Dancing with the Stars

Last weekend was the girls' big dance recital weekend.  While it gets pretty hectic now that both of them are dancing and add to that Big Sis doing a total of 6 dances (with costume changes) in two shows, I love this weekend.  Our dance studio is pretty awesome and some of the talent is unbelievable.  Watching these girls and guys dance is so much fun!  

It's funny as I never intended to raise dancers.  I always thought that my girls would play soccer (Lil' Sis is doing that this spring as a matter of fact) or maybe get into gymnastics.  But not dance.  I don't know why, but I didn't think it would be something our family would enjoy.  All the costumes and make-up and practicing the same routines over and over and over.  just didn't sound like something I'd invest our time and money into.  But boy was I wrong!  

This year the recital had a Hollywood theme.  All dances were done to songs from the movies.  Lil' Sis danced to I Saw the Light from Tangled.  Boy was that a hit with her preschool class!  Big Sis's tap routine was Tightrope from Happy Feet.  Her jazz dance was to Perfect Day from Legally Blonde.  And her ballet was to blue Danube from 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Her ballet routine was one of my favorite dances ever, it was so beautiful!   

Big Sis has been dancing for 3 years.  She now takes ballet, tap and jazz.  In addition to the Spring Recital, this year she was part of the studio's production of the Nutcracker as well as their spring ballet, La Boutique Fantasque.  She also had a few extra performances this year because she is part of a performance team.  I am so proud of her and how hard she has worked.  She has never complained about all of the extra rehearsals as well as all of the extra stretching and practicing at home.  In addition, her confidence amazes me.  As a 2nd grader, she showed no fear auditioning for both ballet productions.  Being one of the smallest dancers her age, she also is normally front and center onstage and has had no problem leading her groups in their dances.  I would have never been brave enough to do all she does in front of an audience!e!  


This was Lil' Sis's first year of dance.  She was in the standard first year preschool ballet/tap combo class. I  am so proud of how well she has absorbed all her teacher has shown her all year.  She quickly picked up many of the French terms for ballet and easily caught on to some tricky (for a preschooler) tap moves. Not too shabby for a four year old!  And on stage - watch out!  She's definitely the shy one out of the two girls, but you'd never guess that on stage.  She bravely looks right out at the audience with a huge smile on her face.  She was beaming after the performance and appears to have discovered that she loves being in the spotlight!  


So dance isn't so bad after all!  I love the confidence my daughters have developed from being in dance.  I also love the discipline that comes along with being in a class for an hour.  Ballet, especially, teaches the girls to focus and work hard.  And you cannot argue with the fact that dance is great exercise.  Just check out the dancers on So You Think you Can Dance.  They are in amazing shape!  

Another year of dance is done.  I'll miss our busy Wednesday nights at the studio as well as getting to see the new friends we made this year.  We'll be doing tumbling and gymnastics over the summer just to mix things up a bit, but we are already looking forward to the end of August and the beginning of another great year of dance!

Gifts for Teachers

This year I finally planned ahead and made gifts for the girls teachers.  I'm so excited as I'm usually scrambling at the last minute to pick up gift cards to put inside thank you cards.  Not this year!  Thanks to Thrive in the Kitchen, I found this cute idea that was affordable and easy to do.

So this isn't my own idea, but I'm so excited that I found this after an hour or so of searching pinterest and the web.  The gift is a water bottle filled with Crystal Light mixes and a Starbucks gift card.  The cute part is the printable that I found on the Thrive in the Kitchen website.  It says "It's so refreshing having a great teacher like you!"  Super cute and also so true - the girls have had wonderful teachers this year.

I attempted to get the water bottles from the Dollar Store, but while they looked cute, they were all scratched up and the lids didn't work.  So I spent a little extra money buying Rubbermaid bottles at the grocery store.  But overall, this entire project cost just under $100.  For 6 teachers, I'm not complaining.  Here's all of my supplies:

The most exciting part of all was that the girls think these gifts are so cool.  I'm happy that they have something they are proud of to hand to their teachers on their last day of class.

In addition to the gifts, the girls each wrote out thank you cards to their teachers.  I should have taken pictures, they were all so cute.  Lil' Sis wrote her full name out (not bad for a 4 year old!) and drew a picture of each teacher.  Big Sis wrote out lovely thank you's and for her dance teachers, drew a scene of a dance each teacher taught her.  Priceless!

Lil' Sis had her last day of preschool yesterday and tonight the girls will be going to their last dance class for the year.  I am so happy to not have to worry about what we are giving their teachers.  Instead, we can enjoy these last days with their awesome teachers.

