Maggie and Tommy’s Announcement

Maggie and Tommy are excited to announce they will have a new sibling in July!  While the pictures didn’t go as well as we had planned, we promise the kids are very excited!  We do not know if it is a boy or girl and won’t be finding out this time around.  Pretty much daily Maggie changes her mind between whether it is a boy or girl.  It will be a surprise for all of us come mid-July.  We are thrilled to be adding one more to our happy little family.

Swimming Lessons

Maggie has been taking swimming lessons at Foss in Woodbury for 8-9 weeks now.  We still have a few lessons left but it is crazy how much she has progressed.  Just this last Saturday the teacher was helping her back float and moved her hands out from underneath and Maggie was floating on her own.  To think she is that relaxed in the water to just lay there and float…she has come a long way.  This is also the first set of lessons she has had where they are actually learning to swim and work on strokes.  The first few weeks trying to remember to stick her face in the water, kick, and do “scoops” with her arms all at the same time were definitely challenging.  We are getting really close to putting all 3 together and looking like a “real” swimmer.  We are  so proud of her…of course we still wish the progress was faster…as these lesson are expensive! 

The nicest thing about the lessons as that at her age group they have a maximum class size of 3. 

Maggie has no fear of putting her face in the water but every time she comes up she is quick to wipe her eyes and her hair out of her face.

Working on her "scoops"

Valentine’s Day and Randoms

We have a had a busy couple weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.  Both kids were sick and home from school on different days which makes everything a little more chaotic.  We have done a good job hiding inside from the cold.  This past weekend it finally warmed up enough for some outdoor activities.

At 15 months I decided it was time to start Tommy's trike practice.  Maggie started around the same age.

His legs aren't long enough to reach the pedals so I had to add a couple inches of padding to them so his feet reach. 

I started letting him have vitamins in the morning with his sister

He thinks they are a real treat

 

The cousin bike gang.  Cal, Luca and Tommy

Maggie still really enjoys her one-on-one time.  She has been wanting to go back to a "game place" for a long time.  I finally caved and we ventured out to Chuck E. Cheese, just the two of us.

Maggie was really into the junior version of Dance Revolution

We managed to pop a balloon and got quite a few tickets

This was another of Maggie's favorites.  I couldn't believe how many baskets she could make all by herself.  She played this game at least 10 times.

She did this all by herself and when the machine started spitting out tickets she started dancing in place...it was hilarious.

Proud little peacock.  We ended up with close to 700 tickets...and for that we got 2 plastic bracelets, an inflatable Frisbee, and a miniature Laffy Taffy.

 

Tommy has started to use utensils a lot more when he eats.  He might hold his spoon like a caveman. 

I took Tommy to run errands.  He loved being able to run up and down the sidewalks finally. 

Valentine's Day at our house

Maggie was really into Valentine's day this year.  Both handing them out and receiving them.

Tommy got a new book from us.

Maggie opening a new dress from Grandma Morawitz

Tommy also got his first tee ball set

 

Tommy trying out his winter sports helmet. 

Maggie's first time playing hockey with mom and she loved it.  She did tell me she needed new ice skates afterwards.  She said "the trainer skates" (the double blade skates) were too slow for her.   

Sunday we met up with the Mansell's and Bostow's for some sledding and skating in New Richmond.  Aunt Kelly was nice enough to lug Tommy up and down the hill a few times.  He seemed to like it.

In between sledding and skating we had lunch at Subway.  All of the kids sat together at their own table and did great.  Tommy loves hanging out with his cousins. 

Maggie in her new skates

After and hour or so she had it figured out and already wants to go back.  She says her skates are "sooo fast".

Word Girl

For the past 3-4 months while our house was being built and we were in the rental house we didn’t have cable/satellite TV for the first time in like 7 years.  While Susie and I felt like we were missing “all our shows” the kids on the other hand fell in love with PBS.  It was one of the 4-5 channels we got.  We were so used to having the Disney channel, Nick Jr., etc. that we never watched shows on PBS in the past.  Maggie fell in love instantly with the show Word Girl.  That was fine with us because it is more educational than the stuff she would normally watch on Nick Jr.  At the end of every episode for like a month they kept advertising that Word Girl was coming to the Mall of America and you could go meet her.  Of course Maggie heard this and asked to go just about every day.  We dangled it over her head like a carrot for about 3 weeks (worked wonders for staying in her bed all night :) )  and then the day finally arrived when Word Girl was going to be there.  We headed out to the mall last Sunday and not only did we meet Word Girl, but Tommy also got his first taste of the rides at Nickelodeon Universe.  Let’s just say we officially have two ride junkies. 

Maggie is finally 42".  42" is the gateway height to some pretty big rides at Mall.  She tried out two "big girl rides" all by herself.  This one was pretty scary and she told me her tummy hurt afterwards. 

This was the other big ride she did.  She looks like such a little peanut next to the other kids.  She liked this one much better than the first one.

Tommy and Mommy Susie on the back of the truck, Maggie is driving

 

Tommy taking one of multiple rides in Swiper's Cars.  He loved them! He was laughing so hard.  It was so cute.  When we got off he started using his sign language and signing more. 

Tommy's thumbs up.  It is so cute

This was about the 4th time on the same ride

Tommy and Maggie also both still love the carousel

Meeting Word Girl for the first time!

She was in love

They also had a writing contest/coloring at the event.  Maggie worked really hard on her picture and writing her name for about 45 minutes while we waited to meet Word Girl.  Much to my surprise Maggie wanted to give Word Girl her art work. 

 

Word Girl was flattered.

Tommy passed out during the Word Girl part

Still looks like a baby at the end of the day