Dirty Dash 2012

Updates on Clifton -
He is continuing to tell stories and talk all day long.  I really enjoy his stories and hearing what he comes up with. He has also really started playing pretend play.  Which is such a fun stage!  I love sitting back and watching him play and act out things.  It is cute to see what they do.
Clifton can climb up our park play structure all by himself now.  Which makes me life a little easier.  Seems like a little achievement but it is a big one to me.

Updates on McKay -
She is moving so so much.  The gates are going up:(  She is even getting close to pulling herself up!
She is really really attached to me and is starting to get separation anxiety.  She wants mom all the time.  Even if I am in the room she just wants me to hold her and no one else will do.  Not even Alex.  

For FHE activity this week Clifton and Dad put together a toy truck!  It was a lot of fun and Clifton loves showing off his truck.

It was a hot week so we decided to spend a day at the Bremerton Water fountains.  It has been probably a year since we have been there last so it was pretty much a new thing to them.

 At first they just got their feet wet.

 McKay got scared every time the water shot up:(  But we managed to still have some fun playing in the grass.

Then splashing commenced!

 Love these boys!

I got a Groupon for Play Kitsap in Bremerton and decided to give it a try this week.

 

 Clifton got hurt on the slide due to a pile up and was scared of it so he decided to go play in the other stations.  I was enjoying him pretend playing.  He was cute and was making me chicken for dinner.  He knows me well, I love chicken.

Friday I had family in town.  Two of my brothers, my sister-in-law and their kids.

 

 Clifton enjoyed having cousins to play with.  He was talking about Jack and Emma coming up all week.

Saturday was the Dirty Dash we signed up for. 

 My brothers and I ready to go get dirty!  Yep we are dorks:)

 

Us before - so clean!

Us after - so dirty!

 Best photo ever!!!!!

 If you cannot tell from my face, we had the best time.  It seriously was a blast!  I think this might be a new Peterson tradition:)

 There were obstacles along the way that made it challenging and fun.  The had tons of muddy water pits to get through, tunnels to army crawl through, dirt hills, tires, monkey bars, (which Alex and I were the only ones to make it all the way across.  Just saying!) huge slip-and-slide, walls, cargo net, etc...

 Dirty love!

 My brother creeping in our photo!

 

They then had a dirty dash for the kids.  It was a mile and had some of the obstacles.  So we went with our nieces and nephew.

Group shower time!

This was the worst part.  Yes it was a hot day but that water was so so cold.

 Clifton hosing off our clothes before putting them in the washing machine.

  It was a tiring but extremely fun weekend for everyone.

The kids needed to cool off so we went outside and played in the sprinkler!

Yes my kids are naked, but it is hot and that is how we roll!

Alex and a couple of his brothers spent the week in McCleary painting his parents' house.  I am not trying to brag but I sure think Alex is a good son and a great example to our children.  He gave up his birthday weekend and time with his family to paint his parents' house.  I hope my children can see and recognize how selfless their father is.  I know I see it and it motivates me to be better at it.  He did not get it all the way finished which was a little upsetting, but the house really does look great.  It amazes me what a fresh new coat of paint can do. We met him down there for the dirty dash.

Well I lost a whopping 3 pounds this week.  I am at my perfect weight!!!!!  And I am happy.  And I think I am officially over the MRSA, too!

Clifton Rocks Jar

Updates on Clifton -
So last week I talked a lot about how we have been struggling with Clifton to make good choices and do good things.  Well I have been thinking a lot about it and decided that maybe I need to watch for things he does good.  And let him know he can get attention by doing good things.  So I decided to put together the "Clifton Rocks Jar".  We went on a walk and found some rocks. Then he cleaned and painted them.  I explained to him that every time he does something good, like eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, fold arms during prayer, quiet while I am putting McKay to sleep, etc.. we can put rocks in his jar.  But if he makes bad decisions we will have to take rocks out (only if he needs something more than a time out).  And at the end of the day, if his jar is full of rocks, he gets a treat.

He enjoyed the process of collecting, cleaning, and painting them.  It took him a day to catch onto the idea.  But thus far it seems to be working well and I seem to realize he does a lot of good things and not focus so much on the negative.

Funny things he said this week.:
- we have been talking about the word dangerous lately and so he has started using it in his everyday dialogue.   I was tickling him and he turned to me and said "No Mom.  Tickling dangerous!"
- At lunch he told me "Cracker has ouwy.  Fall down crossing the street."

Updates on McKay -
I am loving the stage she is at.  She is happy, silly, and a joy.  She is getting so big and so much fun every day.  She turned 7 months this week!  She is still not on her hands and knees crawling but she army crawls and is quite fast at it.  I am not sure she will crawl on her hands and knees. I think she might just go to walking.

The boys and I enjoy playing games.  I try to think of fun and new games for them.  These week we sent a lot of time working on our letters and colors.

We played a fishing game where we would fish for magnetic letters.  I would have them tell me the color and  try to see if they could name the letter.  They really like this game.

