Observation Night at Dance Class

Avery has been taking a Creative Movement dance class for 3 1/2 and 4 year olds since August.   She loves the class and her teacher, Ms. Janet, but since parents aren't aloud to watch we really have no idea what she's learned!    Finally, last week, observation night came and we got to sit in on the class.   The little girls were really adorable - see for yourself!

 L-R:   Lila, Avery, Aubrey, Vanessa, Haley

I said they were adorable, not synchronized!

"Meme Doesn't Have Rules"

While Greg was away hunting with his buddies in South Dakota, I decided to take a little trip myself, to Amsterdam!  I secured a partner in crime, my sister-in-law, Sara, and booked Meme for a few days.   Avery enjoyed a lawless household while Sara and I explored a beautiful city with a lot of history and culture to offer.   Here are a few of my favorite photos from the trip.  We'll save my rules for another time.

 

The Westerkerk Church from the Prinsengracht Canal.   Anne Frank's "Secret Annex" is just a few blocks from the church.

 The Museumplein

 Sara and Megan shopping for Dutch chocolate

Enjoying a cold draft at the Heineken experience

 The fishing town of Volendam

Canal along the flower market

December Already?

How is it December already?   This year has really flown by.  We spent the first weekend of December decorating for Christmas, visiting Santa, and the big highlight:  participating in our local Christmas Parade.   Avery's school sponsered a Polar Express themed float.   You can see how much she enjoyed the experience of being in a parade by the photos.  

  
Avery also brought home a holiday-themed assignment to decorate a gingerbread person with a parent's help.   We decided to make ours a gingerbread girl and gave her a red felt dress trimmed with buttons and ric-rack.   We completed our girl with long blonde braids.  I'm pretty sure we're going to kick the rest of the classes' ass!