Booty shorts

It's not a term I ever expected to use. I didn't even know what they were a few weeks ago. Now I'm the "butt" of several jokes, because my daughter has started wearing "booty shorts." Isn't she the cutest little thing!?

Put a lid on it!

Alex just recently discovered that he owns this orange baseball cap, and he loves it.

He has been wearing almost every day outside, and he even wore it in the pool tonight.





He truly looks like a boy, not a toddler when he puts this on.






He especially likes to wear it when Daddy is wearing a hat too.





And the expressions, like father, like son, are priceless!

Little Ballerina

Who knew a three year-old was listening, following instruction, and learning so much in her weekly preschool combo dance class. She's been taking the ballet/ tap class since last fall and their recital was last month. Ella was so excited, nervous, and adorable!

Grammie and Grandpa Robinson sent her flowers for her bedroom and a beautiful little wrist corsage to wear after her performance.

I went with her to practice. She was nervous, but did really well.

Grandma and Papa came into town for the weekend to see her and she practiced all morning to show them what she'd be doing that night.

She put on her costume, her crown, and the make-up they requested (which made her look way to grown up for Daddy's taste ) and we headed off to the local high school for her big night on stage.

It was AMAZING! I started crying the second she hit the stage. First, they moved her to the center of the group, so I was confused. (Kim later told me they often do that after dress rehearsal to put the stronger dancers in the center, where the other girls will look.)




I was snapping pictures and Troy was videotaping while Alex screamed and cheered "YEEAAAAH ELLA!" (that's her in the middle, strutting her stuff)




She was front and center, doing her pirouette and arabesque, maybe not right on cue, but as far as Mommy and Daddy were concerned, she was perfect!

Peace, Love, Silpada...

Mommy has started a fun new business. I'm selling Silpada jewelry and already have 6 parties scheduled in the next 2 months!

I chose it because I love the jewelry myself, and it's a great advertisement when you wear it everyday! I've already sold some stuff, just because people want to buy what I'm wearing.

I'm hoping it will be a fun way to bring in even just a little extra income, or at least a way to pay for the jewelry I want to buy for myself.

My first shipment arrived last week and it was like Christmas morning opening all the boxes. Ella has already agreed to be my model... what girl doesn't love a little bling!?

Sleepovers

Ella recently had a full weekend with her BFF Sophia.

Friday night was spent at Sophia's house. Saturday, night, both girls stayed here.

They had a great time and snuggled up together in bed. I couldn't resist snapping a picture!

Stomach bug, road to recovery...

Poor Alex had a rough go of it and he's finally on the road to recovery. He had a nasty stomach bug in April. It lasted for 6 solid days. Puking, pooping water, you name it. They think it was retrovirus. He lost 9 pounds! That's a third of his little body weight!

He's back up to 25 pounds now, but that puts him in the 15th percentile for weight among kids his age, and the 85th percentile for height! Guess for now, he's our string bean, but we're working to fatten him back up.

Our growing girl...

I have to post a few recent photos of our girl.

Ella is growing up so quickly. She turns 4 in August, but she tells Troy she's going to be 14, and some days it sure seems like it!

She texts her friend Sophia and sometimes the call one another 3 or 4 times a day! She has play dates with 2 or 3 other friends in the coming weeks, and she just seems so happy.

Her teachers talked about what a great friend she's been to everyone in her class this year, and some of the girls even fight over who gets to be her friend. It makes Troy and I so proud to see her learning and growing every day. And we think she's a beautiful little girl too!