Spring Recital 2011

Emma had her Spring dance recital on Ben's birthday. Her costumes were amazing and she looked so beautiful. Her tap dance was my favorite. They danced to "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Michael Buble. My favorite part is when they put their hands on their heads for the "crazy" part! Miss Alie does such a great job with these girls. For the ballet number they danced to "True Colors" by Phil Collins. It wasn't the best run thru but I think they were all excited and nervous to dance in front of a crowd. And of course they were still beautiful dances. So proud of my baby girl. And Matthew was so proud too! You could hear him saying her name and cheering her on throught the recital. You can see him at the end of the ballet song in his chair - it's pretty cute.

She thinks she wants to try soccer in the fall so we might possibly take a break from dance and start back up next spring. I don't know if she'll like soccer as much as dance but I'm sure she will do great at whatever she chooses to do.

It takes so long to download videos on my blog so I have just added the YouTube links below. Enjoy the show!!


http://youtu.be/WDLioBzsD4Y (ballet)

http://youtu.be/SqqoKydRkP0 (tap)

Earth Day 2011

I decided to take the kids again this year to Earth Day at the Chattahoochee Nature Center since we had such a blast last year. We had had some bad weather the night before and it brought a cold front to the area so I had a late start getting us there. I wasn't sure if it would rain again or if the weather would cooperate. So we missed a few things and we a little rushed thru others because we got there so late but we still had fun!


Here are some of the fun things we got to do:

• Face painting - this marked the first time Matthew let someone paint his face!


• Hula Hooping - Emma's favorite part of the day


• Going inside a GIGANTIC globe balloon


• Making Crafts - CD ladybugs, pencil pinwheels and birdfeeders out of empty yogurt cups


• Watching and playing with the Ritmo Blu band - my favorite part of the day

One funny thing in the pictures below - Emma was cold but I did not pack her a jacket. I did have an extra shirt for Matthew so she used that. It is funny to see her in his green robot shirt but it is funnier to think she fits in his 3T clothes.

I hope to make this an annual event. But next year I will definitely get there earlier so we can take our time and enjoy ourselves more.

Matthew's 4th Birthday

My sweet little boy is now 4 years old. I can't believe it! Since he isn't in school yet and he isn't that much into parties, we had a quiet little birthday celebration for him this year. He has been really into dinosaurs this year (his favorite being the brachiosaurus) and has also been obsessed with giraffes. I think he is fascinated by both of their long necks. So for his special day I worked it out so that we could get some free tickets for the Atlanta Zoo. We hadn't been to the zoo as a family and I think I may had been the most excited to go! Luckily Ben's parents were in town to share the experience with us and make the day even more special. We spent the night before at Peachtree City with Grandma/Grandpa Johanson and then all had breakfast together before the zoo. It was great for the kids to see all the different animals. We all loved seeing the gorillas, the warthog (just like Pumba from Lion King), the elephant and of course the giraffes! It was a warm day but not too unbearable. In fact, it started pouring about 30 minutes after we left. Matthew got a little worn out towards the end and a little impatient looking at some of the exhibits but I am pretty sure he had a good time. And of course we had to have a birthday cake! I made a green dinosaur just for my little man. It wasn't my best work but it still tasted great.

Happy Birthday Matthew Lowell Jett!!

Emma's 6th Birthday

Emma turned six this month. She is growing so fast! We had planned on a party at the park because Emma wanted to invite friends from church and school in addition to the family. I figured the park would fit everyone. Unfortunately, the weather did not want to cooperate and it was pouring. Last minute I called up the McDonald's down the street and asked if I could have a party there since they had a big playroom. They said they didn't host parties but I could bring a group there if I bought something there. So the kids had a great time playing in the party room on the playground and I provided ice cream sundaes and drinks! It wasn't what I had planned but it turned out great. The other thing that turned out great is the Princess Cake I made for Emma. It wasn't perfect but not bad for my first attempt at a fancy cake. Below are some pictures from the party.

Emma and Angelina

With Abby, Andrea, and Erin

BFF Madison

Michael was one of the 4 boys there

Lana

Cindy got her an awesome Bieber magazine with a zillion posters

Great pic with my mom

The cake I made!!

Emma also had a little party at her school. I made cupcakes and Ben took it to lunch so Emma could share it with ALL her school friends.

Her Best Friend from Kindergarten - Madison

Mrs. Scherholz Class

Growing Up Together

I really enjoy watching the kids growing up together. Sure they have their moments where they are fighting and not getting along but it is a beautiful sight when they play nice together.

Our Bright Star

Each month at Emma's school the teachers choose 2 children to honor in their class. The choose a Shining Star who is a child that shows exceptional efforts in their school work and a Bright Star who is a child that shows outstanding kindness/compassion in the classroom. For February, Emma was chosen to be a Bright Star. These students are pulled out of class to be in a special ceremony and they receive nice certificates. They also celebrate with some cake! It was a special morning and I was so happy and proud to see my Star cross the stage and receive recognition for being the sweet girl we all know she is.

Emma and her classmate Sophia who received the Shining Star

Build A Bear

Emma has been invited to SEVERAL Birthday parties this year. She seems to have a really great class filled with sweet classmates. She always enjoys getting to play with them.

This party was more exciting than the others though. Katerina was having her party at Build A Bear in the Mall. Sometimes I feel like I am too tough on the kids. They don't get to watch all the shows and movies that their friends watch. And they don't get all the toys that are popular with the kids at school. Emma has no idea what an American Girl doll is and she didn't know what Build A Bear was all about either. So she was extremely excited to hear about this birthday party at the mall. Since she was so excited, I became excited for HER!

It turned out to be a pretty fun party and Emma ended up with "Love Bear" who she certainly does love. She got to pick her out all by herself and choose her outfit and of course stuff her full of fluff. I do still think the bears are too pricey and I don't expect to be going back any time soon on our own, but I am glad she could go to this party and have a great time with her friends!

Getting stuffed!

Fun Times!