Dance Camp ~ Day 2. ..

First, you'll notice that I've changed the name of the camp from "ballet" to "dance", as today was HIP HOP! I am sure this is not going to go over very well with Daddy. I believe his exact words after the recital in May were "She'll NEVER do a Hip-Hop class!" Unfortunately for him, she had a blast! She loves the moves she learned today and continued to practice them all afternoon while we were at the mall. They did not do a "Mommy Recital" today. . .the teacher said she is going to practice this again on Thursday and it will be the grand finale. Our intent was for Gracie to be a sweet, innocent ballerina. She has already decided she loves lyrical dance (modern ballet with a mix of jazz) and hip-hop. UGH. . .her teenage years are flashing in front of me!!!! Anyway, the Dora theme was adorable. They all took turns being Swiper the Fox, as well as made a fun bird feeder craft and had a "picnic" snack. The school is doing a great job and fortunately there were only half the number of girls today. We did discuss the appropriate way to handle a situation where someone else is misbehaving, but I couldn't help myself this morning and had to ask which one was "the spitter". Funny thing is her mom is really sweet and quiet, and obviously shares many of my beliefs. I guess that blows my false sense of "good parenting" security out of the water. One more funny. . .for those of you that do not know Dora the Explorer. . .it is a program that teaches basic Spanish and Hispanic culture. She has watched it for a long time and really enjoys participating in Dora's adventures. Gracie just came in and said "Mom, I have to tell you something. . .Lala can speak Spanish. When she wants something she says como saw-te and then I say como latte. . .o.k.?" And I always thought Starbucks was out of Seattle. . .who knew? Here is a short clip from Gracie and the girls playing Swiper the fox. . .
(again, remember to pause (II) the Playlist at the bottom of the page before pressing play on the video).

Princess / Dora Adventure Ballet Camp!

So, today was the first day of the Princess / Dora Adventure Ballet Camp! We have been eagerly awaiting this day. . .and it did not disappoint! Gracie had a blast, even though she did not know a soul. Not only is this not the school she attended last year, but it is not the one she will start in the fall. . .they just had the coolest camp:) Each day she will learn a routine, make a craft, have a snack and then do a performance for mom ~ seriously, what more could a three year old want? I was worried about leaving her since we did not know anyone or anything about this school, but she was totally fine (a bit shy, but content). Mommy, on the other hand, had a bit of a panic moment as I drove away. I swear, I did not cry, but I could have. I am totally consumed with the "only two more months until she starts school and will never be just mine again" thought process. It was down right strange doing errands without her. She was so excited when we all filed back in to watch the performance (mainly because she wanted to show me the pink wand she had made). I have to laugh that she did more of the routine that she learned in the two hour class than any of the girls did in her recent recital, but hey, she was with older girls and I know that always helps. We are really looking forward to going back tomorrow ~ I don't even think there will be any arguments, but we shall see:) So, after class on the way to the swimming pool for a Mommy Group play date, she told me about how much fun she had and that her favorite part was making the wand. She went on to discuss a "big girl" that would not share the pink (still unsure if that is a marker or sticker). After several minutes of explaining the interaction (including a barrage of questions from an over-protective mother like did Miss Heather get involved? Did you behave nicely? Did you ask her for a turn?) she throws out "and then she spit on me." WHAT???? She did what to my baby? I think I nearly ran off the road I was so angry. It is sad to admit, but I responded with "Which. . .one?" Of course, they all had on pink leotards, skirts and ballet shoes which means her description did not help at all. I then hit a low point and said "you can show me who she is tomorrow at class." What am I going to do, beat her up? Give her the evil eye? Honestly, I know that I can't fight her battles, but I sure want to! This is only making the looming event in the fall that more difficult. So, now that I have talked (blogged) this through, I will discuss with her on the way to class the appropriate way to handle a situation (where a spoiled rotten, stupid, meany kid) behaves inappropriately. . .wish me luck:)

Don't forget to press pause (II) on the play list below before starting the video.

Happy Father's Day ~ almost!

What a fun day! Gracie and I went to the Highlands Street Fair with my Dad, Mary, Lindsey, Jake, Michael. . .and Dewie! It was really overcast, which probably kept the crowds away but also provided the perfect temperature. We saw a few really good bands, ate some really good (bad) food and just enjoyed spending the day together. Of course the highlight of the day for Gracie was have her face painted for the first time. The lady asked her what she wanted and Gracie said "Cinderella's face!" Obviously, this booth was sponsored by the Denver Children's hospital, because the lady saw my face and instantly said "we can make a mask like the one Cinderella wore to the ball!" Gracie was thrilled. . .and unusually patient. Fun day, quiet ride home. Hopefully a really late nap will not mess us up tonight. Anyway, to my dad, Jim, Brey and Pappy. . .Happy Father's Day! We are so blessed to have such wonderful fathers. Know that you are loved!

