Where's the hair?

Ballet is tough on the hair! Oh yes it is - Buns 3 to 5 times a week and for Peter Pan we were braiding, taking braids out, braiding, spraying, glittering, braiding ...

SO what did we do as soon as the show was over?

Cut it all off...

Except - Me, being the total space case I have been the last few weeks - MISSED THE FIRST APPOINTMENT...the one I had scheduled on purpose to immediately follow Peter Pan - Luckily our "Gal" had a cancellation and we only had to wait 2 days!

Knock yourself out

Have you ever thought about that saying?

Knock yourself out.

Lauren has. She even asked me about it. It went a little like this:

Lauren: Mom, what does Knock yourself out really mean?

Mom: stutter, stumble, stuck - Um Well people say it when they want you to go ahead and do whatever it is your aksing or talking about

Lauren: yeah, I get that but what does Knock Yourself Out mean

Mom: (vividly picturing a TKO with Mike Tyson in my head) decides this must be the answer - "well in boxing when a fighter knocks out the other fighter, which means hits him so hard he goes down and can't get back up, he is considered the winner and that is considered very cool - so I guess if you Knock Yourself Out that would be considered cool too.

Lauren: "Oh."

I don't think I convinced her, I don't think I explained it well and I am not even sure I got it right...so off to GOOGLE LAND I go - and here is what I got

1. knock yourself out
Equivalent to "Go for it"
"Can I have a piece of your burrito?" "Knock yourself out."

2. Knock yourself out
A term for: Do whatever the hell you want, it doesn't bother me.
"dad, can i go to the park?"

"Can you get there yourself?"

"Yeah" "well then, knock yourself out."

3. knock yourself out
Same as "go for it" or "go nuts". If you really dont care at all about a person doing/taking something you say "knock yourself out" as in to do/eat until you pass out (if you really want to). Same as "go for it" or "go nuts".
Person 1: "Hey man, can I have some beer?"

Person 2: "Yeah, Knock yourself out"

4. Knock yourself out
to work hard to achieve something, usually implying success
Wow, Mary! This is a great party. You really knocked yourself out. It seems every time you give a party you really knock yourself out.

SO there you have it - lots of examples of how to use the phrase but no real definition of Knock Yourself Out -

So if you can help me out - find me a definition to give to Lauren that will satisfy her curious mind - Go ahead - Knock yourself out!

A ballerina in the making...

12 mini Braids (8 times)

Lipstick application and re-application

All those braids tucked neatly under the mermaid wig (secured with an ace bandage)

Those precious braids helped to create this adorable Fairy look each and every time!

Flowers, flowers and more flowers - our Mantel is full

One Happy 8 year old Ballerina

All worn out...

Peter Pan was FANTASTIC! The show was amazing, Lauren did beautifully - Her little arms are so graceful it brings tears to my eyes thinking about it...

A great big thanks to all our friends and family who came out to see Peter Pan (planned and the surprises too!) and to "He" and Grams for keeping Hailey busy while Lauren and I were living in Never Land!

What a week!

I DO believe in Fairy's

I DO! I got see a part of the Ballet tonight I had not seen yet, the only speaking part and OMG it gave me chills. I can't wait to see the whole show!!

Peter Pan is almost here. Tomorrow is Dress Rehearsal pretty much all day...(Friday) and then the shows start on Sunday! I am hoping to take lots of pictures at Dress rehearsal because we can't at the shows!

Lauren is getting very excited and it is super fun to watch her feel this way! If you have time swing by her blog and wish her luck~

In the meantime, I have had lots of emails from fellow bloggers asking where I am and even (ahem) saying they miss me this week! THANK YOU! Rest assured...I am reading your posts in my reader just don't have the time to buzz over and comment -

PS - TO all those that wondered the Dresses below are from ZaZa Couture and I can not remember where Grandma bought them but I know they came in the mail! They are great - Machine wash, Hang Dry - several times...no iron needed and they still look new!

Simply Sisters

Take a hike

Or at least a walk up the road.

Coming to the mountains really forces me to slow down and appreciate the beauty and wonder. I could live here, I really could.

