Ballet dancers on our stage...

Here are the videos from "Grace's Ballet Birthday". The top one is Grace and the next one is Sarah Elizabeth. They are both performing on the stage I created.



Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing


Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Feb '09 VS Feb '10

February 8, 2009 on the beach in Wrightsville Beach, NC.

February 12, 2009: Decorating Valentine cookies OUTSIDE!

FEBRUARY ON THE EASTERN SHORE....

Look LEFT -RIGHT and CENTER from our front door- all you can see is SNOW!

*new pictures added*Snow on the Shore- and lots of it!

The view of the marsh as we drive over the Quinby Bridge.

We thought the weather on the Eastern Shore would be just a bit colder than the winter weather of Wilmington.  However it has been MUCH colder.  Snow, ice, slush, freezing rain, and more snow.  The plus side is that at least there is some white stuff to go along with all this cold weather.  The down side of all this wet winter weather is the MUD it leaves behind.  Our yard/field/driveway is a mess! 
All this snow and ice has made it really fun for Chris to go out into the marsh to pump water.  The above picture of the view from the Quinby Bridge should give you an idea of the conditions he experiences.
Here are some pictures of our latest snowstorms. The novelty of snow has worn off, so we didn't take pictures during the last 2 storms.

Our Hawaiian Snowman.

This last set of pictures is from our biggest storm to date.  I think we ended up with about 8 inches.  We treked over to Shabaka, nuria, and Edris's place for some tea and snacks and then spent the rest of the day inside by the fire.  Well, Chris actually had to work- one of the downsides to living at work is that snow isn't a valid excuse to miss work.

Grace and ballet

Grace loves ballet.
 Let me repeat that, Grace LOVES BALLET. 

She made a few passing comments earlier this school year about when she would be old enough to go to ballet school.  So Chris and I decided that we would give her ballet lessons as a birthday present this year.  Out here there are only 2 options for ballet and you have to be 4 to start.  So, it made sense to have her start in January, when she would turn 4. Surprsingly, the ballet school here is very good, her teacher studied and danced in NYC.  Many of the dancers go on to study at well know ballet schools. 

Chris took her to see the ESO (Eastern Shore's Own) Arts Center performance of "The Nutcracker" right before Christmas and she sat on the edge of her seat for the entire performance.   Since then she has re-enacted scenes from the ballet, with Chris playing Herr Droselmeyer, Fritz and The Mouse King.  Grace, of course, plays Clara- and very well I might add.

Grace, ready for class and her bun.

Grace's first day of ballet was very excting.  Here she is in her leotard, tights, slippers and BUN.  Yes, I am very proud of myself.  I figured out how to get Grace's hair into a real ballerina bun.  When she got home from class she taught Sarah Elizabeth her new moves and then for the next 2-3 hours did "the ballet".  In fact she re-enacted the scene in "The Nutcracker" where Herr Droselmeyer gives her the Nutcracker, Fritz breaks it, Herr D. fixes it and then she falls asleep under the Christmas tree.

Chris as Herr Droselmeyer and Sarah Elizabeth in THE dress.

When we got to Grace's second ballet class she asked if on her birthday it would be just her with the ballet (meaning the ballerinas in costumes on stage).  I explained that her birthday present was getting to go to ballet every Monday.  Then she said, "When will I get to dance on stage?" I told her that first she has to go to practice like all the other dancers to learn what to do on stage.  The ESO does a spring ballet in May and she will get to dance in that. I thought I had answered the issue of her birthday at the ballet,  but then she woke up on her birthday morning and said, "When I get home today will I get to do the ballet?"

SO....

For Grace's birthday I created a stage in our playroom and she danced her ballet with Leah and Sarah Elizabeth.  I have a feeling the stage is going to be up for awhile, it was quite a hit!

Grace and Leah, setting the stage for their ballet performance.

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