the big show is almost here!

This afternoon, SweetPea had her first taste of being in the limelight... and she LOVED it! I honestly wasn't sure how she would do being on stage and having an audience and now, I am looking back and wondering why I was worried about it at all. Not only did she remember her dance steps (and proved it by "running through her steps" back stage) but she smiled, had fun and totally ate up the applause and adoration.

I was a little surprised that she was so "willing" to go through everything on her own since I can still remember that moment of fear racing through me before I would get on stage to perform. I loved to dance and loved my classes but getting up in front of a group of people for any reason has always left me anxiety-ridden. Thankfully, SweetPea didn't inherit that from me since she wanted all eyes on her the entire time... even when she wasn't supposed to have them.

My very own little Cinderella, reaching for the prince

It did shock me though how much she didn't enjoy the make-up. After looking forward to that for weeks now, she couldn't wait to take it back off again. Ah yes, there's my girl! I knew that my genes must have entered into her development somewhere.

But the costume? She kept calling today "costume night" and couldn't wait to put her ballet dress on. When tap was over, she refused to allow us to change her back into street clothes. The shoes? She would live in her tap shoes if we let her. Tiaras and bows? Oh yes, the more the better. But make-up? Yeah, she can definitely leave that one alone.

Biggest thrill for today though was receiving her first bouquet from daddy. I am not sure who was closer to tears... daddy handing his little girl her flowers or SweetPea accepting them from him. It was one of those moments that you just know that you will cherish the rest of your life. The look on both their faces at that very moment in time.

My baby girl is growing up!

I was really excited to share today about SweetPea's dance pictures. I even debated sharing some pictures of her in her costumes, all dolled up in her dance finery with her hair curled and that sweet smile of her's adorning her face.

Instead, I forgot to grab a single picture of her in costume. Totally unlike me. But I called it! While sitting in the parking lot of the dance studio, waiting for our time to go in and get SweetPea ready for her pictures, this happened....

Notice anything different?

Ahhhh!!! Wasn't she just born yesterday? Didn't those sweet baby teeth just make their appearance!? I knew it though. Once she showed me her wiggly tooth about a week ago, I just KNEW that she would lose it during her dance pictures. Actually, I had some very bad dreams about her literally losing it during her pictures, the gum bleeding and staining her costume and SweetPea losing her head. Instead, though, it popped out while she was having a snack while waiting for her pictures. No bleeding, no tears, just *pop* and her little tooth laid there in her hand.

She is beyond words excited for this momentous event. I really wasn't sure how we would proceed but she informed us that the tooth fairy was going to be paying her a visit tonight. Ok then, that solved if we were going to go down that route or not.

I am still in shock though. Punk lost his first tooth about a week before his seventh birthday. Peanut was about 6.5 years old when she lost her first. SweetPea blew them both out of the water by losing her first at just shy of 4 years and 3 months! Wow!

and so it begins again

Its that time again. Sports season begins to reign supreme in our house. Tonight, Punk had his first soccer game of the spring season and SweetPea had her dance class, at the same time. *sigh* It really stinks trying to be the parent sometimes when you need to be in two places at the same time.

day one and he is already worn out!

Punk did fine last year attending some of his soccer games without one of us being there. Pickle would ride to the field with him and then they would ride home together. This year is proving that that cannot be the case. I arrived after SweetPea's dance class, in the middle of the second quarter, to find Punk sitting on the sidelines because of an injury. Flashbacks to the fall season, first game, where Punk broke his wrist flashed through my head. I checked and it looked ok... a bit puffy but no where near odd like when the entire field sat for him last season. I asked how bad it hurt and he said bad enough that he just wanted to go home. *double sigh*

Hubby thinks that he just is done with soccer. That playing with kids that are all way taller than him has him quitting. I know that he doesn't want to miss going to his dad's house on the weekends and having a weekend game does cut into how much time he can stay there (since bio-dad refuses to transport for game time, lame!) I guess that only time will tell. 

We decided against urgent care tonight since he can move his hand and fingers, something that he couldn't initially do in September. If the wrist still feels sore tomorrow, I will go ahead and make an appointment. Gut instinct is telling me that he probably just sprained it. Hubby's gut is telling him that its all just a way to get out of playing. I think that I need to just breathe and remember that just because he got hurt last season doesn't mean that he is seriously hurt now. 

Happy Valentine's day

Valentine's day is finally here! I am SO surprised that I actually managed to wait until the big day to bring out the valentine goodies. I really thought thatI would cave long before now. I guess that it helped that Peanut didn't pick out her gift until last night... or that Punk and Pickle have decided that they are "too old" for shows of affection. I think that I am going to pick them up each a hat for our vacation in six weeks. They can't really be offended by a hat, now can they?

my Valentines with their valentines

I wish that I could say that today was all love and good cheer around here but it definitely seemed not to be the case. SweetPea has had a serious case of the "drama queen fours" and if life isn't totally about her, its melt down city. Hubby and I took her and PorkChop to the mall today as a treat. Neither of us are fans of the mall and avoid it most of the year. But they do have a play area that both the littles adore so we sucked it up for them. Didn't work so well when SweetPea very obviously needed to use the bathroom, refused to go and then refused to leave the mall all together. Poor hubby had to carry a screaming, kicking, nose dripping snot preschooler throughout the entire mall to get back to our exit. And she didn't stop there. She howled the whole way home, a good 20 minutes in her room AFTER we made it here and then started again when she woke from her nap. Thankfully, being told that it was time to start getting ready for her "big date" helped even out her mood.

ready for the daddy/daughter dance

Tonight was SweetPea's second time attending the daddy/daughter dance at our local country club. Her first time, she was just one day shy of turning one. Now here she is... two days past four and looking so grown up. Hubby said that she took off and made him dance the entire night. Even while eating her dinner, she was dancing around in her seat, just itching to go hit the floor. And in true SweetPea fashion, she ended up making a friend while there. Hubby said that he enjoyed himself too. Me? I am looking forward to next year when its my turn to attend the annual mother/son dance with PorkChop.