Tiny dancer

Yesterday was a big day for Emma.  Not only was it the last day of the school year, but it was also her very first tap-ballet recital.  She was so excited to dance once she got on her special performance costume and sparkly tiara! 

 
We are putting up lots of photos and a video clip, in the hopes that Grandma and Grandpa K get a chance to see them while they are away on vacation, since they couldn't be here for the big day.  We have more videos, but they are too long to put up on the blog.  G&G, you'll have to see the rest when you get back home!
 
Some of the ballerinas getting ready for showtime:

The performance was really more like a typical weekly class, just done in fancy outfits with an audience in front of them.  So it was fairly laid-back, and I think that helped the girls not be so nervous.  They started with the tap portion:

After that, they moved on to the ballet portion.  This is some sort of ballet position, but I am totally uneducated in the art of ballet, so I have no clue which one it is!

Someone told me ahead of time that the girls would probably spend the entire time looking off to the side of the stage, watching their teacher.  They were right!

 At the end, their teacher had them each do a little "airplane arms" run across the floor, and then they got a little certificate and a purple rose.  Notice how she points her toe before she runs.  So cute!

And now she can say that she has her first recital under her belt.  Next year she'll be an old pro!

After the big show, she did what any good ballerina does -- went out for pizza and ice cream with Mommy, Daddy, Andrew, and Grandma & Grandpa H.  Emma wore her little tiara to dinner and got several compliments!

This week must have worn her out because she slept until almost 9 this morning, and then she took about a 2 hour nap this afternoon!  Guess that's why they call it The Lazy Days Of Summer...

Proud parents

This will be a quick post because I am typing before everyone wakes up in the morning.  Wanted to go ahead and post a few pictures from last night's big Pre-K graduation ceremony.  The school did a great job of making it a very special occasion for the kids.  They had real caps and gowns, they processed in to "Pomp and Circumstance," they got diplomas...the whole nine yards.

 Our graduate:

Posing with her teachers:

 Best buds:

We are so proud of our star student!  We have been so happy with her school -- you can tell that the teachers all truly love her, and she has learned so much this year.  Hard to believe she hasn't even been going there a whole year yet!  Summer camp starts next week, and it looks like they are going to have a blast.  Field trips, special art projects, photography lessons...I wish I could go!

And while I'm here, I'll share a few quick snaps of Drew trying out his new sunglasses at the park last weekend.  He is too cool for school!

Okay, time to wake everyone up for school.  More pics to come after Thursday's ballet recital...

At least SOMEONE got to stay elsewhere for a few days...

I'd make a comment about how it's been so long since our last post, but it seems like it's sort of typical at this point to go about 2 weeks between posts.  Sorry, faithful blog readers.  Life keeps us too busy to blog much these days.  You'll have to take what you can get. :)

We've got lots of pics to share, so let's get right to it.

Two Saturdays ago, we all went over to Uncle Mike & Aunt Heather's house for Alex's 4th birthday party.  Both kiddos enjoyed the party hats.

After the party, Emma & Andrew went home with Grandma & Grandpa K so that Mommy and Daddy could head out to Vegas.  Long story short, Mommy & Daddy couldn't get on a flight.  So we ended up hanging out at home for a few days, while E & A still got to spend their quality time with G & G.  So the parents stayed home and the kids got a vacation...something is definitely wrong with this picture!

Grandpa took Emma fishing.

Her first catch.

Her second catch, the biggest fish caught by a Korey at Deaton Creek to date!

 Emma had lots of fun swimming at G&G's neighborhood pool.

 Cute kiddos

Last week, Daddy took some shots of Drew in his room.  Excuse the pink blanket, it's the only one he could find upstairs.  Look at those Popeye arms!

This picture is just BEGGING to be captioned!  Who's got a good one?  Post your caption in the comments!

We got Andrew a Johnny Jump-Up from a neighbor down the street who was getting rid of theirs.  Emma begs us to put him in it every day, and then she sits next to him and makes funny faces to get him to laugh.  It's so cute to watch her be so sweet to him!  Emma showing the new toy:

Drew posing while inside.  Mostly I put this up because you can see the adorable curl that has appeared at his forehead.  My grandma used to call me "the little girl with the curl" -- looks like it runs in the family:

My Mother's Day didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped.  Just as we were getting ready to go out for a family lunch, I threw out my back and spent the day laid up on the couch.  (It still hurts, actually.)  But the morning, before that, was excellent.  I got lots of sweet kisses and hugs, and an absolutely beautiful handmade card from my little artiste.  I'm so proud to be the mommy of the two best kids ever!

Since we're running at about two weeks per blog post, next time we'll be up to Emma's ballet recital and Pre-K graduation.  Can't believe our little girl is old enough to graduate from anything already!