Christmas Entertainment

I love this video both for Brielle's song and Brookie's dancing.

Christmas

I love Christmas and it's even more fun now that both kids know what's going on. This year Brookie knew what was coming and Brielle couldn't sleep the night before. They both got new bikes (well Brookie got Brielle's old one but she didn't care). Brielle got a Leapster Explorer and Brookie got a Baby Alive. They also got some new board games, a marble game, a kid mp3 music player and lots more. It was wonderful and I really should write about it sooner than the end of March, but better late than never.

Brielle's piano recital

Brielle played Christmas Day Secrets and did very well. I can't believe that she is only six and playing this song. She can still play very well by ear and also reads music. Sometimes she just sits at the piano and starts playing songs she can sing. I am alwasy amazed because she is better at it than I am. She doesn't have to stop and figure out the best chords to go with a melody she just plays it. If you sing a note she can hit it immediately on the piano.

She did two recitals this fall. I started her with a regular piano teacher now since she kept arguing with me everytime I sat with her. She would get mad everytime I tired to teach her something saying she could do it herself and then get frustrated when she couldn't. I like her teacher and I teach one of her kids so it's free. Plus she doesn't argue with her teacher and we get along a lot better.

Catch up

The end of November - I have my piano recital. I always try and do it before December because that month is crazy. Brielle played Christmas Day Secrets and all my students did so well that I got teary-eyed watching them all.

Then in the beginning of December Jenny surprised us by being able to fly down from Michigan. Grandma took all the cousins (all 4) to the Aquarium at Arizona Mills. Brooke still talks about it today. Then we had lunch and rode the carousel.

Charlie's Birthday party

I'm moving forward in time and hopefully I'll catch up before Christmas. Charlie's (Charla's youngest and only son)second birthday was in October (or was it November) and at the park. We all had lots of fun with pizza and playing at the park. I love the pictures Bill and Marianne took.

Happy Halloween

I was going to get these up sooner but I've had issues with Picasa. If your account is full of pictures then they don't let you put up anymore pictures in your blog either.

For Halloween Brielle ended up being a cheerleader and Brooke was Tinkerbell. Brielle was going to be Cinderella for a long time. We have a beautiful Cinderella dress just her size that we got from my aunt but when it came time to put it on she said it was too scratchy and wouldn't wear it. Then she realized that cheerleaders wear makeup too and went with that. I guess she just really wanted to wear makeup. Brookie switched all the time from a witch to different princesses. I wanted her to wear this nice Snow White costume we had but she didn't like it and went with Tinkerbell.

There were tons of parties. They went to a dress up birthday party on Friday and then Saturday afternoon a neighborhood halloween party and then in the evening to the ward trunk or treat. Then Sunday we went to my Aunt Carla's house for some soup in pumpkin bowls. Then Chad gave in and took them around the neighborhood trick or treating Sunday evening. I told them no, but I wasn't going to fight all of them.

We still have Halloween candy.

We're Off to Michigan

Jungle Java


Don't touch her pumpkin!













We were lucky enough to get plane tickets from my mom (courtesy of Bruce's points) to go to Michigan over Fall Break. Brielle, my mom, me, and Brookie left Sunday and we got back on Thursday. It was so much fun and I loved seeing Jenny's house and being in Michigan with the changing leaves. Brielle and Calli and Brookie were like the female three musketeers. Isaac played with them when he felt like but mostly just did his own thing. We went to an apple orchard, jungle java, and lots of parks. The weather was almost too warm when we got there but then cooled down. We were all sad to leave.