Michelle Turns 50 (Different Michelle)

Recently our friend Michelle turned 50 and had a super fun party at her house with delicious Southern food and a Zydeco band. Quinn had fun dancing and Dillon managed to jam with the band--let's call it her first gig.

Craig found a super cute dance partner.

Playing the washboard.

Quinn found a super cute dance partner.

A short video of Dillon's first jam session:

Ballet Basics (2)

Here are some pix of her port de bras (carriage of the arms), which were very nicely done!

Second.

Third.

Fourth.

Fifth. (She's getting tired.)

And a short video of her performance. If you want to see how far she's come, re-watch this video from a few summers ago.

And finally a few post-performance pix with friends and some older ballet dancers as well.

With Nutcracker Snowflakes.

With Clara and Swan Lake's Odile.

Ballet Basics (1)

Last spring Dillon had her first ballet recital. We don't really observe class so it was a great chance to see if all that tuition has been worth it. I have to say I was impressed! She was able to follow along really well and her arm placement was pretty alright too. Stage momdom--here I come!

Pre-show pic with BFF Clara (and her sis, Charlotte).

And of course a pic with teacher Miss Gabby.

Passes at the bar (she's in the middle).

Standing in first position.

Showing off her cute skirt.

December is the Time (for Ho Ho Ho) Part 3

As you can see by now, I am dressing the family in our matching PJs at every opportunity! Christmas morning was no exception. Here are some pix of the present-opening extravaganza!

A kiss for daddy.

Quinn got some new shades.

And a new orange chair.

Dillon's happy place.

The tree.

Playing with Craig's childhood dogs,
renamed Ava and Aunt Julie.

Cozy with the gifts.

Aaaand...a little Christmas morning "Jingle Bells." Dillon is on lead vocals, while Quinn provides some back-up, plus interpretive dance.

December is the Time (for Ho Ho Ho) Part 1

I know it's springtime and I'm just getting around to the holiday posts...but here we go! Dillon joined choir in the fall which means there was a singing bonanza come holiday time! Here's a video mash-up of some of her performances. She's easy enough to spot in the first and last clips. For "Frosty the Snowman" where she's on stage with a hundred other kids, she's the short one in the first row!

Dillon met the big guy after her show.

We also drove deep into the forest (El Cajon) to pick out a tree. Craig found a beauty and I think it's my favorite so far!

Family tree farm selfie.

Dillon and Craig shoulder the tree.

Finally, we spent a lovely evening with our friends, Tom and Curt, at their annual holiday party.

There is a lot of plaid in this picture.

Craig won a crate o' wine.

Quinn ate a lot o' bread.

They loved this bright green tree.

Birthday Party Round-up: Valeria and Jacquie

We always have lots of birthday parties to give and attend in the fall. Dillon's preschool BFF Valeria had a Little Mermaid-themed party this year with a visit from Ariel, who must have been a bit chilly in her mermaid costume!

A table of mermaids in training.

Kitty cat face paint.

Here is a also a quick clip of Val's birthday pinata. It was super exciting because it's the first time Dillon has been the one to bust the thing open!

And the looting...

Scavengers!

My former co-worker also had a birthday party for herself. We couldn't attend, but I did film the girls singing Jacquie an extra-cute "Happy Birthday."

Strike a Pose

Grandpa and Grandma W. bought the girls these totally sweet Lily Pulitzer dresses. Dillon's has sailboats and Quinn's has lobsters. They're perfect for our non-A/C-ed church and a trip to the farmer's market. Dillon tried to teach Quinn how to pose (Dillon has always been a natural in that respect)...she sort of gets it!

You have to stick out your hip like this!

Cuddles.

And arms akimbo!

Here's also a video of the girls cutting a rug to "Under the Sea" at the farmer's market.

Last Day Hooray!

Seems like only yesterday was Dillon's first day in elementary school, but suddenly her entire first year is over! No big deal...just learning to read, multiply and run miles...there was a last day ceremony where the students got certificates and sang songs about community workers. A very cute morning!

New sign needed!

Recognition for running miles.

Certificate of achievement (everyone got one).

With best bud Olivia.

With fave teacher Mrs. S.

And, of course, the song about the postal workers of America:

Advenutres in Learning: On Stranger Tides

Can't get enough of the daycare Instagram!

Time to sit in a bin.

Time to wrestle Lulu.

Time to gossip with Reece.

Dillon has been busy running and singing and other -ing things!

Jog-a-thon! She ran 21 laps.

100 pieces of popcorn on a princess hat to mark 100 days of kindergarten.

I can't upload the whole video, but here's about 50 seconds of Dillon singing along to "You're Welcome" from Moana. See if you can spot her in the back row...

Dillon's First Recital

Dillon has been taking a keyboard class at school and a few months ago they had their first recital. Dillon was supposed to play "It's a Small World," but refused to practice. I was a little concerned she was going to get to performance day and completely freeze...but guess what? She actually did a great job...for a five year old who doesn't practice anyway.

Big Sis / Little Sis Dancers

One of Quinn's cutest qualities is her desire to mimic every sound and movement her big sis ("cece") makes. Here she is trying to learn some ballet moves from Dillon. [Song is "Swan Dance" from Swan Lake by Peter Tchaikovsky.]

A Star is Born

This post is overdue, but over the summer Dillon took a week-long ballet camp at SDCYB with her buddy Natalia. At the end of week they had a performance, which was adorable and hilarious. I parked far away and was worried I'd be late so I ran to the studio, tripped and fell, rolled, got up and kept running without missing a beat--I wish somebody has recorded that!

Flowers for a good show.

So adorable.

Dillon is teaching me to curtsy.

And now a bit of a video mash-up. I think my favorite part is how Dillon would just occasionally zone out and forget where she was. [Song is "Rodgers & Hammerstein: Do Re Mi" by the Richard Heyman Orchestra.]

Halloween with the Dolphins

SeaWorld always has great Halloween decorations and lots of candy and fun for the kids. We went with Dillon's buddy Natalia and both girls had a great time dancing and collecting treats around the park.

Don't look behind you!

Both girls got face paint!

Shaking a tail feather.

Here's a little video of Dillon and Natalia bustin' a move on the dance floor.