When it was all over, Miss Lydia gave them each a lollipop. That made them very happy.
Pretty girlz!
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Haircuts
Since we've finished the last competition of the season, the first order of business was to get the girlz to the salon for a good haircut. I got it cut a little too short, but that's okay - they both really needed it!
When it was all over, Miss Lydia gave them each a lollipop. That made them very happy.
When it was all over, Miss Lydia gave them each a lollipop. That made them very happy.
What The Duck?
A big rubber duck visited our area to celebrate the grand re-opening of the Chrysler Museum.
You know I wouldn't miss a chance to get a picture of my little baby duck with the big duck!!!!
And I had to take a selfie with that duck. All the cool kids were doin' it!
You know I wouldn't miss a chance to get a picture of my little baby duck with the big duck!!!!
And I had to take a selfie with that duck. All the cool kids were doin' it!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
9 Days? Just 9 Days?!?
In 9 short days, my little nugget will be 6 years old. She still looked like a 5 year-old this morning, so I took her picture.
How does such a big personality fit in that teeny little body?
How does such a big personality fit in that teeny little body?
Monday, May 26, 2014
Mary Poppins
I took the girlz to see a performance of Mary Poppins yesterday. The show was put on by the Governor's School for the Arts, and the talent on that stage was seriously off the charts. The show ran a little long, but neither of the girlz noticed. They loved every single second of it!!
In addition to the show tickets, we also got tickets for Pics and Punch with Mary Poppins. The girlz got crayons, Mary Poppins coloring books, cookies, juice, bracelets, and a picture with Mary and Bert! So cool!!!
Our afternoon was practically perfect in every way!
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Pool Time - Finally!
It seems like the girlz have been asking what day the Shark Pool will open for MONTHS. In all honesty, it's probably only been a few weeks... but it's still obnoxious.
The pool finally opened today, and I'm proud to say we were one of the first ones in! It wasn't supposed to work out that way -- we had planned to spend the day eating hot dogs and hamburgers at Aunt Harley's house. The traffic was really bad, so we were late getting there (it took us almost three hours!). We fixed our plates and had gotten all of three bites down when the Bat Phone rang.
Once again, there had been tomfoolery in our lovely neighboring city and LT had to go to work. So we gobbled up our food, said our goodbyes, and packed the girlz back into the car.
Not cool.
Since we were home several hours earlier than I'd planned and I was now on my own until further notice, the girlz and I decided to head to the Shark Pool. And that's when I had an epiphany:
Campbell is now big enough to navigate around the shallow end of the pool without water wings or adult assistance.
By no means does she go in the water by herself -- that's still a few years off. But the days of her requiring a floating device or an adult to hold her above the water are behind us.
So it seems the Baby Pool chapter of our lives has officially come to an end. What a long, strange trip it's been!
The pool finally opened today, and I'm proud to say we were one of the first ones in! It wasn't supposed to work out that way -- we had planned to spend the day eating hot dogs and hamburgers at Aunt Harley's house. The traffic was really bad, so we were late getting there (it took us almost three hours!). We fixed our plates and had gotten all of three bites down when the Bat Phone rang.
Once again, there had been tomfoolery in our lovely neighboring city and LT had to go to work. So we gobbled up our food, said our goodbyes, and packed the girlz back into the car.
Not cool.
Since we were home several hours earlier than I'd planned and I was now on my own until further notice, the girlz and I decided to head to the Shark Pool. And that's when I had an epiphany:
Campbell is now big enough to navigate around the shallow end of the pool without water wings or adult assistance.
By no means does she go in the water by herself -- that's still a few years off. But the days of her requiring a floating device or an adult to hold her above the water are behind us.
So it seems the Baby Pool chapter of our lives has officially come to an end. What a long, strange trip it's been!
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Attack Of The Cooties
I knew something wasn't right as soon as I looked into Campbell's bedroom yesterday morning. She had been standing beside my bed not even 30 minutes before, telling me something about something. Unfortunately, I was asleep and couldn't understand what she was saying. But there she was, just 30 minutes later, fast asleep in her bed.
The warning bells started ringing. LOUDLY.
