Four Year Doctor's Appointment...

...was yesterday.  There was a shot, and tears, but overall, probably the best well visit we've had so far!

My Ballerina's First Recital

Last night MiniM.E. had her first dance recital.  It was a big deal for her to start dance this fall since she had never taken a class where moms and dads had to wait outside before.  She has done so well and was so excited (and also very nervous) about dancing on the stage for the first time.

We had to get there very early to make sure we were the first ones so we could sit right in front, and also so MiniM.E. could check out the stage before she had to dance on it.

LittleL.G. delicately admired the tree:

and MiniM.E. made sure she looked her best:

before a pre-dance photo:

MiniM.E. wowed us all by going to sit with other dancers all on her own before the performance started:

MiniM.E. and A.

waiting for their turn!

 It was quite possibly the cutest thing I've ever seen:

We were so proud of her for getting up on the stage and dancing.  She loved it so much she even got back on the stage after it was over and everyone had left and danced by herself.  On the way home she was sad there wouldn't be another recital until the spring.  Way to go MiniM.E., Ballerina!!

Getting Dizzy!

Outside

Victorian Street Walk

Last night was the Victorian Street Walk.  Broadway closes and hundreds of people come out to walk around, go shopping, see people dressed in Victorian attire, hear carolers, and see the tree lighting and Santa.

In the past it has been a frigid event, but this year was unseasonably warm, which made it much more pleasant.

However, there didn't seem to be as much activity as in previous years.  We missed having the "Noah's Arc" and reindeer, and it seemed there were less performances and activities.

At least the carousel was open!

It was still fun to have an excuse to go out downtown in the evening in the winter!

A Cute Nap, Some Sandwiches, and A Boat

Cutting Down the Tree

This weekend began my favorite time of year, the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  To start our Christmas season we went to Bob's Christmas Trees to cut our tree.  It is definitely a drive to get there and both girls were a bit cranky since having company and lots of activity really tired them out.  The weather was less than ideal, cold and drizzly, but I can't give up the tradition of cutting down our tree to get one from a tree lot or get a fake one, so we pushed through. 

It was also a bit difficult because MiniM.E. now has a preference for trees and was insistent we find one that she thought was "the best one at the whole tree farm!"  It took almost an hour, but we did it- we found the best tree at the whole farm!

Once we cut down the tree, we went to see the reindeer.  MiniM.E. was disappointed that the wagon ride we'd been on last year wasn't open because of the weather, but this year the reindeer were a lot more interested in us than they were last year, so that sort of made up for it.

I had LittleL.G. in the Ergo so I don't have photos of her by the reindeer but for some reason deer are her favorite animal and she was SO EXCITED by the reindeer that she was almost JUMPING out of the carrier.