Welcome Jack!

Welcome Jack: Oct. 1st, 2011
A healthy 10 lbs 10 oz and 22.5 inches long.

Testing out the new mobile app...

Hopefully we'll be able to update this big more often now. :)

Daddy's Little Helper

While up in Caseville for the weekend, Maggie decided to help Daddy do a little grocery shopping at the local IGA.

For Daddy...

Happy Mother's Day 2010

Happy Mother's day Mommy. I still love you with all my heart! -Maggie

Imagination Station - Toledo Ohio

While Becki was working a chocolate show in Oregon Ohio, Maggie and Dad decided to check out the newly renamed "imagination station" in downtown Toledo. Toledo.... who would have thought? It was surprisingly very nice and had a beautiful location right on the Maumee river. We look forward to coming back in the summer time (perhaps by boat?) and exploring the outdoor attractions.

The imagination station is very similar to the Ann Arbor Hands-On-Museum. Many, many, many science and learning based attractions geared toward children. Maggie probably had the most in the black right room with the walls of mirrors:

What a Fun Weekend!

Busy, busy, busy and fun!

We started out yesterday morning by going to the Nursery School Olympics. What a great event! They had probably close to 20 different activities for toddlers and pre-schoolers. Every 'event,' like the Obstacle Course, the Marshmallow Shot-Put, the Big Wheel Race and the Pirate Tug-of-War had a special sticker to put on your sheet that listed the events (so you could be sure to do every one), and then everyone got prizes! There really wasn't any competition, and each of the activities we did were individual, not actually against anyone else. The last activity to complete was getting your medal and getting up on the podium to get your certificate. It was great for Maggie, if somewhat over-stimulating!

After the Nursery School Olympics, we headed over to MicroCenter to get a new laptop! Yay! Having a laptop will make it much easier for me to accept some computer jobs, since I'll have a reliable back-up machine, has made it easier for us (mostly Andy) to clear off my desktop and reformat, and I'll also be able to take a laptop with me to chocolate shows in different tax areas and charge the right amount for orders, since I can enter them on the spot. Very exciting! We also got the newest and best-est virus stuff, and a new ergonomic keyboard for me - it is super!!

Since we were already out and about, we then went to the mall to browse a bit and get some spring work clothes for Andy. Maggie was bribed to good behavior by knowings she'd get to play in the kids' area once we were done with mommy and daddy's stuff. She's having such a good time playing with other kids lately!

Today she got to play in another mall play area while mommy went to her Cakes for the Queen of Heaven class, then we all enjoyed a walk in the nearly 50 degree evening before dinner. We're winding it all up with two fixed up computers, a bit of progress on cleaning up the office, and some chillin time for mommy and daddy, since Maggie went right to bed tonight (as opposed to the last few nights...ahh, life with a toddler...).

Hope you had a super weekend as well!

Winter Fun!

As much as I gripe about the cold and snow, I had to put up one of my favorite winter pictures. Maggie asks a few times a week to go out and sled or make a 'snowman' (her definition is pretty liberal - she just wants to hold a piece of snow). Unfortunately, other than Maggie's cuteness, none of these activities hold any appeal for me. Luckily her daddy feels the opposite. He loves the cold and snow, and all the fun activities they can do outside. On Monday he hurried home from work to get back while there was still a bit of daylight so he could build a wonderful snowman with his favorite helper. We made sure to get some pictures of the snowman, including its hair, arms and face. Maggie still asks about him every time we come home, "Is that my snowman?" Why yes, Maggie, it is.

Fun at the Boat Show!

Maggie got an airbrushed mermaid on her arm.

Maggie and Daddy peaking out the porthole at Mommy:

Maggie, Grandpa and a hot-dog-boat:

Captain at the wheel:

The Hands On Museum of Ann Arbor

Maggie and Daddy decided to explore the Children's Hands On Museum in downtown Ann Arbor. A fun day was had by all! Maggie enjoyed playing with all the fun "toys" while Dad tried to entertain the thought that he was actually teaching her a thing or two about science.

