My Tiny Dancer

Emma is now on a dance competition team... think TLC's Dance Moms... that kind of team! I think. I have no idea what we are doing! Ha!

This has been a whirlwind kind of thing. Let me break down the timeline for you...

Last Thursday (4/18), I approached Emma's dance teacher, Miss Danielle, about a private lesson. I just thought it would benefit her for the upcoming recital. Plus, Emma LOVES dancing and if she's good, I wanted to know so we could pursue it appropriately. Danielle briefly mentioned that she'd evaluate her at the lesson to see if she could try-out for the team (Em is still a little younger than the other girls trying out).

On Wednesday (4/24), Emma had a 45 min private lesson with Miss Danielle. After the lesson, she told us that she thought Em could try out. I point blank asked "If she were your kid, would you do it?" She said "Definitely." Then it dawned on my, the auditions were in 3 days. Let the stress begin. I started making calls to get Em's headshot (Thanks so much, Jennifer!), and went to get the right color tights, etc. At home, Emma didn't want to practice, so I started having my doubts on whether we'd be able to do this in such a short time. But wait, 30 min. later, she was ready to practice, and I felt better about it.

Thursday (4/25), Emma had her regular dance class.

Friday (4/26), we had another private lesson with Danielle. 10 minutes in, Danielle came and got me. She said that she didn't think she needed to go over everything for an hour. Emma knew it. Ohh-kkay. I know nada about dance, so if she says so...

Yesterday was the day! We had to be at the studio at 9 for practice.

Sorry for the poor quality of this pic!

When we got there, Em was nervous. She was expecting the girls from her class to be there, and didn't know any of these girls! She finally felt comfortable enough to get out on the floor and start playing around. Good thing about Em, she makes friends fast!

The girls started warming up and stretching, then came the "Ok Moms, see you at 11!" What! I wasn't expecting to leave! I waved bye and headed out. Talk about a pit in my stomach!

I had been trying to eat healthier, and cut out cokes! Forget that...

Stress eating.

I just sat in my car and read my book until it was time to go back in! Ha!

That's when I got this video! This is at practice before the audition. No, it's not technically perfect, but it's pretty cute!

Don't forget, Emma has only been dancing a couple of months!

We went home for a lunch break and rest. We had to be back at 1. This is where the blogger in me failed and forget my phone and my camera. Sorry., the mom in me was too stressed.

She was #1 at the auditions! She did so good! She remembered how to do all of her dance terms! And while doing the dance, y'all. She is such a ham, doing the "face" as I'm now calling it! Such attitude!

And she made it! Danielle later told me she got Best Stage Presence! Imagine! Ha!
So begins our new adventure as a dance family! Emma is on the Mini (5-7 year old) Dance Competition Team!
Sorry, this was so drawn out!

Newest Family Member

We went to visit our new cousin last Wednesday! She was two weeks old already!

Welcome to the world, Abigail Elizabeth Bell!

Emma loves babies! Especially, Baby Abby! 

Clinton and I had forgotten how to hold one so little!

Loved how she was holding her pacifier in!

Oh, and we got to see Mommy Allison, T-Ma Terri, and Poppy Mike, too! Ha! Don't you love the grandparents names I gave them! ;)

Spring Pictures

Yes, I know I just posted about pictures, but not much else is going on around here! Well, Em and Clinton went to the Father Daughter Dance and we went to visit the new baby in the family, but I haven't uploaded the pictures from my phone yet, so I'll post those later!

Jennifer with Lifestyles Photography and I have been planning these pictures for 2 months! I was so excited! Last Monday was the day and Em hadn't been exactly cooperative all day (wouldn't let me curl her hair, etc!), so I was worried!

She did really good, until we got those balloons out of the car! The wind would blow a little now and then and Em kept freaking out that they would blow away! But we made it through! If you are FB friends with me, you've already seen 3 sneak peaks from Jennifer, but I think I'm going to wait until I have all the pics to post those! Later Gators!

Easter Pictures

I've been meaning to post these for a WEEK! Here are the pictures from the Easter mini session I talked about before! These were taken at Paris Baby, our favorite local store! The photographer is pretty great, too! Check out Tara Swain's blog, her pictures are beautiful! Our little town has some amazing photographers! Check out Tara's pictures below, and be on the lookout for pics by another great photog soon! :)

Yard Work

The day started as a lazy Sunday, but that soon ended. Clinton was firing up the smoker for supper, and I just kept looking at the huge pile of pine needles in one corner of our yard. It's been there for as long as we've lived here (2.5 years), but I'm sure it's older than that. One of those things we've just kept putting off. I got a wild hair to clean it up, totally out of my character! Ha!

Here it is mostly done already.

Giant burn pile.

Little Miss with her own rake.That she threw a fit for. Sigh.

And just a little butt hanging out. Always.

I didn't get a before or after, only during. But it's done and the yard looks much better! And I have a blister. Ugh.

Nothing to do on a Saturday Night

So I guess I'll blog about my day. Not that there was much to it.

If you're FB friends with me or follow me on Instagram, you know what I've been doing lately. Sewing.

I'd procrastinated making this tutu, but we needed Monday for pictures (Yay! Can't wait!), so I figured I'd better get busy! 

My view last night and most of today.

Last night. Half-way through...

Ran out of tulle last night, and it was only 1/2 done. Silly me thought 75 yards would be enough, Ha! Truth is I know tutus take a LOT of tulle, but I'd never made one this long, so it took twice as much as I thought! So Em and I made a trip to Hobby Lobby today to get more!

She thought she needed to be sewing since I was! This is a lacing kit.

 And no, that isn't my finger in the corner of that picture. It's my pile of tulle strips!

All finished! 150 yards of tulle!

While I had the sewing machine out (and threaded!!), I thought I'd try to sew another type of tutu. I had some LSU fabric and some ribbon, so I used what I had!

Em calls it her cheerleader skirt!

BTW- Sorry, I don't know why my phone is taking such crappy pictures!

I think I'm ok with sewing projects as long as they don't require any accuracy! Ha!

So now, I have no projects to work on, hubby is at work, Emma is camped on the couch with Disney Jr., and I'm bored.

Speaking of Emma, she fell and skinned her knee outside. You'd think it was broken. Yes, I know it hurts. I'm just not good with the whiny-ness. I'm good for one good cuddle, kiss, bandage it up, little ice cream to make it better... then I'm ready for it to be over. I'm hiding out in the Man Cave, but I can hear her in there. Laughing at the tv, then a little cry and whine. Ha. Milking it a little. I'm just not that type of mom, to keep babying her. After doing all the above, I'll just say "Aww, you're ok."

I know this isn't much to blog about, but again, I'm bored. I'm spending time with my DVR and my crime shows. Is anyone else super excited about Hannibal?  

Easter Sunday

The rain, rain didn't go away. Well, it did, but not until it made everything a muddy mess. So we had a change of plans and ended up having lunch and an egg hunt at my brother's house.

Kirk, Kinsley, & Emma- the egg hunters

My brother, Jason, trying to show Emma an egg...

Yeah, she still doesn't see it.

Comparing their baskets.

 After the hunt, we were standing around talking, about to load up and go home, when Jason says, "Um, how dirty did y'all want your girls?" Yeah... they were in the mud. It was too late to stop them, just let them play.

Kinsley helping take off Em's boots. Ha!

They were a mess! But they had fun!