Wordless (NOT) Wednesday

Ok, I know the whole point of 'wordless Wednesday' is to post a pic that doesn't need any explaining but for those who know me, I am never devoid of words!

A GREATLY anticipated event occurred yesterday, the arrival of my aunt and uncle, Ann and Rick. Each day for the last week or so when Jaden would wake up he would ask if this was the day they were coming. So, here is a picture Jaden with Rick, enjoying a nice dose of sunshine and a good book.

Mackenna MONKEY Peterson

We officiall have a monkey on our hands. Mackenna is into EVERYTHING and likes to climb EVERYTHING. She is constantly looking for a place with a better view. She's going to be an altitude junky. Not only does she like to crawl up on top of things but also inside of things. Enjoy some pics of her recent adventures. Oh, and she also likes to get messy!

She crawled inside of the bottom of her stroller!

She loves sitting in bins or laundry baskets with her brother.

She uses daddy's or Jaden's shoes to walk on all fours.

She can empty a kleenex box or a wipes case in no time.

A serene moment at the park, safe and sound.

Why settle for a pineapple niblet when you can eat the whole thing?

Climbing evidence.

Earlier this week we awoke to a very giddy Mackenna, laughing at herself (presumably in her crib as usual). When we went in to get her she was laying surfer-style on her changing table. She had climbed out of her crib and shimmied herself on top of her changing table and was trying to open the door to her room. Lovely. Luckily the crib at the lake is deeper and taller than ours in town. I don't think I can handle a 15 month old in a toddler bed. ESCAPE ARTIST!

For the love of a binky

I have been planning to write this post for a long time now. I took these pictures earlier this month and this subject has been in my thoughts for a long time now. For those of you who know Jaden well you know that he has many passions in life; going to the park, singing with every ounce of his being and body, expressing his thoughts with high drama, carbohydrates, and his cousin, Jacob, to just name a few. None of these can compare, however, to the love and devotion he has had for his binky (or binkies!) I still remember the day we met Jaden. We had been playing with him for a while when I asked the foster mother if he used one as I hadn't seen one anywhere. Her answer: Oooooooh yes. Jaden's binkies were always much more than a 'pacifiing' device but more like friends. As a lot of kids are, Jaden is pretty hyper sensitive to a lot of things. If he either likes the feeling of something or doesn't, those standing within earshot will know. At every mealtime we are guarenteed a scream and an emptying out of the mouth of something that isn't quite the texture he was expecting. Then, of course there are textures he loves, like satin on a blankie or the top of his binkie. Before we started to run out of binkies Jaden would always sleep with 3 binkies, one in his mouth and one in each hand that he would hold and then circle his thumbs around there circular handle part. After we limited the binky to naps and bedtime (about 18 months), he would always make this sort of anticipatory sound of satisfaction when he knew the binkies were about to be popped into his mouth.

About a month or so ago we had a sleep over with Jaden's cousin, Madison. We decided to buy a couple of movies for the event, one being, Mr Magoriums Wonder Emporium. Great movie and a great way to start to talk with Jaden about the eventual passing of his binkies. The same day we bought the movie, we purchased his last two binkies as he had chewed the others to shreds. If you haven't seen the movie, it's a great one with a very unique and somewhat eclectic charachter named Mr. Magorium played by Dustin Hoffman. He is supposedly 100's of years old. Many many years ago he went to Italy and found the 'perfect' pair of shoes and bought all they had, vowing that when he burned through the last pair that would signify the end of his life. When his final pair of shoes wore out he would leave this world and have to pass on his magical toystore to someone else. The binkies we bought that day were Jaden's last pair of 'perfect' shoes minus the whole death part! We told him that when those wore out that he would be done with binkies and that he could go to Target and turn in his binkies for something he wanted. You know, like all the other kids who use binkies! Little did I know that this rather dramatic 'passing off of the torch' that I had pictured in my hand at the check out at Target would be a very boring and uneventful thing that I wasnt' even a part of!

A week and a half ago, we had some sickness in our family. Mackenna had a touch of the flu which she generously shared with me. It was this fateful day that marked the end of the binkies for our dear binky-lover. I was sick in bed and Brett was taking over the bedtime routine for me as I laid there feeling like death warmed over. He went to grab Jaden's binkies and discovered that during his nap he had chewed the final one leaving it not entirely safe to leave in his mouth during the night. He made the decision to take it away and I was too sick to really care so take it away, he did. I was expecting a HUGE and I mean HUGE fight to ensue. He could certainly win an Oscar for anyone of his ten temper tantrums he graces us with each day, so I was expecting a major performance. Nothing.... Not. One. Cry.....Not. One. Whimper....Not. One. Toy. Thrown...

