End of July/ 1st Day of School

A few pictures from the end of July:

 This is the only use the potty is getting:

 Gavin's 1st day of 3rd grade. Amelia refused to smile, and then Gavin got scared by a bee:

 How Amelia spent her day without Gavin:

Amelia at 2 1/2

Amelia is now 2 1/2 (specifically 2 and 7 months). She speaks in almost-full sentences, and I can understand most of what she says. Gavin interprets sometimes. For some time now she has been able to sing the alphabet and can count to at least 10. She is working on colors. She likes to color, play with little people, do puzzles, and carry around stuff in her dress up purses and backpacks. She is into Dora the Explorer and Go, Diego, Go! She likes books, her favorite reading activity is to point to different items in books and say "what's that?," even when she knows the answer. Sometimes she eats well, other times gets picky. She is not much of a breakfast eater, preferring to drink milk and snack throughout the morning. She will usually eat at least some of whatever we have for lunch. She really likes noodles, cheese, yogurt, goldfish, popcorn, most fruit, pizza, and chicken. If she doesn't want a food she says "no! icky!" She loves to brush her teeth. She is energetic and enjoys playing outside when it's not too hot. On our last Monkey Joe's trip she managed to climb on all the the big blowups. She likes to walk Gavin to the bus stop in the morning, the other day our neighbor Darius (5 yrs old) gave her a hug before he got on the bus. She loves to swim, but insists on having her life jacket off most of the time. She swims underwater as far as one breath takes her. Gavin is still her favorite, she likes playing catch and chase games with him. Any time we get in the car she asks "Meemaw's house?" and she often says "I wanna go Meemaws house." 

"Like dis Mommy:"

 The one day I risk taking the camera in the pool she would not smile:

 hands ready to dive:

 snack after swimming: