Day 5: Pirate Adventure

Port of Call: Puerto Vallarta!
This is the excursion we were planning since the day we booked the trip!
When John and I were in Puerto Vallarta last time there were 2 excursions that we were torn between, the "Rhythms of the Night" and the "Pirate Adventure." We wished we could do both, but they overlapped, so we ended up choosing the Rhythms of the Night which was super fun, exciting, and romantic and it's one of our favorite memories! We were so glad we chose it then and we would love to do it again one day... turns out it was the best choice when we were just a married couple (being romantic)...  but with kids the perfect choice was the Pirate Adventure- we wanted to do it before, and we had heard it was amazing and perfect for families- so we KNEW this one had our name all over it!
We even brought pirate costumes from home to wear especially for the occasion- and boy was that a hit with EVERYONE too! We heard, "It's the Pirate Family" all cruise long after that, hehe!

The Marigalante

As we headed to our excursion, and left the gangway, we were greeted again by our friends the cruise photographers- and they even had a real parrot that we got to hold perched on our arms- Maletch thought that was SUPER cool! 

This 6 hour adventure included a 2 hour boat ride on a pirate ship to a gorgeous secluded private beach Majahuitas Beach (which is only accessible by boat). We were treated to a very entertaining "Pirate Show" complete with special effects and more! We also danced to fun music and were served unlimited drinks (full open bar- woot) for the entire day. We were assigned our own personal pirate named "Barracuda" who was our friend and personal waiter the entire day! He brought us so many Pina Coladas and Rum & Cokes- that we never even asked for! We were never thirsty, we always had a collection of drinks around us, hehe! He was super fun and attentive! He gave the kids face pirate tattoos, and had a sword fight with Maletch- just FUN!!


Sariah and the Speedboat Story:
Since the pirate ship could not pull all the way in, we had to tender in on pangas (speedboats). Once we got to the beach, (well almost)... you see, rather than pulling up to the dock, (there was no dock) so the speedboat can not go ashore. It stops in the crashing surf, and that's as far as it will take you- "Okay get out in the water- watch out for the waves!"- haha! Right as I see Sariah's face get nervous, she said, "Mommy this is not right, this is not right!" You know she is an expert at tenders now, she's been on and off of them in Cabo- she knows the deal- "where's the dock?"
Just as I was about to reassure her that everything was going to be okay, this large lady next to us- jumps out (at the wrong time) and gets clobbered by a HUGE and POWERFUL wave- flipping her upside down- her feet flying all crazy... and all I could think was great- why did you have to do that right in front of Sariah right now?? LOL! Sariah went into a full blown panic and I can't hardly blame her after watching that! She started pleading/repeating "no, no, no" but I knew if she saw anyone ELSE get clobbered I could count on her firmly gluing herself to the speedboat- so I acted swiftly.
I picked her up, calmly looked in her eyes, (while she was yelling "no") I said, "Mommy has you, I promise we are going to be fine" and I relied on my years of body surfing- I watched the waves and I jumped overboard practically holding her over my head- I knew I had to stick my landing which was much harder in the super rough surf, while holding a heavy child in the air- but I could not let her fall or even let water touch her. I ran her to the sand, and she was instantly relieved and happy! She quickly became comfortable playing in the water and she had ZERO worries when it came to boarding the speedboat in the water at the end of the day.
I will always remember the way Sariah said, "this is not right" because I could tell she wanted me to "straighten out" the boat driver, like, "hey take us to the dock- hello - we are in the middle of the water here- we are not jumping in the middle of the ocean!" haha- and the look on her face when that lady fell- her expression- priceless!!