Once Miss Campbell's big blue eyes flutter open in the morning, she doesn't go back to sleep.
Like, ever.
Sure enough, she was blazing hot when I picked her up. I remembered a few friends posting on Facebook about strep recently, so I asked if her neck hurt on the inside. It was no surprise when she said yes.
I called Dr. Ped's office as soon as the office opened and got her the earliest possible appointment we could swing. Sure enough, it was strep.
We picked up some Amoxicillin on the way home and she spent the rest of the day resting and acting very sad. She was starting to perk up by the time Cassidy came home, but wasn't well enough to enjoy an impromptu swim at the neighbor's house with the rest of the cul-de-sac kids.
That didn't go over very well, so we pulled out the old baby pool and filled it up just for her.
It wasn't ideal, but it made her happy.
Thankfully, she's back to her old self this morning!
The warning bells started ringing. LOUDLY.
Once Miss Campbell's big blue eyes flutter open in the morning, she doesn't go back to sleep.
Like, ever.
Sure enough, she was blazing hot when I picked her up. I remembered a few friends posting on Facebook about strep recently, so I asked if her neck hurt on the inside. It was no surprise when she said yes.
I called Dr. Ped's office as soon as the office opened and got her the earliest possible appointment we could swing. Sure enough, it was strep.
We picked up some Amoxicillin on the way home and she spent the rest of the day resting and acting very sad. She was starting to perk up by the time Cassidy came home, but wasn't well enough to enjoy an impromptu swim at the neighbor's house with the rest of the cul-de-sac kids.
That didn't go over very well, so we pulled out the old baby pool and filled it up just for her.
It wasn't ideal, but it made her happy.
Thankfully, she's back to her old self this morning!
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work, Part 2
Remember when this happened?
I posted this same picture to the Dance Team Director's Facebook page last Thursday, knowing she would get a kick out of Cassidy's answer.
The very next day, the Dance Team got a great surprise - new t-shirts for the competition. That wasn't the coolest part, though... LOOK AT WHAT THEY SAY, Y'ALL.
Cassidy wore hers to school on Monday, of course!
I posted this same picture to the Dance Team Director's Facebook page last Thursday, knowing she would get a kick out of Cassidy's answer.
The very next day, the Dance Team got a great surprise - new t-shirts for the competition. That wasn't the coolest part, though... LOOK AT WHAT THEY SAY, Y'ALL.
Cassidy wore hers to school on Monday, of course!
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
The Time Has Come...
The school held their Annual Music & Arts Festival last night, and the third graders played a few songs on their recorders during the music portion of the evening. They did an outstanding job, and it wasn't even half as painful as I was expecting. Winning!
On the way to school last night, Cassidy said she's been thinking of giving Beginning Band a try next year. I knew it was coming... I'd been expecting that moment since the day she was born.
Our girlz have musical talent in multiple generations on both sides of their family. The odds are stacked in their favor in a major way - they can run, but they can't hide. There's very little chance of them not showing some kind of musical interest because they're genetically predisposed to it.
The time has finally come!
On the way to school last night, Cassidy said she's been thinking of giving Beginning Band a try next year. I knew it was coming... I'd been expecting that moment since the day she was born.
Our girlz have musical talent in multiple generations on both sides of their family. The odds are stacked in their favor in a major way - they can run, but they can't hide. There's very little chance of them not showing some kind of musical interest because they're genetically predisposed to it.
The time has finally come!
Where's Waldo Cassidy?
Monday, May 19, 2014
The Last Competition of 2014
The 2013-2014 competition season is a done deal. I can't believe we've now got three full years of dance competition experience under our belts!
This particular competition was a new one for us - they've never come to our area before, so it was a learning experience for everybody. There were several good things about this one! First, I really loved the way they had the venue set up. They chose to rent two adjacent halls at a local convention center. One hall was the performance area with the stage, cameras, lights, judges, audience seating and concessions. The entire second hall was a dressing area. Space and proximity to the stage were not an issue at all. Very nice!!!
Their trophies looked different than other trophies we've seen, and I really liked that. Then again, I'm easily impressed by anything that is bedazzled with pink rhinestones!
