May 2009 Slideshow

So, here's the slideshow from last month. Comcast changed something with their online storage, so if you want the newsletter, comment or e-mail me & I'll send it to you each month. Below is the slideshow, although I was so sad when one of my memory cards with lots of pictures from Mapleton Canyon, time with Tiffany, and our BBQ at the Hoffman's was wiped out :(
Here's the slideshow from May 1-24, though:


McKINLEY: We love our McKinley! Here are some of her latest adventures:

-We saw a beautiful rainbow one day & McKinley said “Mom – the rainbow helps us to remember that Jesus loves us.” Maybe she does listen to scripture stories after all!
-McKinley’s latest trick is snapping! We didn’t think she’d catch on so fast, but she’s a snapping queen now!
-Another one of McKinley’s latest things is when she or someone else can’t find something, she says “maybe it walked away!”
-We were on the freeway headed to grandma’s house & McKinley asked where all the cars were going. Mom said “I don’t know.” McKinley said “Yes you do! They’re going to grandma’s house too!”
-We were looking at the moon one night & mom asked McKinley why the moon is big sometimes & small sometimes. She said “I don’t know. Does it melt?”
-One of the preschool days that mom taught was on calling 911. We talked about it for a little while & Heidi had to go in the other room to get something & she heard McKinley tell the others “Yeah guys – you got to call 911 when your mom or dad dies.” Hmm – obviously I wasn’t getting the right message across.
-For some reason McKinley likes to bring everyday items to show & tell. When mom was teaching, one day she brought an eraser and one day she brought a sandal. She talked about how each item works and how special it is & where she got it from. It’s rather entertaining.
-We were looking for mother’s day cards & listening to the ones that had music when you opened them. We looked over & saw McKinley opening the regular cards & putting her ear close to the card with a frustrated, puzzled look on her face. She kept opening & closing them until we told her that not all cards are musical.
-Mom was fixing McKinley’s hair one day & pulled too hard. Mom said she was trying to be gentle. McKinley said “No you’re not!! You’re trying to be…bad-ful!”
-We were listening to the My Turn on Earth soundtrack & it had the song about the war in heaven & Satan and Jesus and McKinley had lots of questions about it. We talked about agency and how Jesus wants us to be happy and Satan wants us to be sad. Mom then segued into asking McKinley to do something & knowing how that makes Jesus happy. She said “Yeah cuz Satan doesn’t obey his mommy!”
-Most every night when mom starts to cook, McKinley shows up right by her side & says “Can I help you mom?” & she is so good to help with whatever mom has for her to do. She loves stirring & pouring things into the pot.
-McKinley came to mom & said “mom- my pets – come look!” She came to look and got to see lots of ants in our basement that McKinley was affectionately claiming as her pets.
-McKinley asked for cookies in the morning & mom told her she could only have 1. She said “You can have 1, but I get to have 3 because I’m 3 years old.”
-McKinley was looking at her birthday book from her first year when she was a baby. She said she wanted to be a baby again. Mom asked why. She said “because it was sooooo fun!”
-The girls were in the back playing in the sprinkler. Mom & dad peeked down on them from their room & they saw McKinley turn off the water. Then, when Ireland came close & was looking down on it, she started it up again & got Ireland soaked!
-McKinley & Ireland were so cute – singing twinkle, twinkle to the baby in mom’s tummy.
-Mom was fixing McKinley’s hair one day & getting really frustrated that she kept moving around. She had to keep telling her to stop moving! McKinley said “Can I move my eyes mom?
-McKinley brought Tundra inside one day & was so proud of herself. She said “Look mommy! I brushed Tundra’s hair!” Sure enough, there was mom’s hairbrush, full of dog fur.
-Jason had to show McKinley how to pee outside in the middle of the night when we went camping. Ever since that time, she keeps thinking she can pee outside, even when we’ve told her multiple times that it’s only when we’re camping.
-McKinley still has many nightmares & we have said special prayers that the Holy Ghost will be with her & protect her & help her to have good dreams. McKinley has been remembering her dreams more & more, though, & they’re so fun to hear. One day it was about Dragon Tales. Another day, she said we were all camping in the mountains and Elmo was with us and he was shaving. She’s so funny!

IRELAND: Here’s what our sweet, stubborn, wonderful Ireland has been up to this past month:
-When Ireland gives hugs, she puts her head on your chest and says “awwhhhh”
-When Ireland gets hurt, she comes to you crying and said “Ireland hurt. Sorry!”
-Ireland has witnessed a few of mom’s puking “episodes.” The other day, she was leaning over the toilet & mom couldn’t figure out what she was doing until she got closer and heard her making puking noises. I guess imitation is the highest form of flattery, right?
-Ireland just didn’t know what to do at the dog park with so many dogs running around. She kept yelling & pointing at them “Sit! Sit!”
-We’re pretty sure that Ireland thinks Sydney’s name is hyphenated because she never says it any other way: “Sydney-Quiet!”
-When Ireland is in a contrary mood, she says DON’T or NO to EVERYthing. We were trying to get her to say the prayer one day when she was cranky and it went something like this- Mom: Dear Heavenly Father… Ireland: DON’T Heavenly Father!, Mom: Thank you for the day… Ireland: DON’T Thank you!... And on until we finished the prayer. It wasn’t exactly the most reverent prayer she’s ever said.
-Ireland has gotten a little too attached to her blanket lately. She wants it with her a lot when she’s around the house. The other day mom was getting ready in her bathroom when she looks over & sees Ireland watching herself in the mirror, hugging her blanket, saying “My blanket… I love my blanket…”
-Ireland’s favorite book lately is Green Eggs & Ham. She will bring us the book and say “Sam I am! Sam I am!”
-When Ireland won’t give mommy hugs or kisses, sometimes mommy pouts & sticks out her bottom lip. Now, when Ireland won’t do what we ask, she beats us to the punch - sticking out her bottom lip.
-We’ve been having some problems with Ireland hitting and pushing lately. She’s understanding time out quite a bit more.
-If mom doesn’t catch her, Ireland usually dumps out her milk and cereal all over when she’s done with breakfast. One morning it was especially bad – all over the table & all over her. Mom unsnapped her from the seat & she stood up and said “TA DA!”
-Ireland has been getting into the utensils lately. She can reach without a stool and she thinks it’s very fun to get all the knives out at once.