Christmas 2010

We had a wonderful family Christmas in Iowa!  I have lots of pictures to show you but dad needs a couple of days to get them all organized.  Here's a nice overview video of our Christmas Eve, including the 6 inches of magical snow that fell that day.  Enjoy!

Cuddling with Grammie

I love hanging out with Grammie!  She and I are planning a get together to give mommy and daddy a "time out".  I will stay with Grammie and watch TV and they can go to a movie.  Sounds good to me!

New Trundle Bed

We got this a few weeks ago and I sleep on it every night, usually with Skye.  I love it!

Yep, that's the game ball!

Daddy and I went to the Iowa- Northern Iowa basketball game on Tuesday night.  In the middle of the second half, the referee walked up to me and handed me the game ball!  He said, "Can you hold onto this for me for a minute?"  Sure, no problem!  I held onto that beautiful hunk of leather for dear life as the players rested for a time out.  When the game started up again, I tossed in the ball!  Cool, huh?

The game was really cool.  We sat right on the court, next to the cheerleaders, and in front of the student section.   There was always so much going on!  I got to high-five Herky a few times and even gave him a peck on the cheek!

Here are some more pictures from the game.  I grabbed the camera from daddy and took some pictures myself.

 I'm ready for it to start!

 UNI Team during the National Anthem (I took this photo)

 We got to sit right up front!

 Basketball can be so intense!

 Yay, Herky!

 Self portrait- I took this one!

I liked this cheerleader- I took this one and several others like it!

Check out this video of me dancing:

Helping Grammie

Grammie has been in rehab for a couple of weeks, recovering her strength in her legs.  Camryn has moved in with us for now.  She is more energetic than our dogs but she's generally pretty sweet.  It is funny to watch her and Skye chase each other.  One of my favorite things to do is go over to Grammie's rehab hsopital and sit with her and Camryn and watch TV.  I will be going tonight and I can't wait!  I like to do it becuase it makes Grammie feel better and helps her get better!

I also saw the Nutcracker Suite yesterday!  It was so cool!  I sat entranced for whole show.  Even at the end, when I was getting so tired I was goofy, I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful ballerinas.  I want to dance in the Nutcracker when I grow up!

Daddy has a surpise for Mommy and I for Christmas- he bought a DVD copy of Fantasia (both the original and the 2000 version!).   I am looking forward to watching the Nutcracker suite scenes with the dancing flowers and snow faries!

Check out this link!  Fantasia scenes on You Tube

Eastern Iowa Road Trip

 No school today! We had to do something, so daddy took me on a short road trip to Dubuque and the Mississippi River museum.  I was so excited I woke up early and asked, "when are we going to the aquaurium?"  Daddy had to explain that the museum doesn't open at 7 am so I could go back to bed.  I didn't.

 Here I am at the museum.  They had a real alligator!  But it was kind of scary.  This stuffed alligator was much more friendly.  Other animals included turtles, sea snakes, really big catfish, and even a shark.  I also saw indian artifacts, lots of steamships, and quotes from someone named Mark Twain.  Daddy was pretty excited about the quotes, but I wasn't impressed. 

After the museum, we went to McDonald's for lunch and got to play in their really cool playground.  I also got a digital watch in my happy meal, which made me pretty . . . uh  . . . well, happy. 

On the way home we stopped in Wilton, Iowa, home of the oldest Candy Store in the US.  They've been in business since 1860 and has been owned by the same family since 1905.  Daddy had a vanilla malt (it was very good, I tried some) and I had a reese's peanut butter cup (which happens to be daddy's favorite candy). 

Swim Lesson

I had my first swim lesson last week!  My teacher's name is Sophia!  Yes, almost the same as mine!  We have now started doing swimming on top of my other activities.  For those of you keeping track that makes three now: gymnastics, ballet, and now swimming.  I love it but daddy says he gets worn out taking me around to all these events.  I can't wat for more!  What's next?  Ice skating?  Soccer?  Art classes?  When I get a little older I want to try horseback riding and taekwondo.  What do you think, Sophie fans, what should I add next?

Chicago Road Trip to the Dino Museum!

On Saturday the family went for a one-day trip to Chicago!  We left early in the morning and we dropped off mommy so she could get her hair done.  Then daddy and I went to the dinosaur museum, also known as the Field!  It was very cool. 

When we walked in, daddy asked if I wanted to see the "real" dinosaurs.  Of course I said yes!  I didn't realize that the real dinos that move and roar are actually really scary.  I hid my face and asked to leave.  But daddy showed me the little baby dinosaurs hatching (the first picture) and I thought that was pretty neat.  I didn't want to have anything to do with the the actual T Rex, above.

We got upstairs to see the dinosaur bones and that was MUCH better!  Dinosaur skeletons are NOT scary and I really liked learning how to pronounce their names.  Here I am with a Stegasaurus!  Thanks for a great Chicago trip, mommy and daddy!

Dancing!

On Friday evenings through the end of October, the Cedar Ridge winery has live music and yummy food.  On the Friday before Halloween, daddy, Grammie, and I went to winery and had meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.  There was a man playing a guitar and singing Beatles songs.  It was great!  I kept dancing the whole time.  I wanted daddy to throw me in the air and spin me around.  It was very cool.

The next morning, I went to ballet class and danced with my friends Reagan and Katie I.  Here's some pictures:

It's Halloween Day!

We just had Halloween.  Here's daddy and Skye showing off her costume as a pretty ballerina

Skye wasn't very happy about her costume, but she was a good sport about it

I think she looks very pretty!

For trick and treating, daddy took me over to my friend Clare's house.  She's the one in the butterfly outfit.  Her neighbors Isabelle (bee) and Olivia (ladybug). 

I joined these bugs as a tulip! 

After trick or treating, which was totally awesome, I went back to Clare's house to play

Here we are reading a book together in her room.  Pretty cool!

And here I am playing dress up with her stuff.  A costume on top of a costume!

A Movie on the Lawn

Daddy had his residents over for a special event at our house.  We spent the afternoon cleaning up and setting up some games.  That's me in the knit hat picking up a horseshoe

The special event was a movie on the lawn.  From the day we moved in to Lakepointe, daddy looked at our gently sloping, curving lawn and knew it was perfect for a movie ampitheatre.  With the help of his residents, he got this giant inflatable screen and a cool sound system.

 Daddy's friends started to arrive along with their children.  Our neighbors came over too!

Here's the party about to start!  We also had a fire pit and a popcorn machine!  We watched the pixar movie Up!  It was great- a cool movies with funny doggies and a house that flies.  When it got cold, daddy and I made hot cocoa for everyone.  I can't wait to do it again!

Bloomsbury Farms

Reagan's mom had the great idea to go to Bloomsbury Farms, a pumpkin patch and corn maze near Cedar Rapids.  It was great to see Reagan and my other friend Edison again.  We played all day and I had so much fun!

They had a giant pit full of corn kernels.  Amazing!

Here's me and Edison and Reagan getting lost in the corn maze

I wanted to ride the horse but daddy insisted I only sit in the sled.

I want the gatorade!  No!  I want it, No! I want it!

This was a giant jumping trampoline!  Reagan and I could do that for hours!

We had a moster of a good time!

Cool tire hideout!

Great idea for a outing, Reagan!

Look!  I can make a corn angel!