Daddy Daughter Dance

First a disclaimer. This year was definitely not as cool as it usually is. That this years dance be a testament that EVERYTHING is funner with a theme. I had been anticipating this years dance theme for months, thinking about all the cool things they could choose from. Hawaiian luau, disco, country hoe down etc...Instead the committee chose a lame cover all your bases kind of them. Something like the Magic of Dads. Yuck. If you can't dress up it is not good enough. So we really missed that aspect of the dance this year.

The girls wanted to start working on their hair and make-up the minute they walked in the door from school. I wish I knew more about cool hair dos! I did my best to be creative. They loved putting on make up! They get to do it twice a year, Daddy Daughter dance and Halloween, so it is a pretty special treat. Sara was really interested this year. I told her that when she turned four it would be her turn to go too. Since then she continually tries to add a year to her age. Pretty funny! So here are my beautiful and very excited daughters ready to dance the night away with their Dad and friends!

We did our traditional little mini session in the portrait studio. I love having good lighting at my beck and call now. I was taking a few pictures of the girls when the door bell rang and they were off to answer the door for their date! Dad arrived with beautiful gifts. And then they were off for the night.

I really need to work on using my on camera flash. I had a really hard time getting pictures this year. I think the batteries were dying. I had replacements out in the car, but I had parked so far away and it was raining so I basically gave up. So these are the best pictures

of Dave dancing with Emily, Katie and their sister from another mother ;-) Kaitlyn.

Here is what the girls had to say about heir special night with Dad...

Emily...

Daddy daughter dances are fun because usually Dad is so busy. He is taking Chase to Scouts, going to soccer, working late, finishing a project in the house or taking a break...so he usually doesn't have time to play with me. Sometimes it makes me feel really jealous, so it is good that every year I get to go to the Daddy daughter dance because I only have to share him with one other person. I love the getting ready part because I get to where makeup and wear a special dress. I think it is fun to see Daddy getting ready too because usually he is getting ready to go out with Mom. It makes me happy to know he is getting ready to go out with me. It is such a special day. I look forward to it the whole day, even through school. Last year Dad started teaching me some cool dance moves. We do a dance called the "twist". We all hold hands and then we twist ourselves around without letting go until we are all facing outwards. Then we try to fix ourselves. I am also learning part of the fox trot with Dad. Dad is so super nice. What is really nice about Dad is that he is always really fun. He takes us on tractor rides (riding mower), makes us forts, talks to us like he our drill Sergeant and makes us work for our dinner. I hope next year there is more of a theme so I can dress up!

Kate...

I like going to the Daddy Daughter dance. It is so fun. I love that Dad brings us flowers. It makes me feel so good and special. He always give us lots of hugs and kisses. I think it is really sweet that Dad picks up our friend Kaitlyn and brings her for us. We had so much fun at the dance this year. There was a magician. He did a magic trick and made a real albino bunny. He really did. You should have been there! When we left we got tied two balloon together and let them go up on the air. We said that they will always be together and love each other. Then they got stuck in a tree. It was lots of fun. I really love my Dad. He is so special. He builds stuff for us and he loves us. I think next years dance is going to be really nice. It will be cute to see Sara at the dance next year. I think she is going to love it and smile a lot!

Sara Is Drawing!

Sara has started drawing recognizable pictures! Everyone is so excited to have her reach this stage. She started the other day during Sacrament meeting. I smiled at the picture she brought Dave. It was of him with her on his shoulders. Super cute. She tore it. Then she drew a picture of me. It was a riot. I had a big thing sticking out of my head. I asked her what it was and she said, "It is your horn from when you were a pony." So I carefully labeled it and put it in my scripture bag to keep it safe so I could bring it home and save it. Well, somehow she found it and tore it up. So though this is not her VERY FIRST drawing it is the first I have salvaged from her silly tendency to shred and destroy. So her I am in Sara's eyes. I have a very round body (but then again so do all the people she draws), two arms, two legs, eyes, a mouth and very thin and limp hair. What more could a person hope for in their portrait?

It makes me wonder as I have seen now the first drawing of 4 children. They all started on their own without being taught. And somehow their first pictures are all so similar.

We have a wall in our playroom with empty picture frames on wallpaper that we let the kids draw in. Sara has been trying to sneak a picture on the wall for a year now. She has several scribble marks that made it up. But hasn't been allowed to draw with permission yet. Yesterday I let her draw her first "authorized" picture. She was so excited. I wish, thinking back, that I had taken a picture of her doing it. It was a big moment to celebrate her new ability. That only added fuel to the fire. Now I pictures all over the house, so far on paper, of her silly little people.

Not A Teacher

Chase has been working on a school project. He and his team had to teach a third grade class about how the Native American Indians of the Northwest build shelters and gathered food. He came up with a really great lesson plan. And then as an activity at the end had the kids make Tee pees with a pencil and flour tortilla. He was pretty excited when the day arrived to visit the school.

He came home that day looking totally worn out. I asked him how things went and he relayed the days events good and bad. Then with a smile he said, "I learned something today."

I asked him what that was.

His response..., "I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY don't want to be a teacher when I grow up!"

One profession down...lots to go.

As of right now he is still of the mind that he will be a marine biologist and part time dentist;-)

Phone Skills

We were doing our scripture study this evening. The phone rang. We usually ignore it, but this time Sara went to answer it. We heard her in the other room answer the phone like this...

"Hello, I'm a Wilcox."

Then she was grumpy because no one answered back.

Too cute!