When is Double Dipping Not so bad?

Mackenzie is the worst offender! She loves ketchup, well anything with sauce. Give her a chip and dip and she will be the slimiest double dipper ever.



Actually after this lunch I had to give her a few snacks as she got full on "shep shep".



She is enjoying her new birthday toys, and one of her favorite things is a kitty keyboard, she loves to march to the music.

This is her bright and early on her birthday morning.

Here is a quick random video of MacNcheese!

Happy Birthday Mackenzie

Mackenzie Grace you are 2 today!

This is one of the first pictures of us, together. I hardly remember the tiny baby you once were. Both of us pretty clueless about your needs, you didn't know what you needed and I tried to figure those things out.

You were so cuddly - my arms hurt from holding you so much. I spent hours staring at you.

In the last 2 years you have went from a tiny newborn to an independent toddler. You love to do things by yourself. And you really are exploring your language, you say Com on Duys (come on guys) geev hand (give me your hand), one of your favorite things for breakfast yogiyogiYOGURT - I am still not sure why you call it that. You are currently obsessed with cake, when I got you up this morning I said, Happy Birthday and you answered I want cake -!

You dont let me cuddle you all day like when you were tiny except when you want me to read you a book or you're tired. Starring at you for hours as been replaced with helping you learn life skills, like NOT throwing things, or that folding your arms and rolling your eyes will get you no where except for a time out. Our days are filled with letting you have new experiences like helping me cook, or feeding ducks, or watering plants.

Two years have passed so quickly, I'm sure every Mom wonders if they are making the right choices for their children......even today there are times like our first few days together I am not sure what you really need - but the last two years has taught me we will figure them out together.

Happy Birthday!

Duck. Duck. Goose!

I recently played a game of Duck, Duck, Goose with some rowdy 4&5 year olds. It was fun, and funny to watch some of the younger 4 year olds excitement and glee.

It got me to thinking about Kindergarten, and being really young - and being brave enough to really dream. Back when you couldnt conceptualize failure - literally we thought, "If you could dream it - you could be it". What happened to that child like faith, hope and dreams?

I am fortunate to be living several of my dreams, but I gotta go hang out with 4 & 5 year olds again, they know how to live! Talk about No Fear -! I want to be the key to someones dream.........what I mean is when I hear a dream I want to be the cheerleader that soothes souls, be an encourager to the dream..........I've heard of dream catchers but I want to be and see more dream releasers.


What would our lives be like if ever dream we ever had we acheived? Where would we be, what job would we have, who would be in our sphere of influence?

Its not too late........who said I still can't realize a few dreams I have been carrying around. We are all bigger then our circumstances.......what are your dreams?

After dinner we went to the Duck park, and we fed the ducks the bags of buns left over from lots of summer BBQ's. These ducks must think its the Bronx and not Evergreen Hills (hehehehe) cause they were hissing and basically trying to punk my child - but she is braver then she knows to be. What a nice night we had, riding her new tricycle to the duck park, and playing with all the ducks!

Mackenzie as you dream, know I will always encourage you! I will try to never let my dreams for you supersede the dreams you have for yourself. Never settle for what you can do well, take risks, dream big, push hard - the best dreams that come true are things you barely have faith to think about - and when you see them come to light its amazing.

Looking forward to playing duck duck goose with you!

You Scream, I Scream, We all Scream for Ream Ream????

Mackenzie loves ice-cream, well she calls it Ream Ream. She will even say, "Mommy pease come" and will take my finger and pull me to the freezer and say "Ream Ream pease"

Often times we settle for a fruit snack. When we visited the doctor her recco was to give Mac some ice cream to help with the blisters, and well she is her mothers daughter and sweet things are well sweeeet!

While watching her favorite show "Booooooots" thats Dora the Explorer for the rest of us, Boots was having Ream Ream, so Mackenzie wanted hers. Usually I say no, its 1pm on Monday its not ice cream time, then I thought........um why not.

I spent the first few years of her life living up to parenting books, I am actually better for these books but I dont want to live (or force this life on others he he he ) by a book. So we had a sweet treat in the middle of the day, today for no other reason then her friend Boots was having some ream ream too!

James Taylor said it best -

"How sweet it is to be loved by you"

(Bad hair days are Mommy's fault - but hey it was a slow Monday)

Lazy Days..............

