Abbie's third day of skiing

Sarah, along with other family members, departed for the Mary Jane slopes early today. I brought Abbie up after lunch to meet Sarah and crew for another day of skiing-and why not? Kids under 5 ski free, including rentals, yahoo!! Abbie learned some basics on Monday at ski school and really improved on Tuesday-her first full day of skiing with the help of Rod and Rachel. Today, Abbie mastered the mountain, skiing down an entire run without falling!! She was all smiles as she finished (in the photos below). She said she was singing while she skied which helped her stay relaxed and focused as she maneuvered the slopes. We are both thrilled that she attempted this endeavor with great effort and perseverance! However, she required more patience as she did not want to wait for her mother... snowboarders are always slower to get started! After Sarah and Abbie exited the ski lift, Sarah had to strap her boot into her snowboard, but Abbie didn't want to wait, saying,"lets go, I have got to go." At least she was having fun!

OUR DANCING KIDS!

we've been having fun watching our kiddos dance. asher has been loving his 'johnny jumper' and gets himself high off the ground. we decided to have some fun and tape him jumping... adding the sound of tap shoes to make it even funnier. the red socks make it even more silly. enjoy a short video clip.

abbie was in her first dance show today, with her class from 'leigh's school of dance'. it was the christmas show and her song was 'i love you santa claus'. she is so funny, waving at us when she spotted us, but still so focused on doing the steps and motions correct. in the music the voice says the dance steps, which is what you can see her saying... sway 2,3,4 - bounce 2,3,4 - boogie woogie, boogie woogie, jump out jump in, half way turn... her little brain was really working! i started dance when i was about 5 years old, and did well remembering all my steps. abbie is following right in my dance steps. enjoy a low quality video from the dance show today.

We love the circus-words from dad and abbie

The circus was in town. Did you make it to The Greatest Show on Earth? It is so much fun! I never had the privilege of attending the circus when I was young. Three years ago a friend bought Me, Sarah and Abbie tickets for the opening night at Ringling Brother and Barnum and Bailey Circus. It was not my idea, I didn't have any expectations and frankly, I was going for the sake of Abbie. But one thing was certain, I loved the circus! Furthermore, my love for the circus was not simply a one night stand, but rather was the beginning of a long loving relationship. After this pleasure filled night, I knew I would attempt to go the following year, and we did. I also knew I wanted to attend the circus this year (and had plans to do so). Honestly, I feel a little embarrassed of my enjoyment for the circus. Perhaps, it is because the circus seems only for children; or maybe it's that clowns are not very sophisticated.

I don’t favor any one aspect of the circus but what makes the circus special is sum of its parts. Lets be honest, clowns alone are a little creepy; animals can be seen at a zoo; and Cirque Du Soleil has more amazing acrobats. The circus’ appeal is its many unique performances working together to create a sensory experience that makes me feel, “Wow.” And “look at that,” and “this is fun.” Mostly, I love to feel like a kid, forgetting for a moment what it means to have responsibilities, commitments, and worries. I also love to experience the circus through the eyes of my daughter. It is fun to observe Abbie as she experiences the awe and wonder of the circus. Let me allow you to experience the circus in Abbie's words:

I went to the circus with my friends, Maddie, Jack, Kate and mommy. I ate a snow cone, popcorn and pop. I saw elephants, tigers and dogs. The master slapped a stick and the tigers jumped down from the stools. The elephants marched in circles and circus ladies rode on them. Bello was a craaazzy clown. Then he rode a bicycle, just kidding. Then circus was called "Bellobration." He like a girl in the circus and gave her flowers. He did lots of fun and crazy things. I love the circus. The circus was fun. I want to go to the circus next year.

a word from abbie...my chinchilla

This is my chinchilla, Chin-chee. Chin-chee looks like a fuzzy little rabbit. His color looks like gray and black and his belly is white. He puffs in and out (breathing). And he eats one raisin every day, [along with hay and other food]. He lives in a cage and he hops around in it. Chin-chee has a wheel and he hops around in it because he needs exercise and practice. He has a large plastic ball we put him in and he rolls around in the basement. He has little feet but he jumps really far and high. Sometimes I grab his tail and pet him (when she is able to catch this chinchilla). I pet Chin-chee when he lays down and he is really soft, but sometime he bites me. One time he bit me on my arm and I cried. I love Chin-chee because he is my pet.