Margaret Yagan

I woke up Monday morning with Dad and was delighted to learn about my new schedule.  On Mondays I get to hangout all day with Aunt Claire!  And as an added bonus, two two of us get to go to cooking class.  Normally you’d think cooking requires two hands — but not for me.  We had a fun time making a Very Berry Cherry Salad.  Yum!

We also spent some quality time playing (being careful not to fall on my hand!) and having a yummy lunch before nap time.  My hand is still pretty swollen but I’m definitely getting used to the splint.  After my nap I played with A/C until Dad got home and got me dinner and ready for bed.

Tuesday was another surprise!  More of waking up with Dad and then hanging out with Aunt Claire after he left for work.  We went to music class (Wiggleworms!).  It was fun, but we didn’t realliy care for the teacher.  Maybe I’ll switch to another class session and hope for a better teacher.  When we got home, Nana was here with lunch ready for me.  I ate and had lunch and then had a fun time playing with Nana until dinner time.

Wednesday’s schedule included another full day with Aunt Claire.  Dad got me up and then I went to the top of the stairs and yelled down to Claire: “Aunt Claire, where are you?!”  I played and helped Aunt Claire get ready downstairs and then went to another session of cooking class.  This time we made tebouleh!  Not quite as good as Nana’s, but still yummy!  I sampled each and every ingrediated that came by, so I had to watch my hands a bunch.  We came back home and played in the living room and had an early lunch at 11 so we could leave for the hospital at 11:30, where we met Daddy.  I had to get another x-Ray and have my hand examined.  The bad news is that it looks like I have three broken bones and possible damage to the growth plate on my middle finger.

I got a purple cast and did a great job.  I’m so glad to be rid of my dinosaur blanket!  We gothome and read two books and then went to sleep for a very long nap.  When I got up, A/C celebrated my new cast with a trip to get ice cream!  There was a tornado watch so we ran downstairs and hid.  We called Aunt Sarah, so it turned out to be fun.

On Thursday I woke up not feeling great, but I had a good morning with Julie nonetheless.  I was supposed to go to soccer practice, but my cast made that a bad idea.  Nana came over for the afternoon.

Friday was a terrible day.  The morning was fine with Julie, but I kept feeling worse and worse.  Around 3:00, Aunt Claire, Mom, Dad, and I got in the car and headed down to Dow.  About half-way there, I started running  a really bad fever.  We stopped by a Subway and got a huge cup of ice water to dip towels in.  We got to Grandma and Grandpa Droste’s and I just went to sleep.

Saturday was even worse.  I ended up having to go to the Emergency Room, where I was diagnosed with a virus — meaning I couldn’t get any medicine!   But I did get a purple popsicle!  Sunday was pretty much more of the same.  A lot of sleeping, tylenol, and motrin.  Between my cast and my virus, I was a pretty pathetic site:

Last year I was heading back to school!

Well, this week was my last week at school before my summer schedule of fun with Nana, Aunt Claire, and Julie. But of course, it didn’t pan out that way.

On Monday, I woke up with Julie and had a yummy breakfast before heading out to the park, as usual.  Nana came at noon and deemed that my rash was getting better, but that I should still see the doctor this afternoon.  Mom and I went to the doctor for my appointment at 6:45 pm.  Apparently I have a non-specific dermititis (rash!).  Some good that diagnosis is.  I’m supposed to see a specialist, but we’ll just see if that ever happens.

On Tuesday I got up with Dad and Mom took me to my penultimate day at school.  It was pretty uneventful.  I started bringing some of my stuff home and getting ready for my last day on Thursday.  On Wednesday I woke up with Dad again and Julie came by for breakfast.  We had a fun morning and then in the afternoon, Nana deemed my rash to be much improved! 

