Prima Ballerina

My girl performed in her second ballet recital last Friday.  She was beautiful!

She has developed a lot of skill and really loves to dance.  She’s also making a lot of friends!

Pre-recital playtime with friends

Claire and her best ballet friend, Emily

Since moving to Minnesota, Claire has been taking ballet at the YMCA.  She’s been going to class on Monday evenings for the last 14 weeks.  On Friday, her class, along with the class older and the class younger, performed excerpts of The Nutcracker and then together performed Jingle Bell Rock.

The little girls went first (ages 2 and 3)

Then Claire’s class performed (ages 3 - 5)

Then the big girls performed (ages 5-8)

Then they all performed together.

After the finale my girl came flying into her daddy’s arms!

We are so very proud of our princess!  She did a great job!

A few pics from the performances

Emily and Claire

I love this bundle of fluff!

I love being a “dance mom!”  Especially to this beautiful ballerina!!

After the first of the year, Claire will start another 7-week dance class along with a 7-week tumbling class.  More fun stuff ahead!!

My Princess

Claire is still working hard and earning stickers.  Last night, she hit the 90-sticker mark!  That’s a total of 450 stickers since we started!  This time she earned a Princess Aurora costume.  (Aurora is the princess from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.)

I am so proud of you, Princess!  Great job!

(Note to Readers:  I bought this dress on clearance from Walmart after Halloween.  If any of your Walmart or Target stores still have any princess costumes on clearance, she wears a size M 7/8.  She already has Ariel (The Little Mermaid) and Aurora (Sleeping Beauty).  She would love to have more.  If you find any, I can pay you for them or you can give them to her as a gift.  Let me know if you find any.  I only paid $8 for this one and wouldn’t pay more than $15 or so for any costume.  Thanks!)

Girls’ Weekend

Steve and Cale stayed home this past weekend to work on potty training.  So Claire and I had a girls’ weekend.  We went shopping, got cookies and Dr. Pepper, etc.  We pretty much did whatever Claire wanted to do.

Claire also just reached her next level in stickers, so she was due a prize.  She chose to go to Mall of America and get a bunny at Build A Bear Workshop.

While at the mall, we saw Jillian Michaels.

And Claire met Blue (from Blue’s Clues).

(You can see that Claire is holding her new bunny, Felicity.)

Claire and I had a great weekend and checked out a lot of new stores outside of the mall and actually walked and shopped the first and second floors of MOA.  We found some good sales and bought a few Christmas presents.  Claire got a new book, a new puzzle, some new clothes, etc.  We also bought a few new things for Cale.  We had a great time!

I love my girl and love spending time with her!

Oh Happy Day!!!

My sweet daughter asked Jesus to live in her heart and change her!  On Friday, September 20, 2013, in the basement of our house, I was talking to our kids about how Jesus can live in our hearts if we ask Him to.  I explained that when Jesus lives in our hearts, He forgives us when we mess up and helps us to do better next time.  Claire asked me if she could pray “right now.”  I said, “Of course, Baby!”  She knelt next to me on the floor, folded her hands and closed her eyes.  Then she prayed the simplest and sweetest prayer I’ve ever heard, “Jesus, I want to be a good girl.  Please come live in my heart.  Help me not to be bad or do naughty things.  Forgive me.  Help me to be good.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

It is such a blessing to have witnessed this sweet, heartfelt prayer.  It is such a joy to know that my daughter has chosen to follow God!


Now when you ask Claire where Jesus lives, instead of saying “up above the clouds in Heaven,” she says “in my heart!”

Oh Happy Day!!!

Busy Girl

My girl has been working hard!  She’s doing everything she can find to help out around here so that she can earn stickers on her reward chart.

As promised, once she reached her goal of 50 stickers, we took her to the Mall of America to ride everything she wanted as many times as she wanted.  (We started at 10 stickers, and we increase the number of stickers required by 10 for the next prize.)  She had the best time!

Their first ride:

Then she rode:

Next up:

Claire with her favorite Backyardigan, Tasha

Then it was time for the coaster.  She actually rode this twice.

Then we rode the carousel, and Cale got to ride too.

Claire had the best time!  So did we!!

Claire got new “Fancy Fancy” jammies.  (Fancy Nancy is one of Claire’s favorite characters.  She fell in love with these Fancy Nancy jammies when we found them.)  She also got Hello Kitty slippers.

Claire started a new dance class this month.  (She also got a new black leotard.)

She loves to draw.  Here’s her latest masterpiece:

Claire’s becoming such a great swimmer!  Steve is now working with her on her form.  She’s doing so well!  (And she got a new swimsuit!)

Claire reached her 60-sticker goal this week.  She really wanted a copy of Disney’s The Little Mermaid on DVD, but it’s not going to be released until October 1st.  We asked her if she wanted something else or if she wanted to wait.  At first she wanted to wait, and then she decided that she wanted a Little Mermaid costume.  Fortunately, with Halloween right around the corner, the stores are stocked with them and all of the accessories.  Claire decided against the wig, but she chose a dress, a wand and “glass” slippers.

I love this girl!  And I love that she is so well behaved and so talented!  She makes me proud to be her mama!