Long Awaited Update With Pictures

Today Banastre got a REAL BIG BOY BED!!! We have been talking about it a lot and he was so excited. We went to play with some friends and when we got home, Daddy had it all set up. Yes, it is bunk beds. We need to go get one more mattress for the top bunk. Elizabeth can't wait to be able to sleep in there with Banastre for a sleepover night. Banastre even helped me put the sheets and blanket on. He laid right down at bed time and was asleep in less than 5 minutes. I definitely think he likes it!!

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Elizabeth took these pics of the famous Peabody Ducks. We didn't get to see their march on the red carpet. But it was really neat to see ducks in the fountain of such a nice hotel.

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We had Hall of Fame Dance Competition Nationals on Tuesday the 8th at the Peabody Hotel Orlando. Monday night was spent at the Floridays resort with two other dance moms and their girls. (Thanks Lisa!!!) We had a lot of fun and the three bedroom suite was great. Yes, I left Banastre at home with Matt and Elizabeth and I went by ourselves. Why??? Her first dance was scheduled for 8:00am. For make-up, hair, and practice time we had to get up at 5 and the Peabody was only 10 minutes from the Floridays. (We would have been up around 4 if we had stayed at home.) All of the dances went great!! Lollipop had a 1st Place High Gold score, Bang had 1st place Platinum (the highest possible) and Hairspray also received a 1st place Platinum. We are so proud of Elizabeth and all she has achieved this year. It was a wonderful competition season. (Although, Mommy and Daddy are looking forward to the month of rest before we head back to dance classes!!) Here's a few pics:

They added a wig to Lollipop. I hated it at first. But now I love it!
Alyssa and Elizabeth. Alyssa's mom is the one who got us the great hotel!
Lollipop Group Shot
Bang
Bang group shotHairsprayHard to get a Hairspray group shot with all 48..so here's a few people in the ending pose. Went to look for Elizabeth while waiting on awards. She's front row, center stage...Who would've guessed?This is the pic you get when all of the Mini Moms want a picture taken and the kids are taking the picture!
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On the Fourth of July we had a wonderful cook out with Grandma, Grandpa, and Doodle. We enjoyed the usual foods of hot dogs, hamburgers, and watermelon. It was a wonderful meal and wonderful time spent together. It's great to live in a country where we are free to share time with anyone we choose!!! After dinner, we headed over to Disney's Magic Kingdom to watch the fireworks. We arrived slightly before 7:00. The crowds were already amazing. Even more people than the fireworks Christmas night!!!!! There was no nighttime parade before the fireworks and the sides of Main Street were already covered with people. We decided to walk to the "hub". That's the spot right in front of the castle by the Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney statue. There were lots of people standing around and while we decided what to do, people around us starting taking out beach towels and blankets to sit on. We decided we would just sit and wait too. I had no clue I was going to have to entertain both Elizabeth and Banastre for two hours. Luckily, I had a few toys and a snack. I also want to thank the nice lady sitting beside us from Naples, FL. She played and talked to Banastre almost the entire time and didn't even mind when he decided he really liked her ECV and thought the tires needed to be "worked" on. Finally, with a literal sea of people surrounding us for as far as I could see, the fireworks began. WOW!!! There were fireworks behind the castle. There fireworks going off behind us at the train station. At several points during the fireworks, there were shots going off 360 degrees around us. It was very patriotic and moving when during certain parts people (and ok..nerdy me) were singing along with the songs. I also loved the way they decorated the castle at the end.

I must say these were some of the best fireworks I have ever seen. Matt saw Epcot's last year, so he says I have to see theirs next year. They are supposedly even better! I can't imagine!

Banastre and Matt when we first arrived.
Elizabeth is still smiling!
It was so hot I thought I was starting to melt.

Look close enough and you can see the Mickey and Walt statue. This was one of my favorite parts of the night!

Short Update

Things have been wild and crazy around here as usual. We have spent a lot of time in our pool and the community pool, lots of dance practices, at Disney, and with family. Tomorrow is Elizabeth's National Dance Competition. If they place in the top 5 we will also be competing Wednesday night. Please keep Elizabeth and the whole dance company in your thoughts and prayers. We pray that they all stay healthy and safe and do the best they can!

I will do a much more detailed post when all of this is over. We have some great pics of the fireworks at Magic Kingdom on the 4th and we will have pics of Banastre's new Big Boy Bed when we are done this week!

150

Ok, this is my 150 post!!! Wow!! I never thought I would make it this far!


The past week has been really busy as usual. Saturday was Elizabeth's two dance recitals. We were there for almost 10 hours. Needless to say both of us were very tired. Here's a few pictures from the recital. I also have a video of her hip hop dance that I will try to post later!