HUGE UPDATE!

I've been trying to post this all day, but it has been crazy. . .GRACIE GOT THE ARIEL DOLL! Sorry if this is TMI, but hopefully it is the last poopy post:) She had not gone since last Friday. I was really stressing, due to her past problems. Last night I did something I swore I would not do. . .I forced her to sit on the potty for a long time (like 30 minutes). We read, talked, discussed why this needed to happen as well as the consequences of it NOT happening. . .nothing. I was sure today was going to require drastic measures. This morning I doubled her Miralax dose, gave her oatmeal for breakfast and pretended I was not interested. While I was on a short phone call she wandered in to the bathroom and. . .WHA-LA! It was that simple. I screamed and clapped and danced around like an idiot (mostly since I would not have to give her an enema) and ran upstairs to get the prized Swimming Ariel doll. We ran a full bath and loaded her up with new batteries. I read the instructions, pushed the button and put her in the water. . .NOTHING! That $#!*(@ doll did not work! I was furious. My sweet baby had worked so hard to get this thing and it just laid there floating on her back. Gracie was still thrilled and immediately striped down to take a bath with her new toy. After much debate, she decided we could return her and look for something else. She clung to the doll all the way to the Customer Service Desk and kissed her goodbye in front of the worker. We shopped and shopped. She evaluated everything Target had to offer and finally settled with a bright pink make-up bag, eye shadow, glitter powder, nail polish, "diamond" nail stickers and 2 types of lip gloss. Sorry Daddy. . .I really could not say no and was just relieved that she finally walked away from the large (scary) BRATZ Doll head that let you do her hair and make-up. I also picked up a few other "happy's" like a bathtub Ariel doll that is not supposed to do anything but be waterproof, as well as a few new puzzles. I am so proud of her! I feel terrible that I may have made the situation more difficult. I feel like I can finally let go of this (even though I know accidents will happen) and let her take responsibility (like I've pretended to do for the last week). Obviously, she is much smarter than I give her credit and she knows that she is winning the power struggle. Now that the O.R. is not lingering over my head, I am ready to let go ~ whatever the result. I guess I should clarify. . .ready to let go of the potty training psycho that I had turned in to, NOT let go of my precious baby. . .I am stressing more than ever about letting her start preschool! You can keep praying for me on that one:)

Wheels!

A couple of weeks ago we were able to go visit my cousin Amy, her husband Jeremy, and Gracie's cousin Alyssa (who is 2 months younger than Gracie) for an AWESOME weekend! It started off on Saturday afternoon with Alyssa's ballet recital. . .you should see this girl dance:) Afterwards, we all went to Aunt Sue and Uncle Gary's for a BBQ and time for the girls to play. After a very long night sleeping in the same bed, we woke up early and got ready for a trip to the house boat! I will try to get some pictures. . .it is a day I don't want to forget anytime soon! We relaxed, ate, played in the sun, cruised the lake and ate some more. We also inherited a very used Jeep from Sue and Gary's neighbor. I thought it would be a fun "project" to work on while Brey was away. . .yeah, right! The next day I tore that thing apart. I made a sketch so I would remember how to re-assemble and crossed my fingers that it would actually work. So after almost two weeks of rain storms, we had a few breaks in the weather (and schedule) and I finally finished her cool, new ride (with a little help from Papa on the electrical stuff:)). . .

The Before. . .(yes, this belonged to 3 boys!)

And After. . .(ALL Girl!)

In all honesty, I had a blast restoring this classic car:) Thank you Sue, Gary, Amy and Jeremy for your generosity. . .the car, the dinners, the lake. . .it was such a fantastic weekend! We look forward to bringing Daddy along next time:) Sweet baby, don't forget to steer. . .and be home by 12:00. . .noon! Remember, to watch this video, first pause (II) the playlist at the bottom of the page and then press the small arrow in the lower left corner to start the clip.

Profound Realization. . .

