Our Spring Break Bucket List

I am so excited to have our first "Spring Break" as a family of four.  Even though Evie went to school last year, I had Maggie on the first day of her Spring Break. It was perfect timing so I didn't have to juggle one more thing, but we didn't get to do all the fun things we had planned.

This year she is old enough to have some ideas of what she wants to do with her days off from school.  Evie LOVES to make lists...just like her mama.  On our way home from the indoor jumpy playground this morning we decided to make a list of the things we want to do over Spring Break.

1. Fly Kite - Eric and Evie have been trying to fly kites for over a year now. This is a must have for windy spring weather.
2. Ride Bikes  -  Nothing special but Maggie is getting a new-to-us tricycle for her birthday and I know we'll want to spend time riding bikes.
3.  Park -  Our closet park is being remodeled. The toddler area is thisclose to being finished. We can't wait to try it out!
4. Plant Our Garden - We may not get to actually plant it, but we'll be working hard to finish weeding, tilling, and getting the ground ready to plant after Tax Day
5. Cousin Playdate - Cousin Connor has his Spring Break next week too and my mom is watching him most of the week. We can't wait to play together (maybe at the park! or riding bikes!)
6. Ice Skating - Evie came up with this all on her own. I've never talked to her about it. Either books or television gave her the idea. I hope she and I can sneak out to try it. I love to skate too!
7. Aquarium or Zoo - We've tried to do one of these on Spring Break since she was just a few months old. She said she'd like to go to the Aquarium this year because sissy would like to see the fish.

Our rainy day options include bowling, JumpJump, and indoor puttputt!

What's on your list this year?

You Make Me Happy When Skies Are Gray

This winter was super snowy for most of the country. We were supposed to have a rough winter but as each storm approached hours before the snow was supposed to hit the front would push north or warm just to that 32-33 degree line where the snow would turn to rain as it hit the ground.  One day it did snow a little bit and enough stuck to satisfy a Southern born three year old.

We had several days off from school in anticipation of these snow storms being awful. And watching them carefully on the radar they had the potential of shutting down the city for days, but they didn't produce anything more than soggy days...and I am okay with that. 

We made the most of the chilly weather this Winter with fun dinners, new games, learning scissor skills, practicing drawing, playdates, organizing the house, learning to crawl, going to the movies, reading by the fire and taking selfies.

 As much as we loved our snuggly family time this Winter, we are so ready for Spring!

You Make Everything Better - Valentine's Day and Savannah Road Trip

Valentine's Day is tricky. Eric and I (Eric especially) don't like to get caught up in too much commercialism surrounding holidays, yet I do like to do a little something fun for the kids.  

This year I was going to be in Savannah with the girls on actual Valentine's Day so Eric and I planned a special dinner and little gifts for the girls a few nights before.  We got the girls a card a little gift each. Evie got a new blanket and Maggie a new cloth diaper. We live in exciting times over here at the Buergler house. Seriously though, I have zero toleration for candy and trinkets.  I made a simple cheese and meat fondue for family dinner. It was nutritious and entertainment all at once. Evie loved dipping her veggies in the cheese and Maggie had fun watching the action.

Evie has really loved coloring, using scissors, and using her stamp set so I capitalized on this.  Instead of buying Valentine's for her class I helped her cut out hearts and write a message to each friend.  After she finished her classmate's cards she asked to make Valentine's for her grandparents, cousins, and Maggie. It was fun dictating her little affirmations on to the valentines.  This took us a full week but she was so motivated. I loved how proud she was to distribute the cards to her friends at school.

I was in charge of the preschool class Valentines Day Party (We all have to take a holiday).  Parent party duties include providing a healthy snack, and playing two games. The other mom made heart shaped strawberries on a stick and I brought kettle corn made with a drop of red food coloring.  For my game I made balloon ping pong with red paper plates taped on tongue depressors for the paddles. (The educator in me was proud of the team work, gross motor & eye-hand coordination lessons hidden in this).  The kids thought this was hilarious. The teachers loved it so much they asked to keep the supplies for a rainy day.

After the school party was over, I threw the girlies in the car and we drove straight to Savannah to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and their kids. My mom was down there helping with the new baby.  I was nervous traveling so far without Eric, but I was SO proud of how well the girls did on the 5 hour trip. 