Majahuitas Beach (so secluded- more like an island)


Once we got to the beach, we were provided unlimited use of all of the beach toys you could possibly think of: boogie boards, kayaks, banana boats, snorkel equipment and more!
Funny, while we were all playing in the water, Barracuda showed up handing John and I cocktails in the water! I love that pirate! When you are standing in the beautiful crystal clear water playing with your kids, watching them laugh their heads off while you are sipping a cocktail- you do start to think- "Could this day get any better?" We knew to be careful drinking in the sun though, so we just sipped slowly, HA! The day did keep getting better too!

The pirates led the kids on a treasure hunt where they found a treasure chest full of chocolate gold doubloons.
The ride back we were served lunch by Barracuda (lunch was cooked in the restaurant below decks). After lunch, more fun dancing and games! Another fun and memorable day!

Below is a VIDEO from our Pirate Excursion...





Still to add:
**hermit crabs and jellyfish**

Day 6: Private Photo Sessions MORE

Kids Club Activities

First thing after breakfast, the kids went to Kids Club for a few super fun activities during the day. They had a pirate party and a dance contest. Sariah WON the dance contest- woot! Check out her award!

 They came back with these fun pirate masks too!

Battleship on a cruise in formal attire? Yep!

Later in the day (in between our photo shoot sessions), we went back to Kids Club which was opened to parents for a "Family Fun Hour." This was among the few times that parents were invited inside, most of the time it was kids only- (parents prohibited for safety). Normally parents sign their kids in and out from behind the locked gate. The kids loved the opportunities that we were allowed inside (they loved showing us around).
It was also among the few times that it was "free choice" play rather than a structured activity. When we asked the kids what they wanted to do, they chose to play the game "Battleship."  Although we do have that game at home, we've never played it- so their choice surprised us. It was fun teaching them a new game and they liked it a LOT. Maletch said "we should get this game for our house," they were stoked to find out that we already had it at home! The day after we got back from the trip, they raided our game cabinet to find it, hehe!

 While we were out, we let the kids choose their 2nd Build-a-Bear "outfit".... so the "Reindeer Princess" got a makeover when we got back to the room. She became the "Reindeer Hula Girl" while the former "Surfing Calico Cat" changed into the "Calico Fishing Cat."

2 private sessions with Matyas
Second Formal Night
Other Portraits
Family Comedy Show

Dinner: Entertainment was to the song "Gangnam Style"
Here is a VIDEO of the kids dancing....



Here are some VIDEO clips from after dinner, including mommy and daddy dancing too- HAHA!



Below were two regular portraits we took (not from the private sessions)

 All of the photographers are amazing! Alex took these!

We all "partied" that night!

After dinner, more portraits and the family comedy show, the kids went to Kids Club where they attended special late night parties! Maletch went to the "Rockstar Party" and Sariah went to the "Night Owls Party." Their parties both went until 1:00am - DANG! Our kids sure know how to par-tay!
John and I went dancing at Frankenstein's Lab. We ordered two of my Tropical Islands and hit the dance floor! It was our 10th anniversary and we had a blast!

Towel Animal:
This might have been our favorite towel animal of the cruise. Maletch votes this one for sure! Who doesn't love frogs?

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Day 7: Talent Show, Comedy Show, and MORE!

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Final Rehearsals and Talent Show:
Maletch breakdanced to "Everything is Awesome"
Sariah danced ballet to "My Girl"


Although this was not a formal day, and I had casual clothes laid out for everyone, Sariah said, "I should wear my pink dress for the Talent Show!" I asked her if she was sure since we were not going to wear our "fancy" clothes like her. She was sure! She LOVES that dress, I don't think she really ever wanted to take it off, hehe! Who can blame her, it's poofy, sparkly, twirly and she says it makes her feel like a princess! Of course she can wear it again!

Art Auction: We went to an art auction in hopes of finding that elusive perfect painting we've been looking for (for over the love seat) in the formal living room. We enjoyed looking at the artwork in the gallery (we saw some interesting pieces), but we didn't see anything in the gallery that we wanted to bid on- so we ducked out early.



Maletch Comedy Show

I love this picture! Sariah looked so cute holding daddy's arm!