I love the sound of the rushing River, especially in the spring when it is so heavy from the winter runoff.

The girls love to go for walks when we go to Beaver Creek - the road my parents house is chalk full of cool things to discover. Sometimes it is a brown bear looking for lunch, other times it is simply a marmot squealing to protect their young. There are Deer (complete with babies in the spring), Elk, birds, the occasional Owl or Wild Turkey...but more importantly to the girls this year is there is an abundant crop of

YUP. Dandelions! I am SO not kidding. These things are EVERYWHERE and they are huge - and quite frankly they are actually kind of pretty!

They are great for wishing on too!

and if your lucky you might even see a cute "sister" moment

But watch out...one of them is sporting a TAIL!!

Maybe she should walk the plank...

Friday we got to enjoy Lauren's spring program at school. It was grades 1 through 5 and they did a pirates musical. Since the music teacher does all the school plays they are usually very musical and the kids do a great job.

They do two plays a year, we have been their for 4 years (8 plays) and that same music teacher is also very good at picking the same kids to have the lead roles season after season -

When the same lead role players were announced for this play Lauren said to me "I don't know why Mrs. Music Teacher doesn't trust me enough to memorize my lines and have a real role in the plays".

Lauren has an AMAZING memory, it has nothing to do with trusting her to memorize her lines. I felt bad for Lauren.

As you all know Lauren was a Mini Purple Beard for this play and we made her a beard and put together a decent costume too! Though, we were using the headband to hold on the visor AND to cover up the fact that it was a visor. I talked to said music teacher the day before the play and explained the costume and told her I would be at school early to help Lauren get it all together right and she smiled, and she humored me and told me how cute it sounded and then she told the kids at rehearsal that day that they...

and I quote...

"Are not 4 years old and you don't need your mommies to help you get dressed, their will be no parents in the dressing rooms"

Now, I have been known to say things similar to this to my children in a not so proud mommy moment...but I DO NOT expect teachers to speak to my children this way - especially since Lauren was with me that morning when I spoke to the teacher and then she had to listen to this.

Lauren is a bright little girl, she reads people well and she knows when someone is not so good. In this particular case Lauren asked me "Mrs. Music teacher shouldn't tell us kids that especially after she was so nice about it this morning"

No wonder Lauren is terrified to ask her teachers questions - they just might turn around and backfire on her.

So this is how she came out on stage:

Instead of like this

And as far as I am concerned Mrs. Music Teacher CAN walk the plank and take her ego with her.

Ballet is not for the week

What I learned this week is hosted by JoLynn over at Musings of a Housewife.

I thought I was going to be at a loss this week, I considered skipping this post all together. Then we showed up at Ballet class last night.

To start my post I must digress...For those that don't know Lauren has been taking ballet at a new school this year and had the opportunity to perform in the Nutcracker last winter, now she is gearing up for Peter Pan. Lauren will be a Fairy and a Mermaid and is really looking forward to the show. During rehearsal time it puts her at about 10 hours of Ballet a week, she is 8, that is a lot of dance.

A couple of weeks ago Lauren all but fainted on a Sunday morning - we decided to keep our eye on her, make sure she was drinking enough water for all the work she is doing. Thankfully she has been fine.

We got to dance last night and I decided it would be fun to post about the "happenings at ballet" a couple of the girls work on their homework before class. Lauren doesn't usually have any but last night she had a few math problems and it was cute to look around the waiting room and see this:

Then part way through class I thought it would be fun to get a voice recording of Lauren's teacher and how intense class is. I put a couple still shots of Lauren to go with the Voice Recording - keep in mind that I am about 60 feet away from the teacher and in another room as I am recording - (and you might need to turn your speakers up)



Not 1 minute after I turned off the recording we saw a classmate go down, like a tree in the forest - flat on her back. She fainted. It was frightening, it was scary and it was sad.

A father in the waiting room told his 11 year old son "I told you Ballet is not for the weak, these girls work harder and take more hits than your whole Hockey Team" What an amazing dad!