So, Thursday started out pretty normal.  Dad got up with me and got me ready for school.  Mom drove me out to school and dropped me off — saying she’d see me around 5:00!  Right around noon, I was standing near the sensory table when a cabinet door fell off a hinge and crashed on to the table, smashing my right hand.  I screamed in pain!  Miss Holly and Miss Laurie tried to sooth my pain and called my Mom, saying that my hand had gotten “pinched.”  Mom didn’t think that sounded too bad, so she didn’t come to get me right away.  To make matters worse, Lexi bit my left arm while I was still dealing with my smashed right hand.

I took my nap and when I got up, my hand was an ugly, swollen mess.  Finally my teachers told Mom to come get me and she was there in no time.  We went straight to the ER got my hand X-rayed.  It looks like I have two broken metacrapels!  My hand was too swollen for a cast, so I got a splint, a bandage, and a sling (”dinorsaur blanket!”).  Once my swelling goes down, I’ll most likely get  a cast.

Well, so now I just have one hand!  Mom and (especially) Dad seemed really upset about what happened.  I was too focused on learning how to get around without my right hand to worry about that.

On Friday I got to show off my dinosaur blanket to Julie.  I had a ton of energy!  We went to the library where we read books about broken bones and being a big sister.  We met Ava and her nanny, Jen, and played with them, too.  Ava and Jen joined us to the park and we even exchanged phone numbers!  We got home just in time for lunch and a nap.

When Mom came home, I started asking “can you help me, I only have one hand!?”  I was also showing off my dinosaur blanket at the park.

On Saturday I went to Nana’s while Mom and Dad went to a wedding and then the three of us all headed out to Baby John’s baptism way out in Geneva. 

On Sunday, Aunt Claire moved in with us!  It was also Father’s Day, so we took Grandpa Yagan out to brunch and even visited Dad’s office — now I know where he goes when he leaves me!

Last year I had tonsilitis!

My schedule this week was pretty consistent for a change.  The only news is that I have this rash on my right leg, right arm, and belly that won’t go away! On Monday & Wednesday I woke up with Dad, played all morning with Julie, and then spent the afternoon with Nana.  We had a guest on Monday, Mom’s and Dad’s friend, Mac. Mac has a child a bit younger than me and he was a lot of fun to play with.On Tuesday and Thursday, Dad got me up and ready for school and then all three of us got in the car (though Dad only rode for about 30 seconds) and Mom and I headed off to school.  On Friday I got to see Grandpa for a couple hours and then Mom, Dad, and I played out in the yard until dinner time.

On Saturday, Dad and I went on our usual circuit of grocery stores.  I was happy to see that Whole Foods was offering samples of bacon.  I love bacon!  I didn’t have soccer practive, so instead I accompanied Dad to his haircut. 

It was raining really, really hard when we left, and Dad ran me into the car.  We got home around 11 and Mom was in a great mood and I cooked lunch with her. 

After my nap, we all went to the park and I had a great time running and climbing.

I woke up on Sunday morning and Dad and I played in my room for about an hour before moving down to the office for another hour of fun.  After Mom got up, Dad and I went to Bagel on Damen to get Mom a bagel and me a deviled egg. 

We got back, ate, and then headed out to Oak Park for a playdate with my friends Thomas and Kira.  We played for a couple hours, including a visit to a really cool park with a sandbox!

We got home and Mom and I were exhausted.  Mom and I napped in her bed.  When we got up, I cooked dinner with Dad, ate dinner, watched Dad get into a taxi, and then took an oatmeal bath with Mom. I can’t get rid of this silly rash!

Last year I had my worst days ever.

My vacation continued on Monday morning, which was great.  I watched more Elmo videos, relaxed a bunch, went down to the beach, and even sat on the refrigerator. 

Around 5:00, I said good-bye to everyone and Mom drove me and Dad to the airport.  Somehow, he managed to get a bunch of bags checked and me and our carry-ons through security and to the gate.  Everything was going well until we had problems with our flight.  We were stuck on the runway for quite a while, but the woman in the row next to me was so nice that she let me play with her iPad.  I want one!!  I slept most of the way from Portland, ME to Atlanta, GA.   We just barely made our connection and then landed in Midway well after midnight.  I slept most of the second leg, too, but the flight was crowded so I had to slouch in my own seat rather than spreading out. 

