Dancing Queen

Seoul is into dancing lately. She watched cousin Ella in her dance performance and since then likes to wear her leotard and dance around. When we asked if she wanted to dance on the stage, she answered, "When I'm bigger I can dance. Maybe I will be Tangled when I dance." Uh-oh - high expectations! It's cute to watch her. {I took ballet when I was younger and enjoyed it even though I was shy. I remember one performance at Wait Park here in Canby. We danced with stuffed animals and at one point we all raised them in the air with one leg pointed back. I was the very front of the triangle and I went the opposite direction as all the other kids. Oops!}

 

Here are a few super short clips of her "practicing" for her debut as Tangled.

Videos from Joo Lin's phone 3/26/12

If you're happy and you know it...

Here is one of the many versions of Seoul singing "If You're Happy And You Know It!" Our favorite is when she shouts HOO-RAY!

{Since it's been a couple months, her HOO-RAY has changed so I wanted to document this version}

Video from Kelley's phone 3/28/12

Pics from March... Yes, call me CraZy

Ok, so call me some kind of compulsive but I have this need to post pictures chronologically. That is why I can't just skip over a day in my journal either I suppose. For all the hundreds of pictures I take there are just a few good ones but it makes me nuts to leave them unposted. Plus this is a "scrapbook" for all the fun events to remember so it's unthinkable to skip posting about any, right? Regardless, here are pictures that I never posted from March with a few additional posts since I also like grouping pictures but sometimes that just takes too much time.

{As a side note, I am totally caught up on my journal so now I can concentrate on the blog. Wish me luck in writing every day so I don't get behind again!}

Oh my, I'm such a cute girl...

... gotta love me!

These girls can't get enough of each other. Sometimes Sydney just runs at Seoul and gives her hugs. Other times Seoul is so smothering with her love Sydney just looks at her funny.

Seoul loves to do art projects. She doesn't so much like getting her hands dirty. So here she is finger painting with a craft stick. It kept her entertained so I didn't complain.

Sydney's first finger painting/craft-stick-painting and she had a blast! I only had to stop her from licking the stick once. She was so excited to be just like Seoul.

Need some groceries? I'll take once of each! (see Seoul in the background trying to get into her cart)

I have no words for how much I love this silly little face!

Yes, this is how I found Seoul playing hide-and-seek one day.

She thought she was the funniest thing ever to have gotten in there!

No words necessary.

Crazy girl working off energy after a morning at church.

This was my blessing dress when I was little.

These girls have crazy times together. One of their favorite activities is dancing around the living room.

Running in circles = dancing

The girls love to go to story time, especially when they get to do fun crafts. Sydney is admiring herself the mirror so I couldn't get her to look at me.

When the weather is even remotely good we go out and take walks. Seoul ends up running in front or behind us to be silly and make Sydney laugh.

Sydney's a good sport even though she doesn't stay as warm as we walk around because her lack of movement.

Seoul is dominating the big slides these days. Of course she always likes someone to go with her.

Sydney loves to pick up bark chips. Silly goof!

Ok, two messiest breakfasts: cottage cheese with fruit and oatmeal. Those little bitties end up ALL OVER her clothes!

Seoul loves for her to wear this giant hat. Sydney is a good sport.

This girl and her personality kills me - always silly faces!

Sydney is really getting into books and spends quite a bit of time looking at pictures. She even imitates Seoul and pretends to read each page.

Don't forget a picture of me!

Focused attention. She loves building "towers of terror!" It's so fun to watch the different configurations she creates.

Entranced at story time. Wilsonville has the best story times. This one was three variations on the story of "The Three Bears" - one with kazoos (Seoul's favorite), one with puppets, and one with Star Wars characters & voices.

Love.

Seoul's favorite treat - chocolate vanilla twist with sprinkles, gummy worms, and sometimes strawberries.

Second child. Already loves sweet things. This time it's chocolate pie.

General Conference

I love General Conference when it rolls around every six months. I also love watching it from home with DVR because then I can pause it to meet the needs of the girls. It's such an amazing experience to hear the Prophet and other leaders of the Church teach us. To have my questions answered and feel of the Spirit. Now it's even more meaningful to share the experience with the girls.

This year I did the word game - different bowls of candy for various words. Three kinds to keep it simple, and because Seoul is 3 (her number for everything these days!) Seoul was very excited in the days leading up to Conference because I let her help choose the kinds of candy. She did surprisingly well during all four sessions (when she was awake). She caught a lot of the words and of course loved eating the candy. Sydney loved getting candy when Seoul heard the words.

I also cut out the following activity from the Friend Magazine. There are pictures of the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles with corresponding chairs. I did opt to skip the pulpit this time. Seoul enjoyed identifying the men as they spoke. She did get hung up on the color of the ties and the color of their hair. If they had different color ties on or if their hair was grayer in person than it was in the picture she said it wasn't the same person. Goofball! She definitely knows President Monson and President Eyring. I think she is a little intimidated by President Uchtdorf's name, but I'm pretty sure she knows him.

I hope to instill a love of General Conference in the girls. I love that Seoul already recognizes so much and loves the church music. I think the seeds of a testimony are already planted and they just need to be nourished. She loves going to church and to nursery. She hears various phrases in the talks and prayers and tells me. What a blessing to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

birthday memory

It was a great birthday. Another year older with more reflection and more gratitude for where I am in life. Kelley surprised me with a family dinner at one of my favorite places, Tebo's Restaurant. They have ginormous strawberry shortcakes when local strawberries are in season. It was a treat to go when I was younger. My whole family was able to attend. What a sweet man to plan that along with a great family to come!

Seoul Loves to Help

Seoul is all about helping do so many things. I try and develop this so she continues to enjoy working with me. I've convinced her that she is great at "shining" the floor after I mop [with my Swiffer].

Washing dishes!

She asks to wipe down the table every day.

She makes her own turkey sandwich. She eats so much better when she gets ownership of her food by helping prepare it.

She's figured out how to fold hand towels and wash cloths, and attacks the laundry basket every time I do a load of towels.

Special Persons Day

This year Amanda invited Seoul and Sydney to Special Persons Day at Eccles school. The girls had fun and Amanda's friends thought they were very cute. We visited Amanda's class to see some things she does, had lunch, went to the Book Fair, and played outside for recess. {I remember book fairs when I was little - I would pore over the little catalogs they would send home ahead of time and I'd always get at least a few books.} It was really fun even though I didn't get a lot of pictures.

Milestone

Sydney is now a forward-facing baby! We waited until she was at the upper limits of the infant carrier. The girls love it! She took over Seoul's cushy seat and Seoul moved into the new addition to the car. Both were excited.

The only bummer - her head falls forward when she sleeps in the car.