This company published the detailed schedule early, which was also nice for mental preparation purposes. Their website had user interface functionality that allowed me to print my dancer's personalized schedules. Impressive.
Even with all the good things, it ended up being one of my least favorite competitions. There weren't any awards beyond adjudication and overall division placement - no routines or individual dancers were singled out for any special recognition. There were no Judge's Awards, Choreography Awards, Most Entertaining, Highest Score of the Day, scholarships to dance conventions or Nationals... nothing. The judges weren't introduced and weren't listed in the program. The other dance studios that were competing also weren't listed in the program. There was no interaction between the dancers and the competition employees at all. Overall, the whole experience was missing the crazy-cool-fun vibe of competitions we've attended in the past.
The trio competed at the highest level this time, which was a huge step for them! There were three levels of competition at this event - Performance (lowest level), Advanced (mid-level), and Competitive (highest level).
Here's how the adjudications and placements came out:
Double Dutch Bus (Competitive Level): Gold adjudication, 3rd overall
Dalmatians (Performance Level): Platinum adjudication, 2nd overall
Lollipop (Advanced Level): Gold adjudication, 1st overall
Production (Competitive Level): Double Platinum adjudication, 1st overall
I was super-proud of the girlz - especially their behavior. Cassidy had a super-fast costume and hair change from Dalmatians to Production, and I had given Campbell specific instructions on where to go and what to do during that 15 minute period. She was a rock star and did exactly what she was told. I just love that little nugget!
The girlz were excited that Mama and Papa were able to come watch a few of their routines compete. Papa wasn't impressed with the rowdy competition atmosphere - it's pretty much an anti-recital, which I knew he would hate. But at least he got to see the girlz in their element!
And just as quickly as it sneaked up us, another competition season has ended. We're already looking forward to next year!
This particular competition was a new one for us - they've never come to our area before, so it was a learning experience for everybody. There were several good things about this one! First, I really loved the way they had the venue set up. They chose to rent two adjacent halls at a local convention center. One hall was the performance area with the stage, cameras, lights, judges, audience seating and concessions. The entire second hall was a dressing area. Space and proximity to the stage were not an issue at all. Very nice!!!
Their trophies looked different than other trophies we've seen, and I really liked that. Then again, I'm easily impressed by anything that is bedazzled with pink rhinestones!
This company published the detailed schedule early, which was also nice for mental preparation purposes. Their website had user interface functionality that allowed me to print my dancer's personalized schedules. Impressive.
Even with all the good things, it ended up being one of my least favorite competitions. There weren't any awards beyond adjudication and overall division placement - no routines or individual dancers were singled out for any special recognition. There were no Judge's Awards, Choreography Awards, Most Entertaining, Highest Score of the Day, scholarships to dance conventions or Nationals... nothing. The judges weren't introduced and weren't listed in the program. The other dance studios that were competing also weren't listed in the program. There was no interaction between the dancers and the competition employees at all. Overall, the whole experience was missing the crazy-cool-fun vibe of competitions we've attended in the past.
The trio competed at the highest level this time, which was a huge step for them! There were three levels of competition at this event - Performance (lowest level), Advanced (mid-level), and Competitive (highest level).
Here's how the adjudications and placements came out:
Double Dutch Bus (Competitive Level): Gold adjudication, 3rd overall
Dalmatians (Performance Level): Platinum adjudication, 2nd overall
Lollipop (Advanced Level): Gold adjudication, 1st overall
Production (Competitive Level): Double Platinum adjudication, 1st overall
The girlz were excited that Mama and Papa were able to come watch a few of their routines compete. Papa wasn't impressed with the rowdy competition atmosphere - it's pretty much an anti-recital, which I knew he would hate. But at least he got to see the girlz in their element!
And just as quickly as it sneaked up us, another competition season has ended. We're already looking forward to next year!
Friday, May 16, 2014
Biography Book Report
Remember that book report I mentioned last weekend -- the one Cassidy had waited until the last minute to complete? The written portion was due on Tuesday. Her oral presentation was scheduled for yesterday.