Then we got another game out.  The boys would spin and tell me what color they landed on.  We would find the candyland guy that matched that color and then match the guy to the color circle. They did pretty well at this game.

A random picture of Clifton rocking out!

 Another random picture of Clifton just being Clifton.  A couple captures of my everyday experience.  Clifton is sure silly!  Nice outfit huh?

My mother came into town this weekend.

She got to come cheer me on with Alex and the kids for the Whaling Days 4 mile race.  I just passed Clifton and he is watching me finish.  He is so cute.  I am so glad I can be a good example to him.

I ran with a couple of friends this race and it was a lot of fun.  My time was not great but that was due to some illness stuff going on.  I will mention later, but still an okay time.  36 minutes for 4 miles.

Clifton wearing my medal after the race!  He was excited to wear it.

We then stayed for the parade!

 We sat at the end of the route for an easy escape.  There were some benefits, one float had huge balloons they were giving away them at the end of the parade.  Clifton was so excited to get one.  Thanks to Grandma for taking him out to grab it.  Sadly it popped in the car:(  But it was fun while it lasted!

 We got fireman hats!  Clifton wanted McKay to have one too.

 

We also walked around the fair a little.  Them being silly!

Later we went on a family bike ride.  Grandma has not been on a bike in a LONG time so we took a short ride over to the next neighborhoods park.

She is seriously too stinking cute!


Well this week I lost 1.5 pounds.  So 3.5 and I will be at MY perfect weight.  I hit a road block on running and losing weight this last month.  I had had boils a couple weeks ago and ended up in the urgent care.  They took a culture but never got back to me.  I figured it was nothing too serious so I took the medication and went on with life.  After I finished the antibiotics I felt horrible.  Well I felt horrible while taking the antibiotics but thought it was due to the antibiotics.  Anyway I felt real bad and really tired.  I just keep trying to ignore it until I got another boil:(  I got into the doctors and they had to drain this one too and put my on new antibiotics.  The doctor then told me that my culture says that it is MRSA!  Well that would have been good to know.  So this week was a long tiring week.  But I started feeling better and getting more energy a few days after taking the new antibiotics.  So I am hoping this is the end of it.  Because it sucks!!!!

My tough 2 year old

Updates on Clifton -
Clifton has started to become very rough.  I know he is a boy but it is a lot different then Clifton was. He spends a lot of time in time out and testing me.  But if I keep him busy and doing fun things he does well.  It is hard to watch him make a wrong choice.  I know no kid is perfect and I do not expect perfection but I do expect kindness.  Well it will be a work in progress.  Now that he finally goes to nursery he is acting out:(  But is does a lot of good things as well.  He is very silly and usually very polite (using sorry, thank you, welcome, excuse me, etc...)  And he is talking so much and using full sentences and telling stories of the day or of things that have happened.  He is a good boy but I am struggling with personal space and sharing.  (which I am sure is normal for a 2 year old)

Updates on McKay -
She is continuing to grow healthy and strong.  And continues to be just as wiggly as ever.  Her silly personality keeps coming out more and more.  Besides that she is same old happy McKay!

Another week means another park with the play group.  The boys like getting out with friends and playing.

Trying to be like the big kids and climb up the structure.  That is as far as they got:)

Wednesday the library had the "Reptile Lady" come out with her snakes, bearded dragon, and chameleon.

Clifton loved when she got the reptiles out.  But when we got in line to touch the snake he did not want to touch it.  Silly!  I did and I hate snakes!

I thought it would be fun to make a little "river" for the boys to have duckies go down.  Our drive way is on a slope so thought that would be perfect.

They loved it!  They would run down with the ducks pick them up and run back up to the top.  Plus they splashed in the water.  A fun activity.

The boys thought it was fun to put on Mr. Potato Heads glasses.  They sure are silly!

 I decided to get McKay in on the action.  I love this girl.  She is a silly one.

Friday Alex had off and cub scout day camp was going on.  They needed a few more helpers and asked if I could help.  I figured I could.  So I spent the whole day with the cub scouts and bows and arrows.

During the boys snack time I was able to mess around with the bows and arrows.  It brought back some good memories.  I used to do this stuff often.  It was a fun and very tiring day.

Saturday we took Clifton to the Bug Museum here in town.  He loves finding bugs outside so I thought this would be perfect.

But they had statues of big bugs and that scared Clifton.  Not McKay however.

He looked around and relaxed a little.  But he needed Alex or I to hold him the whole time because he was scared.  Later Clifton told us (in his words) "1,2,3 bugs Clifton happy.  Bugs everywhere scary."  So I think he was overwhelmed with how many bugs there were.  Which I do not blame him.  I do not enjoy bugs!

 To end the week we spent a nice evening with the Stewart's.  

 We really enjoy them and Clifton sure enjoys that Evan. 

I was released as the primary counselor but called back in as the 1st counselor.  My good friend, Stephanie, got called in as the president and I am so excited to work with her and to still be in the primary.