Getting ready for Company picture.

This is the entire competitive dance team for Shooting Stars. Can you find Elizabeth?

Elizabeth and Banastre before the second recital.Banastre dancing like Sissy!

We also had 1 Moving Away party for a friend from dance, 3 days at the community pool, 3 days of dance classes (gotta get ready for Nationals!), 1 trip to Chick-fil-A where they played for awhile, and a trip to the beach today. It was a fun, but exhausting week. This next coming week will be filled with dance practices as Nationals Competition takes place July 5-9. The kids were "working" hard!Matt, Sue, and Reg hanging out in Cocoa Beach.Elizabeth posing as usual!Banastre says "CHEESE!!!"

Of course, on the way home Banastre was asking to go the beach again. So, it shouldn't be long until we are back again!

Summer Update

Remember how I predicted a busy summer...how's this for a busy week:
1 trip to Magic Kingdom
4 trips to the community pool
4 days of dance classes
1 two hour long play in Chick-fil-A
2 hours of Banastre discovering Play-doh
100 (at least) viewings of Backyardigans Pirates
Not enough nap or "Mommy time"

I have been lazy this week and haven't taken any pics...but there will be plenty today. It's recital time and I hope to get lots of good photos!

And for those of you who aren't familiar with the Backyardigans and have never seen the older pirate episode, watch below to hear one of the songs that is being constantly sung in our house! Banastre was even singing himself to sleep this week with this song!(Don't even get me started on the "Scurvy Pirate" song. Who teaches their kids to "Raid a ship and then hotwire it"?) But of course, that one is his favorite!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpC0I7zZbe4

There's also a new pirates episode that has taught Banastre the new words of "piratatude" and "Scallywag". It's great to hear these things come from him. He can even do the Scallywag dance!

Father's Day

Look closely and you can see the giant turtle! (He has his head up towards the top of the water)
Banastre petting the alligator.
Elizabeth and a new friend.
Grandma even gets in on the petting!
Banastre's favorite part! The Beach!!!!!

On Father's Day, we took a day trip to Tarpon Springs. It was a lot of fun and the kids really seemed to enjoy it as much as the adults! It was amazing to see all of the different natural sponges that are harvested in the gulf. They also had a small aquarium where we were able to see them feeding alligators and a giant snapping turtle. Banastre and Elizabeth even petted a small alligator. There was a 200 pound grouper that had to be the biggest fish I had ever seen. There were even big sharks and little sharks. The best thing was the petting tanks where we got to pet sting rays and two small sharks. It was very hard to pull Elizabeth away from those! Of course, being so close to the beach, we had to take Banastre and let him see it!

I think Reg and Matt both enjoyed their Father's Day exploring a new part of Florida with the kids!

Summer vacation and Batman

So, our first full week of summer vacation has passed and I am exhausted! Banastre and Elizabeth can be very loving to one another. Hence the photo above. Other times they are arguing and fussing with each other! Ugh!!! So to keep count of summer vacation we have done the following in the past week: Went to Lake Louisa and the State park, trip to Epcot, swam in our pool, went to the community pool, 3 dance classes, trip to the library, grocery shopping and two showings of our house. I hope every week isn't quite this busy!

Yesterday, I was no the hunt for new pajamas for our little man. Came across this pair and fell in love. One of my nicknames for Banastre is Batman. This just completed it for me:

Notice the cape? It's so cool! No more capes made from blankets!
I just loved pic and had to share..... he looks like someone famous, but I can't figure it out...
Here's Elizabeth too...notice her sunscreen wore off her face and now she is burnt!

Well, just got a call from Matt and we are on our way to Disney today!! Have a great weekend everyone!

Watch out Third Grade

Here comes Elizabeth!!!! Today is her last day of Second Grade. She is very excited to be getting out for the summer. Mommy for sees lots of time spent at the pool, Disney World, and day trips to the beach.

Earlier this week, her class had Awards Day. Our smart girl received every academic award they had!! We are so proud of her!!!!!!

She received the following awards:

Math Superstar - perfect score (math sheets sent home once a week with work two to three grade levels above the current grade level)

School Board reading award - Must have read 35 fiction books and 35 non fiction books during the year (Elizabeth read 221 books this school year!!!!!)

All A Honor Roll all four nine weeks

WOW!!!!!!!!

Now, so you can see the difference. A pic from her her first day of school and her last!

She sure did change a lot this year!!!!

Just for the record..here's Banastre's pics too. Taken from Elizabeth's first day of school and earlier this week:

What do you think...keep the hair long or go back short?