I had to be at the school all morning to help in Campbell's classroom, which worked out well because I was able to walk down the breezeway and watch Cassidy give her oral presentation. She did a terrific job!
The oral report was to be presented in the first person, and the kids were asked to dress as the person they had researched. Cassidy chose her biography from the library not because of who the person is or what she's done -- her decision was completely based on the book's cover picture.
The girl on the cover was dressed in a pink ice skating costume that looked very similar to one of Cassidy's competition costumes from last year, so in her mind the decision was a no-brainer. She would be Tara Lipinski.
She wore last year's lyrical competition costume and one of her medals from Encore. Luckily, her costume still fit!
She did a GREAT job, especially considering she read the majority of the book and wrote both reports in one day. Some people work best under pressure, and she very well could be part of that group. If so, I foresee many years of stressful deadlines in my future!
I had to be at the school all morning to help in Campbell's classroom, which worked out well because I was able to walk down the breezeway and watch Cassidy give her oral presentation. She did a terrific job!
The oral report was to be presented in the first person, and the kids were asked to dress as the person they had researched. Cassidy chose her biography from the library not because of who the person is or what she's done -- her decision was completely based on the book's cover picture.
The girl on the cover was dressed in a pink ice skating costume that looked very similar to one of Cassidy's competition costumes from last year, so in her mind the decision was a no-brainer. She would be Tara Lipinski.
She wore last year's lyrical competition costume and one of her medals from Encore. Luckily, her costume still fit!
She did a GREAT job, especially considering she read the majority of the book and wrote both reports in one day. Some people work best under pressure, and she very well could be part of that group. If so, I foresee many years of stressful deadlines in my future!
Thursday, May 15, 2014
Teamwork Makes The Dream Work
This came home today on one of Cassidy's reading tests:
It may sound like an odd answer for a 9 year-old to give, but I instantly knew exactly where it came from.
"Teamwork Makes The Dream Work" is one of the Dance Team Director's favorite sayings... and it's no surprise to see her words coming from Cassidy -- that girls adores the Dance Team Director.
Her focus may be wavering at school, but Cassidy has been clearly paying very close attention at dance. And I'm deeply proud that the impact and influence the dance staff has on our children is positive and motivating. It could so easily be a different situation.
Seeing this in her stack of papers provided a moment of clarity in the midst of chaos, and a timely reminder that the time and money spent on dance is impacting our children far beyond their physical health.
It may sound like an odd answer for a 9 year-old to give, but I instantly knew exactly where it came from.
"Teamwork Makes The Dream Work" is one of the Dance Team Director's favorite sayings... and it's no surprise to see her words coming from Cassidy -- that girls adores the Dance Team Director.
Her focus may be wavering at school, but Cassidy has been clearly paying very close attention at dance. And I'm deeply proud that the impact and influence the dance staff has on our children is positive and motivating. It could so easily be a different situation.
Seeing this in her stack of papers provided a moment of clarity in the midst of chaos, and a timely reminder that the time and money spent on dance is impacting our children far beyond their physical health.
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Mother's Day Weekend
After last year's epic Mother's Day fail, I wasn't sure I really wanted to participate in Mother's Day anymore. Luckily, this Mother's Day wasn't nearly as tough as last year's.
Cassidy had waited until the last possible minute to complete a book report for school, so there were no plans for the weekend outside our normal responsibilities. We spent most of Saturday like this:
I was scheduled to teach Sunday School on Sunday morning, so we headed to church and then went out for a late breakfast/early lunch. We stopped by Mama and Papa's house in the afternoon.
After we got home, the girlz wanted to take a bike ride around the neighborhood.
They rode, I walked.
The girlz were not perfectly behaved, but I wasn't expecting them to be. There was no reprieve from our daily responsibilities - there were still dishes to be washed, laundry to be folded, backpacks to be checked, sister fights to be refereed, and school lunches to be packed.
A fun weekend? Absolutely.
The perfect vision of a Hallmark Mother's Day? Absolutely NOT.
It was a perfectly imperfect weekend!