We arrived just in time for a little outside play time and dinner. Evie and cousin Zachary are non-stop when they're together.

 Saturday morning I woke up early with Evie, Zach and Maggie while David, Paige and my mom slept in.

  "Liz-a-bif, be quiet. MommyDaddyNanaBabyEllie are sleeeeeeeping"  

I made the kids heart shaped pancakes and snuck out to the Pure Barre studio in Savannah.  The kids played all day while I took Ellie's newborn pictures .

Nana helped the kids make Valentine's Day cookies.  The two kids different personalities were very evident in their cookie decorating styles.

And then for dinner, David picked up some heart shaped pizzas from a local shop.

 The plan was for us to stay through until late on Monday. I was going to help with some batch cooking to fill up their freezer.  However, a potentially nasty snow storm was heading towards Atlanta and I didn't want to get stuck on the road. We decided to leave first thing Sunday morning to beat the snow. It ended up just raining but had it been snow we would have been screwed. While we missed out the extra day and a half of play time, I just couldn't risk the possibility of being stuck in rural Georgia with two little girls. 

We can't wait for David, Paige, Zachary and Ellie to come visit in May for Ellie's Baptism!

Maggie: Eleven Months

Measurements:

Weight: 18-19? lbs

Length: about 30in

Feeds: nurses 3-4 times a day (some feedings are replaced with a formula bottle); 1 squeeze pouch at meals + several tablespoons of whatever we're having for dinner; occasional puffs/cheerios/crackers for as a distraction/entertainment

Diapers:  Tots Bots, Bum Genius 4.0s, Thirsties pockets and AIO, and Bottom Bumpers OS.  Size 3 in disposables (at night)

Clothes:  12 month and 12-18 months; unpacking the 18 months

Shoes: none, but we had her feet measured at size 3.5

Teeth: two bottoms; two tops (teething for those lateral incisors)

Firsts:

2/13/15 Trip to Savannah & met cousin Ellie

2/17/15 goes from laying to sitting (but only in her crib!)

2/18/15 Ash Wednesday & received ashes

2/24/15 says  "Ike" (Spike) and "dg" (dog)

2/26/15 started crawling a few little steps

3/1/15 full on steady crawler

3/2/15 says, "Hi" and (backward) waves when she sees people, even in picture frames

Milestones:

We had to lower the mattress in Maggie's crib. She's sitting up and pulling up.

We've dropped one of her nursing sessions during the day. We're down from 4-5 to 3-4. Depending on how well she's eating I may or may not give her a bottle mid day.

Maggie continues to be an excellent eater. She wants nothing to do with puffs or baby food, she wants what we're having.

In the morning once we're in the kitchen making breakfast, Maggie will SCREAM for a piece of bacon. And promptly eat the entire piece. 

She's right on the brink of using her baby sign language. She's having a hard time disguising between "eat" and "drink" but let's be real they're basically the same.

Maggie is very good at playing by herself. She spends lots of time exploring the playroom and house. This really annoys Evie.

Forget the fancy toys, I put a few blocks or random toys in an Amazon box and Maggie is entertained for a while pulling things out of the box. She claps and squeals with excitement and pride for "finding" treasures in the box.

She is phasing out of the two equal sized naps into one long and one short nap. She doesn't have a strict schedule. She's very go with the flow, but when she's done she's DONE.

Other than crawling and pulling herself up to her knees, Maggie hasn't developed many new skills this month but she has mastered many of the ones she's gained in the last few months.

Likes:

Pulling things out of bags or boxes

Eating: shoes, paper, paper towels, and baby wipes

Her big sister. Absolutely adores her.

Waving to Dada & snuggling with Mama

Playing with Spike and petting him very gently 

Dislikes:

waiting for her piece of bacon

waiting for us to get her out of her high chair when she's done eating

pinching her finger in the drawers

when I walk away from her (if she crawls away she's fine)

when Evie puts blankets over Maggie's head

We Are....

...vacuuming every day because Maggie finds random junk in the carpet to eat

...wondering where the year went. Seriously, her birth seems like yesterday.

...loving the bond the two girls are developing.
...not sure what to do with her crazy hair.

...excited for her first birthday party!

Maggie Clare, over and out.

 

Maggie: One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight and Nine | Ten 

Evie:  Eleven Months