Twang!

One of these days, this elasticized toy necklace will have one pull on it too many.

It will break and scatter, most likely on a tile floor.  My tile floor.

En Pointe

Even though these aren't 'toe' shoes,

she getting pretty good at being on her tippy top toes

while watching the Nutcracker on TV.

The Girls, one year ago today

A song for me,...you.

Happy Birthday to me, um, Auntie from Lorna King on Vimeo.

Snuggle bunny

It's hard to take a photo of a sleeping baby in a dark room without using the flash.  But doesn't she look cozy and warm?

Rides everywhere

This was shortly after the Ferris Wheel Experiment.  Sammy couldn't get enough of thrill rides, right?

Better be carefull

If Sammy knows that you have cameras around, she will ask if she could take 'a' picture.  If you say yes to the request, 'a' picture becomes 40 pictures.  And the camera will be left on laying on the floor underneath the book Goodnight Moon.  (I must say, though, that she's pretty good at centering the subject in the frame!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AUNTIE KENNA!

Whoopsie!

Whoopsie from Lorna King on Vimeo.

This is what happens if you don't watch out! After this, she wanted to keep doing it by pulling off each of my socks, then she started tugging on my pant leg all the while thinking that she'll fall backwards each time.

A young fashionista

Little one came over the other day in this cute little outfit.  It absolutely adorable!  Isn't it funny that while little babies can get away with these clothes, grown ups can't?  (Or shouldn't even try?)

Doctor's appointment

Last week, Olivia had her nine month checkup.  Please notice the weight...

20 pounds 2.5 ounces.

She put on her very best smile for her doctor.

Her head circumference was perfect.

Hey!  This isn't a drumstick!

And I don't know why the doctor didn't notice all the multiple heartbeats.  She's stolen all of ours....

Memories

 Sammy likes to have her Dora the Explorer Chicken noodle soup in the cup.  Her daddy made this cup for me for Mother's Day many years ago.  I think he was still a senior in high school.

What era?

Each time I look at this, she reminds me of someone from the 1940's with her little hat and pearl necklace.  Our little beauty.

De leg bone is connected to de hip bone....

The other day, Mommy sent me a video she had taken of Olivia being fed some very small pieces of BBQ ribs.  Olivia loved it...well, duh?  Pork Ribs?  BBQ'd?  OF COURSE she would.  Anyway, I remarked that I was surprised that they just didn't give her a rib bone and let her go to town.

And?

This video I got the very next night.  You can see that Olivia is the type of person people like to cook for.  She really gets into her food, you might say.  Check out the shiney-ness on her belly.....you might think that it is grease, but knowing our little one, I'm sure that it's all DROOL.

(You also can hear Sammy in the background wanting to take a picture.  She is now into her Photojournalist Phase....)

Up, Up, and Away. Oh, my stomach.

It's been a long time since I've been on a Ferris Wheel.  A very long time.  I won't even tell you how long it's been, but think Jurassic Period.

The standing in line didn't even phase Sammy.  She was very excited to ride on it again.

Her grin was worth it.

I had her hold her arms up above, much like what you would do on a roller coaster.  That she didn't like to well.  And me?  Ferris Wheels = Roller Coasters at my age.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 Looks like she's ready to Riverdance, right?

Where's the corned beef?

and here's the out takes...

Yes, I'll buy that for you

Papa took Sammy with him up to the pet store to pick up another pet crate.  While there, he took her over to see the fish, and guinea pigs, and oh, wait for it....mice.  Of course Sammy wanted to touch it, to hold it..."Can I have it?"  Sure you can, but you have to keep it at your house, Sammy.  Suffice to say, said mouse stayed at the store.  We don't want our only son to disown us.

How appropriate!

If you can read what her little shirt says?  It says, "Let me eat cake".  What they forgot to add to this was the postscript of, "Or anything else that comes near my mouth."  "Or I'll yell my head off if you're eating and not sharing with me"

And on the backside of her little ruffled pants is an adorable rhinestone.....as befitting a Princess.

Pat A Cake

Pat A Cake from Lorna King on Vimeo.


Ok, so we're still working on the exact wording on this little ditty......

Pay attention, Class.

Ballet, the dance of angels.

The earliest precursors to ballets were lavish entertainments given in the courts of Renaissance Italy. These elaborate spectacles, which united painting, poetry, music, and dancing, took place in large halls that were used also for banquets and balls. A dance performance given in 1489 actually was performed between the courses of a banquet, and the action was closely related to the menu: For instance, the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece preceded the roast lamb. The dancers based their performance on the social dances of the day.

