Tiny Dancer

I've been promising my dad these photos for over a week now. Here they finally are. Sorry, Dad!

First day of big girl ballet! Ballet shoes are in her ballet bag.

Her bun. Which she LOVES!

Our little ballerina moved up to the "big girl" dance class three weeks ago. It's a combo ballet and tap class. I wish I had captured the look on Ava's face the first time she put her tap shoes on and heard the sounds they make. The excitement just oozed out of her. She also got new ballet shoes. She quickly grew out of her old pink ones and opted for blacks ones this time around. She loves both pair of shoes and is so careful with them, always putting them back in her dance bag as soon as she's done. We've made a rule that dance shoes are to only be worn at dance. I've heard far too many stories about shoes in the pool, missing tap shoes, etc. So, she keeps them in her bag, although, occasionally, she'll tell me that Daddy wants to see her tap so I allow her to put her tap shoes on and do a little routine for Daddy on the kitchen floor (the tappiest floor in our home). As soon as she's done, she promptly returns the shoes to her bag... even though she'd wear them all day every day if I let her.

Ava is the youngest in the class of 3-5 year-olds, but can definitely hold her own. The class is much more structured than her last, which was a Mommy & Me class. This time around, Mommy sits in a room and watches through a window. There is more technique and discipline involved, not to mention, the girls have a dress code: black leotard and pink tights (skirt is optional). Ava's teacher, Miss Michelle says she's impressed with how well Ava has done thus far. I wanted to say "DUH!" and tell her that I knew Ava would jump right in and continually improve, but didn't for fear of sounding like one of "those" mom. I simply said, "Well, she loves it!" Which is true. She does. She looks forward to Wednesdays, even telling me Tuesday nights, "When I wake up it's ballet day!"

I'm excited to watch her as she progresses in this class. It's hard to believe that when we moved here a year ago she could barely spin without falling. Now, she's doing arabesques, plies and twirling on her toes.

DANCING FOOLS

My kids love to dance! I love that they love to dance! It's fun for them to do, fun for me to watch. We spent many-a-winter day, music blasting in the living room, and Ava, Jax and I dancing like a bunch of crazies!

Ava has been in a ballet class since the fall. The class is focused on getting the students (all 2-3 years old) comfortable in their feet and familiar with coordinated movement. It's been great for Ava to, not only learn, but have a special class that is all her own. It's amazing the skills she has developed in the eight months she's been in the class. But, best of all, is seeing her face as she dances, the joy just radiates from her. At the end of June she'll move up to a "Big Girl Class" (3-4) which is less carefree than her current class. Her teacher, Miss Michelle, will remain the same, but the class is much more structured and begins to focus more on actual ballet techniques and positions. Ava will be the youngest in the class, but she's ready. She did tell me she was a little afraid because she didn't know what to do in the "big girl class," but I assured her that Miss Michelle would teach her. As with all things, her desire to learn far exceeds any concern she may have about her skill level. She'll catch on quickly, she has such a love for dancing. Here she is doing her "Mamma Mia" warm-up routine. The second video is "freestyle" dancing.

MAMMA MIA





Jax, I think, has learned to dance by watching his big sister. As soon as he hears music he begins to bounce his booty (if standing), shake his head or wiggle his whole body. It's pretty darn cute!



Jax is very aware of the effect he has on people. Sensing how adorable we think he is when he dances, he's begun to use his booty-shaking abilities as a means to acquire food. He knows we can't resist his adorableness, so he uses it to his advantage. Watch this video and you'll see what I mean.

Ballerinas and Raspberries

I'm slacking in my blogging duties. I promised myself I would make a concerted effort to blog daily. Well, just a few weeks as a member of the wonderful world of blogging and I've failed. So, I'm going to treat it like a diet... oops, I ate an entire chocolate cake, the diet begins tomorrow. Oops, I forgot to blog several days in a row, the attempt to blog every day begins tomorrow.

Alot has happened, it seems, since my absence from the blogging sphere. First of all, my parents came for a surprise visit. My dad worked it out with Andy but I was none the wiser. So, imagine my surprise when I answered the door on a Friday morning and my mom and dad were standing there. My dad, of course, had a camera in hand to capture the confused look on my face (as well as my bed head and general morning dishevelment). "Did you take a wrong turn?" I asked. The best reaction though came from Ava. Oh my goodness, the look on her face when she came downstairs that morning and saw G-Ma and G-Pa sitting in the living room. Her first question was, of course, "Did you bring me more Care Bears?" Priorities. She adores my dad and spent the entire weekend being a "Goof-a-roni" with him! She's even become so much more comfortable with my mom. She was so excited to show G-Ma the new vinyl on her wall and her ballet shoes. It was wonderful to see my parents, I only wish the visit didn't have to be so short. At least it will hold us over until we see them again at Christmastime.

Speaking of ballet. Ava finally started her ballet class. She is in love with ballet!! As soon as one class ends, we have to count down the days until the next (she goes on Thursdays). Wednesday nights are like Christmas Eve for her. She is so excited she has a hard time falling asleep. Thursdays she prances downstairs in her jammies, Care Bears in hand, and ballet slippers upon her little feet. The class is great! It's a "Mommy and Me" type class, geared toward toddlers and their short attention spans. The focus is primarily on helping children become comfortable with their bodies, their coordination and their toes. The songs are silly, but they're rhythmic and full of goofy little directions for the kids to follow (pretend you're going on a bear hunt, tiptoe, walk across the bridge with one foot in front of the other, etc.). Ava's favorite is the "Freeze Dance." She gets to wiggle and dance however she pleases, until, of course, the song says "FREEZE!" I love watching her dance! First of all, she's ridiculously cute!!! But most importantly, she is blissfully happy and LOOOOVES to look at herself in the giant wall mirrors!

Jax loves going to ballet too. He's enamored with his big sister, so he just follows her with his eyes. And he LOVES it when we get to dance with Ava. He smiles and giggles... and drools. As if he didn't already have enough saliva leaking out of his mouth, his new trick creates even more! He's blowing raspberries now. But it's not your typical raspberry (if there is such a thing). Sure, he gets his tongue out there some of the time, but more often, he does this weird thing with his lips. He pushes them together and blows until he gets the desired effect: a spray of spit, the raspberry noise, a laugh from his sister... It's pretty darn cute! I don't even mind that most of the time he blows them right in my face.