Close call!!

Last week we had a MAJOR thunder storm and it was crazy out there!!!  Michael happened to be home (thank goodness because the dog is SOOOOOO scared of storms) and all of a sudden there was a HUGE BOOOM BOOM like two cannons got shot off in the back yard.

 

It turns out the neighbors palm tree took a direct hit of lightening!   Our tree is on the right, his tree is on the left.

 

We didn't actually notice until Sunday, the storm was on Friday.

 

 

As the week progressed the tree was really in bad shape :(

 

 

 Then I happened to see this....

 

 

They came to cut it down, there was no hope it would grow back.

 

Going.....

 

 

Going....

 

 

Gone!

 

 

I was driving down the street and saw our back yard neighbor walking his dog so I slammed the brakes on to talk to him.  hee hee.  He said that they had some Spanish ornament type things hanging on the tree and the lightening completely shattered them, he said there was glass all over the yard from it. 

 

We are all so thankful that no one was hurt!  It did knock out their phones, our alarm panel and system (which has been fixed already), it also knocked his next door neighbor over...literally it made the man fall down :(  but no one got hurt.  So I guess I'll appreciate my tree for awhile since I guess it's now our official lightening rod....

 

The picture below on the left was two days after it was hit and the right was four days after that.

 

 

That was a close call.

How ironic is this.....

I am on the hunt for a new dance studio for Mikayla.  We had a fine experience where we were, we just want more....

 

So Katie recommended two others to me and it turns out that one of those, another friend from Little Flowers, her daughter goes there.....

 

and it just so happens that this past weekend was their recital and she had 2 extra tickets...we decided to go - number 1 to see our friend dance and number 2, I wanted to see the outcome of a years worth of work.....

 

SO.....

 

I know, I know, it's not too ironic so far, huh.....

 

WELL the ironic thing is this.....  This is her costume from one of the dances.

 

 

 

And this is one of my costumes from the mid 1980s

 

 

and here is Mikayla wearing it for play/dress up

 

 

They're almost the SAME!!!!  All of these years later, guess the classics are still around!!!!!  Ironic huh!!!

Cut it off....

Well Mikayla has been BEGGING me to give her a hair cut...not just a trim but a CUT!  waaaaaa  I don't want to do it.... I was able to stall her long enough so that I would know what to do with it for her dance recital.  However, this is progress - I didn't cry when cutting it this time.... I am in mourning though. I smile and say how much I love it and I do love it...I just love it more when it's longer.

 

But there was no more stalling, no sense making her live with the long hair that I wanted when I was little and I seriously LOVE doing her hair every day *sigh*.

 

She's growing up on me.... :(

 

So we're all ready now.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is SOOOOO in love with her new do..... Every time we're in the car... she has the mirror down to look at it! She is SUCH a darling about it!   

 

 

So this time it wasn't quite long enough to donate it.... we cut off about 8 inches.  That means that not counting trims, we've cut off over 3 1/2 feet of her hair!!!!  WHAT!!!  that's kind of crazy!  (plus, who would know that...... hope I'm not weird for knowing that........)

 

Quick recap of our over 3+ feet of hair.....  hair cut #1 before and after

 

 

 

 

 

 

haircut #2 before and after

 

 

Haircut #3 - before and after

 

 

 

 

 

And now....this cut #4  before and after

 

 

 

I think she is Rapunzel after all!!!

 

Summer T-shirts

We have had so much fun "designing" and "making" some of Mikayla's t-shirts this summer.  We try to do a few each year and this year was no exception.  It was SO fun on the first go around, we had to go buy more blank shirts (for the very expensive price of $2.49) so that we could make some more. 

 

I had a bunch of iron on critters in my stash so we cut some out, moved them around, placed them exactly where she wanted them.

 

Then much to my dismay, she wanted to do it!  UGH what is going on around here (just kidding) she loved doing it. I was there too teaching iron safety (granted she's ironed her uniforms and stuff before but this was a bit different because it goes against everything I said before about not leaving the iron in one spot too long). 

 

 

  

 

 

 

The Hoot below.... we ironed it on then used fabric markers to color in some of it.

 

 

The two below, I bought some cricut vinyl and oh my gosh, it is the MOST amazing product EVER!!!  I won't ever cheat on that brand again (well for iron on anyway), the quality of it is second to none!!!  So I cut these out on cricut and we ironed them on.

 

 

 

Only one shirt left to do..... hummmm what shall it be?

The Big Dance Recital

Mikayla had her big dance recital on Saturday. Let me tell you it was a LONG day, we were at the auditorium at 8:45 am, left around 12:30, back at 6:15 and left around 10:00 pm.... long day!  It was fun though.

 

Here are a few pre recital pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously fun costumes!  :) 

 

Here is a little back stage waiting.

 

 

 

First rehearsal on the big stage. 

 

 

 

They said to apply her make up and if it looks good in the mirror, it's not on thick enough!  I think I came through.  Seriously - she does NOT look 9 to me when she's all made up like this.

 

 

 

 

 

Show time!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly the grand finale!

 

 

 

I do have to say this was the most smoothly executed recital ever!!  There were 42 classes performing and backstage there was no stress, rushing, pushing.... nothing!  They had it all very well in control and everyone was exactly where they were supposed to be!  It was an amazing experience being handled like that! The kiddos all did a great job too!

 

Whew!  Another thing finished for this year.