Our Last Few Days

Here are the girls, all ready for the ward Christmas party last week. There was a entertainment group there--all singy and dancey--and Mimi was RIVETED to the stage. There were probably 25 or 30 teens doing a modern version of Lawrence Welk...singing and dancing and acting. Mimi finally ditched us; she found herself a front-row seat and plopped right down and didn't move the entire next hour. Afterwards, the adults were talking and enjoying dessert while all the kids were out causing a ruckus in the halls. When it was time to round up our kids, we found everyone but Mimi, whom we finally tracked down in the Relief Society room with the dancers! They all went there to rest and eat their dinner and socialize after their performance and Mimi zoned in on them and started giving them the rundown: "I like your hair," "Do you wear that makeup all the time?" "Does your mom only let you wear it to dance?" "Do you want to see MY moves?" "Do you go to dance class?" "There aren't any boys in my dance class," "Are those tights just for big girls?" "Where did you get your sparkle dress?" And on & on. The dancers got a huge kick out of her and made a big fuss over saying goodbye to her. What a girly-girl!

So that was last weekend. This weekend was Mimi's Christmas dance recital, which is always a treat. She has been looking forward to it so much and has almost as much fun getting ready for the recital as she does at the recital itself--especially because she is allowed to wear mascara. Here she is before the recital, striking an impromptu pose.

This is a girl who loves to feel glamorous! Which is so funny because Isabelle could care less. Oh, she'll usually cooperate when I get her trussed up for church every week, but really is not into bows and frills. She'd rather "rough you up" (her words) or play Star Wars with her light saber.

Here is Mimi's little Grinch dance. She's the one in the middle with the white bow.


Later that night Mike & I went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert, which was fabulous! I was too far away to capture the coziness of the stage; on either side of the orchestra is a Christmas village, all aglow with lanterns and lights. This is my favorite Christmastime event and I was so happy I was able to go!

The next day, Sunday, Mimi took a very late nap and so was allowed to stay up much later than usual. I had been waiting to show her The Nutcracker, which I have tivo'd, and she loved it even MORE than I had expected! This picture is of her floating and flitting her arms around, ballerina-style. She did this all through the show--she couldn't help herself.

At the very end, she popped up out of her couch nest and began to dance along with Clara. I can't wait to watch her get bigger and see how this part of her personality develops.