We've been asking Mason to "show us your sixpack" and he sucks in his gut. Kenzie points out that there might be a more appropriate name for it.

Anybody else think we should start saying, "swing bat" instead of "swing batter"???

We went camping at Lake Chelan this weekend. The weather was HOT. We had a great time in the water. Mason did a face plant in the water as soon as we got there, so he was a little cautious thereafter and hung out in the sand. Fun equation of the day: dirt + water = mud.

Kenzie likes her floating bathing suit, but the water was just a bit chilly. Instead, she treated Grammy to a mud bath, but got a little offended when Grammy decided to wash it off. Grammy gave in and let her slop her up again.


Although the park didn't offer much privacy and our "neighbors" were a little cooky, we had fun--and even a little bit of sleep the second night. On the way home we went the long way and stopped at the Rocky Reach Dam and had lunch in Leavenworth. We drove home with the windows open and marveled at how beautiful Washington can be when the clouds clear. Both kids slept much of the way home, making the ride even more serene!

Here's a subject that I'm surprised to realize has received no Blog attention to date. Mason is obsessed with balls. He says the word "ball" no less than 100 times a day. It is without question his most common word, with "bat" becoming a close second. When we drive past a soccer or baseball field, he squeals "Ball!" Sometimes it's the first thing he looks for when he wakes up in the morning. He carries one with him the majority of the time.

I have tried to be careful not to push him too far in a direction that his DNA might naturally take him. But, this is definitely a case of Nature over Nuture. In all truth, I would prefer that he not take a liking to throwing things, especially indoors. Here's a picture of Grampy playing an impromptu game of catch (in my living room).

Usually he doesn't just say "ball," rather "ball, ball, ball, ball." This weekend we introduced him to t-ball. Here's some video of Grammy giving him his first lesson. "Where's Grampy?" you might ask...he's fishing in Alaska. Mason found Grammy to be a pretty fair playmate. She even pitched while he/I hit the ball. He definitely has a new favorite hobby. And two bats to go with it...who bought bats for an almost-2-year-old anyway???

I gotta quit checking on him at night as I can't resist taking pictures. This time he was pinned by the monkey. (And I didn't wake him up tonight.)

Since I woke Mason up taking this picture, I thought I should post it. I thought he was so cute with his "friends" all around him, and him holding Conrad.

I've uploaded some old videos:

The premie

- 09/2004

First bath/target practice

- 09/2004

Jump baby

- 01/2005

First eats

- 01/2005

First bath together

- 01/2005

Kenzie's third birthday party

- 06/2005

The story of Chirpie going down the drain

- 06/2005

Sleep song

- 07/2005

I told Kenzie this morning, "go change your shirt."

Her reply: "I am going to go change my shirt. I am going to listen to you. [Pointing her finger at me.] If I don't listen to you then I am going to get consequences. I do not want consequences. So I am going to listen to you."

But, yes, she did go change her shirt.

Krista, Mianna, Kenzie, Reagan, Nathan, Luke, Aidan. Back: Ms. Janet
Kenzie's first year of preschool is officially over today. Ms. Janet had a party for all the kids and their families to celebrate the beginning of summer. Kenzie says that she's going to miss her teacher and her friends. We've decided to put her back in the same school next year with the same teacher. Ms. Janet is great with her. She doesn't confront her, but is very consistent and firm--exactly what Kenzie needs! Here are her end of the year comments about MacKenzie:

MacKenzie has become socially confident! She uses her words when needed. It is amazing growth in her social development. She enjoys learning and will do well in the afternoon program next year! I will miss her hugs! Janet.

She told Cindy that Kenzie's growth really has been remarkable. In thinking back, I remember being nervous about Kenzie hitting the other kids. She didn't share, and didn't know how to pal around with other kids. Now she has her mermaid buds, shows empathy (what a concept!), and really likes to play with the other kids. Yahoo, progress!! And here's the report card to validate it!

Maybe she's still a little humored by Aidan (notice the way she's looking at him), but he does not hold the bright spot in her heart that he once did (and the tooth is still missing). You can also see best-friend Krista to the right.

Background reading:

Going to China and we're gonna get married

Prince Aidan

Day of reckoning

Heart breaker

Aidan's tooth

Anything but Aidan??

# posted by Julie : 9:39 PM  0 Comments

Before we went to the Dollar Store this weekend, Grammy gave Kenzie a dollar to buy anything she wanted. Kenzie went carefully throughout the whole store, not particularly interested in anything until she found a book. She sat down, flipped through the pages and decided she would buy it. All was well until we got to the cash register where she spotted gum. She asked me if she could get some gum.

Me: "sure, honey. Look! There's watermelon."

Kenzie: "yeah, I want watermelon."

Me: "Great. When we go up to the register just tell the lady you don't want that book after all."

Kenzie: "But I do want this book."

Me: "Okay, then the gum can go back on the shelf."

By this time the two ladies behind Mom were watching carefully to see how this was going to go.

Kenzie: "Mom, I want both the gum and the book."

Me: "Well, how much money do you have?"

Kenzie: "I just have one dollar."

Me: "It sounds like you can just buy one thing."

Kenzie, turning to Grammy, "Grammy, can I have one more dollar?"

Mom: "No, I don't have any more money to give away."

