Dance Party!

It's no secret that we love a good dance party around here. I recently downloaded the theme song for the movie 'Frozen' and me and my girls have been dancing it up all day! They were being such good (and funny) dancers, that I decided to record them. That's when Jos got weird. She started being silly for the camera, but we still got some gold.

Things to notice: 1. Sammie starts copying Josie. It's cute. 2. Josie's (and Sam's) still poses where they have one leg in the air - almost like a yoga pose. Not sure what that is, but my girls think it's a super fly dance move. 3. When Sammie falls over and screams - and I start laughing. She's not hurt. It's an excited scream. 4. Josie's clubbin' outfit. Her hair's a mess (from some hard core dancing) and she's ready for da' clubs. In her defense, we were dancing to Pitbull and Ke$ha also.


Then we tried again. Josie had some signature moves she wanted me to capture on film. Again, I am laughing pretty good during this video, but it's well warrented. My favorite part of this video? When Josie waits for the crescendo of the music to get her drama on. My girl's got skillz.


What I learned from these videos: I need to get these girls back into dance class.

Love these ladies and our impromptu dance parties!

Josie

It's happened again. I've gone too long between posts. I keep thinking, 'oh, I need to blog about ___' and then I don't and now I'm behind. So I'm just going to dive right back in.

Josie has had a lot going on lately.
First up, she had her preschool program last week. It was darling and she was definitely the star. Unfortunately, as I was turning the camera on to get some photographs, it blinked at me that it was low on battery (why does this always happen at times like these - why can't it run out of battery when we're at home and it's easily changeable). I have spoken to one of the other moms and I'm hopeful that Josie is in the video she took so hopefully I can get that up on here at some point because, seriously, she was the star. She knew the words to all the songs and she sang them at the top of her cute little voice. Her teacher even came up to me afterward and told me how Josie saved the show (because without her, no one would know what the kids were singing). It really was cute. However, even if she wouldn't have been the best singer in the bunch she'd have stolen the show in a completely different way. 4 year old girl, big spinny dress, no tights or leggings...do you see where I'm headed here? Let's just say we had to have a talk with our little exhibitionist lady.

 The kids sat on the stage for a few of their songs. They put Josie right in the middle.

 Mrs. Halliday giving Josie her 'diploma'.

 We love Mrs. Halliday!

Next, Josie has been taking dance class for the past couple of months. She has LOVED it! She would ask every day if it was time for dance and she honestly just looked forward to it. It was so fun to watch her get so excited about something. Her last day of class they performed a little program. Since it was a bunch of 3 & 4 year old girls it wasn't a very structured program (more like just showing the parents what skills they'd learned), but it was cute to see the girls doing it anyway. (And yes, that is Sammie in the background. Josie's dance teacher was so nice and sweet and just told me to let Sammie dance with the girls.)





She had the best dance teachers. Miss Bonnie (who we didn't get a picture with) and Miss Stacy.
They taught her a lot of dance basics.
Stretching:

On point:

Plie:

At the bar:

Couldn't resist getting a shot of this cute little future ballerina (and her bff Cinderella):

leaping:

Hoola-hooping? (they did a little dance with the hoola hoops - it was really cute):

Josie and Miss Stacy. Miss Stacy used to be in our ward and we see her at scouts sometimes. She's like a celebrity to Josie:

Next up for Josie was her last day of school. We sure are going to miss Mrs. Halliday and how sweet and good she's been to Josie this year. Thankfully we'll still see her next year (Josie won't be in her class, but Mrs. Halliday will be right across the hall so we'll still get to say hi everyday). I can't believe she only has one more year of preschool before kindergarten!

Josie has a big summer ahead of her. Coming up for her are swimming lessons, dance camp, and a month long adventure/vacation to Las Vegas! So she's going to need to rest up for all these adventures:

Josie insisted to me a while back that she didn't need naps anymore. I agreed and we've cut naps out of her routine. Sometimes however (probably half the time actually) she ends up falling asleep anyway.

This one's my favorite. She was waiting for me to get out of the shower and fell asleep on the stairs:

 Looks comfy, no?

