December Newsletter & Slideshow

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this posted. It took f-o-r-e-v-e-r (think Sandlot) to put together. We were just seriously so busy last month - fun busy - but busy.
You know the drill: to the right - newsletter (the entire first page is the stuff just the family has been doing), below - slideshow (it's super-long, but I hope you'll watch it!), and below that - McKinley & Ireland-isms




McKINLEY:
-After preschool one day, mom let McKinley push Ireland’s stroller. She kept running into the grass, but never gave up. She said “I’m doing great!”
-McKinley LOVES to play on her computer and would all day if we let her. So – we set a timer and when it beeps, she’s done. Mom was working on the computer and McKinley came in and said “I’m setting this timer, and when it beeps, you have to be done on the computer!”
-McKinley loved all the Christmas music this season – especially Frosty, Rudolf, Jingle Bells and whenever a song came on that said “Hallelujah” McKinley thought it was “I’m Alulia. That’s her name mom!”
-At dinner, McKinley said she had to go potty, so she hopped down. As she passed Ireland’s high chair, she said “Be nice to my sister Swiper! She’s a sweet girl. Do you have a sister Swiper?” After she went potty, she came running back and said “Mom – Swiper went potty too! And he wiped!”
-We watched the new Tinkerbell movie the other day and we all thought it was cute. The next day mom asked McKinley what the tinker fairies do. McKinley said “Go to Disneyland!”
-It was snowing hard and mom asked if everyone was ready to go to the library. McKinley said “We need a sleigh mom!”
-McKinley is into favorites lately. Her favorite color, however, changes daily.
-We hadn’t see 101 Dalmations in over a month, but mom walked into the kitchen & McKinley was singing “Cruella DeDile, Cruella DeDile…if she doesn’t scare you… Cruella DeDille!”
-We wish we would have video taped it, but we’ll just have to describe it. McKinley saw a bag of cranberries in the fridge that we were going to use for Christmas decorations. She wanted some. Mom warned her that they were not very good to eat, but she wanted them anyway. She took a bite and said she liked them. And then she made this awful face and started spitting them out - “I DON’T like them mom!”
- McKinley loves the “Shout for Joy” song from the My Turn on Earth soundtrack, but she sings it “Scout, scout, scout for joy!”
-Mom asked McKinley what shows she liked on TV. McKinley said “Hannah Montana!” (we were puzzled. She’s never seen it)
-McKinley has been changing her outfits for no reason 2-3 times a day. More laundry. Hooray!
-McKinley watched an “Elmo’s World” where it was Dorothy’s birthday, so McKinley decided it was her fish, Dezi’s, birthday, too. She decorated a paper, wrapped it up in tape and even sang to her. She said “Happy Birthday Dezi! Now, please don’t die.”
-McKinley loves Polar Express. She calls it the jingle bell movie.
-McKinley is constantly asking how to spell things now. We have come up with little songs to help her remember how to spell her name and her sister’s name.
-McKinley got so many fun things for Christmas, including a scooter bike, lots and lots of puzzles and books, a letter writer, a Dora couch, a new shirt, a new dress, Tinkerbell writing stuff, and games.
-The bed we slept in at Grandma Devenish’s house was a bit squeaky. Whenever we’d move it would squeak. McKinley said “Mom- I think there’s a bird in here!”
-Sedona, Camri, Keeley & mom were playing truth or dare and having fun. We tried to get McKinley to play but she wouldn’t . Later mommy asked why she didn’t want to play. She said “Because it’s dangerous for little girls.”
-McKinley got Sleeping Beauty for Christmas. She loves it, but when the evil witch turned into a dragon, she put her blanket over her head. Then she would peek out every once in a while to see what was going on.
-McKinley has been missing preschool during the Christmas break. Mom found her downstairs, sitting on a chair and “reading” her scriptures to her “preschool pals.” She also wanted to play preschool for mommy & McKinley time.
-McKinley has been wanting to call people more on the phone. We called her cousin Michael one day. She was talking to him, saying “Ohhh… that’s interesting Michael…”


IRELAND:
-In the car, Ireland loves to say “STOP!” and “GO!”
-Ireland loves to say night-night to things before she goes to bed. She said night-night to snow, cars, her boots, and the snowman in our yard.
-Ireland says A, B, C and 1, 2, 3
-Ireland is starting her terrible twos early with tantrums. She will throw her head back and lay on the floor and cry.
-One day, Ireland decided she was done going down the stairs feet first. She went forward much to the worry of her mom, but she’s doing great now!
-Ireland is getting better at her prayers and will repeat most of the last words of every phrase and she is so good at saying “AMEN!” at the end of every prayer.
-For a few days, mommy went in to get Ireland in the morning and she was signing and saying “Happy! Happy!” It was so cute!
-Ireland LOVES to go outside, look up and say “Sky!” “Clouds” “Moon!”
-Ireland has been a big helper lately and will put cereal, bowls and spoons on the table in the morning when her mommy helps her a bit.
-Poor Ireland has been so constipated all month. She is having a really hard time.
-Whenever she hears anything even close to the sound, Ireland looks up and says “Airplane!”
-Ireland STILL is infatuated with the toilet. She likes to take the toilet paper and unroll it and put it in the toilet.
-Ireland does say “potty” a lot.
-She knows where her head, eyes, nose, ears, mouth, cheeks, chin, belly button, fingers, & toes are.
-Ireland had a great Christmas with a little 4-wheeler (so far she hasn’t really warmed up to it), a magnetic doll set, lots & lots of clothes, some books and puzzles, and a mini piano.