Tiny Dancer

The inevitable dance classes for Alexa have begun. For a chickie who sings and dances her little heart out, ballet is just the thing. She loves class, loves her teacher, and asks me all week when it's time to go back.

Watching her is pretty much the cutest thing ever.

How I love my little tiny dancer.

Sincerely, Spencer

Dear Mommy,

You really tried last week, which is why I'm giving you an A for effort. I hope this doesn't make you sad, but you will probably never be able to keep up with me.

It's so cute that you try, though.

Love, Spencer

P.S. I promise that I love you even though I grin and say "Dada" every time you try to get me to say "Mommy".

Sunday Dance Party

Nothing says "Sunday afternoon" to the girls like having a spontaneous dance party. I don't know where they learned these fabulous moves, but I'm pretty sure Austin Powers would be proud.

 Incidentally, nothing says "Sunday afternoon" to me like taking a nice, long, post-church nap...which is exactly what I was doing when these pictures were taken. Oh, the sweet memory.

P.S. Note the plethora of handprints covering the TV screen. Many thanks to Mr. Spencer for those. He's not very good at eliminating the evidence of his crimes.

Weaknesses

"Acknowledge and face your weaknesses, but don't be immobilized by them, 

because some of them will be your companions until you depart this earth life." 

-Elder Jorg Klebingat

In the Interest of Not Being a Grinch

This year, for the first time ever, I decorated for Halloween. After nine and a half years of having kids and only ever decorating around Christmas, I felt it was time. My mom, with her faithful holiday display every month on the living room table of my childhood home, is probably ashamed. (Then again, she may have only started that after her youngest was in kindergarten, so maybe she's not judging me too harshly after all.)

Halloween is a bizarre holiday, I know, which is one of the excuses I've used for not really decorating in the past. (And by "not really decorating," I mean, "not decorating at all except to hang up the kids' Halloween art projects on the door out to the garage.") But, the kiddos love it, and they do have some really cute stuff out there, and I finally figured out a functional place to put everything (which has been another excuse), so it wasn't too much of a sacrifice after all. (Isn't that so magnanimous of me?)

And then there's the candy corn. (Mmm...candy corn...my favorite vegetable...)

Savanna told me the other day, "Wow, we are getting really good at decorating for Halloween!" I'm pretty sure that was her nice way of saying, "Thanks for finally getting with the program, ya Grinch. It's about dang time."

P.S. Speaking of decorating for Halloween and pretending it feels like fall, Spence is obsessed with the delicious-smelling cinnamon candle I have been burning. He's been dragging chairs over to the counter to be near it and try to touch it. I had to blow it out for now, until I find a suitable hiding place for it.

(It is currently 83 degrees in our lovely town, but I'm so ready for some yummy fall smells!)