Dancing Queens

Sophie just finished her very first recital for a dance class. This was her costume (minus one bow on her shoe) and she loved it!

These 10 girls were all adorable and became good little friends with each other. It makes me want to make Sophie take the next class in the summer so she can stay with them, but she wants to try gymnastics now.

The dance they did was called "Yes, I Am a Beautiful Baby!" and Sophie always thought that was such a funny name since they're not babies (as she emphatically told me). One day she finally said to me, "Mama, I think it should be 'Yes, I Am a Beautiful Big Girl' " and I agreed, so she was reconciled to it at last.

After their dress rehearsal earlier in the week the girls had a little party to celebrate, and they got all decked out.

Sophie was front and center for the actual performance. She did such a great job. I worried she would get stage fright and forget the moves or refuse to dance at all, but she didn't. She danced her little heart out and had a fabulous time.

She kept reminding me that she was supposed to smile the entire time, and that's what she did.

I loved their little bow at the end! That's Sophie's teacher, Ms. Paula, in the back. She can be a little strict, but the girls love her. I'm so glad Sophie's first experience with any kind of class was such a positive one and hope that she always loves to dance, on or off the stage!

Let's Try This Again

Let's see if I can be even more vague. (Sorry if the last post confused anyone.) If you ask Avery what she wants to be for Halloween, she'll answer "A big sister."

That isn't completely accurate, of course, because she won't quite be one by Halloween, but a couple weeks after should make her officially a big sister.

My due date is November 19th and we're all very excited. The girls came with me to my appointment last week and heard the baby's heart beat. Their jaws both dropped and they stared, speechless and gaping at me, for at least 30 seconds (unheard of) until Sophie finally commented, "It's so fast!"

We don't know what it is yet, but the girls are both hoping for another sister, and to be honest I'm just preparing myself for that as well. It would be easier since I already have everything for a girl! (Everything but a name, that is.) We have the boy name and would love a boy, but we're truly happy with either. Hooray for babies!

Happy Mother's Day!

I want to wish my Mom and Mother-in-law, two of the greatest women and mothers in the world, a very Happy Mother's Day tomorrow.

Speaking of mothers, wanna see what I'm working on this Mother's Day?

Hooray for being a mom! I love my girls so much and am so grateful for those who have made me a happy mother. Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!

The LA Zoo

I finally made it with the girls to the LA Zoo. We went on a beautifully sunny day last week with a friend from MOMS Club and had a fun time.

The girls could have stared at the flamingos all day. Sophie couldn't get over how they could just sleep on one leg and twist their head all the way around to rest on their back as they slept.

Am I the only person who thinks the zoo is the worst place to try to take pictures of your children? Of course they NEVER want to turn around and look at you and the camera when the action is the other direction, but that's the only way to get them and the animals in the pictures together. So this is the best I got.

Therefore, the rest of our pictures are either just kids or just animals, or backs of kids' heads with animals, which isn't my favorite. The other favorite animals of the day were the giraffes. You forget just how tall they are until you get up close to one, or see it standing right next to a measuring pole.

I read somewhere that many giraffes have their babies standing up, so a baby giraffe's first introduction into the world is a several foot drop to the ground. That doesn't sound cool. But they seem to get over it. And they really are so pretty.

The girls also loved watching the gorillas, especially the one that clapped along with them. We had a fun day, even if I got to push a heavy double stroller up and down hills for several hours. It was a good workout, and heaven knows I could use more of those. :)

Random Jensen Happenings

We finger painted with something a little different recently. The girls are used to painting with real paints, and usually their bodies see more of the paint than the paper does. Well, this time we mixed it up a little and finger painted with pudding.

Sophie did really well at using her chocolate and banana pudding to create a cool-looking tree before she ate much of it.

But as soon as Avery discovered that I would let her eat this kind of "paint" and that it tasted really good, the only thing she painted was the inside of her mouth.

Sophie doesn't draw much and has never been all that interested in coloring, but she was really into it when the only medium was this gooey stuff and her fingers.

The girls love the park. I wish we had a swing set of our own in the back yard. (someday--sigh!)

Avery is my swinging girl. She would swing the entire time we're at the park if I'd let her. And she doesn't sit back in the swing like normal. Ever since she was 6 months old and we stuck her in one, she's always leaned way forward and hung like a rag doll while I push. I love that she still does it a year and a half later.

Sophie loves it when I'm on my computer and she can sit next to me on daddy's computer and "type an email". She knows most of her letters and loves it when we open up a word document and she can find the letters on the keyboard and type them onto the page. For some reason her favorite letter to find is a Q. And don't mind my nice jewelry with my robe. I spend most of my day at home in this robe because I'm always cold. I think this was after church one Sunday and I just threw my robe on over my church clothes. Joseph loves the eclectic look that always produces, but hey, it keeps me warm!