The comedian had Maletch on stage for 30 minutes doing a Q&A "the funny things kids say"

He asked a series of serious questions and Maletch's answers brought the house down. (I'll upload a video)

A few funny quotes from the show:

Comedian: "So how long have your parents been married?"

Maletch: "A long time."

Comedian: "How long is a long time do you think, in years?"

Maletch: "Like 100"

Comedian: "100 Years? Wow, your mom looks good, your dad too- married 100 years!"

A few questions later (both other kids got this wrong):

Comedian: "I'll bet you'll know this... who is the president of the United States?"

Maletch: "Obama." (crowd was impressed he knew and applauded)

Comedian: "So let me ask you this, do you think your dad voted for him?"

Maletch: "No." (lots of laughter)

Comedian: "You mean to tell me, your dad who's married 100 years, works for the army and flies planes voted for Mitt Romney?"

Maletch: "Yes." (comedian in disbelief, we nodded to agree with Maletch and the crowd erupted in cheers)

A bit later:

Comedian: "Okay if you could be president of the United States, what's the first thing you would do?"

Maletch: "Check the money."

Comedian: "What do you mean check the money? Like would you see how much money there was?"

Maletch: "Yes."

Comedian: "Then what would you do with the money?"

Maletch: "I would buy something." (the crowd exploded laughing)

Comedian: "That should have been Romney's campaign... (crowd laughing hard)... he continued "Romney should have said, if I'm elected president, I'll buy you something... maybe he would have won."

After the show, everybody started calling Maletch "President Maletch!"

"Hey there's President Maletch" and everybody shook his hand- it was cute!

This is the comedian after the show

That evening the Kids Club had a Farewell Party. John and I made good use of that time, we had an appointment to meet with Matyas to look over the proofs....

He had a stack of 55 (8x10's) printed out AND he also put a beautiful book together for us to look at too!
Not only is he a fantastic photographer, but he was fun to work with too! My favorite "line" of his: first he would have me pose individual, then when he wanted John to join, he would say, "now attack tiger!"- haha- I love that guy! We hope to work with him again someday!


Here are a few of the proofs we sat down to view....

OMGosh can you even stand it?? John and I love this picture!

Can you believe these are just a few... I will put more in a slideshow!



Dinner: Entertainment was staff singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane" (upload video soon)

Goodbyes:
Since we don't believe in saying goodbye when we don't want to, we chose to say "see you later" to some of our new friends.

These 2 guys are the sweetest guys EVER! They were who Sariah called "the 2 funny guys" and we all looked forward to seeing them all around the ship everyday! We were so sad to say goodbye to them on our last night!
They gave Sariah a gift (a travel coffee mug, which has a photo holder inside)- and they told her to put (this picture) of them together in it - so she could always remember them and see them- aren't they sweet? We are keeping in touch with them! Maybe someday we will cruise with them again! 

Towel Animal:
We weren't sure exactly what kind of bird this was supposed to be, but we think its cute! Every time we tried to guess, we knew we were wrong - any guesses??

Day 8!

 Pulling into Long Beach in the morning (taken from our balcony)

 The Queen Mary which normally looks huge, looks small compared to the Miracle

Not ready to go back home!
If you are thinking, "I am overdue for a vacation"... you should book a cruise! It will definitely recharge your batteries and you'll create unforgettable memories while having the chance to experience adventures beyond your imagination!


Here are a few of our highest "Recommendations and Suggestions" if you plan to take a cruise!....



If you have kids- bring them! You will want to share your unforgettable adventures and memories with your kids! No need to bring a babysitter either- there are plenty of kid's activities at Kids Club if you want a little alone time. There are also PLENTY of onboard family activities you can do together as well as plenty of family friendly excursions you can go on together in all the ports of call. Note: Wait until your kids are 3 yrs  (the infant-2 yr old crowd will be much more limited in things they can participate in- even kids club is more limited for 2 and under). 3 yrs old is the "magic age"- where they can participate in almost any kids activity!


