Ballet and Karate

The girls each got to choose something they wanted to do.  Ira picked ballet.  She started up not long after school got out and has been LOVING it.  She looks absolutely adorable in her leotard, doesn't she? :)  They don't like the parents to be in the studios with the kids so if I want to watch I have to do it through a window.  I'm going to ask her if she minds me taking a couple of shots of her while she's practicing and then (provided she's okay with that) post them. :)  She tells me every week what she learned and how they're doing.  It's so fun!

Little One, my one I just KNEW was going to be a cute little ballerina, decided she wanted to do karate.  This is my girl that around 4 years old saw some leotards in Target and went, "Mom!  WHAT are those?"  I explained and then in a dreamy sort of voice she said, "I want to do ballet...." LOL  Earlier this year though, she went to a friends birthday party at a karate dojo and LOVED it.  She's been talking about how that's what she wants to do ever since.  I made sure she really wasn't going to change her mind when Ira got her leotard and then signed her up.  She's been having a blast and even I have signed up and started.  It's been something I've always wanted to do anyway and it's fun to do it with her.  We have different classes, but can "practice" together.  These guys are amazing with the kids.  So kind and encouraging.  I've been beyond impressed.  They have places to sit and watch so I did get some pictures of her.

She's gotten to do demonstrate some.

Then she got to hold the thing so he could show how the other team member should do it.

Creativity

Little One and a friend were playing in the basement a couple of weeks ago.  They were quite busy and then came and asked me to go through their maze.  This is what I found.  It's quite elaborate.  Even more so than it looks in the pictures.  As I went through I had to do various things to the toys that made up the walls.  Push a button on a teapot to make it sing, tap a stuffed animal on the head 5 times, spin in circles when I got to another, etc....  Cleaning it up wasn't quite as much fun though. :)

Then, Ira wanted to make a tent in the backyard.  She said she wanted to use sticks so off she went.  This is what she came up with. (The picture is through the window which is why you can see the screen.  Sorry.)  She tried putting blankets over it to enclose it but they were too heavy.  I think some baby blankets ended up working okay, but they didn't stay outside.  Pretty nifty.

Homeschool Project - Paper bead necklaces

This was kind of a fun project.  Somewhat of a pain to cut out the paper for the beads, but the girls enjoyed it. :)

Hawkeye

Not long after Avengers came out, my sweet brother invited us all to go see it with him...his treat.  He knew that the girls, Little One especially have really loved some of the superhero movies (Captain America specifically) and would really like it.  I may not always agree with his idea of a good/bad movie, but I totally trust his opinion of if I'd like something and if there is anything I would object to in it.  A day or two later Ira came in the house having made a bow/arrow, complete with quiver.  Way cool!  Little One, of course, wanted one too and for days they went around being Hawkeye.  Can't say as I blame them.  His IS awfully nice to look at. :)

P.S. There is a link to a video at the bottom where Little One even shows off her "shooting-behind-her-just-like-Hawkeye trick."

Love the quivers :)

FYI - Little One dressed herself....

http://youtu.be/M3iZEnDvRvg