The Fourth Recital: Ballet And Acro

 

Four years… It doesn’t seem like that much time, but when you think about the fact that someone that is 6 years old has been doing an activity for four of them, it gets to be quite a big number. Yesterday, Evie completed her fourth year of ballet and added a year of Acro to her long list of dancing accomplishments.

The performances were once again amazing to watch, even when timing was a bit off or the group didn’t quite know what to do next. The excitement of seeing Evie and all her friends on stage one more time outweighed any worry about things not going well.

The Acro routine was definitely the more fun of the two, but there is something about seeing 10 mini-ballerinas on stage that just makes me smile. Even at such young ages, they are starting to show the poise of a ballerina and the strength that goes along with it. I hope that this is just a long line of many more of these performances for Evie and that she continues to grow and love dancing as much as we love watching her dance.

Weekend Roadtrip To Bayview State Park

It was time for another little roadtrip. This time, since the weather was good, we decided to hit Bayview State Park, near Mount Vernon, WA. This 25 acre camping park is located on Padilla Bay, well north of Seattle. It features nearly 1300 feet of shoreline and camping to fit almost anyone’s needs. The camp area has 46 tent spaces, 29 utility spaces and 4 cabins. Of course, we can’t just drive from Monroe to Mount Vernon without a few stops first.

Our first stop along the way was at the NOAH Center just outside of Stanwood. NOAH is a no kill animal shelter and hospital. We found a few kitty cats that might have needed to come home with us, but we passed since Lu Lu would probably eat it if we did. They were still cuter than all get out and NOAH is an amazing place to get one if you are wanting to add to your family.

From there, it was time to grab some lunch. We stopped off at one of our favorite lunch places along the way. The Skagit River Brewery is always a treat when we can stop by. Their great burgers and of course, the Burrito Bowl, are great options for lunch and if you make it in for dinner, you have to hit either the Bangers and Mash, the Pot Pie or the Shepherds Pie. While you’re there, try the root beer or one of the many local brews they have on tap.

Overall, the day was quite sensational. The weather was good, the beach was clear and the water was really cold! Still made for a great day or sand castle and rock tower building and kite flying though. If you get a chance to head north on I-5, you should definitely make the trip. We loved the drive out.

Links: Bay View State Park, NOAH Center, Skagit River Brewery

I Have A First Grader!

I know there’s a few more days left of school, but Evie officially went through her Kindergarten graduation last night. It’s been an amazing year watching her grow, learn and start turning into her own person. There are times where I wonder if we are doing as much as we can for her, but then I realize the truth something my parents said to me, “We can’t make you grow up, we can only help guide you along the way.”

I hated that answer growing up with two older brothers that were always able to do things before me, but I get it now. She’s the one that has the job of growing up and turning into who she is going to be. We’re just the guard rails (or bumper bowling things) to keep her on the right path. I’m thankful tonight that Ara was able to spend so much time with Evie this year in class and that Evie had such an amazing first teacher. I’m also feeling very blessed that she was able to find a home at her first school and hope she doesn’t have to leave it until she has to.

My Kid, The Dancing Queen

Most of you know that my amazing kid has been dancing for years now. From an almost 2 year old in baby ballet to today, it’s been fun watching her learn and grow. This year, she decided that she was ready to step it up a notch and try out for the Platinum Dance Center Mini Elite Team. We decided that it wouldn’t be too much of a commitment, so we went along with the idea.

The tryouts were held on a one night basis and all of the potential dancers went through a full audition, including learning choreography and a routine for the parents to see that night. It was a bit intimidating for us as first timers, but a few of the other parents calmed us down pretty quickly. At the end of the night, a stunning team of 8 Mini-Elites was chosen and our kiddo happened to be one of them.

I’m sure there are going to be many more adventures with competition dancing on the horizon, but for now, our little mini is so happy that we had to have a quesadilla for dinner at our favorite Mexican place downtown, Las Tres Marias, while she showed off her new accolade.