This year, their teachers have been phenomenal. Really, I think every year we've been blessed with great teachers.  My girls have really grown up a lot this year.  Both are becoming more and more confident in what they do, and I am so thankful for their teachers as I know they had a big part in making this happen.

I cannot believe that Lil' Sis will be in Pre-K in the fall.  And Big Sis is almost a 3rd grader.  It really does still seem like just yesterday that Big Sis was the one in preschool and Lil' Sis was just a baby.  I'm so proud of how far they've come and am excited to see what amazing things they will be getting into this summer!

I'm linking up to Works for Me Wednesday.  Check it out for more great tips and tricks!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...the sun is rising.  I wonder if it will be another summery day today.

I am thinking...that I need to change my way of thinking.

I am thankful...that my daughters did so well at their dance recital Saturday.  I'm so proud of them!

In the kitchen...probably something easy tonight.  And then I plan on making a special treat with the girls from my pinterest recipe collection.

I am wearing...Workout clothes.  White tanktop and black shorts.  Going to wear black and white to work today, too.  I need to add some color to my life!

I am creating...this great idea - I used water bottles, crystal light mixes and Starbucks gift cards - for my daughters' classroom and dance teachers.

I am going... to have Friday off this week.  Cannot wait for a much needed day off before a busy long weekend.

I am reading...Beth Moore's Daniel study - almost done!  Also almost done with Stuck in The Middle.  And I read chapter 3 of A Confident Heart last night.  Really, REALLY spoke to me.

I am hoping...Friday comes quickly.  There's something wrong with the fact that I only live for the weekends.  I need to do something to change this.

I am looking forward to...a 4-day weekend.  

I am learning...that I need to make some positive changes in my life.

Around the house...Getting ready for dance company auditions.  Opening all of the windows to enjoy the warm weather.  Last day of school for Lil' Sis is this Tuesday.  Big Sis still has about 3 weeks left, I think.

I am pondering...why I dislike weekdays so much.

A favorite quote for today...You God, are my god, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.  -Psalm 63:1

One of my favorite things...Watermelon

A few plans for the rest of the week: last day of dance classes for the school year.  Last Girl Scout meeting (a fun picnic) for the school year.  No work on Friday!

A peek into my day...ack - I have no relevant pictures to share right now.  Need to get caught up on loading pictures from this weekend onto my camera.  Guess that's what I'll do on my day off this week!

Join in on the fun at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Pinterest Recipe Challenge

I have posted over 50 recipes on pinterest since I joined a month or two ago.  They all look so yummy, but I wouldn't know as I haven't tried a single one!  So, to spice up our boring menu I am going to challenge myself to make at least once new recipe a week from my pins.  Sounds easy enough, right?

The hard part will be choosing where to start.  Right now I'm thinking about this:

Chocolate chip granola bars

But in the spirit of summer, this looks really good, too:

Banana/Pineapple/Coconut Popsicles

Or maybe I should make something for dinner, like this:

Garlic Pork Chops

Who knows what I'll end up making, but I am excited to start trying some new recipes!  I find cooking and baking relaxing, most of the time.  And I really enjoying getting the girls involved as it is never to early to start to learn how to cook.  Changing things up a bit by adding some new recipes to our menu will keep us all on our toes this summer. I'm sure we'll create some good memories and hopefully will find some recipes that are keepers.  I am looking forward to sharing my pinterest recipe adventures with you this summer!

What delicious things have you found on pinterest lately?


I'll be linking these posts up to Works for Me Wednesday.  Go there for more inspiration.

Computer Free Weekends

I've finally come to the point where I can admit that I'm addicted to the internet.  No matter what I'm doing, I always want to go online and see if there's a better way.  I want to find a better checklist for keeping my home clean.  I want to find better books to read.  I want to find the best buffalo chicken dip recipe.  If I'm not looking for ways to improve myself, I want to see what everyone else is doing.  I need to check up on the million blogs I follow, see what my IRL friends are doing on Facebook and check out the latest pins on Pinterest.  And did anyone send me an email in the last 10 minutes???  I need to check again, and again...and again.

No wonder I am always feeling anxious, unfocused and unproductive!

This habit of constantly going online has got to stop, so I've created a new rule for myself.  From the time I get home from work on Friday afternoons until Sunday evenings, I cannot use my computer.

I've done this the past two weekends and it has been amazing!  I am feeling more productive.  I am more patient with the girls.  I am relaxed and able to enjoy myself.  I'm learning not to wonder if there's a better way to mop the kitchen floor or worry about what my neighbor is doing on her weekend trip to Washington D.C.  Instead I'm focusing on the here and now and it is wonderful!