 Smashed into the toy room couch and using cushions as a blanket.

 Kinked neck anyone?

I think this looks uncomfortable, but I think this picture is so sweet. She looks so serene and peaceful and beautiful here. Just like a little sleeping beauty.

I think we're all caught up on Josie now. It's been a busy month for our little lady and it will continue to be busy, busy, busy for about another month (and then Vegas, where we are totally planning on unscheduled fun and r & r). Love this beauty to pieces and I'm so glad that I get to spend all this time with her and watch her experience all these new things!

 



Josie's first date!

A while back, Josie was asked out on a date. She was asked to a very popular and exciting community dance by an older, very attractive man. And even though she's only 3, I had no reservations about letting her go. I knew that this man would take good care of her and protect her and make her feel special and important and like the most amazing girl in the world.

So several days before the dance Josie started preparing. She decided what fancy dress she would wear, how she'd wear her hair, what accessories she'd need, and what kind of make-up she wanted to wear. It was sweet to watch the anticipation build. She was so excited! The day of her date she kept asking if it was time to get ready yet. It must have seemed like such a long day for her.

Finally, it was time. She put on her sparkly, ruffly pink dress. She sat and directed my efforts as I carefully gave her the "boingy" curls she'd requested. She was ever so still as I applied her (pale) pink blush and eyeshadow and sparkly pink lip gloss. She then spent some time looking at herself in the mirror to make sure that she looked the way she'd planned. When it was deemed a success she ran downstairs to find her sparkly gold shoes. She was ready.

When she saw her date her face lit up! He had dressed to match her! He was dashing in a dark suit and pink tie. They were a very dapper pair. Intimidatingly attractive, if I may say.

Then this older man whisked her away and gave her a magical night full of dancing, cookies, ice cream, and all things princessy. She came home glowing. Her first date was everything a first date should be.

Of course there were pictures. What mother in her right mind sends her daughter off to her first formal dance without snapping pictures!?!

All ready and waiting for her date. She loves to post like this now.

Her handsome older man. (Okay, okay it was Justin. They went to a daddy/daughter dance that the city puts on twice a year.)

 

 I think they look so perfect!

While they were at the dance they ran into my friend Marie who snapped a few pictures of Josie. She warned me that they were super blurry bit I actually love this one. No, you can't really see details too well, but I love the movement of her dress and the way she looks like she is just dancing her heart out: arms out, dress twirling, hair flying, crown sparkling on her head. It's kind of artsy. Thanks Marie!

 After the dance:

Each little girl was given a swag bag full of goodies. There was a crown, a sash, some tinted chapstick, a stuffed animal, some candy, and some mermaid bubbles (the theme of the dance was 'under the sea')

If you look closely in these pictures Josie's mouth and hands are tinted orange. That's because she went to town with her orangesicle chapstick in the car on the way home. We absolutely cannot leave this girl alone with lip products!

The next day she was still basking in the glow of her perfect night out. She wanted to wear the crown to school but had to settle for wearing it before and after school instead.

 Doesn't she look so grown up here!?! I swear I can see about ten years into the future in this picture!

After school the crown came right back on and she was allowed to eat her octopus sucker.

This was the picture they'd taken of Justin and Josie at the dance. Magical, no?

It was a perfect first date. Justin told me that the city did really well and went all out (some of the dad's had even rented limos for the evening)! I guess it was a fun event for the dads as well as the girls. He asked Josie if he could take her to another dance sometime. She didn't even have to think for a second about her answer!



It's just THRILLING!

Check THIS out.

Yes, we really learned the whole Thriller dance. I'm hoping that we can get together to get the whole thing recorded - you know - for posterity.

Yes, my friends and husband are awesome. We started learning this dance two days before we performed it (and we all made a few mistakes, but it's still pretty amazing that we were able to pull it out).

Yes, Vanessa is endlessly cool. Her costume rocked and made me insanely jealous that I didn't dress up.

Yes, stake dances are usually pretty lame - but we made it really fun. Totally a 'must attend' event.

More to come.

Happy Halloween.