little dancers - part 3

and lastly....corinn's pre-ballet 1 class, dancing to Feed the Birds (corinn was really wanting to stay on the very tip of her toes after seeing the older girl's pointe performance right before her class comes out - she kind of forgot about flapping her wings.....last night when she watched the video, she said "oh! i pointed, but what about my wings?!" ~lol~ she's so funny!)

little dancers - part 2

gabby's pre-tap class, dancing to The Penguin Dance (i missed the very beginning when they come out - the end is super cute!)

little dancers

ok, i'm having trouble getting all 3 of the videos uploaded to the same post, so i'll have to put one on this post & will make 2 more posts with the others

but as promised, here's a look into my girls' dance recital.....last night was dress rehearsal & they did great.....it was a little distracting with all the parents & their many cameras/camcorders (including me - at the same time, running one camera for video & taking pics with the other - i'm sooo talented! ~lol~)....and all the girls were super interested in seeing each other's routines - more so than concentrating on theirs'.....they've honestly done better in some of their practices than their performance last night, but i am still sooooo proud of them! i can't wait for sunday - the LIVE PERFORMANCE! the girls are psyched too! they've been watching the mary poppins movie & our recial dvd from last year (when just gabby took ballet) to get ready!

here's some pics of my girls & the other dance classes in the mary poppins section (the recital will be about 2 hours long - only about half is the mary poppins show....there are also other themed dances - hip/hop, pointe & ballet solos, jazz, modern, acrobatics, etc.)

the main characters

the carousel horses
Stay Awake
Let's Go Fly a Kite
I Love to Laugh
Step in Time
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

here's the 1st video (of 3).....gabrielle's pre-ballet 2 class, dancing to Spoon Full of Sugar (the girls are supposed to be the toys in the movie....some of their entry timing was off - but watch my girl count her toe taps when they're going back and forth across the stage - she's right on time!)

Chinese Zodiac tat?

i've been thinking a lot lately about my next tattoo...i currently have 2 (both of which need touching up)

a butterfly on my foot
that i got in 2005 with a close friend (she also got a foot tattoo)

and i have a dragon (i know, right?!) on my left shoulder blade
that i got right after i turned 18....literally, 2 months after

i've always wondered if my dragon tattoo has anything to do with jaden's obsession with dragons.....i know that his OCD is a trait of his AS.....and i got the tat years before he was born....but could my tat have gotten the ball rolling on that topic? well, today - i think i found out that maybe, not so much...

so i know that i want this next tat to represent ♥me, curtis & our kids♥....and i most likely want it on/around my wrist....i was thinking about my kids & their loves - the girls & their love for dance & creative play....and of course jaden & his love for art & china/dragons/chinese dragons/sea monsters/aliens/etc.....i already know all our zodiac signs, but decided to check and see what our chinese zodiac signs are - the years/animals we were born under.....would you believe that by being born in 2000, jaden is a dragon?! seriously! how cool is that?!

actually, all our signs seem to really represent who we are....

Curtis – Boar - Reliable & honest

Me - Sheep - Easygoing, calm & artistic

Jaden - Dragon - Confident, Ambitious, resourceful & assertive

Gabrielle - Horse - Free spirit, forthright & outspoken

Corinn - Monkey - Lovable, quick-witted & helpful

i mean really, spot on!

so, now i'm thinking....i might get our chinese zodiac symbols around my wrist???? i don't know, are chinese symbols too played out? i really like the idea if it's dainty & simple - i'm all about simple design

i've also thought about what our names mean....nothing clicking with that....

Curtis - Courteous or Polite (he is!)
Sharon - Princess of Fertile Plain (omg - i am a fertile plain ~lol~)
Jaden - God has heard
Gabrielle - Heroine of God
Corinn - Maiden

our family name skates - the word really has no meaning except for a skate ~lol~ we see those at the beach every year when we go out to watch the fishermen on the pier!

i guess a little family of roller skates would b cute ;0)

what do u guys think?

i guess i'll think on it some more....not in any rush....just always a thought in the back of my head....just like wanting to get my nose pierced! ~lol~ wendy's recent post got me thinking again about this....i've had piercings before too....my tongue twice (cause i wasn't 18 yet the 1st time & my mom made me take it out when she found out....then i did it again as soon as i turned 18 & moved out)....and my left nipple *gasp* ~lol~ (got that one with my first 'real' boyfriend after graduating high school & moving out....he got both of his done too)....of course, not my best decisions & i took them out soon after becoming pregnant with jaden (the nipple piercing hole & nursing - FUNNY story)

but with piercings & tattoos, come cost.....i rarely spend money on myself - i always end up finding reasons/excuses to spend money on the kids, but not so much on mommy.....i've started a little 'me' fund (after some encouragement from curtis) for things like this....so now, i'm just slowly adding (and i mean, slowly).....luckily, i have a friend that's a tattoo artist, so hopefully we can work something out there ;0)

i ♥ body art & actually day dream about really 'painting' myself sometimes.....as i've said before, i'm all about self-expression & admire those who go all out - live in the moment....'document' milestones thru tats - showcase some really kick-butt art

sorry for my rambling today - most of our associates are away at conference in nashville this week & it's a ghost town at work....we're all so b-o-r-e-d! :0P and i was up late last night with this week's cakes....so i'm a lil punch drunk.....i think i'm done now - that is all ~lol~

it's almost curtain time!

