This is only the beginning. . . .

This is how I spent my day yesterday, cleaning Amber's playroom well it has turned into well her dance room, this is where she dances and keeps most of her dance things, shoes, bags ect. Well going in there and seeing costumes rolled up in the corner, dance bags with some clothes and dance bags with just shoes. It was time for some organization. Was much easier to do it without her here. She tends to be a little pack rat hmm wonder where she gets that from.

So now the closet that once was home to games of Candy Land and Connect four is now a dance closet. This is just a small amount of dance costumes of recent competition dances and recitals the others have been packed away. Lets hope that this organizing system works a little better.

Its hard to believe that my 9 year old already needs another closet for her stuff and this is just Dance Stuff, wow this dance mom thing does not only involve spending time well hours on end at the center but it has now over taken a closet and leads into being home. Maybe we will need to add on to the house! Lets hope that will not be for quite sometime. I would still like to add some more shelves and would love someplace in her room or in her playroom to put up her ribbons and trophies, but I also have to remember that she shares the playroom with her always on the move little sister. This year I want it organized so we can just pack it and go and not hunt around for a missing pair of booty shorts or a hairnet at the last minute. We will see how well this closet works out! 

I'm the same person I was but now I have come to reality that I'm a Dance Mom!

I decided to change up my blog a bit, It first started several years ago as a random blog about anything and everything. Then a little over a year and a half ago, it was changed to my life as a stay at home mom. Now it's still a little bit of both of those with an added twist of me being a Dance Mom!
Now when Amber started dancing in 2005 I never thought it would become her passion, maybe a hobby but not a full time life. From her first recital as a snowflake to her first competition in "Car Wash" she is now passionate about Dance. Amber has been on the competition team for three years now. Last year was her first solo "He's a Tramp" a tap number, and also her first duo "Anytime you Need a Friend" with her "big dance sister Liz.
From the moment that Amber competed in her first competition I knew she would be hooked, so it was just a matter of time before the life of just a class or two at the centre would change and boy it has.
Last year was Amber's first duo and solo competition as I said earlier. I will never forget it we were at the Dance Educators of America Dance Competition in Springfield Mass. Our first travel and overnight competition. This was the first time that Amber would perform her solo and a duo for a competition. I was so nervous I remember tossing and turning the night before as she lay sound asleep next to me.
The next morning it was time to do it, make-up check, hair check, costume check, oh and the dog check. The moment that the number and name was called I had tears rolling down my face (hey no one ever said that Dance Moms don't cry) At that very moment I knew that my life had changed for the better, I was an official dance mom. Having it be our first travel competition it was full of fun, trip to the mall with country bumpkins take on big city Springfield, to the centre game Scatagories, hmm met my match on being competitive (Mariel) and well learned that you can only let the Director cheat so much before you have to put a stop to it, and knowing that you can learn a lot about some people by just spending a weekend with them. Thank god no one was killed (right Christi) So now continues my life as a Dance Mom. The stories will get better and well you will just have to stay tuned. Oh and if I can add this is one Crazy Dance Family we belong to but man you gotta love them!

March Showers Bring Spring Flowers Right

Well when I woke up this morning it was grey and yes snowing but the snow quickly changed to RAIN, so the first thing I thought was Great Spring is on the way, I hope anyway. I know that I'm feeling a little big of cabin fever and well Amber told me just today "Mom I'm so sick of this snow, the rain is better see it's making the snow go away." Plus Lauren has not had a chance to walk on the grass, or even on the dirt this Spring is sure to be a real treat for her.
As I walked through the grocery store I stopped and picked up a few green plants to admire and then looked at the tulips and thought maybe my tulips have poked up through the snow that still is about 12 inches in the flower beds. Maybe I need to treat myself to a nice flowering plant to bring Spring into the house or begin a nice through cleaning starting from the rugs to the celling well we will see about that I need some sunny days first.
So untill the sunshines and it reaches close to 50 I guess My sunshine will still continue to be my little ladies that bring the sunshine into my life each day.

It begins. . . . Dance Competition

I love this time of year at the Centre of Movement where Amber had been dancing for the last 6 years, and been on the competition team for the last two. This year is extra special for she is doing her very first solo a tap number call "He's a Tramp" and a duo with her "Big Sister Liz" to the song "Anytime you need a friend"

So this past weekend we headed to Springfield, MA for the first competition of the season. Dance Educators of America were the ones that put this competition on. I was so nervous, because it would be Amber's first solo and duo, and the fact that this would be the first time being away from Lauren even though I knew she was in good hands.
The trip down we crammed three teenagers, an 8 year old and three adults into the Yukon and made a memorable trip to say the least. It was fun to keep the girls laughing I remember what it was like to be 12 and 15 and 16. We well I tried to get the truckers to honk and well I was successfull with two honks all the other truckers were too busy talking on the cell phone and texting and oh yeah reading, how the world has changed so much.

