Ballet Exams

In the midst of swim team, t-ball, birthdays, Communions, and homeschool activities, the girls have been preparing for their ballet exams. These take place each spring to evaluate their progress and ensure they are studying at the right grade level.

This was Mary Clare's 4th year at the studio. She completed her Grade 1 exam, and I'm sure she did excellent!


This is her tap teacher, and Ellie's ballet teacher, Miss Courtney. She is leaving this summer to further her dancing career. We will miss her!


These are all the homeschooled girls in Mary Clare's class who took their exam together. They have been dancing together for many years. We are so blessed to be a part of such a nice ballet school where the kids can meet wonderful friends.


Ellie's exam was the next morning. She completed the Primary class this year, but did her exam for Pre-Primary because of her age. I'm sure she also did a wonderful job and will be able to move up to Grade 1 next year. This was her 3rd year at the studio.


Here she is with H, her "BFF." They are such sweet friends and we are going to be so sad when they move out of state next month!


Love this pic of Ellie looking back at me and her other sweet friend A from swim team and church must be sharing something very important! I think they are getting their number-stickers for the exam.


And off they go!


Now the girls are preparing for the production. Only a few more weeks and then we'll likely be taking a ballet break this summer. Next year the girls will probably be dancing on 3 different days. Ellie will take ballet and tap, and Mary Clare will take ballet (2 classes) and modern. I now feel like a real big-family mom, who is carting my children around and having to miss some of their activities to take other children to theirs!

It's such a hard balance to figure out what activities to send your children to, especially when you have more than one and a limited budget! Steven has always been supportive of the girls' dancing and we've been able to make it work somehow over the past few years. Now their classes are getting more serious and requiring much more of a time commitment and financial commitment from us.

We will continue in hopes that this training will be beneficial to them, not just with dancing, but all-around life skills. I'm still holding out hope that we might be able to squeeze in some piano lessons while they are on ballet break this summer. We'll see how it goes! I can't wait to watch them perform on stage and show us all the wonderful work they've done this year.

I am so proud of you, Mary Clare and Elizabeth!!!

Pool Noodle Rosaries for Little Flowers class

Last week was our last Little Flowers meeting of the year. We talked about St. Bridget of Sweden and the virtue of Truthfulness. Since it was the month of May, we decided to devote our craft to the Blessed Mother. We made rosaries out of pool noodles; the idea came from the Catholic Icing Blog.


We did a little mini-May Crowning, singing Immaculate Mary and bringing pink roses to the statue.



The girls brought the roses home to give to their mothers for Mother's Day. We had a wonderful last meeting!



It was a great year!

First T-Ball Practice

He asks if it's a t-ball day EVERY DAY. I think he likes it :)

Mary Clare's First Holy Communion

May 1, 2011
Divine Mercy Sunday
Beatification of Pope John Paul II

In front of the church on this windy morning! Getting excited!


Checking out work by artists from Jerusalem outside the church


Girls in front of the historical landmark for Annunciation Church, completed in 1874


Our family brought up the gifts for the offertory



That most special moment! Our Lord...Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity!


After Mass


Sweet Sisters


With some friends


With Mommy


The whole fam!


With Monsignor


With all the B family cousins who live in town


All the local B family, plus NeNe and PaPa


Uncle Thomas with baby Thomas


Cousin Emily gave her a beautiful pillow with her name, a cross, and her First Communion date and info on the back. She also received lots of special jewelry, precious handmade cards, and even a scrapbook with letters and photos from lots of friends and family!


Girl friends and cousins


The K family kids


with NeNe and PaPa


Then we rushed home to prepare for the big celebration at the farm. I took several trips to the car and back, here was my last one! Steven took a photo of me looking silly on the cell phone holding a giant watermelon!


Relaxing out at Little Way Farm!


Tommy with Aunt Kathy and NeNe


Steven Joseph and his friend J


Playing in the pond


little goslings in a wagon


Climbing trees


PaPa and Thomas


Steven Joseph with a motorcycle and fishing rod. In his element.


driving around the porch


Daddy and Ellie checking out the cows


Mary Clare and friends in the chicken coop


Eating burgers


Beautiful cupcakes


With special flags made by NeNe


A blessed day indeed.