I was in a great mood and was especially excited when we got to ride home in a yellow cab.  I almost never get to ride in taxis and yellow taxis are my favorite!  We got home after one and it was almost 2:00 by the time I actually fell asleep.

On Tuesday, I slept until 10:00!  Julie was here when I got up and then Nana covered in the afternoon and then Rachel covered in the evening.  I didn’t even get to see Mom or Dad that day.  Wednesday was the same schedule (Julie, Nana, Rachel), except at least I got to see Dad in the morning.  I was expecting to go to school on Thursday, but I was happy to get to stay home again.  I finally saw Mom (back from DC) and Dad on Thursday evening.

On Friday Mom took me into school — I hadn’t been there since the previous Monday!  I was happy to see everyone again.  I was in a great mood all day, including playing with legos, blocks, puzzles, and sand in the sandbox.  Mom brought me home a bit earlier than usual and Dad got home exactly the same time we did.  We had fun eating as a family!  The big news was that Mom and Dad told me that I’m going to be a big sister!  Apparently there’s a little baby in Mommy’s tummy (I told them that babies come from strollers!).

On Saturday I got up with Daddy and after a quick breakfast, we went on our usual tour of grocery stores: Dominick’s, Stanley’s, and Whole Foods.  We got home and Dad took me to my last soccer practice of the season.  I did pretty well, except I got a bit bored with the squishy balls. 

We got home and then ate dinner and then took a nap.  I really enjoyed our trip to the park, where the fountain was on!

Sunday’s highlight was heading over to Nana’s and Grandpa’s for dinner!  Nana’s cooking was so delicious and it was fun to play with everyone!

Last year I hung out with Finn & Mave.

What a crazy week!  It started out innocently enough, with a trip to school on Monday.  I don’t usually go on Mondays, but I had a great time.  On Tuesday I knew something was up when Mom decided to work from home and Nana was here to play with me.  Mom woke me up from my nap (which she never does!) and rushed me right into Grandpa’s car and he drove us to the airport.  (Thanks, Grandpa!) I have been looking forward to going to the airport for a long time!

I held my passport very carefully so I wouldn’t lose it.  And when it was my turn to go through the security screening, I turned to everyone in the line and said “I am pushing out a big poop!”  Luckily it was a false alarm and it didn’t slow me down at all.  We went to our gate and found that the plane was late.  When we finally boarded it was a really crowded flight.  Once we took off, though, Mom let me watch Elmo DVD’s all the way to Boston!  I love flying!  When we landed in Boston, I walked around the airport shouting “Uncle Danny, where are you!?”

Uncle Danny met us at baggage claim (thanks Uncle Dee-dah! and helped us carry all of our bags on to the Avis bus where we went to get our car.  Uncle Danny was so excited to see me and that made me even happier to be in Boston. We drove to Uncle Danny’s apartment and he let Mommy and I sleep in his bedroom (which has an air conditioner!) and I slept (in Henry’s pack & play) by 10:00.

I woke up around 7:00 Wednesday morning and was even more excited to see Aunt Claire at Uncle Danny’s!  The four of us went to Darwin’s for breakfast and then Mom, Uncle Danny, and I went to the Boston Children’s Museum.  We were first in line and were the first people in when they opened the door.  The musuem was awesome.  I loved the bubble room.  I loved the physics room.  But more than anything, I loved the little toilets in the restrooms!  I kept wanting to go potty!

We left and went to the Barking Crab for lunch, where I had a yummy salmon.  Then we hopped a cab back to Harvard Square and went to JP Licks for some delicious banana ice cream.  Mom and Dad usually don’t let me eat much ice cream, but Mom seems to have a whole new outlook on life (ok, at least on ice cream) since we’re on vacation.  Then we met Mom’s friend Molly and her son, Will.  Will is a bit younger than me, but pretty close in age.  We walked through Harvard Yard and met Uncled Danny at the Littauer building.  Will and I got our diapers changed and Danny taught me about supply and demand curves. 