For a few reasons, don't bother with the 3-5 day cruises, book at least a 7-9 days (or more). The shorter cruises (although more affordable time and moneywise) is just the problem. Since more people can afford to take short cruises, the clientele will reflect that. The crowd is much classier on a longer cruise. Trust me on this too, 8 day cruises still somehow don't feel long enough- I can't even imagine having to cut it shorter than that anyway. Also figure that 2 days are travel days (packing/unpacking, homeland security, customs, embarking/disembarking, etc.)- so the more core days the better!


Upgrade your stateroom- get a private balcony, it is worth it! I realize that nobody plans to be in their rooms for much time, but having a nice room with a private balcony really adds to the relaxation and romance of the vacation. It is really awesome to sit on your own private balcony away from the crowds and watch as you pull in and out of ports, and/or watch the sunset. It is also a nice way to get some sun and fresh air anytime you want while being able to avoid that crowded Lido Deck. There is a great chance you will see whales and other sea life from your balcony as well.


Bring your fancy clothes! There are always formal nights onboard (on a 7-9 day cruise usually 2 formal nights). How often do you get to get all dressed up? It is fun, you'll have plenty to do all dressed up - and it's a great opportunity to get some "fancy" portraits taken too!


Get portraits taken at every opportunity! They have backdrops set up in many locations (tons of them)- take advantage! They always have THE BEST photographers from all over the world! They are unlike any local photography studio you've ever been to- they are BETTER! The best part is- it is free to pose for as many as you want- no obligation to buy anything! Your pictures will always be up the following day (and available for the whole cruise) - find your pics and you can buy the ones you LOVE!
If you are celebrating a very special occasion, you can even meet with a super exclusive by-appointment-only "Dreams Studio" photographer that will walk you around the ship using the ship's natural beauty (no backdrops) to capture your memories! This is probably not necessary since the regular cruise photographers are already exceptional- you can get amazing portraits for much more affordable. We did the exclusive photographer thing this time- with no regrets. Just know that will cost you a mortgage payment, more like two (if you order a photo package). But for a very special occasion, you might find it worth it as we did.


Go on at least 2 exciting Excursions! This is a big one! We have met so many people that have botched this (blaming being budget conscious)- trust me this is not where you want to tighten your wallet- this is ONE of TWO things I will strongly urge you to splurge on! The excursions you choose will be the pivotal point to which your vacation memories will be based. When you are already spending time and money on a trip like this, spend the extra money to experience things you can't experience anywhere else than where you are- I guarantee you will have an adventure of a lifetime!
Choose the most exciting excursion that you think you can handle physically! However even if you are older or have physical limitations, or have young children there are still plenty of exciting excursions you can take that are not physically demanding. John and I have been on 6 exciting excursions and those have been seriously the most mind-blowing experiences and best memories of our lives!


Tips for choosing the BEST excursions: Avoid taking the "expected" or "predictable" excursions, yes you will have a good time, but would you rather have a good time or would you rather have an unbelievable time? Yeah, the second one. First, just avoid the whale watching tours, the sight-seeing tours, and the shopping tour excursions all-together. Why? Although all of these things sound 'nice' on vacation-  but they aren't exciting, ALSO what many don't realize is that you will get plenty of opportunities to sightsee, shop, and whale watch if you want that- included in most of the exciting excursions anyway- so why waste any precious time on vacation going on an excursion to do something you can do anywhere but have much more fun? Okay so those are the things to skip... but what should we do??
This is going to sound funny, but its been true for us every time... read the "book of excursion options" with an open mind. Do not rule out any based on the names/titles. Its natural to skim for something that sounds catchy or familiar--- don't do that-- actually skip those-  and look for the highest ticket prices and lamest sounding names- then read the details- those are often the best ones!
If you are concerned about physical limitations, or children's ages: both of those are clearly noted so it is easy to rule out what you are unable to do based on that first. If you don't have any limitations, then you might consider "Treetop Zip-lining" or "ATV rides through the jungle." If you do have limitations rule those out ONLY and see the earlier tip about high prices and lame sounding names- guarantee you'll come back saying, "Dang that was amazing!"
Why am I compelled to say so much about excursions? Simply because of all of the people we met that only had an okay time on the predictable ones compared to the time we had on the exciting ones!


