Last week at the dance studio was parent observation and we got to bring treats to share for a Halloween party. Since Ella is on a competition team, they didn't dress up or have a "party", but we did get to watch them for a bit and they had a few minutes at the end of class to enjoy a quick bite to eat. This is her second year to compete and I can already tell a huge difference in their skill level. Not to mention, she is finally used to dancing four hours a week at the studio and isn't a whiney, exhausted mess when we stumble through the kitchen door. They have a technique class for an hour on Wednesdays and then do three hours of ballet, jazz and tap on Thursdays. They have just started working on their competition dances (she'll compete four times next spring) and we got to see a few ...
dance
My Two Ballerinas
It's hard to wrap my mind around the fact that Ella has just started her fifth year of dance. What's even harder to believe is that she was ever this tiny or that Sophie is old enough to dance herself?! In honor of "Throwback Thursday" I couldn't resist sharing a comparison of my girls on their very first day of ballet! Ella, August 2009 // Sophie, August 2013 And just for good measure, here are a few more pictures from Sophie's first day that I love. She is such a sassafras! ...
Recital Recap | Four Years
It's hard to believe my Elly-belly just completed her fourth year of dance. She was such a tiny little thing, just shy of three when she started. It's time consuming and expensive and she is exhausted so much of the time, but then I think about how much she's grown and how good she is and I see all of the friendships she's forming that won't have anything to do with school districts or neighborhoods. It is so good for her to be pushed and to step outside of her comfort zone and form relationships with people that she wouldn't otherwise get to know. I am so thankful for signing her up on a whim four summers ago. You can see previous dance recital recaps/photos here: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 ...
My Dancer
Alternately titled, the post with 35 photographs. Yes, I counted. I've mentioned that Ella is on a competition dance team several times, but I've not gone into much detail about what that really means. I put Ella in a "tiny dancer" ballet/tap class at a local studio right before her third birthday. She was such a mature child and really in need of some organized extra-curricular activity. She loved it from the very beginning and danced with that same group of girls for three years. At the end of last season, her instructor mentioned that they would have a competition team this year for girls aged 6-8 and told us she had referred Ella for that class. At the time, we thought she would have to audition and decided to let her make that decision when the time came. Fortunately for us (and not ...
Nonexistent
There are lots of things that have been nonexistent in our home these days: time for blogging, our daddy, good attitudes, the will to clean. You know, the usual. Last week our SD was in Iowa all week and we were going it alone. Taking care of two kids with a partner is hard. Doing it by yourself is huge! We never even made it to the grocery store. Instead, we relied on fast food and Lunchables. I'm guessing you know how well my "eat healthy & exercise" plan is going. I feel like the weekend was just yesterday and now it's already time to have another one. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but this week flew by. We're gearing up for our first week as a kindergartner - buying supplies, planning our wardrobes, meeting the teacher and making her a fun little surprise. It's hard to ...
Recital Recap | Three Years
It's official: I'm a dance mom. But I'll tell you about that in a minute. This was such a fun year for Ella and I have to admit, I pretty much loved it, too. Not only does she love her studio, her teachers and her friends, but I have really enjoyed meeting the other moms and hanging out with them during class each week. As tired as we are on Thursday nights after class, I know that this is benefiting us both in so many ways. This year, she moved up into the Tiny Dancer 2 class and the group of girls she danced with could not have been more adorable. They had such a great time together this year and it was so fun watching them grow over the last ten months. They are such little hams and even when they weren't on stage, they always had their dance faces on! Her first two years, Ella ...
Cupcakes and Costumes and Candy, Oh My!
As if dance isn't enough fun by itself, on Thursday there were cupcakes and costumes and candy. And this little pumpkin got a taste of a lollipop, thanks to Mrs. Angela! All of the little ballerinas were decked out in their finest... princesses, superheroes, indians and pirates! ...
Dancy Pants
I forgot to mention that Ella's ballet and tap classes resumed last Thursday and this face tells you exactly what she thinks about that. For a few weeks she wavered on whether or not to take this year. While I don't want to be the mom who forces their kids to participate in an activity, I thinks she needs a social outlet at this point. She isn't old enough {thanks to her late birthday} to attend preschool yet and I think the structure this class gives her is just right. Luckily, the closer to September we got, the more excited she got. Especially when she saw new leotards and tap shoes! little ballerinas getting ready for their first class of the season showing off what they've learned ...