We are starting to build a tradition us Dunns -

should we get to a Saturday and we dont have

to work..............

Have breakfast together, today it was at

our favorite place Evergreen Inn - actually

the restuarant workers know us and

remember Mackenzie and have watched her

grow.

Its nice to have a toddler who can eat at a table, and can feed herself!

Then we take Mackenzie to the park, and she gets to dictate when we leave......... We actually have an amazing park in our neighborhood - as well we should with the property tax we pay - but I digress.

Mackenzie, though cautious is pretty brave on this jungle gym

Down the slide she goes!

Jeff got up there to help Mackenzie because she was stuck in a tunnel. I love watching them together - they're my 'peeps' I cant help myself!

The park also has a water park attached to it - and Mackenzie had to get wet - !

After all our fun we got home and napped! What a fabulous Saturday!

Coming Clean

It's been a busy week. We had VBS at church (vacation bible school) and I was pied in the face. Kids rock!

Mackenzie is all better, she actually never had HMFD just its ugly cousin No Name Virus. She healed up quickly. Her language is exploded - she is a massive repeater, its exciting to watch her blossom!

I am watching the Olympics and am bawling - take about Hope of Nations. Its so wonderful seeing people in their moment - inspiring!

Here's some Mac -a-licous

Have a great weekend. We dont have much planned (huge sigh of relief).

Kicked OUT of the church nursery!!!

NO, this isn't a mug shot! Mackenzie

hasn't been feeling well the last few days.

First it was a reaction to Auntie Roni's

(Awoni as she calls her a mix of Aunt and

Roni I think) cats.

Then it was the 2 year molars - but the

last few days she seemed to be a littleextra moody, and you know I have alreadycomplained about her excess droll.

Well today she had a hard time warming up to her favorite Sunday School teacher - I figured its just the teeth. But then - I get paged to go get her.

Arriving at the desk they had already pulled her out of class - and they told me she had blisters in her mouth!!!! Thank the Lord a church our size has several nurses and doctors - so after talking and showing the blisters to them we are pretty sure she has HMFD (hand mouth foot disease) not to be confused with Foot and Hoof (thats Mad Cow people I may have a mad little heffer but she doesnt have Mad Cow).

She should be all better in a few days - but my faith is she will be better sooner the later. She does get to eat lots of ice cream so she will ride this train happily I imagine. Here are a few pics from the last few days.

This one is today after her very short nap.

This is whats on her "Bucket List"


Minutes after leaving church today

Happy Sunday!

Love makes you..........

I just put the babe down for a nap -

before I forced this nap on her,

she wanted to squeeze a banana but not eat it,

Tried to put a new shirt on but couldnt do it alone, and of course refused help.

Completely trashed the house I cleaned, organized, and vaccummed not even 24 hours ago.

Hit her dad, and rolled her eyes a new thing she recently mastered.

I am apart of a Moms group - 13 of us total - all of our children were due

(or came) in the month of August.

Several of us are first time moms, but we are blessed to have a few Moms who have gone before us.

These ladies have the patience of Job - I am better parent

because of them, and I love that we share the daily dealings with

our kids and lives together.

So back to nap time - I kept my cool put MacNcheese in her

crib that she almost climbed out of, she was almost hysterical....
....I scooped her up and rocked her for a minute.

Love makes you be patient, talk softer, repeat yourself

8 times, choose not to do it yourself - yes it would be

faster but she takes pride in being a helper.

Love makes you, want more then you had for your kids -

and makes you make the right choices to do so. It makes

you be consistent when you are exhausted and makes you

read the same book 2o times IN A ROW.

Love and desire to live a legacy are way bigger then pride,

and can overcome anything!

East Coast Meets West Coast

Mackenzie and Mamom

I actually remember complaining about a $300 flight to the NC - I take it back - I so take it back! Nevertheless my Mom came for a visit recently. We had a blast, Mackenzie loved spending time with her other Mamom. I was born in North Carolina where both my Moms family and my Dads family are from. We moved to California when I was 4 so I have deep roots as a west coaster. I don't get back there often, though I have lots of memories of summers with cousins there.

@ Pebble Beach

Now that Mackenzie is 2 we no longer have the lap option on flights - 3 full price tickets - ouchie! Two things I know, there is no place like home and having a Mom is good. It was nice laughing and hanging out with her for a week. Looking forward to next time.

