A star is born

"rule #1 girls...don't touch your hair or your face..rule #2..don't wander off...rule #3..Have Fun!!"











I think Brian was a proud daddy today

mmm loved a little bit maybe??



It almost looks like she planted one on his lips but she didn't. :)






"mommy, enough pictures" Couldn't forget the post dance floofy hair, I loved it!

daddy did a great job of putting her dance flowers in her room


Enjoying our end of the day popcorn per Abigail's request. Movie time with the big showgirl ....ahhh...I don't always throw this word around but this was.....perfection!

Well a year ago Abigail and I ventured out on a mommy daughter date to see a random local dance recital together. We sat through 3 hours of a wonderful show and I just had a feeling that a year later we'd see her on that stage. I promised her in fact that she would be allowed to dance on that stage for all those applauding people. And last night, she did just that. My little show girl shinned every bit as much as I knew she would. I even asked her as we walked into the beautiful old theater if she was nervous..."why would I be nervous mommy??" "sorry dear, silly question!". :)
We took our little muffin doodle to a friends house for the afternoon so we could focus on Abigail's big day. We were the 2nd to get backstage and they had sleeping bags and princess books laid out to keep the girls happy and patient. We donned her ballet shoes and a little more lipstick and she was ready to shine and boogy! We had a good turn out of family to support her, always appreciated. She was the second dance in and she did just incredible. Didn't wobble at all w/ nerves. Her facial expressions were all into her broadway song "shy" by Carol Burnette. It was like she was made to perform, but that's no surprise. We've known that since she was just old enough to crawl up onto an empty stage shake her groove thing until she drew a crowd. We have video proof of that!
After the show was over, we collected our little dancing doll and asked if she wanted to come back that night for the longer evening performance...."Yes Yes!!" she said. So we picked up Chloe and headed to a "pizza store" per Abigail's request. We filled our bellies with pizza and fries then Abigail and I headed back downtown to see the big kids dance. We didn't quite make it through the whole show this year. Abigail insisted we sit only on the front row but still couldn't stay awake through the almost 3 hr program. After intermission, and after she just couldn't hold her head upright any longer I carried her to the car and we headed home. Daddy met us with hugs and popcorn. And after we got all that makeup off her little face and the million bobby pins out of her hair we curled up in bed together to watch a movie. It was such a wonderful day. Everything I'd hoped it would be. As a mom who deep down always wanted to be a dancer myself it's so fun to watch my little girl love it every bit as much and be ...well dern good at it!! Both my girls just wiggle all over as soon as any music is played. They have since they were babies. They get it honest. Brian and I always fill our home with music. We don't clean, cook, primp or party with out it! I don't know if Abigail will stick with it forever but at 4 yrs old she rocked the recital and my chest couldn't contain my big happy heart today!!! Thank you God for giving us little girls!!!

crazy birthday party

You know, sometimes we just have to accept that we come from crazy, and crazy begets more crazy. Our poor children our doomed. Mom had a wild and ....hairy birthday party this year at the local bowling alley. Big shocker the Tates decided to kick it up a notch by wearing silly hats. Like we don't draw enough attention to ourselves when we are out in public as it is!! I remember as a child in theme parks we always got singled out and chosen to go up front because we make the most noise, the biggest scene. Well we had an absolute ball with each other. The kids ate it up and Mom made some wonderful albeit unique birthday memories. We love you Mi-Mi!!

Its so much more then just cake and ice cream now

Tis the season, I'll say. We are hard core into the life of the weekly scheduled birthday party. Thus is the life of parents of school age kids. And not just pin the tail on the donkey anymore. Now it's hay rides and face painting, bouncing castles and theme parties. It's tiring but I must say it's a blast. Abigail has so many sweet classmates in her little preschool we all just bring it out for each other's kids. This week was little Katie. They've been friends since Abigail was 2. The party was at her grandparents house out in ten buck two. The girls had a ball at the princess party complete w/ tu-tus and tiara making. Chloe did her best to keep up, and was a little less then thrilled at the hay ride but I had fun anyway and the scenery was breathtaking. The kids were really only interested in an old donkey named Moe on the way who wandered over to the fence as we pulled alongside hoping for carrots. We party regularly, this month 3 out of the 4 weekends we've had parties to hit. Abigail doesn't mind. My social butterfly is all about any and every thing she is allowed to celebrate, decorate and eat cake for. Chloe, well she doesn't always know what hit her but she holds her own totting along behind her big sister. :)