Our Tiny Dancer

This morning was Kate's first ballet class. It is at a local rec center and is just 30 min for 4 session over 4 weeks. If she likes it we will look into another program for the fall!

Here she is before we left the house:

In the car she got cold feet, saying "I don't want to go", but when we got there she went right in. There were 4 girls all about 3 years old.  The parents wait outside and watch through the glass. They were SO cute! The pictures aren't so great since they are through the glass but you get the idea!

Warming up! Kate is far left.

Miss Amanda putting Kate's feet into position:

Pointing toes and walking across the room

Afterward we had a Mommy/ Daughter morning, where we went to the mall and Studio Movie Grill for a Strawberry Shortcake movie and pizza! Ben & Daddy went bowling, to McDonald's and saw Iron Man at the Dollar theatre. Never a dull moment around here!

"You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart." ~Unknown

Fun with Elefun!

Ben & Kate are getting into playing games and Elefun was a big hit! For those of you who don't know, Elefun is a plastic elephant that shoots butterflies out of his trunk. The winner is the player who catches the most butterflies in his/her respective net. Picture these pictures with lots of laughing and screaming!

"In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play." ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

Build A Bear with Aunt Nan

Aunt Nan took us to Build A Bear for an early birthday treat! Ben & Kate both picked out and "built" a teddy bear all their own. Kate picked a pink teddy bear and Ben picked a *lovely* bright blue teddy bear with rainbow peace signs.

Picking out hearts for the bears

Getting the bears stuffed.

Giving the bears a "bath" and brushing them

Picking out an outfit and shoes for the bears. Ben picked a basketball get up and a fireman costume for his bear. Kate picked a Sleeping Beauty dress and a ballerina tutu for hers- very telling about what they are both into right now!

The finished products!

In their houses and ready to go home!

We enjoyed a cookie, played in the play area and had a yummy lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. Thanks Aunt Nan for the bears and a fun morning! We love you!

"In a world where everyone seems to be larger and louder than yourself, it is very comforting to have a small, quiet companion."
-Peter Gray

Backyard Babysitting

Last Thursday it was my turn to watch some of the neighborhood kiddos so to make the time pass by a little more quickly I decided to have a little backyard splash day.....

Filling up water squirters

Watering the plants

Sean is mid jump into the pool from the splash mat

Shawn on the splash mat

Adam at the water table

The girls dancing on the towels since it was a bit slippery

Snack Break!

Blowing up balloons for the bounce house

Cozy Coupe/ Turtle Parking lot

Chillaxen on the swings

1 mom + 6 kids + fun morning + no major mishaps = BIG success!

You can learn many things from children.  How much patience you have, for instance.  ~Franklin P. Jones

Way Back WHEN-sday!

These pictures were taken in January 2008, when Ben & Kate were about 5 months old. We were getting back in the car from going to the park.

These are some of my favorite pictures of them- such love for Mommy in their eyes!

Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.  ~From the television show The Wonder Years

Snug as Bugs in a Rug!

At our past MPOM meeting, we made no sew fleece blankets for needy NICU babies. It was so easy and since I am a little obsessed with blankets,  I thought Ben & Kate might enjoy making their own.

So today we went to the fabric store and I let them pick out whatever fleece they wanted. Of course they picked something that I would not have, but I held my tongue since they are their blankets after all! Ben chose a lovely basketball print and Kate picked a purple and hot pink soccer ball pattern.

Once we got home we began cutting. Here they are with their pretend scissors.Check out Kate's headband she is sporting along with her bow. I feel the need to make disclaimers about how they are dressed sometimes!

To make a blanket all you do is get a yard of fleece and cut of the side that has any seam on it. Then cut a small square (about 4x4) at each corner.

Then cut the same length strips all around the blanket.

Next cut a tiny slit at the top of each strip, tuck the strip in it and pull the strip through. Ben & Kate liked helping with that part.

We made Kate's a little smaller and made a matching blanket for Bitty Baby!

They were so proud of their blankets! It was a great little activity.

“It's not so much that we're afraid of change or so in love with the old ways, but it's that place in between that we fear . . . . It's like being between trapezes. It's Linus when his blanket is in the dryer. There's nothing to hold on to.”~ Marilyn Ferguson

Beach Fun with Grammy & Gran

Last weekend we rented a beach cabin on Bolivar (aka- Crystal Beach) with my parents. We had a great time filled with family, beach fun and great food!

We had lots of activities to keep us busy on the beach:

Feeding seagulls with Grammy

Tooting around in our little boat. Daddy liked this best. In all the pictures it seems like someone is pulling him around but he gave lots of rides too. For some reason these two pictures make me laugh!

Just playing in the water

Riding around on our golf cart

Digging in the sand and building sand castles

Flying kites

And back at the cabin- playing CandyLand Matching with Gran who personally found it fun but not very intellectually challenging.

Despite a little oil on the beach and lots of mosquitos and a cabin decorated in a sad clown motif we had a great time! Thanks Grammy & Gran. We love you!

“Don't grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach.”

-- Michelle Held