And then he woke up the next morning and hurled his cookies all over his bed and we were in for a two day stint of the stomach flu. My first thought was WHY OH WHY did he have to chew that last binky. When Jaden is sick he definitely needs that extra TLC and all available comfort items. However, he amazed me again. He only asked about his binky once during that whole time he spent in bed.

A week and a half later Jaden has only asked for them a couple of times but that doesn't mean he hasn't missed them. It has been a very challenging week as he no longer has his major self-soothing tool. His behavior has been horrendeous. His drama has multiplied times ten, which is mostly displayed in bouts of crying and all-out temper tantrums. He has also been having some more eating issues. Yes, if you can imagine, even more than before, which equals BAD. I hope as more time passes he learns other ways to soothe himself so that we can ditch all this drama as in the last couple of days he has passed on some of his technique to his sister.

So, there you go... LOOOOOOOONG story short. Binky Gone.

A walker and a future pre-schooler

Jaden and Mackenna have been busy these days with some major milestones!

Here are some pics!

You can only see 2 here, but Mackenna now has 8 teeth. She is in the process of getting 3 more molars.

After an inspiring day at MOPs learning about gardening with your kids we planted the little seed paper I got in my April Birchbox. Unfortunately the next day Little Miss knocked it over. It has been officially replanted so we will see what comes of it.

Mackenna has gorgeous blue eyes, as do Jaden and Daddy.

Mackenna eats bananas like a little monkey now and boy, after today, she is officially a monkey. I caught her climbing up on a bunch of toys to reach toys on top of her book shelf. I am praying that she doesn't figure out how to climb out of the crib.

Look at those lips! MMMMWWWWAAAAAHHHH!

And I WALK! Mackenna can take about 10 steps at a time before she chooses to crawl. It's faster!

Jaden and I went to check out his pre-school for next year. Now we just have to work on getting completely potty-trained and then we are good to go.

Jaden and Mackenna Cook

Jaden and Mackenna played with some of our pots and pans and it seems like Mackenna shares our love for EVOO!
Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel

Two Elephants, Two Funny Kids

Ok, first I just have to say 'down with HP salespeople who tell you that any old video camera these days runs on USB, you don't need a firewire port on your new laptop I am constructing for you' BIG FAT LIAR!!! I finally was able to upload this (if it works) on Brett's PC from the stone age. Gaaaah.

So, let me set the scene...

It's a Thursday in the land of Peterson and Mackenna is MASSIVELY teething. She is getting 3, probably four of her molars and one of her other bottom teeth. This was one of a few happy moments she had today.

The second is Jaden. He is hilarious in the way he pronounces things like 'cookie' which coming out of his mouth sounds like cooooo (as in rhymes with 'blue')kie. He sat down to watch a little Horton Hears a Who and I just had to get it tape. I ask him over and over to say it cause it's just so darn funny. (Even funnier in person)

Here's your laughter medicine for the day.

Spaghetti and Finger Paint!

Quickie post again. Sorry. I'm just so darn tired. Too many late nights making diapers. Too many verses of Boogalu and rounds of Red Light Green Light. What's a mama to do? How 'bout share some great pics with you? ooo. That rhymes!

Alright. First up. Jaden was given finger paint for Christmas. At first I thought our sensitive sam would NEVER dare put a finger in the paint but as you can see, he put more than a finger in! Progress!

This is why I stay up waaaay too late. Besides finger painting, making custom diapers is my creative outlet!

I did promise you spaghetti in the title of this post, so here you go. This isn't by any stretch of the imagination an all out spaghetti fest, you know the ones that first time and second time parents love to document. They get the kid down to their trendy cloth diapers (if you're me) and let em' have at the spaghetti. I guess we just weren't interested in cleaning up the floor tonight. So, here's the tame version.

She washed up pretty darn good, ha? (all thanks to my new Norwex kitchen towel! Thanks Becky!!)

Hey, if you really like reading great blogs check out this one. It's one of my new favs.

http://www.extraordinary-ordinary.com/

til next time!