I'll admit it. . .this has been a long 2 weeks. Between potty training and Brey's 2 weeks in the field, we have tested each other. Since Daddy has been back, EVERYTHING is "no. . .Daddy can do it!" He even asked her to go tee-tee today and she replied "O.k.!" It is very entertaining and I know it makes him feel good. . .but when I stop and think about it, I find myself slightly irritated. This afternoon I headed out for the weekly grocery trip. As I was driving ~ alone ~ listening to MY music, enjoying a few "question-free" moments, I had a profound realization. Yes, this was blissful, but in three short months she will be starting preschool! These next few months are the last time that I will have her all to myself. I swear it knocked the wind out of me. I have been really eager to have a few hours a week to do as I please; I know it will be good for both of us, but I guess it is similar to child birth. While I was pregnant, she was all mine. I could protect her and make sure she was well cared for, but when she entered this world I had to allow others to help. This will be the first time that someone else will be responsible for protecting her. . .physically and mentally. What if someone picks on her? What if she gets hurt on the playground? I won't be there to rescue my precious child! I know this all boils down to being a control freak, but it makes my heart ache to think she would be scared or excited and that I won't be there to share it with her. I guess I should be thankful for this realization. . .and I am. It gives me a new perspective on our relationship. Oh, how I hope to make this time extra special. . .for both of us!

Millers. . .

I AM OVER THE MILLER MOTHS!

I guess the silver lining is that Gracie no longer screams at the top of her lungs every time she sees one. . .unless, of course, we are driving in the car:)

My little "Big Girl". . .

O.k., that was fun! I have been taking Gracie for Japanese food since she was born. She has never been interested in actually eating anything but the broth soup. Tonight, after another successful swimming class, I asked if she wanted Japanese food. She seemed enthusiastic, so we went to a place near the rec center. She decided we should still sit in the sushi bar, but we were able to really observe what happens at the hibachi tables. As I was paying the bill, she told me "I think I want to sit over "dere" (there) now." Of course it was too late, but next time ought to be photo worthy. She ate Pork Gyoza (pot stickers), an entire bowl of soup (most of it by herself), hibachi chicken and most of my broccoli. I will admit that I grew up eating sugar on my white rice. She has never been willing to even try rice, but as of tonight. . .the tradition lives on! The best part was watching her work the kiddie chop sticks. The last few times she has refused to even take them from the waiter. Tonight we did not even have forks! It was cute watching the lady next to us try not to stare:) She had a big smile on her face and was really entertained by my "little big girl". I told Gracie that I loved going on dates with her. . .she replied "I love going on dates with Daddy!" I should have seen that coming a mile away. Anyway, it was a lovely girls night out. It is so much fun actually doing all of the things I have dreamt about with her. . .can anyone mother/daughter pedicure????

Pueblo Children's Museum. . .

I was so excited to come home and blog about our trip to the Pueblo Children's Museum today, but that will have to wait. The good news is this is NOT a potty blog, the bad news is that Gracie is really missing Daddy. He is just about finished with Annual Training, which means he's been at Fort Carson for 2 weeks. The first week blew by because our schedule was packed full of new and exciting stuff. The second week has been much more normal and Daddy's absence is extremely noticeable. So today when we arrived back at Gracie's cousin's house we were all playing in their toy room (which you should have to pay admission for a visit!). Uncle Jeremy joined us for a round of Hi-Ho Cheerio and then some rough housing. After a few minutes of watching Alyssa and Jeremy play, her entire demeanor changed. She sat down on one of the chairs that was on the outskirts and just stared at them. It was obvious what was going through her mind. . .she missed her Daddy. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it again. I have NEVER seen this look on her face. . .it was truly heart-breaking. Sweet Uncle Jeremy (yes, you are a strong, brave cop, but you are also very kindhearted) tried to include her but she really did not want any part of it. On the way home I asked her why she was sitting alone and being so quiet, she replied "I just wanted to be playing with MY Daddy." It was so pitiful and there was nothing I could do or say to make it better at that moment. We quickly switched gears to what we would do and say when Daddy gets home, which put her in a much better mood. I guess the pit, that is still in my stomach, is imagining how I'll handle those type of questions when it is a real deployment. . .12 to 18 months out of the country. I try so hard not to allow myself to think about that time, but days like today make it impossible to control that anxiety. For now, I push back down the "what if's" and begin to get excited for his arrival home. Unfortunately, I'd be lying if I said this won't stick with me for a while. I guess I need to spend some time in Psalm 94:19, Psalm 112:7, Isiah 41, Romans 8:15, Philippians 4:6, 1 Peter 5:7, 1 Peter 3:6, and 1 John 4:18. Does anyone else see a theme here? I guess I really need to give up the the anxiety, worry and fear. Funny how I already have a peace after just reviewing these few scriptures. . .God is SO good!
So, back to the original blog. . .the Pueblo Children's Museum. We had a great time with Amy and Alyssa at the "Big Messy Art Adventure" Exhibit. Who new this was the #2 ranked Children's Art Museum in the Country? It was really fantastic. The girls made several pieces of original artwork, played (jumped, kicked, squealed) in the Andy Warhol Experience "Pillow Room", Danced their hearts out on a stage with a reactive background and even built sand ice cream cones in the indoor sandbox. Let's just say that the bedtime routine was REALLY easy tonight. Thanks for the invite, Amy!