In addition, this reflection has made me realize that I've been turning the internet into a god.  When I'm worried, stressed, confused, I go online instead of to God.  I've come to the point where I feel the internet has all of the answers.  Do I trust the internet more than God?  My actions seem to say so.  I spend more hours than I want to know online, yet I probably only spend one hour a week in God's word.  I go online more often than I pray.  I wonder what the internet will tell me about my latest problem rather than seeking God's guidance.  There's something seriously wrong with this picture and it needs to change.  I pray my computer free weekends are the beginning of a new way of living for me.

I've linked up with Works for Me Wednesday today.  Go there for more great tips and tricks!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...it's a sunny day!  After I eat my lunch and post this, I'm going for a quick walk!

I am thinking...that I need to make some positive changes in my life.

I am thankful...for an amazing Mother's Day weekend.  My husband and daughters are the best!!!

In the kitchen...more watermelon and cantaloupe, too.  Maybe tilapia for dinner. Haven't decided yet.

I am wearing...Khaki pants, a teal t-shirt and jean jacket.

I am creating...hmmmm...I need to find something to create!

I am going...to have really bad garlic breath after eating these Macaroni Grill leftovers for lunch.

I am wondering...why I've been so restless lately.

I am reading...Beth Moore's Daniel Bible study.  And just bought - for FREE - on Amazon the book Stuck in The Middle.  Excited to start that!

I am hoping...this week goes by fast, again.

I am looking forward to...the girls' dance recital this weekend.

I am learning...about human trafficking via a Joyce Meyer podcast that I started this morning on the drive into work.  Terrifying.

Around the house...lots of messes after not being home to clean this weekend.  Lots to do tonight!

I am pondering...why I let things I have no control over bother me.

A favorite quote for today...“Every experience God gives us is the perfect preparation for the future only He can see.” -Corrie Ten Boom

One of my favorite things...Macaroni Grill's Garlic Cream Sauce

A few plans for the rest of the week: dress rehearsal and dance recitals for the girls. A new workout routine for the week for me!

A peek into my day...

Me & my girls on Mother's Day

 

Join in on the fun at: http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

Priorities

Don’t you love it when you stumble upon something that you know was just meant for you to read at that particular moment?  Today, I was randomly reading blogs during my lunch break (I forgot to bring a book to work) and I read something that really hit home for me today. 

You see, my four year old has been asking me pretty much every night lately if I’ll be able to stay home from work the next day.  She’s been pretty emotional and I can tell she’s frustrated about something.  She’s been crying more than usual and has been leaving her room at bedtime to come see me more and more.  Being a four year, she doesn’t really have the right words to say what she needs or wants, but I am pretty sure she is trying to tell me something important by the way she is acting.

It bothers me to see her upset as she is usually very easy going, happy child.  And she always loves spending the days with grandma while I work, so I could tell something was up when she started asking me to stay home from work.  Then I read this:  Are you're children acting crazy?  Maybe they need more of you.  It was just what I needed to read today!

To tell you the truth, this has been on my mind lately, but I’ve sort of been ignoring it.  I still haven’t figured out how to create 40 more hours in my week so that I can take care of my job and my home and then have quality time for my family.  So I spend 9 hours a day away from home and when I come home, I cook, help with homework, sort through mail, load the dishwasher, unload the dishwasher, plan grocery lists, pay bills, vacuum, do laundry (sometimes), clean up messes, give baths, say bedtime prayers with the girls, run errands and stress about the million other things that I’m not getting done.  The weekends aren’t much better with church, soccer, occasional dance or girl scout programs, visiting relatives, grocery shopping and playing catch up from the week.  I’m busy, busy, busy, but I’m not focusing my energies in the right places.  The problem is, I am neglecting my most important responsibility – being there for my daughters.

As a mom, I’ve been working outside of the home full-time for almost 8 years now, since my oldest was 4 months old.  You’d think with my experience I’d know a thing or two about balancing it all but I don’t.  I cannot figure it out no matter how hard I try.  But try I must, as time keeps moving faster.  Only 4 and 8 years old now, soon these girls will be teenagers.  

The challenges they face will keep getting harder.  And if I cannot give them the time they need now, will they learn to not come to me?  Will they find other, possibly dangerous, places to seek comfort and help?  What a terrifying thought.  Starting today, I will seek out opportunities to laugh and play with them.  I will stop what I’m doing to enjoy Dancing with the Stars with my budding ballerinas.  I will stop saying it is too late for a bedtime story and will enjoy every moment of even the longest of stories.  I will say yes to pedicures and Barbies and baking cookies.  I will pray daily that God gives me the wisdom to use my time wisely and invest it in what matters most.  The dirty dishes will always be there but these beautiful girls will soon be grown.  And what I do today may affect who they turn out to be as young women.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. – Ephesians 5:15 - 17