Happy Birthday Allison

(pictures to be added later. . . .I can't wait to get my computer set-up back to normal).

Allison,

Today, you turned 9. You asked me "exactly when do I turn 9?" Such a 9 year old question, huh? A world full of exactness and right answers. The answer -- at 4:23 pm. You were my middle of the afternoon baby -- my one that didn't make me wait all day or stay up all night. The easiest baby we had in many respects. You were always our sleeper (well, except for about 10 months after we took you out of the crib) -- you came home sleeping 6 hours straight at night. You are unconcerned with schedules, details, and stress. You just are. . . and are so happy to be.

This past year, you matured a lot -- you grew in so many ways. Most importantly, you grew leaps and bounds in your relationship with God. For several months, you asked and asked about being baptized. Coming from a church of Christ background, I felt you were so, so young. But you were persistant, and thought provoking, and determined. How could I possibly tell you that you weren't ready because of your age? After many talks with you, your dad and I gave you our blessing and arranged your baptism. I pray for you that throughout the continuing years, you continue to grow in your relationship with God and you remember those feelings you had so strongly as a child.

Already, I can tell that you are going to be one of God's prayer warriors. You are relentless in your praying -- and you definitely believe that it's okay to pray any where and at any time. I've watched you pray in the middle of getting dressed, while reading, while brushing your teeth, while walking down the hall at school. If a thought is in your head and it needs praying about, you obviously don't hesitate to do so. Your mom would do well to learn from your "drop it all and pray" spirit. Sometimes we laugh -- it's not many kids who'll continue to pray for 3+ years for their dead hamsters, but your prayers are so pure and trusting, it's obvious to see how much you put your trust in God.

I worry often about you being in the middle of Ian and Alaina -- the other 2 are so much more vocal in their own self-confidence. I worry about how to help you develop that confidence in yourself. I need not have worried -- you've grown in so many ways and are proving yourself to be confident as well. You took the TAKS test for the first time this year -- and aced both of them (not missing a question AT ALL!). You've shown strides in staying caught up in your school work (thank goodness the 3rd grade is over! That always seems to be the hardest year around here), and gaining confidence in skills you expressed doubt about. You've made great strides in your dancing -- and was so thrilled to get your 5 year trophy at the recitals this spring. You are controlling your behavior so much better (rarely do we see the long, long tantrums that I used to wonder if you'd ever outgrow).

You are a goal oriented child. If you get something set in your mind, you'll do whatever it takes to get it done. This year, that manifested itself in your desire for trophies. Not sure why you have that desire so badly, but they're definitely important to you. This year, that meant reading 14 books off the Bluebonnet Awards list to earn a trophy -- one of only 8 or so kids in the 3rd grade who did. You've already decided you want to earn a large trophy (reading 20 books) next year. I have no doubt you'll do it. You've even started yourself a notebook to take notes so you'll be prepared to take the book tests you have to take to get credit for reading the books.

Tonight, we went, once again, to On The Border to celebrate your birthday. I think we've gone there since your 2nd birthday (I'll have to look that up and see if I can figure that out). Each year we let you guys choose where dinner will be on your birthday night, and for you it's always the same. This year, we got video of you twirling that cloth napkin over your head, huge smile, with the waitstaff singing to you. If I could ever figure out youtube . . .

I hope for you another year of happiness. Another year of growing and maturing and loving what you do. A year of even more confidence in yourself and the abilities you have.

I hope that you always know how much I love you and how much you were longed for. You were an answer to many prayers and months of waiting. You were the child that taught me that things are done in God's time and in His way, not in my time or on my demands. Allison, I love you -- just because you're you. I love the baby you were, the girl you are, and the young woman you are yet to be. Thank you for teaching me all that you do.

Love, Mom

Sweet and Sassy

I set up a "Fun with Friends" Sweet and Sassy time for Alaina's (now) Brownie troop. They bridged from Daisies to Brownies back in May. I was so pleased that all the girls could come and have a good time together. They got their hair, makeup, and nails done. Alaina picked out some simple little bun thing on the top of her head. . . .took the teen who did her hair about 2 minutes to do the whole thing! She was certainly showing a bit of her Sassy attitude during their "runway show". Typical Alaina.



Allison and my neice Isabel were also with us. We let them get pedicures while the Brownies were doing their thing. Allison looks mad in most of the pictures. She sat with her arms crossed most of the time. She did tell me she liked the pedicure, so I guess now she'll be wanting another. I don't think she knew to expect the foot bath or the leg massage!

Fun was definitely had by all!

Recitals -- photos of Allison

Once again, Allison is in the city ballet corp and in the studio's show company, so she is in all EIGHT recitals! We don't really start summer until the recitals are over this Saturday! However, she did do her 4 class routines and did 6 recitals this past weekend. Once again, pictures have not been retouched at all and are kinda dark. I'll repost lighter pictures as soon as I have the chance to retouch. Just have to get through the assembly of the PTA scrapbook and then I'll have photo/scrapbook time to call my own!

She's really improved over this past year. I don't know if the Disney trip shortly before recitals last year threw her off, or if truly there's been that much of a difference in her dancing over the past year. It will be interesting to see how she does this time next year.

She has been at the studio for 5 years, and received a 5 year trophy this year. She was so thrilled to get that trophy.

The Ballet number was danced to a song called Drumline. I really enjoyed the advanced ballet numbers this year. Many of them were done to songs that you wouldn't normally think of as ballet songs. This was one of them. Some very strong rhythms were in this song and it was faster paced than what you think of as ballet songs.


She's made a lot of improvements on her tapping. She actually looks like she knows what she's doing nowadays! Their song was Hoop-De-Do. And she did quite well. Overall, she looked to the wings very little this recital. I think the ballet and the show co. routines have helped her a lot with that one. She can't be depending on teachers in the wings with those routines.


She danced lyrical this year for the first time. I think that is, by far, her favorite class. That dance was choreographed to the song Don't Look Down. I thought she did fairly well for something that was new to her.


Allison also made great strides in her jazz class. She was a lot of fun to watch this year. They danced to "Sisters" . . . .when she first told me this, I kept saying "Do you mean . ...sisters, sisters, there were never 2 more devoted sisters. . ." from whatever that old musical is (White Christmas possibly?). She kept looking at me like I'd grown a 3rd eye (okay, so it sounds nothing like a jazz routine song, but at the time, I had no clue what class it was for and it was the only sisters song I could thing of.) It was that "sisters are doing it for themselves" song.


Her ballet class danced to Pizzacata Polka. It was some story about solders and fairies (?) fighting. You could see the differences in the way the girls carried themselves, but I had trouble remembering this story as the "soldiers" were dressed in these beautiful costumes as well as the fairies. Allison did have one point in this routine that she did a series of 5 or 6 turns and I thought she did a terrific job at it. I'm going to have to work on getting video youtubed.


Her last routine was the show co. one. They perform the finale at each show and it's usually 5 or so minutes long. This year, they did it to a Dreamgirls medley. Don't the costumes look so dreamgirlish? It's so fun seeing her interact with the older girls. . . and I love it when I hear one of them say hello to Allison. You can see her standing up straighter (with pride) every time one of the girls acknowledge her.