We made some fun memories that night was we explored the city of Springfield and the city bus system, what an experience, for being the only white people on the bus and at the mall they were all very nice and helpful and I think they were talking about us most of the time. Well at least we made them laugh.

The morning would come all too early but I was so excited to see the team perform. Hair, make-up and costume and we are ready to go.Amber's first dance was her solo oh yes.
My nerves were far from calm and as she walked out onto the stage I cried and never stopped until her performance was over she did awesome, we were so proud of her. Oh yeah Matt cried too and so did the stranger in back of me. She was so happy with how she did and I was glad to hear her teacher give her kudos on how hard she worked and that she did great.

After a quick change Amber would be ready for her next number which is her duo with her "Big Sis Liz" They looked great on stage even though the music stopped before their number was finished and Liz being the experienced dancer that she is continued and so Amber followed suite.

Then it was not long and the first round of awards were given out. Amber received a Platinum for her Solo and a special "Broadway Bound" award and for her duo with Liz they received a Gold and a special award.

Amber also performed with her group to the song "Dancing in the Streets" they earned a Gold for that performance. It was a very successful weekend for the whole Centre of Movement Competition Team. Our next competition is only two weeks away and so more practice and perfecting of the the numbers are in order, I hope that next time I wont be as nervous but I can't promice there will not be tears.

A New Year

Well It's a new year and I have some great ideas on staying up to date on my Blog, (I will do ther best that I can) The Holidays have come and gone and it was wonderful I love to see the magic of the season in the eyes of Amber the older she gets the more of the magic of beleiving comes out. It was also Lauren's First Christmas well she had the stomach flu so that was how her first Christmas began she did take a break from vomiting to open her gifts and enjoy them.

But now with the new year I watch my Amber take such pride and acheivement in her dance classes and look forward to a couple of months of dance competitions. She continues to grown into that beatuiful ballerina (I wont push those years)

Lauren started walking a month before she turned on so she is a now a confident little toddler. She had a wonderful birthday with a trip to the Cracker Barrell and her first piece of cake and she is definitly her mother's daughter CHOCOLATE. Also had her family birthday party she is such a people person not afraid of anyone that she has seen at least once. (but she also does make sure i'm not too far from her. She is growing so FAST.

Well January also marked a year since being laied off from work at CMP a year ago I looked at it as a curse and how were we gonna make it with a seven year old and an infant and now I look at it as a blessing, don't get me wrong we have given up on a lot sold the boat and got rid of the car and got one that we did not need payments on. Yeah some meals are just grilled cheese but It's so worth every minute and every dollar that I no longer make.

Being a stay at home mom is a dream come true, I never thought chasing my daughter through the house or rocking her to sleep or even cuddling with her during an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse would make me look at things so diffrently now, I know I can't wait to get Amber off the bus so we can do homework together and play just us girls. It has been such a snowy Winter that I pray for snow days right along with Amber. Even though Summer can't come soon enough and that Spring Vacation as well.

Well I hope that I have caught up with my Blog I have included all the important details and then some so off to try and revamp this site, here are some pictures from the new year.

Where has the time gone. . .

Well it has been a very busy year a lot has happened and as I reflect upon it all I now never underestimate how things just fall right into place, I never saw myself as a stay at home mom and I would not change it for one second of the day, I do miss my adult time but I can have that when I want. It's hard to believe that my little girl is almost one, CRAZY where did the time go. Amber is now in the 3rd grade and is really showing her true colors. We had an awesome Summer with Camping and Beach trips and we had some great times with family and friends a lot to be thankful for. It's only a week away and I will count my blessings once again for what I have been given in my life, Then the hustle and bustle of the holiday's begin. I will and have promised myself to get better at updating this on a regular basis I promice.

Summer begins with my daughters

WOW Summer is offically here and I feel more lucky than ever that for the first time I have the ENTIRE Summer with my two girls. We can go to bed late and sleep in or to bed early and hit the beach the possibilities are endless. I'm so blessed that things have worked out this way and I'm loving it, we have so much planned freom camping to trips to the beach or just a slip and slide in the front yard. LET THE FUN BEGIN and THE MEMORIES MADE!