Christmas in NY

Ally and I drove to visit my parents and celebrate Christmas with them. Becky is home sick with a cold.

It was a late night drive over after practice, we got here at 1045pm. Ally spent the day in her pajamas. We watched a movie, baked cookies and played games. It snowed all day so before dinner Ally went outside to play in it.

Since the super snowy winter of 2014 Ally says she doesn't like snow. But when it snows she loves to play in it. And eat it.

She told me that pice must have a lot of snowflakes in it. Yum! She said and ate a big bite. Freshly fallen clean white snow is tasty. 

Of course there was gymnastics in the snow.

And we made a snowman!

Selfie with the snowman!!!!

Ally before bed with my mom and dad!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We decorated the tree one Tuesday after school. Tuesday and Friday are Ally's only free days after school. And weekends can get busy.

Ally and Becky did most of the actual decorating. I was shopping on my iPad.

But I did provide my shoulders for Ally to sit on to reach the top of the tree. 

After church one Sunday we took Ally to visit Santa. Becky told her she looked like a model all perfect and posed on Santa's knee. It's a far cry from when she was a baby. Every year we frame her picture with Santa, and all 10 of them are displayed as part of our Christmas decorations. 

The annual un-pageant at church, we were running late and knew we wouldn't get costumes, so Becky made this halo for Ally to wear. 

Ally asked for new matching pajamas with Cloey, and I sprung for Santa hats too. Ally loves it!

Ally wrapped all of the gifts she is giving. She worked hard to make most gifts, and others she picked out.

Wrapping with a pug.

Ally got a new chair for her room. One that anyone can sit in, not just her! And it's fur. She loves it.

Posing in front of the tree.

Ballet - mid year showcase

 

Ally is dancing at a new ballet studio this year. We had to look for a new place, because all of the class times at her old studio conflicted with her new gym's gymnastic practice times. The new place has a larger class of 12 girls which is nice, and its pretty traditional and specific. Ally doesn't seem to love ballet, but she likes it and she knows it helps with gymnastics and she is good at it so that all makes it fun and worth it.

 

This studio doesn't allow parents to watch most classes - there were 2 parent watch days during the semester and at the last class of the term, there was a 30 minute showcase (performance) where parents were invited to come and watch the girls dance. It was very enjoyable.

 

She is a wonderful dancer. After the show the teacher spoke with parents individually for a few minutes - she told us Ally is very talented and a joy to teach. It is always nice to hear such praise for your child. Ally isn't really smiling in these pictures - she has a cold (again) and confessed that she was concentrating hard on not sniffing up or sneezing or coughing. Always a diligent performer.



 

 

 First they showed us several barre exercises. Before each exercise or combination one of the students came forward, introduced herself and said the name of the combination and why she chose it for the showcase.

 Ally introduced the above combination - I do not know what it was but I remember she said she chose it because its really beautiful.

 leaping across the floor

 

I got one smile after the performance.

 

PS - I've been experiencing some blog technology difficulties this Fall which is why I haven't been blogging as much. I do hope that Santa (or Becky) will bring me some help with this in the new year and I can get back to regular blogging. I do continue to take pictures and feel that blogging is the best way to use those pictures. 

Sleep over party!!! 10 years old

Ally had a 2nd party to celebrate her birthday with her school friends. And Stella! 7 friends were invited and all could come:

Willow

Catalina

Daniela

Olive

Maya

Ellie

Stella 

And Ally made 8 that was a perfect number of girls because we had 4 spa stations.

Yes it was a Spa Emoji party:

 

We gave away emoji pillows as a favor.

This is the one that Ally chose.

 

Making emoji faces with Aunt Beth.

 

A few days before Ally assembled the spa bags for each girl:

 

Each girl had a bag with a washcloth, comb, nail brush, nail file, pony tail holders, and a headband. The used these at the spa and then had a bag to take home their spa goodies with!

 

Becky blew up air mattresses for the girls and we stored them on the top bunk:

 

 

 Decorations!

 

Ally set up a candy bar. 

 

 

 

Ally was just a little excited!

 

 

 

What trip to the spa is complete without spa water? Aka water with cucumber or water with lemon.

 

I was the nail technician. Each girl soaked her hands in a bowl of warm water and then I painted their nails. 

Quick dry nail polish helped so much.

 

At the face mask station we had 2 options of homemade face masks. One was oatmeal strawberry and honey and the other was banana yogurt and honey. There were paint brushes to apply it with.

 

Beth brought her essential oil kit and atomizers for each girl to make her own aromatherapy spray!

 

Becky had a make your own lipgloss station in the kitchen. We didn't get a picture of it before hand because we were busy in the kitchen. We used Unpetroleum Jelly (like Vaseline but much safer for kids) and edible glitter dust you can buy at the craft store to decorate cookies and cake. Mix the up together in tiny jars and viola lip gloss! 

The girls ate a bunch of candy and made emoji themed fortune tellers when they arrived. That turned into a fireball eating contest. Then dinner. After dinner was spa time.

Catalina, Ally, Ellie and Daniela took the fireball challenge.

 

 Pretty hot

 

Stella did it too. I love the look on Olive's face behind Stella. She refused and so did I.

 

Ohh it's hot!!!

 

The heat finally got to Daniela. She lasted the longest.

 

Dinner was pasta, rolls, the awesome veggie platter Aunt Beth put together, chips and salsa and guacamole. 

After dinner the girls went to Ally's room while Beth and Becky and I cleaned up and set up for the Spa to begin. The girls were so excited. Ally had set up slips of paper with color codes for everyone to pick out of a bucket and get matched with a spa partner. The girls are such good friends that no one even complained.

Spa Emoji opened:

 

Ally chose to go to the facial and relaxation station first. So she and Catalina put on their face mask and laid down on air mattresses with cucumber over their eyes. Beth found some relaxing music and had that playing in the living room. 

When time was up the girls washed off the masks and moved on to the next station.

 

 Ally and Cata were very relaxed.

 

Daniela and Ellie loved the warm water finger soak. That was Ally's idea and she insisted on it and her friends loved the way the warm water felt.

 

Olive and Willow trying out scents for aromatherapy.

 

Stella and Maya getting ready for lip gloss.

 

Willow showing off her aromatherapy.

 

Ally and Cata were hard at work decorating their lip gloss containers.

Ellie and Daniela relaxed.

 

 Then it was Ally's turn at aromatherapy.

 

More lip gloss making, Olive and Willow here.

And my last two spa guests at the nail station were Ally and Cata. 

 

Beth posing with Ellie and their atomizers while Daniela looks on.

 

After spa it was cupcake time! We served the same ones as at the party the day before. 

 

 

The girls were laughing and having so much fun. It was great! 

 

After cupcakes it was time for a movie. They watched Princess Protection Program and ate popcorn.

 

I lightened up the photo so you could see everyone. They pretty much slept like this too. 3 girls on couches and 4 on air mattresses. Willow went home after the movie.

After the movie they played:

 

Would you rather..:

Be invisible or fly?

Always feel like you have to poop or have bread breath?

Live where it's always cold or always hot?

I had prints out about 40 questions and they took turns asking them out loud. While this was going on Beth and I brushed out everyone's hair to be knot free for bed. Teeth were brushed and at 1130 it was lights out. 

They fell asleep around mindnight and were awake around 630/700am.

Next post will be morning! 

Huge shout out and thank you to Beth for coming. She has never missed a birthday party, and always is such a huge help. We are so lucky to have her. 

Thank you! #1 Aunt!!!