Happy 3rd Birthday Abbie!

3 Years of Abbie. on PhotoPeach

Summer Car Rides

For the last, oh seven months or so, Abbie has decided that she doesn't like to sleep in the car when we go on long car rides. This includes driving in the evening/night when she would normally be asleep. Because of this, we have had some seriously interesting conversations which often turn educational. Here is just an example:

Abbie: What's that papa?
Ed: What?
Abbie: That!
Ed: I don't know what that is, describe it for me.
Abbie: That big thing in the sky above the trees, over THERE!
Ed: Oh, that's a water tower.
Abbie: A water tower, what's that for?
Ed: It holds water.
Abbie: For what?
Ed: For people to use.
Abbie: What do they use it for.
Ed: For everything.
Abbie: Why can't I see the water?
Ed: Because the water is in the tower.
Abbie: But I don't see the water.
Ed: It's in there, trust me.
Abbie: How do you know if you can't see it?
Ed: ...*silence*

Needless to say, we have seen a lot of water towers on our travels this summer.

It's August Already?

I cannot believe that it is August already. Where did the summer go?! So much has changed in the past three months since our last post. Not only is Abbie not a baby any more but she isn't even a toddler any more! She has grown THREE inches since May, is 100% toilet trained (no idea when her last accident was - during the day or at night), she is in a big girl bed, given up the pacifier - finally, and is a HUGE giggle monster and dare devil!

We have been exceptionally busy this summer. Abbie spent a whole week in Duluth with Granny and Grandpa Mike. They had a blast! They went to the Children's Museum, the Depot, the Aquarium, and the Lake Superior Zoo. Ed and I went to the Pacific Northwest to visit Ed's brother Shelby, his wife Kate, and their almost one year old Judah. We spent a few days in Portland, OR and then headed up to Washington's Olympic Peninsula. We enjoyed our trip but missed Abbie and realized that a week is TOO long to be away.

Since we didn't have the greatest weather this summer, we had to learn to be creative with our time indoors. Here are a few pictures of Abbie building a 'cave' in our living room.

ROAR! Did I scare you?

Ha ha!

I want to ride in the VAN! and other toddler quotes

When Ed decided, about 2 years ago, that he thought a the Honda Odyssey Mini Van was his dream car, I thought he was kidding. Unfortunately he wasn't and for months on end he razzed me about it - whispering ODYSSEY in the baby monitor, leaving magazine or newspapers open to Honda/Mini Van advertisements, and commenting on every single Odyssey we would pass on the road. Just when I though this craziness was behind us, Abbie gets her first ride in a minivan and for a week straight all she wanted to do was 'ride in Tiffany's VAN!'. Oh goodness. I guess I am now officially outnumbered and it looks like our next vehicle will probably be a van, oh joy.

We also learned over the past few weekends that Abbie loves to dig in the dirt, watch bugs, and pick up worms. I honestly didn't think she would be a girly-girl, but I had no idea she would have such a desire to get dirty every day. (seeing as I would just sit on the grass and not move when I was her age, this whole playing in the dirt is a new concept for me).

What, I'm not dirty!

Not only does Abbie love to get dirty, but she is also become a bit of a dare devil. We live near a park and go their frequently and for a long time Abbie would only go down the smaller slides on the small kids side of the playground, however Papa took her down the covered twisty slide on the BIG KID side of the playground ONCE and she was hooked. Now she goes down that big twisty covered slide all by her self, climbs up the faux rock climbing wall, and is becoming more ambitious every day.

Over Easter weekend we traveled to La Crosse, WI to visit the Sundstrom grandparents and Abbie got to see Uncle Shelby again and meet Aunt Kate and Cousin Judah for the first time. She had a blast! Of course, no visit is complete without a visit to the nearby playground. This time Abbie had a chance to go on the self-propelled twisting thingy, which she enjoyed (for about 5 seconds) and proceeded to stumble around for 5 minutes afterward. Not sure if she enjoyed the stumbling around part, but the adults we certainly amused! She asked to go back on the twisty thing later that day....we decided once was enough for one day.

Ed and Shelby helping Abbie go around the Self-Propelled Twisty Thingy

Abbie in her Easter dress complete with Easter Basket. Cheese

Goofy

Need I say more?

A much needed update....

A lot has happened in the month (or so) since I last updated this little blog. All of which is fairly unexciting or those thing we do not care to remember (crabby Abbie and illnesses).

Daylight savings has brought the Baggenstoss Household a lot of excitement, mainly because we survived today and Abbie was in a better mood than she has in weeks! The day began at a decent hour yesterday followed by bedtime at the normal hour (adjusted time even!). This morning was a little touch and go but for the most part the day was a good one. Abbie came home from school in an excellent mood and we are all glad to have this years 'spring ahead' out of the way.

We are looking forward to the weather warming up and the snow melting over the next few weeks. Abbie is too, just look at her poor snowsuit! Not only is it getting a bit small but we cannot seem to locate matching accessories which just makes her look silly!

What? I'm still cute. And I'm getting cooold!

We are all looking forward to warmer days ahead. Our options of activities will be much more...well, less dorky anyways!

Hat Day at the Baggenstoss House (pre-morning hours)

Reading during Hat Day

Our other big news is that Abbie has begun potty training! All in all it is going.........ok. Yes, just OK. Stickers, M&Ms, charts, and other glorious incentives here we come! Now if we could just get Abs to grow another 5 inches, it'd make things much easier! :-)

Just doing a little research

It seems as though Abbie's developmental milestones have been slowing in the past few months, at least those we want to talk (ok, brag) about have slowed. No one wants to hear about how Abbie pushes our buttons, whines, and throws temper tantrums in attempt to get her way. yes, she is definitely a 2 year old!

Abbie started a new daycare almost a month ago now and is finally enjoying going to the new 'school'! We can tell that she is enjoying the new school as much, if not more, than the old one because she is sleeping better at night and in the morning calls us this way "Mama, lets get up to go to schoolooo! Mama, get up!"

Abbie still loves to read and when she isn't reading Dick and Jane or Curious George, she is doing research for Papa's new motorcycle which he plans (hopes) on purchasing this summer.

"Honda or Suzuki?"