Then Uncle Danny, Mom, and I walked over to Kirkland House, where Dad lived when he went to school here.  I even met Bob the security guard — he took my birthdate and immediately knew that I was born on a Tuesday.  I ran around outside in the MAC Quad and then we all walked back to Danny’s apartment.  By the time we got there, we were pooped!  We didn’t take a nap, but we enjoyed getting to rest in the cool air.

Then Jess Hurt came over for dinner, but instead of going out, Mom and Jess brought some sandwiches from Darwin’s (I had PBJ).  After Jess left, I took a cool shower with Mom and then went to bed around 9:00.

We had to leave early on Thursday because we had breakfast at Henry’s and Audrey’s house.  We drove out to Wellesley, picked up Aunt Claire, grabbed breakfast and got there on time.  The rest of the family was really late, but Henry and I got to eat early so we didn’t have to eat.  I shared yogurt with Henry and really liked their piano.  Maybe Aunt Claire will teach me how to play sometime!  Then we went to another breakfast, this one at Wellesley.   I got to show off my knowledge of Arabic and got every single word I was quizzed on (thanks, Nana!).  I even knew one word of hindi (chana)/  By the way, did you know that there’s a Chana, IL?

We met Maddi and her parents, helped Claire pack up, and then we were going to back to the hotel to nap.  Plans changed when I fell asleep in the car and Mom didn’t want to bother me.  So, instead, we went to pick up Dad from the airport and took him to his meeting.  I woke up while he was still working, so Mom and I went into the Prudential Tower to go shopping and get some food.  When Dad was done, he met us in the food court and Dad and I played in the courtyard while Mom bought a card.  Then on our way, we saw a big Ben & Jerry’s display where they were giving out…free ice cream!  And of course, Mom was all about it.  I played with some pretend cows on a pretend farm (and of course ate a big scoop of ice cream…right before dinner…and on the side of the street).

Then we hopped in our car, picked up Uncle Danny, and headed to dinner at Ole.  By now you won’t be shocked to know that after dinner, Mom got me — that’s right — more ice cream.  This time, we went to Christina’s.  Finally we headed to our hotel, where I didn’t get to sleep until well after 9:00.

Friday was Aunt Claire’s big day: college graduation!   I put on a special dress and we all got going at 7:30.  I got passed around quite a bit all morning, but finally it was time for the big moment when they called A/C’s name.  Then I realized how alphabetical order works.  There were so many more names after Claire’s!  So, Dad and I went and played in the big yard.  I especially liked checking out the tractor. 

And my friend Henry made a little appearance, too.  Finally we all took some family pictures and then I got to go in the early car up to Maine.

We hit some traffic, but finally got to our beach house.  Mom let me stay up later than usual (vacation rocks!) and finally I went to sleep around 9:00.

Satrurday and Sunday were a big, realxing blur, but here were some highlights:

• I went to the ocean for the first time
• I built a sand castle
• I got to watch a lot of Elmo videos
• We ate lunch at J’s Oyster bar
• I got to meet Cameron
• I got a lot of quality time with Aunt Sarah, Dustin, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Claire
• And of course, I ate lots and lots of ice cream

The rest you can see for yourself:

Last year, I discovered libraries!

I had a pretty uneventful week.  Not only did not much happen, but there were evna many fewer pictures and videos taken of me.  I think we’re all ready for spring to get here!

Monday and Tuesday were pretty normal.  I was surprised to see Dad here on Wednesday.  On Friday, Mom worked from home and then Grandpa came over while Mom went to an awards dinner for being awesome.  Dad got here just in time to put me to bed.

On Saturday I hung out with Mom & Dad in the morning and then went to soccer practice. 

That evening there was another event honoring Mom, so Grandpa was back to hang out with me. 