The Italian court ballets were further developed in France. Le Ballet Comique de la Reine (The Queen's Ballet Comedy), the first ballet for which a complete score survived, was performed in Paris in 1581. It was staged by Balthazar de Beaujoyeux, a violinist and dancing master at the court of Queen Catherine de M‚dicis. It was danced by aristocratic amateurs in a hall with the royal family on a dais at one end and spectators in galleries on three sides. Since much of the audience saw the ballet from above, the choreography emphasized the elaborate floor patterns created by lines and groups of dancers. Poetry and songs accompanied the dances.

yadda yadda yadda

Most French court ballets consisted of dance scenes linked by a minimum of plot. Because they were designed principally for the entertainment of the aristocracy, rich costumes, scenery, and elaborate stage effects were emphasized. The proscenium stage was first adopted in France in the mid-1600s, and professional dancers made their first appearance, although they were not permitted to dance in the grand ballet that concluded the performance; this was still reserved for the KING and courtiers.

The court ballet reached its peak during the reign (1643-1715) of Louis XIV, whose title the Sun King was derived from a role he danced in a ballet. Many of the ballets presented at his court were created by the Italian-French composer Jean Baptiste Lully and the French choreographer Pierre Beauchamp, who is said to have defined the five positions of the feet. Also during this time, the playwright MoliŠre invented the comdie-ballet, in which danced interludes alternated with spoken scenes.

Positions of ballet:

First Position

Second Position

Third Position

Fourth Position

Fifth Position

There will be a mid-term on this.

My Granddaughter is BILINGUAL!

Counting from Lorna King on Vimeo.

My new favorite photo

Little one had just gotten up from her nap and her cheeks were rosy.  The light was coming in just so and highlighting her face.  I had to snap this for posterity....I love it.

Yes, I routinely leave children unattended on counter tops. Why?

Just kidding.  sorta.  I had just finished painting Sammy's toenails Fire Engine Red (thinking of you, Papa!) and she needed to stay there until they dried and not walk around on the white-ish carpet.  And no, I did not let her paint mine.

More tunnel vision

Olivia was so very much entranced with playing with the water bottle that when Mommy picked her up from her sitting on the ground, Olivia kept her legs out as if she were still sitting.  She did this four or five times as we all laughed.....

Here...taste this

Sammy would put her finger into her mouth and then let Olivia taste her finger.  After Olivia tasted it, back it went into Sammy's mouth.  Back and forth, back and forth.  Good thing they don't have any colds.

Last one

After Sammy tried on this dress it was apparent that the rest of them were still too big for her.  This one, though, she thought that she should be dancing in it.  I let her dance to her heart's content until she stumbled and went down.  She didn't hurt herself but I thought that if I wanted to keep the dress in one piece, it needed to be hung back up and not used for the prima ballerina....yet.

Henry Ford has nothing on me.

Yes, I operate an assembly line for meals.  I have to!  While Sammy is more than capable to sit at the counter or table to eat, she does not want to be left out of the immediate vicinity.  She wants to be front and center with the other two carpet frogs.  It is a wild ride here during feeding times!

The Great Wall of China (or Mimi)

Sammy is such a big help when Camden is over.  She loves to entertain him, me, or Olivia.  I have to block off the staircase because while he knows how to climb UP, the coming down is still a work in progress.  This is what I crawl over each time I need to go upstairs or come downstairs.  And this xylaphone that the kids are playing with?  Pounding on? They love to pound together on it.  And if Camden is playing it, Sammy is dancing to it. Tylenol, anyone?

One more for the Too Small for Olivia box

Dear Cousin Lillian,

Here is one more (insert heavy sigh) outfit that Olivia has outgrown.  Again.  You will look adorable in it just like she does.  Too bad she only got to wear it once.

Love,
Auntie

A phoney smile, yes...

but she wanted to take this dress off fast because it was 'pokey me'.  This was her auntie's dress when she was a little girl.  I had Sammy try it on to see if a size 4 was too big.  It was.  And I wanted her to try it on because I'm a sentimental fool.

Go, Speedracer!

Now that Sammy's younger cousin is crawling (and fast!) she really has to move when she plays with the car otherwise Camden is all over it.  Sharing is not in our vocabulary these days.  Well, it is in her vocabulary, but she prefers to be Queen over all she sees.

No more PullUps

This is kind of hard to see, but Sammy now wears PRINCESS! PANTIES!  That's right, PRINCESS! PANTIES!  Not to be confused with Dora the Explorer panties, but real live Disney princesses...Belle, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty.  Now, doesn't that just make your day?