Cassidy had waited until the last possible minute to complete a book report for school, so there were no plans for the weekend outside our normal responsibilities. We spent most of Saturday like this:
I was scheduled to teach Sunday School on Sunday morning, so we headed to church and then went out for a late breakfast/early lunch. We stopped by Mama and Papa's house in the afternoon.
After we got home, the girlz wanted to take a bike ride around the neighborhood.
They rode, I walked.
The girlz were not perfectly behaved, but I wasn't expecting them to be. There was no reprieve from our daily responsibilities - there were still dishes to be washed, laundry to be folded, backpacks to be checked, sister fights to be refereed, and school lunches to be packed.
A fun weekend? Absolutely.
The perfect vision of a Hallmark Mother's Day? Absolutely NOT.
It was a perfectly imperfect weekend!
Friday, May 9, 2014
Teacher Appreciation Week
This week was Teacher Appreciation Week - also known as My Personal Achilles Heel. The struggle is REAL.
I try hard to come up with just the right gifts, but I find it nearly impossible to come up with unique, useful, relevant gifts to cover an entire week. I'm practical to a fault, so I have an issue with giving a gift that can't be used, eaten, or spent. I scour Pinterest for new ideas every year, and always come up short.
So this time around, I reused two ideas from previous years and added one new idea.
On Monday, I sent giant Symphony candy bars with this quote from Mr. Holland's Opus attached on top:
I sent mason jar tumblers with straws filled with individual lemonade mix packets on Wednesday. I taped a little tag to the straw that says "Thank you for quenching my thirst for knowledge!"
I saved my best idea for today. I found a three-pack of small Pyrex dishes with lids on sale at the Stuff Mart. I filled them with Hershey Kisses and placed a package of Extra gum and an Applebee's Gift Card to the top. Once I had it wrapped in cello, it looked like this...
Then I tied on a gift tag that said "An APPLE and KISSES for a teacher who always goes the EXTRA mile!
I'm happy with this week's tokens of appreciation -- thoughtful, quality gifts that didn't include anything decorative or knick-knacky.
Such a stressful task!!
I try hard to come up with just the right gifts, but I find it nearly impossible to come up with unique, useful, relevant gifts to cover an entire week. I'm practical to a fault, so I have an issue with giving a gift that can't be used, eaten, or spent. I scour Pinterest for new ideas every year, and always come up short.
So this time around, I reused two ideas from previous years and added one new idea.
On Monday, I sent giant Symphony candy bars with this quote from Mr. Holland's Opus attached on top:
Look around you.
There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a
better person because of you. We are your symphony. We are the melodies and the
notes of your opus. We are the music of your life.
~ Mr.
Holland’s Opus
I sent mason jar tumblers with straws filled with individual lemonade mix packets on Wednesday. I taped a little tag to the straw that says "Thank you for quenching my thirst for knowledge!"
I saved my best idea for today. I found a three-pack of small Pyrex dishes with lids on sale at the Stuff Mart. I filled them with Hershey Kisses and placed a package of Extra gum and an Applebee's Gift Card to the top. Once I had it wrapped in cello, it looked like this...
Then I tied on a gift tag that said "An APPLE and KISSES for a teacher who always goes the EXTRA mile!
I'm happy with this week's tokens of appreciation -- thoughtful, quality gifts that didn't include anything decorative or knick-knacky.
Such a stressful task!!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
A Minor Disaster
Campbell got hurt at dance last night. I was sitting in the lobby right outside her studio, but wasn't looking through the window and didn't see it happen. The class was transitioning from hip hop to tap, and Campbell had just come out in the lobby to get help changing her shoes. Less than 3 minutes later, her teacher opened the door and carried out a very bloody and very upset Campbell.
Her teacher said she was trying to get a drink of water from the fountain and was using an aerobic step as a step stool (as she should). Unfortunately, the step wasn't pulled out quite far enough. Campbell fell, hitting her chin hard on the water fountain. She bit through the inside of her bottom lip.
I had forgotten how much blood can come from a head wound. There was blood everywhere -- it was all over the floor, her dance teacher, me, and it covered Campbell's hands and arms.
