April and May Catch-up

We just finished auditions for our summer children's theatre.  This year, Mesquite Kids On Stage is performing "Seussical JR".  Our performance dates are July 12, 13, and 14.  We start rehearsals tomorrow.  I am excited.  This year, because of the complexity and sheer amount of singing required for this show, we have an older, smaller cast.  In the past, we've accepted up to 80 students age 5+.  This year it is 50 students age 8+.  I am looking forward to working with our talented and experienced cast!

I am also glad that I will not be teaching summer school on top of it all, so I should be able to focus more energy on the show and on my family this year.  After the show is finished, we are planning to take a family camping trip, and then I'll have about a month off to do nothing until school starts again.  Whew!

Ellie just got put in the Toddler room at Day Care.  She is doing really well, and loves all the new toys and books!  She just needs to learn how to drink from a regular cup without spilling it all over.  No sippy cups anymore.  She still loves to see her teachers from the Infant room.

Here are some pictures from Easter through May:

Ellie loves wearing hats!  This is her current favorite.  (With Hello Kitty on it!)

At the local Easter Egg hunt, Ellie didn't want any eggs in her basket.  When Mom put one in, Ellie dropped it back on the grass.  She liked her Easter Basket empty, thank you very much!

Ellie got a red wagon for Easter!  She likes sitting in it and reading her favorite books.

She even reads on her slide!  This is a library book, but she takes it everywhere she goes.  She's going to be sad when we return it!

Ellie did much better at our own Easter Egg Hunt in our back yard.  She had fun and even let Mom collect the eggs she found in her basket!

She enjoyed her chocolate eggs a little too much!

We got to hang out at Grandma Bennett's!  Ellie enjoyed the Easter decor!

Brooke had a birthday.  She turned 15 on April 15th!

Dad had a local baker bake this yummy cake for Brooke!

Ellie had fun playing with the birthday balloons!

I started a bath and then turned my back for a minute.  What do you know?  Ellie decided to get in fully dressed!  Stinker!

Ellie loves playing in her bedroom.  I think she is dancing here?

I don't usually have the time or patience to do anything but brush Ellie's hair and stick a couple of clips in, but once in a great while, we make an effort to do something cute with her hair.  Not exactly perfect, but who cares?

Here she is signing "PLAY!"

"Come on Mom!  Let's go already!"

Dancing at the park!  Boogie down!

Getting dizzy!  Wheee!

Ellie is a great storyteller.  She memorizes her favorite books, and then out of the blue just starts telling the story, in order, from beginning to end.  My favorite story she tells is "Pete the Cat".  I'll have to post a video soon.  It is pretty cute.

As she is playing independently, I often overhear her telling herself: "Good Job, Ellie!"  "Yay! We did it!" and "Oh no, try again!"  Funny to hear!

Well, that's the latest here.  Now to just get through to the end of this school year!

Dancing Queen

Hooray for Spring Break!

Looking forward to this next week!

Here are some pictures of Ellie.  The first one is of her playing on my iPhone at a restaurant a couple of weeks ago.  After we went out to eat with Dave's family and friends, we went to the BYU Ballroom Dance performance at our local high school theater.  Ellie loved the show, and wanted to twirl in the aisles went it was over.

She's my little Dancing Queen!

When we got her home, she was still dancing!

BYU Ballroom Dance Team, save a spot for Ellie!

January and February pics

Okay, so I'm a horrible blogger.  But I do like posting pictures so that my family can see how Ellie is growing up, and as a way to have an online scrapbook for myself.  Ellie just got a haircut this last week, and I'm still getting used to the shorter hairdo.

On Mommy's birthday (Ellie still has long hair here, just in a pony tail)

Being silly at Grandma Bennett's

This little monkey likes jumping on the bed.

Can't pedal yet, but I like my Dora Tricycle!

Pushing the doll, but I'd rather try sitting in the teeny stroller myself.

At Bryan Head on Daddy's birthday.

Inside the Lodge at Bryan Head.

I love playing with hats, and trying to wear both at the same time.  Can you tell my hair is shorter?

Dancy, dancy!

Like my tongue?

Sledding on President's Day in Cedar City.

Hi!

You mean it's time to leave?

Signing and saying "More, More!"

Ellie has hit a growth spurt.  She is still only 24 pounds, but she is 35 inches tall.  Her shoes size has gone from a 4 to a 6 since her birthday in December.  A lot of her clothes are getting too short for her, but many of them are still too big around the waist.

Ellie is also surprisingly smart.  She can recognize about 75 words already.  She is reading some really basic Kindergarten level books.  At 26 months!  Go figure!

She is talking in sentences more and more, but uses her signs right along with her words.  Her pronunciation is still not great, but I can usually make out what she is saying, and the signs help.  It is funny to hear her repeat what we say word for word.

She loves to sing songs.  Her favorites:  If You're Happy & You Know It, 5 Little Monkeys, On A Log, Mr. Frog, 6 Little Ducks, Deep & Wide, Ring Around the Rosie, Jump Jim Joe, ABC song, Colors of the Rainbow, The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Old MacDonald, Happy Birthday, etc.

Dave and I are doing well.  I'm busy getting ready for our Celebrating Dr. Seuss concert for Reading Week at our school.  Dave has two UNLV classes that he is taking, and they have been a lot of work so far.  The girls are doing well in school.  Brittany still comes down every weekend to lifeguard at the Rec Center here in Mesquite.  Brooke is doing well with her viola, and Brianna just finished a basketball league, and really improved her skills a lot.

Brooke and Brianna had fun skiing with their dad for his birthday.  Ellie and I ventured out in the snow just long enough to get over to the lodge's swimming pool.  Dave and I enjoyed our couples massage the night before.  It was a nice getaway.

I have a two-year old daughter! How did that happen?

I swear she was just born a couple of months ago.  How is it possible that 2 years have gone by already?  Here are some recent pictures of Ellie.

Below is a video of Ellie helping me sing Happy Birthday.