Dance Recital Weekend

Emily's dance recital was this weekend.  The amount of growth I've seen between last year and this year is just amazing.  Yes, she is still four and I'm not talking about future rockette or anything, but she really worked hard this year and has grown a lot.  She has been working all year at doing a bridge and finally started to be able to pick her head up off the ground the last month or so and actually did it on stage!  Considering she seems to be following after her Mama in the arm strength and flexibility category, this is awesome!  She has such a positive attitude and just keeps working at it!  Keep it up Emily!!!  I never thought I'd be happy about being a "Dance Mom" but my little princess has sucked me in! 

On Sunday, we had a nice family day.  We all went fishing, then played with the sprinkler and pool in the back yard and ate dinner on the deck in bathing suits (well, the kids did anyway).  A great summer weekend!

Here are some pics of our weekend of fun!

My pretty ballerina

Posing

Doing her dance

Silly Pose!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

She did such a great job!

Had to pose by the artwork since we did that after the recital last year!!

And check out the confetti she scored from the finale! 

Will got to hang out with Pop Pop for the recital.

Fishing

Fishing with Daddy

Watching Daddy

Throwing rocks in the water

More watching

Playing with grass

Mom, stop taking pictures!

How's this Mom?  You said look up and smile and not to pay attention to you!!

My boy!

Picking flowers!

First year of preschool is in the books!

Today was Emily's last day of preschool.  I can't believe her first year is over already.  She had a great time this year and has learned so much.  She is getting much better at writing her name and most of the letters.  She loves coloring, writing, and any art project.  She actually pulls out her letter practice books and asks to do them!  She is really starting to draw pictures more often, rather than just her "abstract art".  Her current favorite is flowers and she actually painted some pretty nice flowers on flower pots to give to her teachers.  She did not have a single issue of not wanting to leave Mommy, which is what I feared at the beginning of the year, but her teachers did a great job of preparing them and making them feel comfortable.  I did pretty well, but I know next year I will be a mess when I know she's on her way to kindergarten!  For now, I'll settle in and enjoy our summer and look forward to another year of preschool.  And next year will finally slow down, and not fly by like the last four, right?????

First Day of Preschool

First Day of Preschool

Last Day of Preschool

Last Day

(She is the one who made me take pics in all the same spots we did the first day!)

All ready to sing!

Got their certificates

Even got a decent sibling shot!

He's grown up a bit this year too!!!

Emily and Mrs. G

Emily and Mrs. K


Oh, and by the way.  Her change in profession ideas does not seem to come from a deep love of her teachers and wanting to give back as I first thought.  It is more due to her bossy, independent nature.  She wants to be able to make up her own dances and have everybody do them!  Right idea, though, be the boss!!!  Either way, she's definitely a little girl who loves dance and knows what she wants!!!

Recent Happenings

So a much overdue update on my little man.  He is two, so we have our good times and our frustrating times, but we are having fun for the most part!  He has started using the word "actually" which I always love to hear little kids use.  He's getting bigger sentences going and even correctly uses words like though.  His friend came over the other day and he said "Here, come play toys in mine room."  Not too shabby for a two year old.  He then took her to his room and took out a truck and started putting the pieces together for her.  What a gentleman!!  The typical two year old banter started soon after, but it was a great start to the day!  He is a typical boy and loves being outside and getting dirty! In addition to trains, trucks, and cars, William is also into dinosaurs right now.  His favorite is the broccoli - saurus!!

Emily is really into pretend play recently.  A few months ago we started playing "Opposite Emily" where she would be the Mommy and I would be Emily.  She has now moved on to playing more house type games and I always seem to get to be the Mommy while she is the baby and William is the big brother.  Or they are both babies!  She also talks about how she plays the same thing with her friends at school where she usually gets to be the big sister it seems.  Her and William are also playing together pretty well on their own lately too.  They disappear into one of their rooms and play together, I try my best to just let them be, but it's just too fun to watch and listen to them play.  They will stay little like this forever, right???

William moved into his big boy bed last month and has really transitioned pretty well.  We have our moments, especially at nap time, but he loves his Big Boy Bed!!!  It's just his crib with the front railing taken off, but he loves it.  He is so cute in the morning when he wakes up, he will get up and play in his room until he hears me, then will either peek out his door or jump back into his bed like he was still sleeping!  He is now quietly starting to call for me.  Nothing like Emily, who still screams for me every morning!!! 

There's an update on us and pics to come...