what isn't. Frequently you tell me "Teach me Mommy!" when you encounter something new that you know you don't quite know enough about yet. I hope so much for you that your internal drive to learn sticks with you your whole life---there will always be new things to explore and learn about, and doing so will only help you to better understand yourself and what makes you who you are.

I can't deny it now either, but you certainly have this feisty streak about you. You feel everything 100% and you have no difficulties expressing how you feel. You feel many, many different feelings each day, but you're beginning to talk to me more about those feelings, and you are really trying to problem solve the best way to handle it. I'm not going to lie though---some days this makes your mommy very, very tired!

You seem to be enjoying living in Moscow very much. According to you, you have cows, grizzly bears, and big horn sheep in Moscow, and you actually refer to them in the possessive form, as though they are actually your cows, grizzlies, and big horns. You love that we can walk to the library and I'm certain that we couldn't check out enough books for you to ever get bored.

Very soon our lives are going to change---a lot! I'm going to be a mommy to another little one, and you are going to take on the very important role of being a big sister. So many people tell me that they think you are going to be a great sister, especially when they watch you carefully care for your baby dolls. I know this too. You ARE going to be an amazing sister.

Miss Magnolia, I just adore you! My love continues to grow for you (incredibly so) each day.

Mama

Palouse Discovery Center

Magnolia and I finally got over to Pullman to visit the discovery center there. It had been on our agenda ever since we had arrived in Moscow. I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I wasn't sure that many of the activities were going to be developmentally appropriate for Maggie, and it's kind of a big expense for us to drive there and pay for admission, considering most the things we do in Moscow we walk to, and they're usually free. We couldn't have been more pleased though! There were TONS of great activities for young children, and it took Maggie forever just to leave one corner of the building. I couldn't believe how many great activity boxes they had for children either---it was sort of a teacher's dream! I'm hoping we'll be able to make a trip there once a month or so, and we may consider a membership. The membership is good for many discovery centers, including the one in Boise!

Enjoy the pics...

Petting a raccoon!

There were many animals for the children to "pet gently." Maggie was quite pleased to share with me that the coyote "is as soft as Boston!"

Digging for bones! In a giant table of lentils.

She was SO excited about all the manipulative boxes. She had to do this one because "Auntie Sara has bears for me and teacher Chris has this (a scale) for me"---so of course she already knew exactly what to do.

The live animal room was fantastic. Turtles, snakes, tarantulas, rats, geckos ("just like Auntie Hailey's"), and more...oh my!

In this picture she's pointing to the tarantula!

There were lots of blocks and other building apparatuses.

This is the "house" she built.

See...what fun! We can't wait to go back.

The Baby Stack

Maggie, Mommy and Baby Brother or Sister (32 weeks!)

From the looks and comments I've been getting, apparently I've "popped." This kind of surprised me---I didn't think I could get much bigger!

Sunday Funday

So what do you do on a boring Sunday morning when you spent the whole previous week being sick, and now your daddy's sick?

You put press on tattoos all over your arms, stay in your pajamas, ride your bike around the house, go get a "coffee" (strawberry steamer) with Mommy, and then take a three hour nap.

Not too bad for a Sunday.

Magnificent Magnolia Day

A Palouse flower!

She spotted the "Big Red Barn"

An absolutely beautiful day

Snack time while taking in the magnificent Palouse

Oh, so bright! But it feels so good!

Watching fish in the pond

We decided to get out and enjoy this beautiful spring day with a hike in the arboretum. Maggie got to see geese, robins, fish and a big red barn. She wasn't impressed so much with the barn when she realized it was for plants and not animals.

She got to hear frogs croaking (couldn't find them though), and amazingly enough the moon was still out! She also spotted a crescent moon above the restroom sign---very exciting!

Of course about half way through our little hike she decided to lay down and soak up some sun---typical Maggie.

Today was quite the day to be living in Moscow!

"I'm just a little bit sick."

The perfect medicine---a good cuddle from your dog.

After dinner last night Magnolia told me that tummy hurt and she thought she was going to throw up. I pulled out the old trusty "throw-up bucket" thinking that maybe this was just one of those pretend situations, but feeling that she was really telling the truth this time. Her and Auntie Sara were watching videos of baby Maggie on the blog when sure enough, Maggie gagged, and Sara knew what was coming. Luckily we had the throw-up bucket out so disaster was diverted. Sara carried her out to Zac and I, and our night began. Maggie was sick throughout the night but only threw up about 5 times (this is MUCH better than the last time she had the flu). She kept telling us "I'm just a little bit sick" after each time she threw up. I think she just wanted to play with Aunt Sara, Uncle Brad and Baby Cousin.

In the morning she was anxious to play with Baby Cousin, who had developed a horrible cough and some serious congestion (poor girls!). Maggie played as much as her little body allowed, and as much as we felt was safe enough not to completely share her flu germs. She insisted on taking Aunt Sara, Uncle Brad and Baby Cousin to the airport, so we all hopped in the car and dropped them off. This of course made her a bit sad, but she seemed to be feeling a little better. Now this evening she has a fever, but she's still in good spirits.

She sure is missing her Sagey Poo though!

Let's just hope that I don't catch this one too!! Getting the stomach flu in the first trimester of this pregnancy was bad enough, I can't imagine it again in the third!!

Celebrating Spring 2011

Sage woke Maggie up at 6:30am, and look how happy she looked.

I can't say that the rest of us looked this happy first thing this morning:)

Juice and Baby Cousin in the morning---perfect!

What's more "spring" than flip-flops?

Still drinking the juice...

Yippee, organic fruit snacks!

Here are the pictures of Maggie and Sage discovering their baskets full of Spring! Apparently they were full of squeals and giggles of joy upon seeing each other at the airport, and it hasn't stopped yet!

She's Almost Here!