The girl loves to paint...

All summer long, Ella has asked to paint over and over again. She would paint for hours if I let her. She usually paints on paper and has been wanting to get into the acrylics. Anymore I don't even have to set up for her. She grabs her colors, gets her brushes, puts some rinsing water in a cup and tears off a paper towel. There is most definitely a mess that follows her creativity, but it's so worth watching her enjoy herself.

This past weekend, we went to the Breyer Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park. We really aren't what you would call "horse" people let alone model horse collectors, but I found the tickets on Groupon and what would have normally been a $50+ experience was only $10 for the entire family. I thought it would be fun and different for all of us. Come to find out, Ella was in heaven when she got to paint her very own Stablemate. She was happy with her finished product. :)

Swim Lessons

Ella has always been a little "iffy" when it comes to water. She's not terrified of it, but when it comes to getting it in her face she is not a fan! Her cousin Ava is the same way when it comes to water, so Jackie and I decided swim lessons were a must this summer. We arranged for the girls to go to a semi-private class with each other so they could get a little extra help. So far, they are doing wonderful! They are both on class three of six and have made huge progress! I think these swim lessons will definitely be something we need to continue.







Full face under!! Woo Hoo!

Look Who's Walking

Grayson is 11 months!

I just cannot believe my baby is 11 months old! The past eleven months have totally flown by and I have enjoyed every moment of them! Grayson is such a sweet baby with a terrific personality, not to mention a total stud! (Maybe I'm a little bias.) :) Here are a few tidbits about Grayson at 11 months:

Eating Habits:

• Grayson eats everything he can get his hands on! Literally! Even if it is a Styrofoam sword that tastes terrible! :)
  
• He loves to eat and would eat all day if I let him, hence the stout figure. There aren't many things he doesn't like which makes my life much easier.
  
• I typically try to feed him whatever we are eating on top of his yummy toddler treats. He loves the Gerber Graduates Fruit Twists and can down one in less than 5 seconds!
• Any time I get his highchair plate ready he starts reaching and saying "ummm". Like I said, he loves to eat!
• Grayson is a pro at the sippy cup and straw, minus the times he throws it in the floor.
  
• Grayson is still taking 3 bottles and loves them too death! He now knows the word "baba" and says it anytime he knows mommy is getting it!
  

Sleep Habits:

• Grayson still isn't a huge napper, but is on a pretty good schedule this summer. He still wakes up for his early bottle anywhere from 5:30 to 6:30, but then falls back to sleep.
• We have had the luxury of sleeping in until 9:30 this summer which is WONDERFUL!
  
• He will typically take a nap right after lunch (some days before) and another nap later in the evening. Neither of his naps are terribly long compared to how his sissy slept when she was his age.
• Grayson goes to bed each night anytime between 7:45 and 9. It really depends on when he wakes up from his late nap and what we are doing.
  
• The only issue I am having lately is the fact that he is fighting sleep. I guess he has realized how fun it is to be awake!
  

Play Habits:

• Grayson loves to play! His most favorite toys are balls and anything with wheels. He will empty his ball buckets many times each day and loves to push around all of our wheeled toys. He knows how to say "ball."
  
• Grayson still really enjoys playing with Ella although I think at times they drive each other crazy. Ella is sometimes too aggressive and he pushes her away. And, other times she needs her alone time and he follows her everywhere she goes. I remember those days with my own brother so well. :)
• Grayson loves playing games with people. He loves to play peek-a-boo, the pick up game, and shaking his head. He will throw anything to you over and over as long as you continue to pick it up for him. He also loves to shake his head right now and expects you to do it too.
• Grayson's first clap happened this past weekend at the Fourth of July parade and he has continued clapping ever since!
  

Here is a picture of the aftermath of Grayson and blueberry muffins. :)

Happy Independence Day

Happy Fourth of July to all of the Donovan Clan readers out there! We sure had a terrific holiday weekend and hope you did too! I accidentally uploaded my pics in reverse chronological order, so what you see first is what happened last. :)






We had bought a few fireworks to let off at the house tonight, so that is what you see above. Kermie and Ella had a blast letting off bottle rockets, parachutes, bumblebees, and sparklers.












We went to Lexington for all of their Fourth of July festivities earlier today. The kids enjoyed the parade (even so much that Grayson officially clapped over and over again for the first time!). He also enjoyed his very first taste of cotton candy and I'm pretty certain he is going to be a sugar lover like the rest of us!










Scott County had their fireworks on Saturday night, so we took the kids to Anne Mason Elementary to play until the show started. Ella played hard while Grayson took a nap. They both enjoyed the night and the fireworks too! This was Grayson's first Fourth of July! :)