The indoor sandbox. . .

This kid totally cracks me up! Alyssa in the "Pillow" Room. . .

Gracie trying to catch a "pillow". . .

The first experience with "funny" mirrors. . .

Blow Art. . .

and last, but not least. . .Mona Alyssa!

Light at the end of the tunnel. . .

Honestly, I thought I was going to have to throw in the towel. I've tried bribery, I've taken away things she enjoys doing, I've begged and I've pleaded. Then, I found an article written by a pediatrician that addressed "Toilet Training Problems". I was starting to get worried that her past issues of "holding it in" had messed up her system to the point she couldn't control it. Well, come to find out. . .I am the problem:) As you can imagine, I was mortified to think I was causing my own grief! Sweet baby has a few traits of a strong-willed child. It turns out that this was a power struggle that was exacerbated each time I would ask if she had to go (which was about every 5 minutes). The article suggested explaining that it was her responsibility and that she was now going to have to take control. It had me apologize for "hounding" and promise to never ask again (which has been really, REALLY hard being that we live so far out. . .and yes, I failed once because I knew she would fall asleep in the car!!!) So this plan goes on to have the child be responsible to clean up any messes that they choose to make. Today, after the fifth time of cleaning (of course I am helping. . .a lot) she said "I don't like to clean it up." I replied "Neither do I" and we finished the chore. The doctor also says to have a basket of desirable things that she can have for 15 minutes after each success. To create something worth while, we went and got the swimming Ariel doll that she has been obsessed with, as well as several new pairs of panties. I even broke down and bought a set of Hannah Montana underwear that she may have after 4 successes with ZERO accidents. So, since the time the official "training" began, she'd only had one success. I was really getting frustrated. Last night, 5 minutes after I put her to bed, she said she had to go. I told to go on in and try. 20 minutes later we had a win! We were both thrilled. She got a new pair of Ariel panties and a cool flashlight that shines fairies on the ceiling and I slept knowing that we were going to beat this. This morning. . .two accidents. She had to return the panties and the flashlight and help clean up. We are also not playing outside until she shows some effort; mainly due to the fact that EVERY time we are outside she has an accident. So, after round three today (yes, I did mean 3 ~ she had her first tee tee accident in months while I was on the telephone ~ anyone see passive aggressive behavior here?) I thought "now what?" I was so angry. . .however, I felt so bad because this is not supposed to be a negative experience. Then I remembered the article suggesting to have them go naked. I knew that she would have to go soon and of course it did not take much convincing, so we played blocks and cheerleader. . .yes, I know, you can only imagine how funny it is to watch a three year, naked. . .with pom poms! Anyway, you could tell she was getting antsy and then. . .it happened! She got her Ariel panties back and a new headband and I, once again, breathed a sigh of relief. I caution you about making unannounced visits any time soon. I think we are going to stick with the new plan (while we're at the house) to help reinforce what we've learned. I know you are all getting sick of potty training stories. . .trust me, I'm sick of telling them. Hopefully the next post will be the All Clear signal!
One quick funny. . .Her cousin Alyssa had learned the arm muscles and leg muscles in her ballet class. At her recital last weekend, the AWESOME teacher had them demonstrate this cute exercise they would do at the end of every class. She'd have them "make muscles" and then they'd all point and say biceps, triceps, quadriceps, hamstring . . today while I was folding clothes, my silly goose came in, made her muscles and said "Bi-cycle, tri-cycle. . .leg, leg!" It was definitely the comic relief in the drama series:)

Atlast. . .the ballet recital!

