Two Raccoons?!

A couple months ago, I joined a facebook group that connects sponsors with sick/terminally ill children and their families.  I was matched with baby Tad who was born with a congenital heart defect back in June and has already had three open heart surgeries, the most recent one at Children's Hospital here in Boston.  The family is from North Carolina, but they have temporarily relocated up here for Tad's treatment.  I have had the privilege of visiting Tad and his amazing mom in the Cardiac-Intensive Care Unit at Children's twice in the past couple of months and since the facebook group is called "the sunshine box project," I always bring a box/bag of items to bring some sunshine and cheer for both mom and baby Tad.  Tad's heritage is part Cherokee and his Native American name is "Thundering Raccoon" so his nursery at home is filled with raccoons.  Before my most recent visit to the hospital, the kids and I went to buy him a new one. We've talked about "the baby at the hospital" a lot and both kiddos are very curious about him and hopeful for his recovery.  Finley really seems to understand why I'm getting to know the family and why being kind to others can really make a difference.  That afternoon, Dagny brought along her beloved raccoon in hopes of finding a friend for the baby and to our great joy, we found the exact same one at the toy shop in town!! Oh and she happened to be wearing her raccoon shirt, I couldn't get over the raccoon-iness of all of this!!

 Here she is showing which raccoon is Tad's ("the one of the tag, mommy.")

 Tad's mom LOVED the adorable and very soft raccoon I brought for Tad and sent me these photos the next day. Oh and the giraffe was from our first box of sunshine!

  Tad is doing alright, but is still not well enough to go back to NC though they are hopeful by early February that will change.  It's been the most moving experience to befriend Tad's mom and be a part of their Boston medical adventure.  Of course it makes me so very thankful for what we have been blessed with, but it also makes me realize the power of the human spirit and how capable each one of us truly is when we are challenged by unthinkable situations.

Right now, we are assembling a Valentine's Day Box of Sunshine for Baby Tad, his mom, and his big step-sister who couldn't be more deserving :)

Mini Snowstorm 2015

We got a dusting a couple weeks ago and both kids were pysched to get out in it (even though you could nearly see the grass through the thin layer of snow).  Finley helped Dagny make a tiny snowman and then made one for himself.  Dagny LOVED her snowman!

 And kept checking on it while we played elsewhere.

 

 Then, it was time to sled!!

Both kids had a blast and we were totally impressed at how Dagny was able to trek back up the hill over and over while towing her sled!

 Soon, Dagny realized that she preferred going down the hill luge style!

Snowstorm #1 2015

Last Saturday, we got our first real snowfall of the season and the kids couldn't wait to get out into it.  Dagny was so much more stable and confident walking around in the snow this year, she actually loved it!

The rest of our photos are just of Dagny since Finley eagerly stayed to play with the big boys across the street (4th and 6th grade) who are so sweet with him.  Dan went back and forth between our yard and theirs to check on him, but for the most part Finley was in pure heaven.  They sledded, threw snowballs, tackled each other, toss snow balls to their dog who tried to eat them, and attempted to build snow forts.  Boy did Finley think he was hot stuff after coming back in after being out in the snow for nearly 2 hours with Owen and Oliver :)

 In an effort to act out all the parts of Dagny's beloved The Snowy Day, it was time for some snow angels.

You can kind of see it, right?

 Dan had to give it a try, too.

Snow success!

JamTime 2015

Another successful indoor adventure at JamTime earlier this month.

 Dagny really got into her "worker" mode.

 Two workers, on their break in the ball pit!

They had a total blast and didn't mind being the only two kids in the place!

Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving morning last November, I ran my 2nd 5K and the kids and Dan were cheering for me at the finish line!

 Then, it was time to hope in the car and race down to White Plains for the holiday weekend.  It was a pretty entertaining ride figuring we often try to time long car rides with naps - but this one was in the morning after my race, so we had to keep them up!

Dagny's first time watching a video on the iTouch with her very own headphones.  She loves Busytown Mysteries and really enjoyed watching by herself.

 Finley, a seasoned iPad video user compared to his sister, enjoyed a video before arriving in White Plains.

I like the use of his Daddy Penguin to prop up the iPad!

Puzzle Buddies

My most favorite times are when Finley and Dagny are truly playing together.  Not just near each other and not just taking their 3 minute turns with whatever the object of desire is that day, but truly working on something together whether it's a pizza shop in the basement, a pretend campfire inside a snowbank, or just doing a puzzle.

 

 Finley is so very patient and encouraging with Dagny and, to her credit, she can keep up with him for the most part.  We are a pretty lucky pair of parents...now if only this kind of sibling interactive play happened all day everyday...

Dagny at 2.5

Dagny is just about 2.5 years old and really keeps things interesting around our house.  You never know what she'll say, want to wear, want to eat, why the order of the books you read to her matters, or which stuffed animals will become her beloved each day - but that's what makes her wonderful, she is who she is (even if that changes on a daily basis, too).  I have been storing up a random assortment of photos of her from the past two months, so here they are!

Most of the time, Dagny just wants us to read book to her, but from time to time she gets invested in some imaginative play and really gets in to it from head to toe.

 But she prefers to have you play with her.

By far, Dagny's most beloved accessory is her Bruins winter hat.  Back in December when she refused to wear any of the other (Finley handmedown) hats we had at home and wanted to keep wearing her too-small-for-her-2T-head pink hat from last year, I had to get creative.  I spotted this adorable Bruins hat (with ears!) at TJMaxx and brought it home for her with my fingers crossed.  Dagny took one look at it and was in love, she hasn't really taken it off since (aside from the week we went to Florida).  She often keeps it on all day at school (except for naps) and at home (except to sleep and bathe) and all our friends are shocked if she ever makes an appearance without it! It's kind of comical how many photos I had of her on my phone wearing this hat, doing a wide variety of activities, mind you, but all of them in the hat. Take a look!

 I love that she loves this hat (and so does her Bruins loving big brother) and I think we will always associate the "2 year old winter Dagny" with it!

She's up for anything, our Ms. D, and something tells me "anything" will just what we will need to be prepared for as she nears age 3!!