New food group: food you can cut

I use scissors quite a bit in the kitchen when I'm preparing food - cutting crusts off of bread, chopping up salad stuff more finely, pizza, etc. Parker has picked up the habit. It's so rare that she's excited about food that Bob said "we've got to find more foods she can cut!". Here, she's cutting up pepperoni....the first time she's ever eaten it.

Also, she's wearing her ballet recital outfit from last year, and I've straightened her hair. She loooooooves having her hair straightened. She says dreamily: "I look like Barbie!"

Crafty crown

I had a burst of super crafty energy the other day and made a felt crown for one of Parker's friends. I'm making one for Parker next. I used a tutorial I found on another blog: http://juicy-bits.typepad.com/juicy_bits/2008/09/32-felt-birthday-crown-tutorial.html
But she machine stitches hers.....I did hand embroidery because I knew I couldn't stitch around my flowers as well as I'd like, and once I did that, I didn't want to mix in machine stitches. In the tutorial she uses 100% wool felt - I just used the regular poly kind from Joann's - they didn't have any wool in bright colors. I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I've already started on the one for Parker, but hers will probably have more sparkly stuff on it, as per her request.

Modeling:

Another doll outfit

Here's another one of the doll outfit's that Parker's GiGi (Bob's mom) made for Parker's doll for Christmas. This is her rain apparel. It's a raincoat, boots and hat, all lined with the cutest green ladybug fabric ever.

Homeschool Ballet

Parker has rediscovered ballet this week. It combines all of her favorite things....dressing up, music and dancing. But she has made it clear that she does NOT want to take lessons again, she prefers to just play ballet at home. She knows we'd have to get a new studio (closer) and a new teacher and she's just not into it. But that's fine with me, it's less driving, and more money for my hobbies.
Every day after school, she gets out her ballet bag stuffed with leotards and tights and puts on an outfit and plays ballet student. I got her some books about ballet from the library....she's NOT interested in a DVD of ballet for some reason, I've tried that. Here our typical afternoon.

"I'm looking for moves"

I took a million pictures, hoping to get just a few to be able to share. I've uploaded them all to a web album in case you're interested in seeing the progression of the afternoon. If you play the slide show really fast, it seems like she's moving. Click on the picture below to access the web album:

Homeshcool ballet

It's a snap!

(I hope this video posts properly. I never know until I publish it. )



After weeks of practice, Parker has learned to snap her fingers. She's so thrilled with herself....she wants to demonstrate for us all the time, and she'll just absently snap here and there when she's talking to you.

Next up will be tying her shoes and whistling. She might get the whistling pretty soon, but I'm afraid shoe tying is way down the road.