Gracie's ballet recital was one of those events I will never forget! I was so proud of her! What an amazing thing to watch your baby take the stage for the first time. She has really enjoyed her class this year and I feel like it will be something we do for a while. I was so impressed that these 2 and 3 year old girls went out on that big stage and "danced". The instructor refuses to go out with them, which means this class has been known to just stand there. Not this time ~ our little girls shined. They waved their streamers and seemed to have a great time. Funny how they were not nervous. When do we learn that feeling? I think Gracie's motivation was a promise made by Daddy. He told her if she would dance, he would yell "WOOLY, WOOLY, WOOLY!" at the end. We used this to help her practice, which usually consisted of Mommy and Daddy doing the dance, while Gracie watched:) Another event I will NEVER forget is Brey doing the full out routine, streamers and all! The things he does for his little girl!!! Gracie says her favorite part of the recital was going out on stage for the finale with the big girls. I catch her playing "big stage" all the time. She uses our back yard as the stage. The funniest part is watching her run out, turn her back to the "audience", stand tall with her hands at her side, and then whip around and strike a pose! It is classic. . .I am still try to get a video of it! For now, here are a ton of pictures. . .hopefully the video (recital and "big stage") will follow:)

Progress. . .

If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it! Gracie was nuts today at her swimming lesson / play time in the pool. This girl loves to dive! They would be working on her strokes when she would demand a trip to the edge. Claire was actually using it as leverage to work on her arms. She did a great job floating on her back ~ she is only holding on to one finger! At the end of class, Gracie decided she wanted to float in the lazy river. . .alone! Mind you, she has always refused (kicking and screaming) to get on the inner-tube. After a few minutes, she told Ms. Claire "I can do it myself!" Of course, Claire was right there with her, but she sure was proud of herself. I think the most amazing part of this is her comfort level in the water. The fear is almost gone. After the lesson we went to the kiddie pool to play. I had looked away and when I turned back she was wiping water off her face and had obviously "gone under". I reassured her and she proceeded to dunk herself again! I was shocked. . .she was tickled! She is still having a blast on the slide. She made a friend that taught her to go down HEAD FIRST! The video has short clips of most of these events, just to prove it to you:) Enjoy! Oh, don't forget pause (II) the music on the "Playlist" at the bottom of the page before you start the video.

Playing catch up. . .

Here are a bunch of photos from the last month. . .
The girls at the zoo. . .

The giraffe was so cool. . .

until she realized it did not move!

Yes, we were able to switch to the

gorilla just before the ride started:)

Bongos. . .

Dinner with Amma and Meme. . .

Drinking tea (a.k.a. lemonade). . .

The second greatest place on earth. . .

Little Monkey Bizness!

I just love this picture, but she looks so grown up:(

Weeeeeeee!!!

Whoa!!!

She climbed, jumped, bounced, dressed up, danced,

painted, colored, crafted and played until her heart

was content!

Should I be concerned?

Gracie is playing dress up with her princess "stuff" and she just put a sparkly Cinderella top around her waist and said "I am going to the big stage to DANCE!" I said "If you are going to dance on the big stage, you'll need to cover your boobies." She replied "Not for the kind of dancing that I'm doing!" Seriously, when will she grow out of this phase. . .I'm starting to get concerned!

On a positive (really fantastic, amazing, I think I can finally breathe again) note. . .SHE DID IT! A few weeks ago we agreed that she would start wearing panties last Friday. She has been "tee-tee trained" for months, but has refused take the second step. As the day approached, I started talking about it all of the time. Several days before she decided that she would get a jump start on the plan. Oh, how she loves to wake up in the morning and pick out a new pair of panties:) She was doing great. . .when she needed to go potty she would ask for a diaper and use it instead of the toilet. On Friday, we discussed that we would not be using a pull up anymore and that we would do all business in the toilet. She agreed and was completely on board. Since Friday morning, she not even tried to use the toilet. At this point, I honestly wish that it was the "holding it in" issue from before, but no. . .it was just a lack of trying. I really thought I was going to have to go back to the pull ups. Today, after an "accident" (again, I use that term lightly because she has refused to even try), she realized that I was going to throw out a pair of princess panties. I think I just hit the jackpot! This afternoon she said her tummy did not feel good. A few seconds later she said she had to go potty. Of course we were on the toilet before she could blink and she said "No potty, just tee-tee." Then "it" happened. . .SHE DID IT! I went nuts, the dogs went nuts, she got presents and then she went nuts! A great time for all:) I know this battle is not over, but at least she tried! I was not upset about the accidents, just the lack of effort. Hopefully this is the first day of many. After two days without an accident we get to go shopping for new panties and any toy she wants (pray she doesn't pick Hannah Montana because I will have to let her have it). Sorry if this was too much information for you, but it was a major moment for us. I let you know when we go pantie/toy shopping. . .