On Sunday everything changed, and Mom and Dad were just laser-focused on getting ready for our trip to Boston on Tuesday.

A year ago I started school!

I’ve gotten in the habit of waking up and saying “Good Morning, Daddy!” when I know that Dad’s getting up with me.  And he always responds with “Good Morning, Maggie!”  Dad brought me downstairs and made my brekfast. 

We hung out until Nana got here and I had a really fun morning with Nana even though the weather wasn’t great.  When I woke up from my nap, I was happy to see Grandpa Yagan here!  Dad changed my diaper really quickly and I played with Grandpa until dinner time.  I ate pretty wel and then Dad and I solidified a new night-time routine: (a) jumping off the ottoman, (b) riding on my rocking horse, (c) playing the light game, and then (d) talking about our days.

Tuesday was a pretty uneventful day at school.  I was sad to see Dad leave in the morning, but I had fun most of the day.  When I saw Dad come to get me, I started jumping up and down — and he did too!  When Dad came in, my sweater and Minnie Mouse were both missing.  We eventually found my sweater, but not Minnie.  And then Dad forgot to bring my backpack home with us!

I woke up with Dad on Wednesday and after exchanging our Good Mornings, I took a shower with him and got all clean.  I spent all morning with Julie, which was fun as always.  I especially enjoyed playing with her keys and taking a walk to get coffee.  I didn’t eat that well and then refused to nap at all.  Dad came up to get me and then I had one of my worst owies ever.  I was standing on the dining room chair — against Dad’s protestations — then the entire chair tipped over and I fell to the floor!

Dad gave me an icepack and then we headed over to Nana’s and Grandpa’s where I spent a few hours while Dad worked.  I had a really fun time that ended in a delicious Nana-cooked dinner!  We got home and pretty much went right to sleep.

On Thursday I woke up a bit later than usual and so we were a bit late getting out of the house after eating three Ritz crackers.  Again, I didn’t want Dad to leave and again he made a little bed for me in the climber.  I had a good day and was psyched to see Dad at 5:00.  The drive home was pretty long, but I was happy to sing Sesame Street songs most of the way.  When we got home it was pretty much straight to dinner.  I ate salmon, cauliflower, strawberries, and blueberries.  I got ready for bed and was asleep just before 7:30.

I woke up on Friday morning with Dad we had breakfast and hung out until Nana got here.  Dad had a meeting at Bagel on Damen and Nana and I saw him there when we stopped by to get a deviled egg on the way to the park.  We had a really fun time all morning, including a picnic lunch before nap.  I woke up from my nap and was excited to see Grandpa Yagan here to play with me. 

I was especially excited because he always lets me have lots of snacks – yummy!  Finally Mom got home around 5:00 and it was still beautiful outside so we went for a walk and saw Dad having another meeting.  I wasn’t too hungry for dinner, but it was so fun to see Mom again after she was gone all week!

I woke up on Saturday and said “Good Morning Daddy!” and he said “Good Morning Maggie!”  We played around in my room for a while and then had breakfast and took off for the grocery stores.  I enjoyed the rounds, as usual, especially the free tastings at Whole Foods.  We picked up Mom and then went to the Hair Cuttery for my second-ever haircut. 

They didn’t have a fun car for me to sit in, so I insisted on sitting on Mom’s lap.  We then right to soccer practice and I did pretty well — I’m definitely getting a lot better.

We got home, ate lunch, and then I took a nap and then went to the park with Mom.

I was procrastinating at dinner, and then went to bed.

On Sunday morning I got up and Mom and Dad were both up and in playful moods, so I spent a bunch of time in their room being goofy.  We decided to go out for dinner, but instead of Bagel on Damen, we went to Goddess & Grocer, which was also yummy.  We stopped by the park on the way back, which was fun. 

After my nap I helped Dad cook fish — this week we tried trout instead of salmon.  I definitely didn’t like it as much!

Last year, this was a lost week!