Maggie had fun playing "garden" by grabbing (plastic) flowers from inside the motor home and planting them into the (plastic) dirt:

The ball rolls left, the ball rolls right. The ball rolls left, the ball rolls right...

Playing with the Tesla coil. Daddy was so proud. :)

Maggie pulled up a gigantic bubble around herself:

Taking a break next to her new friend "Mr. Mousey":

Climbing the kiddie sized rock wall:

Building a tower from building blocks:

Happy Valentines Day!!

Swimming with Daddy

In the new year, we're finding lots of fun things for Maggie to do, since mommy would rather be inside while it's cold! The activity that has started first is swimming class. We purposely scheduled this one in the evening, as it's more daddy's style and gives Maggie and daddy some fun time together. And it meets right at good ole Churchill High, so it's nice and close.

It's a pretty loosely structured half-hour class. The instructor mentions some 'goals' before everyone gets in the pool and then she just tries to stop in with each group to see how they're doing as class progresses. For the last five minutes or so, everyone gets together to sing some classics like 'Motorboat, Motorboat,' 'The Wheels on the Bus,' and the 'Pancake Song' (which was also in swimming class with mommy a couple years ago.

Maggie looks forward to swimming with daddy. Although her lips are usually blue by the time class is over, she loves every minute of it and still asks to swim more when it's time to go home.

Sledding with Uncle Bunny

My long time friend, affectionately known as 'Uncle Bunny' to Maggie, joined us on a Sunday afternoon for some sledding in Hines Park. Maggie was apprehensive about taking the ride, but she did make two trips: one with Daddy and one with Uncle Bunny. She had more fun standing at the top giving us all pushes to start our way down.

Wordless Wednesday

Maggie Loves Her Bubbles!

Maggie had so much fun blowing bubbles at Mimi and Papa's house, they broke out the "big gun" for Thanksgiving weekend.

Her laugh is 100% intoxicating. We'll never get tired of hearing it.

Ms. Maggie's Christmas List

Okay. If you're looking for gift ideas for Maggie, you've come to the right place.' So far she's definitely getting the Loving Family Grand Dollhouse. She'll definitely need more accessories to go with it! The rooms/sets she does not need are as follows:

• Parents
• Twin babies
• Dining Room
• Living Room
• Puppy Playtime
• Nursery
• Work-at-Home Office
• Grandma and brother
• Camping set
• Kids' Room (girl)
• Mini-van

I'll try to keep this list updated if anyone lets me know of other things she does not need for her house. There are about a billion different rooms/sets/accessories available to go with this house, so we'll probably be collecting this stuff for years to come! Other ideas of things Maggie would probably enjoy include:

• Fisher Price Little People play-sets and people
• Kohl's for Kids books and animals (they have four sets available where the animal and the book are just $5 each. She has the cat and "If You Give a Cat a Cupcake" book, but doesn't have the other three books or accompanying animals)
• clothes for her Cabbage Patch Kid

Of course this isn't an exhaustive list, but I just wanted to throw a few things out for those of you currently asking. Her clothes are currently size 2T, and her shoes are a 6 1/2.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!!

Wishing a hauntingly fun Halloween to you and yours!

Maggie on Ice

Maggie went to her first ice show recently. Judging by her reaction, I would say she had a good time.

A Halloweekend at Cedar Point

Maggie got her first taste of a real amusement park the other weekend as we pack up the car and headed out for the opening of "Halloweekends" at Cedar Point in Sandusky Ohio. Along with her Mommy and Daddy, Maggie was able to enjoy the day with Aunt Sarah, Uncle Pete, Aunt Alicia, Uncle Rob, Uncle Nolan and Grandpamama. We tried the school bus and lolli-swing in 'Camp Snoopy', but Maggie wasn't much of a fan. She had more fun riding the smaller kiddie rides towards the front of the park. It's too bad we didn't find these rides until the day was almost over. This didn't stop Maggie from trying to cram a ride into every last minute of the day. She was going strong all the way until the park closed. That's our girl!

'Finding Nemo' through the eyes of a 2-year old