Susie's Leaning Tower of Chocolate for 2009 September

Maggie has been screaming "Shoes on!" for the past 1/2 hour. I had to drag her out of Colette's house because she threw a tantrum about washing her hands. Then she was mad I put her in the car without her shoes, and is still sitting on her bed screaming about it.

On Thursday, I took Maggie to the Great Salt Lake with my cousins Jill and Sarah Whitney. We first went to the Marina, which cost $2 and was quite lame. We finally found a path leading down to the "beach", which was covered in giant cement blocks. It was stinky and the sand was inexplicably green. Sarah was afraid to step on it. Also, the boulders around the marina were covered in giant spiders - we counted 13 in one big web. Yuck!

After that, we drove back to Saltair, which has never looked trashier. However, it does have a decent beach. A lot of decent beach. We had to walk nearly half a mile to get to the lake! We sat down on towels to eat our lunch, and by the time we were done, our pants were soaked. The water was quite warm, and the bugs (no-see-ums) which gathered on the shoreline, dissipated when we waded near them. Other than some algae and some giant dead spiders, it was really nice to wade in the warm water with the soft, squishy, clean sand. I wouldn't mind going back, with trashbags to sit on, clothes to "float" in, and someone else to carry Maggie there and back.

Maggie has discovered that it's funny to sing the wrong words to the ABC song.

One month feels like a lot less than five weeks. Here is what my Project List looks like:

Ember warmie
tree skirt
stockings
crib sheet
grocery bag dispenser
car seat cover
Lucy dress
baby pants
baby pants
rotate water storage (almost done)
fix side yard (this has to wait until after 9/15 so John can do it)
make jam clean fridge and freezer
Christmas list and get started
finish journal
scan postcards
lasagna for freezer
beef stroganoff for freezer
yummy balls for freezer
cookie balls for freezer
hot pockets for freezer
pretzels for freezer
stock up pantry
quiet book (in progress)
M snoopy jammies
thank you cards
Maggie winter clothes
baby hats
zipper bag w/ cell phone pocket
CCCs for while I'm gone
order printer ink
sealings
clean lazy susan
M hoodie (in progress)
pin cushion
infant shoes
M white long sleeve t-shirts

[translation:] Heavenly Father. Thank you. Bless us. Ma mo ma mo etc. Amen.

I have no idea what the ma mo part is. She is so proud of herself when she says the prayer though.

I finished something really fabulous tonight (possibly as awesome as the mini dinosaur shoes), but I'm going to wait to post about it until after we see Colette on Wednesday. 'Cause Colette gets one too. John asked, "why did you make Colette one?" The answer is, I didn't. I made one for Maggie, then realized I could do better. A in Calculus notwithstanding, I had miscalculated horribly and had over twice the fabric I needed anyway. So, I picked up another zipper and made another, better one for Maggie. I think my mom is beaming down at me.

Update: I've posted about the Fishie Coats now.

Maggie and I went to the cabin with Jodi and Franco today, since John had to go into work. She's really missed her grandpa, and had the best time rolling cars on the floor with him. We also had a bonfire and roasted marshmallows. I love to hear Maggie learn how to more correctly pronounce words she already knows (she knows tons of words, but her pronunciation isn't that great). "Cabin" and "Franco" are two of her newest ones.

When we were sitting outside eating s'mores, she went around picking up little sticks and sticking them under people's bums or next to them. Very nice of her to share and it made us all laugh.

Also, she has started saying "Happy Birthday Daddy, I love you!" and "Thank you Mommy, I love you!" Not sure where she got that, but it sure is cute!!

John got home a few minutes after I put Maggie in bed last night. He peeked in to say goodnight, but unfortunately didn't get to spend any time with her yesterday.

This morning I woke up to, "Daddy! Daddy! Daaaa-ddddy!" and I went in to see her.

Maggie: No, just Daddy!
Me: Daddy's at work.
Maggie: Go find him?
Me: We can't go find him, he's working.
Maggie: Mommy go to work.

