July Newsletter & Slideshow

Wowsers - July was insane! Hence, the long slideshow. We had a great, fun, awesome month. Below - slideshow, below that - kids stuff!

McKINLEY: Here’s some fun things that McKinley has been doing or saying this month:
-McKinley started her first lessons ever this month – swimming! She did a great job & mom & dad LOVED to watch her learn. She has been practicing whenever she can – in her little pool, in the bathtub, etc. She loves to swim!
-McKinley colored a picture one day and asked to take it to someone who was sick. We ended up taking it to a friend of the family who’s daughter is at Primary Children’s recovering from some organ transplants. It was so sweet of McKinley to want to help!
-It was not easy to get McKinley to sleep when we were out of town this month. The first time, she had horrible coughing fits and didn’t go to sleep until after 11pm. Another time, she wasn’t coughing so much as just fighting her sleep. She would just talk and talk when she was so tired. She told mom that she wanted to dream about her when she was a little girl. Mom told her she needed to go to sleep to dream. She said “Mom! I’ve already fallen asleep like 40 times!”
-McKinley was playing with one of the babies and told mom “I’m pretending this is Joseph Smith!” -McKinley has started saying things are “wicked.” Mom asked if she knew what that meant & she says she didn’t, so mom explained that wicked is doing really bad, evil things – following Satan. McKinley said “So…like peeing in the bathtub – that’s wicked?”
-When we were camping, there were some moths in the camping trailer. McKinley called them butterflies, but mom pointed out that they’re not nice like butterflies. McKinley (OF COURSE) asked why. Mom thought & said “well… they eat clothes.” So – that night there were some moths in the trailer & she was so scared. She said “Mom! I can’t go to sleep! There’s moths in here & they’re going to eat my coat!” She just cried & cried.
-McKinley had so much fun camping & hiking & riding in the Rhino. She just wasn’t used to being alone with only her family for so long. She would say “Mom, when are my friends going to get here? Like Michael, and Jack…”
-McKinley has been talking a lot about getting married lately. She sure wants to marry her daddy, or her cousin Michael. We told her that’s it’s not a good idea to marry family. She asked why & so we tried our very best to explain the logic behind that.
-Mom asked McKinley what the baby’s name should be. She said “hmmmm…probly…Hannah Montana.”
-McKinley is in to writing (or putting together with her bath letters) random letters & asking what they say. She’ll put together a bunch of letters & say “Mom – what does this say?” Usually it says something like sghioiwng
-We were in the kitchen & mom asked McKinley if she knew where daddy & Ireland were. She said “Maybe they went on a mission.”
-McKinley has been saying “nanna, nanna boo boo!” lately. We don’t know where she got it from, but it’s not nice.
-McKinley is also big into competition these days. Whether it’s finishing her food first or buckling her seatbelt, she always wants to win & constantly says “I’m beating you!”
-We were playing in the sandbox one day & making sand castles. McKinley said she was making a special sand castle & then said “See mom – this is Moroni on top!”
-McKinley has finally :( figured out the safety handle on her door. She can’t open the door with it on, but she just pulls the whole thing off.
-McKinley is also big into what Curious George says or does. She says “It’s just like George mom!” – even when it’s things that get her into trouble.
-We were driving home from Grandma Potts’ house & McKinley said “Mom – why did you want me?” Mom said “What do you mean?” Then she said “Why did you borrow me from Jesus?”
-We are working on respect issues with McKinley, including spitting, sticking out her tongue, tone of voice, and lying.
-We’ve been working with McKinley on her learning time & she is learning her letters really well & the sounds they make. She can write her name, but usually still has trouble with the K.

IRELAND: Here’s what our brand new 2-year-old has been up to
-Happy Birthday Ireland! Your birthday was on a Sunday this year, so we did our water party on Saturday, the 4th of July – we were at your Grandma Devenish’s, of course! Then on your birthday, you got to break through the birthday tape, wear the birthday crown, eat on the birthday plate & tablecloth & eat mommy’s French toast for breakfast. Then after your long nap, we had a nice meal, complete with the birthday cake and afterwards presents! We also watched your birthday DVD and looked through your birthday book. You got so many fun things – a stroller, some way cute clothes, a doll, some puzzles & some money! The festivities continued with the Potts side on the 9th of July. We had more water fun (Aunt Cindy bought a fun pool!), more cake & ice cream, and more presents – including movies, lots of princess shoes, and dolls for your dollhouse! You also let go of your 2 balloons. Happy 2nd birthday Ireland! We LOVE YOU!
-She sure has got that 2-year-old attitude down. She will say “NO, NO, NO” and has started to really boss other kids around.
-She’s constantly saying “Help you!” which means “Help me!”
-We were sitting in the living room & Ireland said “Let’s go!” Mom asked where. She said “To church!”
-Ireland knows every time when we’re getting close to home. When we’re on Shaggy Peak Dr, she will say “We’re HOME!” and then she’ll say “Church!” before we get there. She sure is good at remembering!
-One thing we’re hearing a lot from Ireland now is “don’t say that!!” (like when we tell her not to do something) or “don’t sing that!” (when we’re singing her good-night song to her & she doesn’t want to go to sleep)
-Ireland will bring Mom dress up skirts (especially the sparkly one) and say “Mom – be princess!” which means she wants me to help her put on the skirt & be a princess.
-Another fun thing is that she’ll say “Mom/Dad – look!” and show us what’s she’s coloring or making.
-She had a necklace the other day that she was trying to put on Tundra. She would say “Tundra – hold still!!”
-When we’re cleaning her off after meals, she says “Okay, okay, okay, okay!” until we’re done. -Ireland loves getting her swim suit on & go swimming in the backyard. She’ll say “go to swimmin’ lessons!”
-Mom gave Ireland a plate of food after she had woken up from a nap. She said “I gotta say a prayer.” So she did. It was so cute.
-Ireland can really count to 10! Sometimes she’ll get mixed up, but she will even go to 12 sometimes. She’s also working on her colors – she will point to something & say “purple-blue!”