date with Katherine

We started a tradition that we do a date once a month with each child. At the end of the year, I'm going to make a book for each child with all their dates in it. Todd and I switch taking the boys and girls (Abbie will go when she's a little older) each month. The day of the month of their birth is their "special day", but a lot of the time we go on a date with them on another date if we're going to a concert or something like that.

Right now Katherine is REALLY in to dance. I read her the book "Tanya likes to Dance" that we got at the library, and then I showed her some videos on Youtube of ballerinas and she was just mesmerized and always asked to watch the ballerinas on the computer. Then she started to dance. We got the DVD of the Nutcracker ballet on Netflix (and still haven't returned it. I think we'll need to buy it) and she watches that 24/7 and tries to copy what they do. One day I took her to get her own ballet slippers and dancing clothes and found that they have a Mommy and Me dancing class for her age at a dance studio by our house. Ever since then, she lives for that dancing class, and dances 24/7. I took her to the Nutcracker ballet, and she was enthralled for the entire 2 hour performace! So for her date this month (January), I took her to a dance concert "Carnival". It was really good and Katherine was so happy to be there. It was late- it didn't start until 7:30, and ended about 10pm, so I kept asking her if she wanted to stay or go home, and she always said, "stay and watch dancing!" We sat in the front row. In between each number, while they were getting ready for the next dance, Katherine kept saying, "watch more dancing!" It was a lyrical/interpretive dance so it wasn't the ballet she was used to. During the intermission she was just talking, talking, talking and she said they were "twirling and shaking". Close to the end Katherine got out of her seat and danced in the front while she watched, and at one point she reached her arms toward the dancers on the stage. In one number, they had little girls probably 3-6 years old or so, and her eyes got so wide and she said, "I want to dance on stage!!" She kept asking if she could dance on the stage so I told her at the end she could. So at the very end, as people were leaving, I let her get on the stage and dance around. Before we got in the car, she played in the snow a little. My mom said that when I was her age, I loved to sing and dance too. I don't know if she'll stick with dancing as she gets older, but I am glad that she has the personality of getting really into things like I do. She is a lot like I am so far.

 Before we went to the dance show, we got ice cream at Cold Stone. She chose bright blue ice cream with sprinkles and gummy bears:

Katherine with her dance program:

Dancing during intermission:

Do you see the little silhouette of the head with pigtails reaching over the stage at the dancer?

Dancing on the stage at the end:

Playing in the snow:

A very tired girl on the drive home:

Here are some pictures Jane took of Katherine dancing that I LOVE: