When I Grow Up...

Bare with me now, this is my only girl, and this was the first year she's really been into Ballet. We took her to the Dancer's Workshop here in Wasilla, and she went for lessons every week, without fail. I had heard there was a big deal recital at the end of the school year, but I really had no idea!

So, like a dummy, I volunteered to chaperon one of the nightly performances. (yes, there were more than one) Plus, I had to chaperon on the night of the dress rehearsal, and final bow rehearsal. We had one crazy week, since the same week we were out at LaDaSa for the boy's cub camp, Morgan and I had to make trips in for various Ballet things. Pictures, Final Bow, Dress rehearsal, and and two performances at the PAC in Anchorage. Here's our little angel back stage next to the sound guy as we got ready to do our dress rehearsal.

Goofing around in their dressing room.

So excited to get back on stage for the final bow. After three days of being stuck in their dressing room for 5 hours a day, these girls were in surprisingly good moods.

We were waiting on the of the platforms backstage, and she was NOT in the mood to smile.

We kept the girls busy with games, coloring books, and when all else failed, cartoon DVD's on the computer.

Morgan trying out Molly's mask.
Molly was in several other dances with the 'big girls' and Morgan was completely enamored with her.

Yeah!!! One live performance down, one more to go.
Grandma and Aunt Renae were in the audience with Matt and I on night 2. Morgan was so excited to see her fans backstage!

Morgan, showing Renae and I some of her moves.

After the performance, we waited out in the lobby for our ballerinas to be presented. Matt was waiting with 1 1/2 dozen pink roses for our little actress.

I don't think she could have been more pleased.

Alaska Native Museum.

Chandler and Matt went to the Alaska Heritage Museum with the 4th graders this year. Since I was not there, I sent the camera with Matt, and these are the 4 pictures that came back. Hey, at least my kid is in most of them.

Chandler standing next to rib cage bones of a whale. Doesn't he look excited?

The skeleton of a Gray Whale.

Again, doesn't he look excited to be there? Really, he's a very happy kid...he just HATES having his picture taken.

I had to fight laughter the other day, when Chandler informed me that because he was born in Alaska, that made him Native to Alaska, and could thus hunt whales and seals with the other natives in the state. Apparently he misunderstood some stories his uncle Jacob had told him about hunting with the natives in Aniak.

Cake Challenge

For our Achievement Girls Activity this week I decided to teach the girls how to frost a cake and cover it with Fondant. We had some big fans of Duff, and Cake Challenge on the food network, so they were excited to learn how to do this. The fun, however, began when it came time to color the fondant. I told the girls about marbling, and they thought that sounded fun. So we began with this one... Callie wanted green and blue, and it actually turned out really pretty. Brooklyn and Megan added to the leftover fondant from Callie's with a little pink and purple, and we got this...

(Celeste rolling out the fondant for the girls)

And finally, Cora requested brown and purple. What? Yes. Brown and purple. But hey, she did a great job covering her cake, and even added some embellishments with the butterflies.

Then I got real stupid, and let the girls further embellish their cakes with some edible ink markers.

Here's the whole gang.

Need I say more?

Morgan and I went out one day this week, as the green explosion was just starting, and had a fun time jumping on the trampoline. She is such a joy and a challenge to me as a mom. I find myself constantly needing to up my game since she has come along, and more lately since she has become such a little smarty pants. One of the older ladies in our ward told me today that "that little girl of mine has a lot of 'moxie'. " I laughed and told her that was the understatement of the century.

Alaska Special Olympics

Chandler participated in the Floor Hockey Special Olympics event this last week, and Matt and I both attended. It was so much fun to watch and to be a part of.

Do you think she's bored?

I don't know what goes through this girl's head some days, but the other day I was downstairs in the living room, folding laundry, and I hear Morgan come down the stairs. She stands on the bottom step, and says: "mom, can I color my face?" I didn't even look up, and said "no, of course not" Then she asked me again. "Mom, can I color my face....please?" This time I looked up, to see this....

It was one of those times, when you have to literally bite your tongue, so as to keep from laughing at was is so obviously a less than ideal situation. Luckily for her, Ballet class photos aren't till next week, and I didn't have to take here out in public anytime soon. Also, thank goodness for those lovely washable markers.

In our House, Princesses definately where hiking boots...especiall when we go hiking

After Morgan was born, and we knew our NICU stay would be long, Matt and I went to the bookstore one night in search of some girly books to take and read to her while she laid in her isolate. This one immediately grabbed my attention, and I have read it to her more times than I can count.
This last weekend, our Stake had a Primary activity for all the mother's and daughters in primary. It was a "princess party" and we were to all come dressed as princesses. The girls all came decked out, and we enjoyed a talk about what it means to be daughters of a Heavenly King, and then we went around to different stations. They did hair, make-up, dress up and pictures. There was an Attitude of Gratitude room for the girls to write letters of Thankfulness to someone in their lives, and then we were treated to a light lunch. Here's my princess and I at Grandma's house just before leaving for the party.

Her Royal Highness

Morgan will a fellow Princess

As if the make-up we had applied before we left our house wasn't enough, here's Morgan adding even more layers of lipstick.

A good friend of mine was unable to take her older daughter to the activity, due to her youngest being sick that day, so Morgan and I were very pleased to have Miss Cassidy join us for the morning. She is such a doll.

After they ate, the girls were taken back to the hall, and were given roses to take to their moms after they were announced, and walked down the stairs into the gym where everyone was eating lunch.

Easter 2010

Finally, Easter photos! I'm afraid they were loaded from last to first, so here goes.

The Christensen grand kids, minus a few at our house for the annual Easter egg hunt.

Morgan is young enough that she's still way into the whole egg hunt thing.

Chandler's into it still, but was also very good about helping the younger ones to find their eggs.

She was so excited when daddy lifted her up to the post in order to get this one.

The boys loved the camouflage eggs I found and filled with candy.

And last, but certainly not least, a big thanks to my wonderful Mother in Law and Sister in Law for their last minute help Sunday morning. I called Matt's mom the day before to get the recipe for her bunny buns, but when it came to actually making them, I needed help from Karen as to how they were supposed to look. Being the saint that she is, we were emailed pictures within minutes of the awesome bunny buns she had made the previous day. So, here are my first attempt at making the Stastny Women's Easter Bunny Buns!