Kenzie spent some more time seeing if she could negotiate her way into a more favorable position, but finally put the gum back on the shelf and bought the book. Mom and I commented after the fact that it was a good thing Grampy wasn't there or we might not have had such a united adult front.

P.S. Kenzie received the same book as a present for her birthday. Mom and I exchanged glances...and I just couldn't resist saying, "shudda gone for the gum!"

Jacob and Mason got into a little scuffle. I heard Mason started it, but that's not what the picture says! :)

Further proof that we totally confused Kenzie by having her party a day before her actual birthday...I greeted her with "Happy Birthday, Birthday Girl!" She replied, "is it my birthday today??? [pause] Will all the same people from yesterday's party be at the party today?"

We celebrated Kenzie's fourth birthday today. (Which, by the way, has totally alarmed her that it can be celebrated a day before her actual birthday. I finally gave up trying to convince her that she's still actually three.) There were a total of 51 people here to celebrate. Thankfully the weather cooperated and the kids were able to run wild in the yard. Cindy put the "funhouse" (bounce yard) up for the kids of all sizes.

Grammy made beautiful mermaid tails for all the girls. Here Kenzie is modeling it with Mason and Cheyenne on the slide. They boys had shark fin hats, but Mason wouldn't wear his more than 1.2 seconds.

Kenzie demonstrated that mermaids can be quite terrestrial. Did I mention I was glad the weather cooperated? Guess it's now safe to admit that I had no backup plan for entertaining everyone if we had been housebound. Perhaps it would have been a shorter party.

The inside was festive -- Cindy went nuts with the underwater theme. Kenzie asked tonight if we were going to have to take it down. I asked what she thought. It was then that she seemed to fathom that her birthday hadn't quite happened yet, "I have a birthday coming up and I think it should be up for it."

We had three baby boys with us, including the newest cousin Nathan who is ten days old today, shown here with the proud grandma. So sweet, but Mason has just proved that they grow quickly...wondering what are these parties going to be like in another couple of years!?!

Kenzie recently announced that Chirpie is a girl. Just in time, because Aunt Carol bought "her" a dress, and Kenzie one to match.

I struggle with supporting Kenzie's love of princesses. How do I do that and also teach her about self-worth and diversity when here's what I see from Disney...the three hallmark princesses are Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty--each is very petite, white, and a victim waiting for a prince to rescue them. Decades later Disney gave us a hint of diversity with Ariel (a red head), Belle (a brunette) and Jasmine (wow, an Arab). These three girls have to change to find love. Ariel must swap her mermaid fin for legs to get Prince Eric; Belle lives with a “Beast” who she believes she can change by just staying with him and Jasmine must nearly surrender her throne for the love of poor Aladdin-until Genie changes him to a prince instead. I guess there's also Mulan (who has to dress up as a boy and represent all of Asia) and Pocahontas (a Native American), but they're more obscure. Thankfully, Kenzie likes Dora, who at least speaks Spanish and is just a "regular girl."

Ok, so enough of my political rant. So, what's Kenzie's birthday cake? ...a pink-faced, blonde haired, thin-waisted mermaid to fit in with the mermaid-themed party!

How do I reconcile that? Primarily, because it's her birthday and she loves them. We talk a lot about differences and personal strength, and this doesn't negate that. Her fantasy world has lost "Deedee"--now it's everything mermaid. She lives in a half-world where water and dirt co-exist with her fin and scales: "I can't go down the slide because my fin is too slimy," or "Mason, watch it, you almost stepped on my fin."

Second, it's a different kind of diversity: just because Ariel was a mermaid doesn't mean that all mermaids are weak. Actually, as Kenzie, Krista and Mianna have proved, Mermaids can take the boys on the playground.

That's what I'm going with anyway. I think I would have a harder time explaining to her why she has a cake of muscles and brains. Hey, there's an idea...maybe when she turns five.

Kenzie has a new fascination with mermaids. ("Thanks" to Rebecca for loaning her the Mermaidia CD.) The frenzy has spread throughout the preschool class. Now all the girls are mermaids and, as Kenzie told me this morning, "we don't play with the boys anymore." When I asked more about this, I was a little disturbed to hear, "the boys shoot the mermaids."

Me: "They what?"

Kenzie: "Mom, it's just pretend shooting. I don't like guns, but it's just pretend shooting."

Feeling the need to address the "gun" thing in a little more detail, but also pleased that I was getting rare insight into her school day, continued, "and what do the mermaids do?"

Kenzie, with the obvious reply: "The mermaids shoot the humans. We have to shoot the humans or they will hurt the mermaids. They will hurt our fins."

Tough to argue with that. I do believe in self-defense.

Anyway, Sarah and Kyle came over for dinner tonight to give Kenzie her early birthday present. They hit it big with a Mermaidia costume. Here's Kenzie modeling with Sarah. And Mason in the picture for good measure. (In case you're wondering, Mermaids turn into humans when they're not in the water...that's why there are shoes, not a fin. Might also be a safety thing.)

Okay, so maybe there are a couple of things wrong with this picture, but he's at least showing some interest. This is his "potty" sign.
To sit on the toilet, he approaches it straight-on, puts both feet in, turns around (10 little clockwise steps), sits down, pulls one foot out, pulls the other foot out.

Here's another take...more challenges and no "outcomes" yet to report.