Didn't I just have a new born?

Where did 2 years go? I can remember how hot August 2006 - and seriously not to take away from any pregnant women but August 2008 is not hot like 2006 was.

Life was so different, Jeff and I were just a couple. We could come and go, not cook and eat out for days if not weeks on end. Vacation where we wanted. OMG lets talk about sleep - I guess suffice it to say we could sleep - baawahaaaa - but we both could certainly sleep in without having to schedule it. We never had to have breakfast at home - we could buy it on the fly or just settle for a latte - and Sunday mornings where there's a million details we could skip all together and just get to chuch.

Mackenzie Grace - changed our lives as we knew it. And boy are we the better for it! After 29 hours of waiting she came out via C-Section. After her first 24 hours a nurse noticed her breathing was labored. She was in the NICU for a little over a week with a random infection that effected her breathing.

What a scary time. We made it home it took us a while to find our rhythm. Sometimes even longing for our old life that was carefree and easy. Having a family changed us, and me. I thought most of my selfishness vanished the first year of marriage - WRONG.

Parenting (if you are doing it right Ill add) is selfless, constantly giving more then you thought you would or could. Its our chance to leave the world better.

So we enter the month that my daughter is turning 2, I can hardly believe! She is so fun. One of my favorite things she does right now is shushing Jeff or me if we sing or talk to loud she will let us know by puting her index finger on her lips and saying SHHHHHHHH. She can repeat most words and is getting good at please and thank you. She is cautious when in a new area like a party for instance, she carefully checks everyone out then decides when she is ready to participate.

She is the best, funny, sweet and loves to laugh. She is proudly saying I am two while holding up 3 fingers. So much fun and so much work all rolled up into one. Amazing what a little love can do. Again I'll say, "Look what the Lord has Dunn!"

Here pictures for her 2nd birthday

Thanks Mac, I hope we make you as happy as you make us!

Whats the saying? The road to Hell is laid with good intentions?

Well I am good at a few things, throw a party my way and I can be a pretty good hostess, shopping online I find tons of discount codes, got a marathon I can walk it (he he he) - updating family and friends about moments of my families life with pictures NOT SO MUCH.

Thus the birth of So...............Dunn. Well I am so Dunn as its my last name, and often times I find myself so done! - So done with laundry, so done with a teething 2 year old - let me lament to you mothers and fathers who have gone before me - yeah I think all of you forgot to tell me about 2 year molars! - Nevertheless So Dunn is here - and I will keep you postd on Mackenzie and our families goings on!

Nevertheless, I am committing to keep up this blog at least once a week - with pictures and anything that stands out. I don't however commit to being a great writer, an average speller or being perfectly composed. I have the very good privilege of being apart of an online Moms group and have chronicled a lot of Mackenzie's life and my daily dealings, I do find writing fun so Im not sure what you are in for but if you know me you know 'imma' have some fun with it.

Its August 1st already - what the junk? This summer has been chalk full for us, we went on a family vacation to Disneyland - seriously my husband loves me because 1) he would rather be watching ESPN then taking pictures of me and Mac with Disney characters and 2) Mac isn't even 2 cognizant memory doest start till about 3ish so yeah maybe this trip was for the Mama.

We did have a great time though and it was nice to get away from work. Met up with some dear friends from my Moms group so that made it even better. That was at the beginning of July.

I got home to help put a work shower together for my bestie Roni, who was due to have a baby in August. Then I participated in the San Francisco Avon Walk for Breast Cancer - I'll have to do a separate blog on this - it was truly inspiring and life changing.


I walked a marathon and a half - Um let me be clear 39.3 miles in 2 days - whoo hoooo! The Monday after this walk Jeff and I hosted my Mom and her fiance from NC for a week. We went all over, San Francisco, Monterey, and Santa Cruz and had a good time.

After all the festivities of visits, vacations and work conferences were over, I settled into an uneventful work week WRONG- my friend Roni's water broke in my office - yeah for her and her family.

So here I sit, on one of my first days of no hard commitments - perhaps a leisurely latte, a bath not shared, WRONG - Mackenzie is teething hard core, she has taken to drooling like a mangy dog ...........off to be super Mom (yawn)