Hannah’s First Dance Class

Hannah started taking dance (ballet and tap) this fall.  She goes once a week for 45 minutes. Here are some pictures of her getting ready to go.  She was pretty excited as you might can tell.

She wanted two ballerina buns in her hair.

Getting ready to go in.

Nathan had to watch through the crack in the curtains.

She thought the class was great and can’t wait to go back. I’m already looking forward to the recital. I’m not sure yet if she will actually dance or be the one standing completely still looking out at the crowd terrified with her fingers in her mouth. Either way, it will be fun to watch!

Movie Night

Popcorn: check!

Cozy spot to sit: check!

Good view of the screen: check!

Rough Tough Real Stuff, 18 Months

As if there was ever any doubt, Nathan is 100% pure boy.  He likes power equipment, balls, dogs, dirt, sticks, rocks, climbing, wrestling, etc.  He is usually quite content just playing in the dirt and sticks.

He really likes “diggers” which refers to pretty much any construction equipment. Luckily we have lots of construction going on in Fort Worth right now so he gets to see these pretty often.  There is construction along one of our primary routes and as we drive by nearly every day, you can hear him call out “digger!” from his carseat, one of his few words.

I have a job in construction right now so we go up there sometimes on the weekends just to see the equipment in action.  He spotted one in a park one evening while we were taking a walk after dinner.

He is also just fearless in general. 

He never goes anywhere at less than full speed which often resolves in lots of bumps and bruises on his noggin.  At any given time, you can usually find him with plenty of scratches or bruises on his face.  One time he fell off the stool he was climbing and got a bloody nose.

He has bumped the middle of his forehead so many times, we are somewhat worried that he is going to end up with a permanent bump here.  You can see a similar bump in the picture above and the picture below.  Some of these bumps are from falls, but several are from him pitching fits and making a point by banging his head on the ground.

He also really likes football.  He has three different footballs he carries around the house and throws at all of us, and he can say football.  Since it is getting close to football season, I’ve (Scott) been spending time on the internet reading up on the Aggies.  Nathan is now convinced that the computer/ipad is only for watching football, because when I get the computer out, he starts saying “Football!” and wants to watch with me.  I think it is a good thing to get him started early.

This is his favorite book.

and this is his favorite page in the book.

And this is his favorite dog.

Aspiring Artist

One day at the library we happened to find the popular Fancy Nancy books by Jane O’Conner and Hannah picked one entitled Fancy Nancy: Aspiring Artist to check out.

It was all about the different kinds of art that Fancy Nancy made during her spring break vacation. She doodled and painted and made collages in her “studio” and even went to an art museum. Hannah has always loved to draw and color, but this book took it up a notch. Every time she would draw or paint she would tell us that “she was an aspiring artist like Fancy Nancy.”

A while back, some of our friends had graciously given us a gift certificate for a two-hour art class at a children’s art studio in town and we decided this was the perfect time to cash in. The teacher said that most kids didn’t last the full two-hours which was true for everyone in the group…except Hannah. We were the last ones to leave.

She was so excited when we got there. They had time in the beginning for “free art.” Hannah did a little painting…

then some beading (like her Aunt Anne).

The teacher, Mrs. Alma, (isn’t that a cute name? She was so young and hip for such an old name) read The Very Hungry Caterpillar and then they did a few corresponding art projects.

They made a caterpillar with sponges…

Well, Hannah made three.

And a caterpillar out of clay.

Here she is still painting, long after everyone had gone.

Then some friends told us about an art museum in town that was hosting events especially for kids. Scott had tried to take her to a real art museum a few weeks ago, and it did not go well. She wasn’t that interested and I think they were asked to leave…ooops. I figured since this was a kid-friendly event it was worth another shot. She was very excited about going. The theme was “curiosity.” They showed a short Curious George film and then gave the kids paper and pencils to go into the art exhibits and sketch their own drawings.

Hannah took the challenge very seriously.

By the way, did you notice that she’s wearing the same dress for both occasions? She calls this her “art dress” because it has “lots of colors.”

So although I’m not a huge fan of all the fanciness that Fancy Nancy promotes, I’m grateful for the art appreciation that this book inspired in our little aspiring artist.