last night was the girls' tech rehearsal for the recital on sunday! and tomorrow will be the dress rehearsal....which is also the time that parents are to take pics/video since none are allowed during the actual performance (of course you can purchase a dvd of the recital for only $35! ~lol~)....look for a post with my pics & videos on friday! ;0)

waiting patiently for their turn on stage
gabby's ballet class....this is the big finish to a spoonful of sugar
corinn "watching" the other classes ~lol~
gabby's tap class - the penguin dancecutest pic award goes to....corinn's ballet class - watching on their tip toes
corinn's ballet - feed the birds

i'm sooooo excited for this year's performance! last year, only gabrielle was taking dance & she was just in one ballet class.....so we weren't sure what to expect & we sat through the entire 4hr recital (there's LOTS of classes!) just to see her class' 2 minute performance.....which we still loved, but u know.....this year, we get to see our girls in 3 different dances & they're so much more into the whole dance thing this year - gabby isn't as shy & corinn is a complete natural!

here's a slide i made of last year's ballet portion of the recital (i didn't have this blog then).....it was a wizard of oz theme (*wink to BC*) & gabby's ballet class were the poppies - too cute!

my new motto...

Live your life in such a way

that when your feet hit the

floor in the morning,

satan shudders & says...

'Oh no....she's awake!!'

weekend recap...

more GREAT weather & another GREAT weekend!

the wild roses in our backyard are in full bloom
the kiddos & i attended kelly & chris' wedding (curtis was working) - very cool, unconventional wedding - the bride is from my hometown & the groom, from new zealand....the ceremony was in our church, the entire bridal party was barefoot (including the adorable flower girl & ring bearer), the bridesmaids sang the couples' song a cappella, the bride's brother played a song on his guitar that he wrote for his big sis, both sets of parents read scripture....it was so sweet!

me & the kiddos waiting for the ceremony to begin
at the reception - in the bride's parent's back yard
jaden took this pic of me :0)
chris & kelly cutting the cake - they loved it!
after the wedding, we went by nana & grandpa's to try out yet another new toy! since the last go-kart he just bought was too big for the girls (and my nephew who's also corinn's age), grandpa went and bought another one - even smaller & this one seats 2! boy, he sure knows how to spoil his grand babies!
playing dress up with the new cheerleader outfit she bought with her own money!
sunday morning coffee & a game of Guess Who? i LOVED this game as a kid...it's so much fun teaching my kids to play! btw - the girls' "coffee" is really just coffee flavored, sweetened milk....they LOVE taking sips of my coffee & i've convinced them that this diluted version is just as good! ~lol~
more go-kart riding at nana & grandpa's after church
and eating fresh asparagus out of their garden....corinn is my veggie nut!more chalk fun at home that evening
this says "VASS" - gabrielle has circled & labeled the potted plant as a 'vase' - it was my mother's day gift from her, but she still insists on caring for it & taking it outside regularly for fresh air & sunshine :0) soon, we'll transplant it (and the ones that corinn & jaden gave me) into our flower bed!
here she wrote "NOASILD" - which is supposed to say 'no ants allowed'
i LOVE it! not only that my 5 year old, pre-k student is sounding out words & trying to create sentences....but that she's letting the ants in our backyard know to stay away from her drawing area! ~lol~
a pose on Memorial Day in front of the roses
the view on our drive back to west virginia to spend the day at my aunt's house for a cook-out
gosh, i love living in the mountains! (those dots in the field are sheep)
curtis did all the grilling while the other men watched (chicken, burgers, dogs - yummy!), the kids (i think there were 11 total there) played outside with water guns & us ladies had some cocktails & tried to stay cool (and forgot to take pics ~lol~)....can u believe how hot it got yesterday?! in the high 80s here!
the girls with autumn - a friend of the family
we stopped by mindy & mark's on our way home to visit the new baby....molly kate is 3 weeks old today & still so tiny!
mindy doesn't like her pic taken - this was the best i could do ;0)

we're all back to work/school/daycare today, after the long, lovely weekend....in the car this morning, jaden & gabrielle asked me how many more days of school are left! since when do 1st graders & pre-schoolers count down till summer time?!

btw - only 8 more days to go! ;0)

weekend cakes...