In a matter of seconds, we were surrounded by help -- paper towels, kleenex, and a frozen popsicle to use as an ice pack magically appeared. Somehow, her tap shoes were removed and put back in her dance bag. I held Campbell with one arm and sent Lieutenant Sexy a text with the other.
You need to come now, it said. Campbell fell and may need to go to the ER.
Thankfully, he was already in the parking lot waiting for Campbell's class to end. He was in the building in a matter of minutes.
The bleeding finally started tapering off after a while. I carried Campbell to the bathroom to wash the blood off her hands and face. A fellow Dance Mom and friend (who conveniently also happens to be an ER doctor) looked at Campbell's lip and said we should apply ice, but a trip to the ER was not necessary. It's good to have smart friends.
Her lip wasn't as bruised as I thought it would be this morning. Even still, I wrote a letter to Mrs. H so she would be aware of what happened in case there are any issues at school today.
As scary as it was, I'm thankful this was just a minor disaster. It could have been SO much worse!
Her teacher said she was trying to get a drink of water from the fountain and was using an aerobic step as a step stool (as she should). Unfortunately, the step wasn't pulled out quite far enough. Campbell fell, hitting her chin hard on the water fountain. She bit through the inside of her bottom lip.
I had forgotten how much blood can come from a head wound. There was blood everywhere -- it was all over the floor, her dance teacher, me, and it covered Campbell's hands and arms.
In a matter of seconds, we were surrounded by help -- paper towels, kleenex, and a frozen popsicle to use as an ice pack magically appeared. Somehow, her tap shoes were removed and put back in her dance bag. I held Campbell with one arm and sent Lieutenant Sexy a text with the other.
You need to come now, it said. Campbell fell and may need to go to the ER.
Thankfully, he was already in the parking lot waiting for Campbell's class to end. He was in the building in a matter of minutes.
The bleeding finally started tapering off after a while. I carried Campbell to the bathroom to wash the blood off her hands and face. A fellow Dance Mom and friend (who conveniently also happens to be an ER doctor) looked at Campbell's lip and said we should apply ice, but a trip to the ER was not necessary. It's good to have smart friends.
Her lip wasn't as bruised as I thought it would be this morning. Even still, I wrote a letter to Mrs. H so she would be aware of what happened in case there are any issues at school today.
As scary as it was, I'm thankful this was just a minor disaster. It could have been SO much worse!
My baby is broken. And that gives me the sadz.
Monday, May 5, 2014
What Do I Do?
Oddly, I've been asked several times lately what my job is all about. It's difficult to describe my days in the Nerd Dungeon without putting the poor soul that foolishly asked the question into a coma. My days are full of project plans and budget spreadsheets and bossing computer programmers around.
It's far more complicated that that, but this picture may help...
It's far more complicated that that, but this picture may help...
Yes, this is the ugly truth. Especially the part about the cats.
I bought this t-shirt the other day. I plan to wear it on my next trip to the Evil Empire...
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Community Day
We went to a Community Day celebration today, full of fun things to do and see. Our local Medevac helicopter was scheduled to be there, and we arrived shortly before it landed. The girlz were able to see how much wind a helicopter can make and check out all the gadgets inside. Very cool!
The whole reason we went was because my good friend, who also happens to be my little diamond sister, was going to be at the Community Day. I haven't seen her in about 5 years, and it was SO NICE to see her face and talk to her! She's gorgeous, both inside and out!
I think the girl'z favorite part of the day was the pony rides. There was also a tiny little billy goat there, and it gave Campbell a good head butt in her leg. It was too funny -- we figured that goat had sized us all up and decided Campbell needed a head butt.
The goat was right!
The whole reason we went was because my good friend, who also happens to be my little diamond sister, was going to be at the Community Day. I haven't seen her in about 5 years, and it was SO NICE to see her face and talk to her! She's gorgeous, both inside and out!
I think the girl'z favorite part of the day was the pony rides. There was also a tiny little billy goat there, and it gave Campbell a good head butt in her leg. It was too funny -- we figured that goat had sized us all up and decided Campbell needed a head butt.
The goat was right!