The classmate is OK, she is going to be sore and is going to be watched for a concussions or fracture -

So this week I learned two things - when you set out to do a ballet post -

"Be careful what you wish for you might get a what I learned this week post"

and

"Ballet is not for the weak".

1980 what? ***GIVEAWAY***

Recently a good bloggy friend Lindsay posted about the awesome people watching to be found at her local Buffet resteraunt. If you haven't read it I suggest you go find out about the business and the party - it was hilarious!

Then, shortly after that, I walked into Justice Just for Girls (fantastically fun store though a bit odd sometimes) and I was blasted with memories of puffy paint, splatter paint and the J-Giles band.

We walked out with this outfit for Lauren

Watch out Cindy Lauper - all we need is a scarf and some of that Aqua Net on Lindsay's post.

Only difference is in 1980 what - we had to make our own splattered painted stuff....and another friend of mine (Becky) has admitted to making said clothes for all her friends way back when...

Can you name the singers of these 80's songs (without using google?)

Girls just wanna have fun
Freeze Frame
Like a Virgin
Walk like and Egyption
We got the beat
I think were alone now
Everybody have fun tonight
Heartbreaker
Summer of '69
When I see you Smile
Runaway
Juke Box Hero
R.O.C.K. in the USA
Eye of the Tiger
Take me home Tonight
Eye in the Sky
We Built this City
Burning down the house
Shout
Owner of a lonely heart
Addicted to love
Tainted Love

Ok....I could have gone on forever - I LOVE music now it is your turn take a crack at it!

Email (link at top of page) me your answers before 10pm Mountain Standard time Monday 4/27/2009 and the person with the most right will receive a Juicy Juice Goody Bag from our party, for engaging in such a wonderful Brain Development Activity!!!!


***PLEASE USE THE HONOR SYSTEM -
***NO GOOGLING -
***IF YOU CAN'T GET THEM ALL THAT IS OK others pry won't either!
(Plus I have 3 more bags to giveaway in the coming weeks!!)

LORI - over at Weebles WON! She got almost all of them right! She "rocked"

Scratching the itch

Well, with the snow all melted and the warm temps moving in and the allergies filling up my sinuses and making my eyes itch - the girls have a different kind of itch they need to scratch. It is time to hit the links. They LOVE it - funny thing is, even with several years of Jr. Golf, I stink at it but I love taking them.

Lauren's first day out was a lesson with the Pro at Grams country club. NICE guy! Lauren did great! And had fun too! (photo and lessons courtesy of Grams Blackberry)


Hailey's first day out was a trip with me to the public course near our house. She is the talk of the town when we show up Little clubs strapped to her back and all! (photo courtesy my blackberry)




Our second trip out (earlier today) Back at the Country club (with a glimpse of Gramps in the background) Check out her follow through....

And this little one with a big ole Driver at the helm (see the 1 or so balls off to the left, those are hers)

The Thinker (the real story)

Maybe you already know the story behind The Thinker...

But do you know what he was REALLY up to?

???

???

???

He was doing a Springbok Puzzle!

Do you think Crayola thinks this hard when they make crayons?

Desperately Seeking LEGOLAND?

(Wordless Wednesday - the rest of the story)

Are you wishing you lived a little closer to a LEGOLAND? Or maybe you do and just don't want to pay the $85 admission price? Well, Do I ever a have a solution for you!

It is simple really. Just invite Lauren to live with you! Yup. Your Living room can be magically transformed to a mini LegoLand in no time!

Lauren LOVES Legos. Not just any Legos, but the hard to find, very expensive kits made for adults. She is currently building the Lego Town Plan and wants to do the Eiffel Tower next!

She gets pretty serious about her building, seperating pieces, laying it all out and then she gets down to building business

She has been known to work for 2 hours without a break!

She has made a gas pump island

To go with the Car Wash she built

A Central Park Bench with fountain

A fire truck (the doors work!)

A squad car (to pull me over when I don't wait 7 seconds at a stop sign)

A movie theater (this one is awesome)

And a....well - this is a? Hmmm. What do you call this?

Oh, I know - this is a "I have to make something for Hailey so she will leave my stuff alone!" (notice Rock is still in play here too)