Poor little bug misses her daddy, and poor daddy misses his little bug. 5 more days!

We had piano lessons today; I love that Maggie loves her babysitter, a 12-year old girl in the ward who walks up after school. It makes me happy to hear her giggling all the way downstairs. When she left today we watched her walk down the street. As soon as she was out of sight, Maggie started asking to walk to McKell's house.

of Tummy Bubbles.

"Ai a ubble bummy please!"

I made my semi-annual phone call to Uncle Justin. We are going on our usual post-busy season getaway to Park City (also for my birthday).

Also, our ward apparently takes the Primary Program quite seriously. It's happening on October 11th, and I don't have to teach my class again before that (or after that for an undetermined amount of time).

This morning Maggie and I met Tasha and her girls at Wheeler Farm. We had lunch surrounded by honking geese and saw the animals, but didn't get to pet anything today.

Afterward, I took Maggie to visit her "Papa" in the hospital. She wanted to see the "U" on the mountain, but by the time we left it was pouring rain and you couldn't see it. We got really wet running to the car.

John came home, surprisingly early for September 14th, and brought a present from a co-worker. One of the gifts was the most perfect baby blanket ever. I'm so excited about it! It's blue with Pooh on it, and it's really soft and a little bigger than Maggie's. We had a similar pink one for Maggie, but when we opened it, it turned out to be very small - so small it was pretty much useless. This one will be nice and snuggly warm for baby all Winter.

Yesterday was our September birthday party. I made Brook a Utes blanket. I got some fun gift cards and cash to spend on food and generally spoil myself with. John is taking Thursday and Friday off work and I have shopping lists for IKEA, Target, and Jo-Ann, so my birthday money will be spent soon enough.

I've been dragging John around doing shopping for the past two days. Yesterday we went to IKEA and bought some stuff to organize the office and a lamp for the baby's room. Today we went to Jo-Ann and bought fabric and trim to make a tree skirt and stockings for all four of us. Then we went to Target and combined some Target coupons with manufacturer coupons to get some cheap diapers and other baby stuff. We also picked out a present for Maggie from the baby, and bought a hanging clothing organizer to put all his clothes in. That may actually be everything we need to buy for the baby, other than some newborn diapers and possibly more clothes

Once our shopping was done, we went to The Cheesecake Factory for lunch. Maggie was really well-behaved today, and we really enjoyed our lunch. We still have a piece of red velvet cheesecake to try later tonight. After lunch, we visited John's dad in the rehabilitation facility he is now in. Maggie brought a ray of sunshine to her Grandpa.

Tomorrow is more shopping in Park City, and Saturday we are taking Maggie on the "big swing" she's been asking about for two weeks.

I took Maggie over to visit Ember on her birthday this afternoon. She drew a picture of some fish for Ember: ovals and diamonds with dots for eyes. Maggie wanted me to leave. "Mommy, go doctor!" she said. On the way home she asked for more. "More what?" "More see Aunt Erin?"

Yesterday we went to a dinner at the rehab place Dad is in. Maggie got to spend some quality time rolling on the grass with Hannah. She just about learned how to somersault. That girl is so lucky to have such fun cousins who adore her.

Maggie really loves to sing. One of her favorite activities is to sit at the piano (or dance around the room) with me or John while we play her favorite Primary songs. She knows the words to so many of them and I love hearing her sing along. The past two days, she's been singing some song that has a long of "Jesus Christ Amen" in it. I don't know if she is just talking to herself or if she is singing "A Prayer Song", which I've sung to her a few times.

After Sacrament meeting on Sunday, John and I were talking to the couple behind us and Maggie started yelling "It's time for nursery!" at the top of her lungs. That girl loves nursery.

She just went upstairs to get a diaper all by herself. I love that she can do stuff like that for me! She is potty trained, but still poops in a diaper.

She is playing with her "guys" - Fisher Price little people. "This guy eating dinner. Where's the chicken? After dinner we're going shopping! Going to buy a yellow table." (We bought a yellow table at IKEA last week.) I think she is also singing "In the Leafy Treetops".