Dance Recital

I found out there's a reason the dance recital information sheet instructed us to be 30 minutes early.  Of course I found this out when we were NOT early at all, and arrived in a total panic only to realize that we didn't need to do anything except find some seats and sit down. The reason they tell the parents to be early is because they know you have a toddler and getting ANYWHERE early is virtually impossible, so they tell you to be 30 minutes early so that you will simply be ON TIME. And their sneaky little ploy worked out perfectly, since this morning I was up against a defiant young lady who refused to brush her teeth, and ripped off her dance costume about 30 seconds before we went out the door.

She was good through most of the dance numbers considering her group was second to last on the program. (Nevermind the part where she unraveled the hem of her tutu shortly before her turn on stage, and I was forced to cut off a giant piece of satin trim with a box cutter). She even danced in the aisles... (which, unfortunately -spoiler alert - is where most of her dancing occurred today). 

VIDEO: AVERY DANCING IN THE AISLE 

Of course when it was her turn to perform, that was a different story. The parents wanted a group photo of the class standing together backstage and they all obliged adorably:

All except one, that is:

And the rest is history...

VIDEO: AVERY'S FIRST DANCE RECITAL

(If you watch closely, you will see Avery scolding the instructor at about the 27 second mark for wearing her tennis shoes and not her tap shoes like everyone else).

The Fate of the Sticker Chart

I kept finding stickers torn off of Avery's potty chart, and I couldn't figure out why because she gets very excited about getting new stickers for her chart (and finding "matches" with similar stickers that are already up there), so I didn't think she would want to rip them off. 

Then I found some peeking out from underneath the couch. And then I saw the culprit in action.  We live with the devil cat, so I guess it was only a matter of time.

VIDEO: SWEET DEE ATTACKING THE STICKER CHART

Graduation

It's been a long road.  

Josh started studying for his CFA designation shortly after we got married, and began his Master's program at UCI when Avery was only 3 months old.  It seems like I have never had a "full-time" husband in the seven years we have been married!  So yesterday when he received his diploma, I couldn't have been more proud of him.  It felt like everything has paid off, and it's finally over. I'm ready for life to be a little easier now, and I think he is too! (Although I don't think he will know what to do with himself now that he doesn't have case studies to read, papers to write, or study group meetings to attend).

The ceremony was almost 2 hours long, so for those of you who didn't watch it live on the web, I condensed it down for you to the most important part (you're welcome):

VIDEO: JOSH GETTING HIS DIPLOMA

Josh is circled in red below:

These guys were there to support their buddy who was receiving his Bachelor's Degree. 

I loved their signs and I asked them if they wouldn't mind taking a picture with "my" Josh:

I think for most people, it's a sheet of paper, or a stepping stone to the next big thing. And in the past, I have felt the same way about graduations. But yesterday, for some reason it was different. It was about a committed, hardworking 35-year-old dad wanting to do the best he can for his family, seeing things through from start to finish, and about two people supporting each other through thick and thin. Even though it wasn't my own graduation, in a way I felt that it was, just a tiny little part of something I earned too.  I thought back on all the nights I came home alone after work, dragged a newborn baby up the stairs in a carseat, and rocked her in a bouncy seat with my foot while I cooked dinner or pumped breastmilk. All the nights I spent hunched over the bathtub, trying to bathe Avery while combating morning sickness when Josh was at class.  And of course the times that we made fun memories or had family events that Josh had to miss out on because of meetings, homework, or class trips. What I'm trying to say is that I think I cried harder than anyone else in the Bren Center. I assume that when my own kids graduate, they will probably have to remove their hysterical mother from the premises.

Happy Father's Day!

So much to blog about, so little time!

So for now, a quick Father's Day tribute to one awesome Daddy:



A Manicure, a Baby Shower and a Potty Chart

A quick sprinkling of our life over the past couple weeks...

Avery's first mani (by Mommy)

And first pedi (by Daddy):

Josh's father's day present from Avery and me - a mini father/daughter

photo session with Richelle Dante

(more pictures to follow soon after she is done editing them):

Uncle Aaron and Auntie Becky's baby shower for Avery's little cousin,

due to arrive next month:

And best of all - due in large part to Lizzy's efforts (who started potty training Avery on Monday), we are currently on day three with no accidents!  I made this chart yesterday to try to make the whole idea more fun for Avery. I guess you could say it's working, as she seems to be catching on quickly. But I have to admit that I do NOT enjoy anything about this process. The stress of leaving the house with the prospect of her ruining her outfit, creating a huge mess in a store or in my car, and having to haul a bunch of supplies in anticipation of a major clean-up is VERY stressful and honestly I would rather just change diapers. But she's got to start school sometime (preferably by this fall when the baby comes), so we needed to get this show on the road.  And she really is doing great, so I can't complain!