Look, Mommy, they're broken!

The other night, we turned into our neighborhood and Grace got really upset. She pointed out the window to the 2 flag poles and exclaimed, "Look, Mommy, they're broken!" I explained that when the wind doesn't blow, the flags don't fly. They just lay there. She decided they must be sleeping.

Ballerina School

One of Grace's Christmas presents this year was a semester of dance lessons, which include ballet, tap and tumbling. The night before her first class (she has had 3 now) we told her that when she woke up, she got to go to ballerina school. She loves ballerinas and princesses right now, so this was a very exciting notion to her.

When I went in her room to wake her up, she sleepily opened her eyes - then promptly closed them again and snuggled down in her blankets. About a second passed and her eyes popped open wide and she sat straight up and shouted, "Ballerina School!!"

I got her up and dressed and off we went. When we got there, I had to change her shoes. She was almost trembling with excitement. That is, until she saw another mom kiss her ballerina and say good-bye and then (horror of horrors) leave her child behind. Up until that day, Grace had never been left anywhere that she didn't know anyone at all. She clung to my leg and was quite upset.



I had intended on staying and watching for a few minutes, but I realized she wasn't going to participate if I was there. So, I left her in the capable hands of her teacher and left. She did cry, but only for a minute or 2. (I stood outside the class and listened).

I got there about 10 minutes early to pick her up. I stood where she couldn't see me and watched as she ran and danced and twirled in circles shouting, "I'm a ballerina!!!!" They were doing an exercise that they danced while music was playing, then would freeze when it went off. The teacher (Ms. Shawn) would yell, "Freeze" - every child would stop except for Grace...who would keep twirling and shouting to the heavens that she was a ballerina.

Grace has played that game before, but in Kindermusik and in play date, we would say stop, not freeze. So, she didn't quite get it. Not to mention, she was having way too much fun to pay attention.

The next 2 weeks, she isn't hesitant at all about going and is sad to leave when it is time. She likes to wear her ballerina outfit all day and dances for us on command. In fact, then only way I can get her to obey on Mondays is if I threatened to take her ballerina outfit away!

Big Piles of Dirt....

When we were driving from El Paso to Ruidoso a few weeks ago, Grace got very excited and starting pointing out the windows. She said, "Look, mommy!! Big piles of dirt!!!!"

They were the mountains!

A Very Merry Christmas

This year Christmas was very merry - and very drawn out! We started 2 Saturdays before Christmas on the 15th. Grace's Granddad and Mimi came to town and played Santa Clause. Grace totally got into opening presents and learning the true meaning of...the word "present!" Here she is opening her first gift of the season:

From that Saturday on, it seemed as if she was getting a present almost daily from someone. People most certainly love our girl!

On the Sunday before Christmas, we celebrated with my extended side of the family. Almost everyone from my dad's side and my mom's sister and her family all got together to visit. Grace had a wonderful time playing with her cousins, getting her face painted, doing crack (of the Christmas kind), and yes...opening more presents!



On Christmas Eve, we took Grace to see the lights in Natchitoches. She had a wonderful time playing with everyone and seeing the lights. She was in awe and kept pointing to everything saying, "Look!" We did a little river tour of the lights, then we fed ducks who came and ate right out of our hands!



Now you can't really see us feed the ducks - but you can hear us!


Christmas morning was a ton of fun. Since we were traveling, we left most of Grace's gifts at home. But, we brought her stocking with us...and I wrapped everything in it! She was so funny, she would shake the present and make everyone be quiet while we listened to it. And she would always stand like this to shake them:



And, yes, I know this is a long post - but, goodness - our Christmas WAS long!

On Christmas night, we opened presents with Grace's 1st cousins and my immediate family. It was a little (ok, a lot) chaotic, but it was great to see the kids having so much fun.


2 days later has us at home, finally having our Christmas with each other. Grace had a great time opening the gifts and wasn't ready to stop when we ran out of presents. And - of course there were more.

The next day we were in El Paso with Grace's Nandy and PaPa - opening MORE presents!