another simple weekend for cakes....had one cake truffle request, one birthday cake cancellation & one simple wedding...i am starting to attribute these cancellations to the economy....everyone i know is stepping back & reassessing their expenses before splurging on say...one of my fabulous cakes! ~lol~ and i can't at all blame them - we've been doing the same thing in our family....and honestly, i've enjoyed the break - the weather has had us outdoors about 90% of day on the weekends....and i'm not at all upset that i haven't pulled an all-nighter since this wedding cake! ;0)


i did NOT make the cupcakes around the wedding cake - those were made by some ladies at our church....the wedding cake is all my most popular birthday cake flavor, fudge chip - my kinda bride! ;0) all iced in my homemade butter cream....the gerber daisies are real

bunk beds

the girls are sooo excited - they now have bunk beds!

my parents gave us the bunk bed frame (sans mattresses) a while back, but the girls were still too little for them, so we stored them in the attic.....well, we were starting to go through all the STUFF in their bedrooms this past weekend - sorting out what they actually play with/want to keep from what we want to pass down to willow & matthew, and what we'll sell at our very first yard sale this summer

they have separate rooms, each with it's own doorway....but they also have a door that joins their rooms together.....both were still sleeping in toddler beds in their own room, & had their own dressers, tiny table & chairs, toy boxes, etc in each room.....i thought this would be a good time to go ahead and combine their rooms.....putting the bunk beds & dressers, books, games, quiet activities in one room.....and all the toys, play sets, their table & chairs, movies, etc in the other room.....so essentially having a bedroom AND toy room - connected

they LOVED this idea, and so we began.....we're getting mattresses this weekend, but went ahead and set everything up.....we've got queen size mattress pads (folded in half) on their beds right now - with their new lavender sheets & Princess Genevieve comforters (who by the way is a ballerina, just like my girls!) on top.....curtis also took off one of the guards from the old toddler beds, and attached it to the top bunk.....as well as secured the beds to the wall with brackets - safety first! ;0)


they both slept just as soundly as ever in their new beds last night.....their room, on the other hand, is still a DISASTER! u wouldn't believe how much STUFF they have! i'm hoping we'll get it all sorted & re-organized over this long weekend....curtis works & we haven't really made any memorial day plans.....it'll probably just be a chill weekend - and i'm totally cool with that! :0)

btw - this totally upset jaden....he now wants a bunk bed set sooooo bad - just to sleep on the top! he was very angry that the girls got these new digs & he is left with his same old boring room.....i think we've calmed the situation - i've been saving 3 paper lanterns (similar to this) & a dragon decoration that i ordered on clearance from oriental trading for him a while back.....and we recently got 2 huge maps for him - one of the US & one of the entire world - that still need to be hung up in his room (encouraging his interest in geography - namely new york, hawaii, alaska, and of course china...for the dragons, duh!).....so i told him that we would (maybe not this weekend, but soon) clean out his room, re-organize & hang up his new stuff.....he agreed to this (after also getting some play time with the girls on their new beds) & went to sleep in his same old boring bed without another word about it....whew! crisis diverted yet again! ~lol~

20 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label it "In".

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write " For Smuggling Diamonds".

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy".

8. Don't use any punctuation.

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go".

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital. And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area and Play tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In the Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won! I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Health y Level Of Insanity ..

Send This To Someone To Make Them Smile. It’s Called....therapy.

Atlantic Beach, HERE WE COME!!!

i just got confirmation on our beach villa for next month!

we go through Curtis' work - he is the electrician for a set of condos on Massanutten mountain.....we get a SUPER deal through their management company & get to stay at any of the resorts that they manage in the USA, for a whole week, for only $150!!! this is our 3rd year using this great benefit & we LOVE it! the first year, we tried out Barrier Island Station in Kitty Hawk, NC - it was great but we wanted to head a little farther south last year....we tried out Atlantic Beach, NC (on Emerald Isle) and stayed at the Peppertree Atlantic Resort (their site isn't working any more) - this spot was AMAZING! i'd never been to a nicer beach - soft sand, great shells to find, fish to catch, dolphins to watch, family oriented, calm water for the kids to play in - FABULOUS! and the resort was just as great...private boardwalk & beach, tons of activities, huge villas with all the amenities, wonderful staff, indoor & outdoor pools, playgrounds, the list goes on & on

the only downside to this yearly deal that we get, is that you submit your top choices waaay early and just wait.....you have to wait to see if any of the timeshare owners cancel out of their reservation or if there's available units....as you get closer to your requested vacation date, they'll give you other options if your top choices still aren't available.....well, just 2 weeks ago, we were offered a spot at a not as nice resort - actually it looked more like a hotel on the beach, rather than a family resort....we turned it down & prayed that something better would come through....yesterday marked exactly one month until we're scheduled to head out & we were starting to get nervous that we'd end up with a not so nice condo this year.....then today, curtis calls me literally screaming with excitement - we got our top choice - the same spot as last year!!!

here's what the villas look like - view from the private board walk as you're coming off the beach

and here's the kids on the beach our last night there last year....i had already taken like 300 pics by then, so left my camera in the room - took this one with my cell (the family pics to the right of my blog were taken at Atlantic Beach as well)

OMG - we can't wait!!!