The Very First Ballet Lesson

8.9.09

Chloe had her first ballet lesson on Saturday. To say that she was excited would be the understatement of the year, folks. She could not sleep the night before. You would have thought it was Christmas Eve or something. Finally, finally, the time had come on Saturday. Her excitement was contagious. She was overcome with emotion.

Frankly, I was worried that it would be a let down. But it wasn't! She LOVED it! There are four other girls in her class and her teacher seems nice. She did a really good job following directions and performed excellently on the balance beam. :) She pouted and sniffed a little when we left because she wanted to go back for more. I assured her that we would go to ballet every week. She got to pick a sucker from the treasure chest before she left, so that cheered her up a bit. Here are some pics and videos (Erin, does this bring back some memories or what???) :








And, of course, as any good coach would, Chris went to talk to the teacher after the class to see what she thought of Chloe's raw talent and ability. As always, there was indeed room for improvement. See Exhibit A below, entitled "Jumping Over the Tutu" (Take note of her second pass. The kid is no dummy) :

[Editorial note: The videos will have to be updated at a later date due to technical difficulties. Sorry!]


IN OTHER NEWS: Thankfully, there is a new movie in our lives!!! I love "Annie," but how many times can you watch it? My mom bought "Mary Poppins" for Chloe, which was always a favorite of mine. For some unexplained reason, Chloe calls it the "Hippinpop" movie, but I know what she is talking about. Be on the lookout for the singing videos when she finally learns "Spoonful of Sugar" or "Supercallifragilisticexpealidocious." (Spellcheck, anyone???) That video should be good for a chuckle or two.

Let's all wish Chris a great school year and basketball season for the upcoming year! Poor baby has to go back to work tomorrow!

Last Day of Daddy's Summer Day Camp

8.6.09

The summer has flown by for Chris, and next Monday he reports back to work at his new high school. He has really enjoyed spending time with Chloe and I have enjoyed watching their bond become even stronger. Today was the last day of Daddy and Chloe Summertime Fun (tomorrow she has school). It's hard to imagine that next summer, Scarlett will be joining in the fun as well! Chloe and Chris spent their last day dancing, having lunch with me at work, taking a long nap and swimming. Sounds like a great day to me! Here is some video footage:



And here is another video illustrating all the jokes Daddy taught her this summer (or variations thereof):



Who can account for the comedy that appeals to three year olds??? I cannot.

Chloe's last swimming lesson was Wednesday. I think she really enjoyed herself. This Saturday we start a ballet class that also incorporates tap and tumbling. Chloe has been so excited about ballet classes and has asked about it since she was two years old. Upon inquiry, I found out that they didn't start classes until the age of 3. Let's just say that Chloe was looking forward to turning three years old, in large part due to the fact that she knew she could start dance lessons. Since we bought her leotard, tights and shoes, she wants to wear them all the time. To the store, to sleep in, etc. etc. It is a constant fight to get her to wear anything else. [Insert comment from my Mom and/or Dad about how I deserve this because I was the same way about my leotards as a little girl.] Here are some pics:






And here is one last one of our little ballerina in Scarlett's crib:



Here is a fun little side-story. FAIR WARNING: It is not for the faint of heart. Or stomach, for that matter. This is an actual conversation that occurred as Chris was driving away from my office this afternoon.

Chris (looking in rearview mirror and noticing that Chloe was chewing something): "Hey, Chloe Bears. Whatcha' eatin'?"
Chloe: "Chicken."
Chris: "Chicken, huh? Where did you get chicken?"
Chloe: "It was on my shoe."

GUH-ROSS. As you can imagine, after this conversation, there was a looooong discussion on why we do not eat things that are stuck to the bottom of our shoes. (I'm gagging as I type this.) Why, oh, why did Chris tell me this??? Ignorance is truly bliss.