Examples of "lame sounding" excursion names:
I'll share 2 examples of "lame sounding" excursions that John and I went on that blew our minds- one was called the "Cuyutlan Turtle Experience" (that sounds lame doesn't it?) Well it was super awesome, in that 6 hour adventure we did a lot of things, but our favorite was hopping in a canoe, riding through a crocodile infested swamp while gigantic herons were swooping overhead and iguanas were running through the marsh- incredible!
Another was called "Rhythms of the Night" (again with the lame sounding name right?) It would have been easy to overlook that one or dismiss it after seeing the price was $100 per person... good thing we chose it! Probably the best excursion available anywhere (even talking to our last cruise director, he's been on every excursion on the globe)- just amazing!


Anyway, when choosing your excursion: read with an open mind- look for ones that run about 100 per person (they are always the best planned- usually an all day thing- including meals and often an unlimited open-bar and ALWAYS have the best entertainment/activities)- and end up being a great value and mind blowing unforgettable experience! Try to go on at least 2-3 excursions and you will love your memories! We usually choose to keep one port day to just explore on our own or relax.


Our final recommendation is treat yourself to the Dinner Club! With all of the free food onboard, including reservations at the fabulous fine dining restaurant every night-  you might think WHY on earth would I sign up to PAY for a DINNER? Because the food and service is that good! It is by reservation-only, the price is only $35 per person and it is totally WORTH it! You will be served the best 5-course meal you've ever had (we believe it rivals the exclusive Club 33 at Disneyland- only a dinner there will cost you much more- and you have to know a member).




How much should I budget for a vacation like this? Even though we have done completely different things each time, you might expect the cost would fluctuate greatly, and I suppose it could- however we've noticed a strange pattern or formula- that it almost comes out to about the same. Also cruise prices seem to be about the same no matter where in the world you are cruising (Europe, Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, etc)- the cruise cost per day is about the same.
We usually break it down into 2 parts: the front end cost and the back end cost. Then we calculate the total cost. The front end cost is just that (booking the room, with taxes and port fees, etc). The back end cost is everything you spend onboard (excursions, drinks, souvenirs, photos, tips, etc).
When booking a premium balcony stateroom (if offered an extended/larger balcony), the front end cost is approx. $100 per person/ per day. So a fair price for 2 people for 8 days would be about $1600 or for a family of 4 about $3200. Ironically we have found the back end cost to almost always match the front end cost. If you double it, that would be a good expectation of the total cost ($3200 for 2 or $6400 for 4). With that budget in place, you will be able to fully enjoy and take advantage of everything offered on your vacation. The only thing that budget doesn't account for is flight and overnight hotel arrangements to/from port- if necessary that would be additional.


It is a great value when you think about all that is included- besides the obvious included things like: hotel, unlimited food, and unbelievable entertainment.. it is total hassle-free travel: you unpack once but get to visit many cities, no rental cars to deal with, the variety of recommended excursions that are safe and regulated (imagine trying to find reputable companies on your own in a foreign land). You will also notice you have protection hired by the cruise line (in ports they feel necessary) you will see police boats and sometimes armed police on foot- you're not going to have that on your own planned vacation. There is just so much onboard to do (a lot of it is free too)- you always have something to do- at all times day/night without effort: you never have to think about finding places to go and how to get there (like on a regular vacation)- its all walking distance from your room- and someone thought of it all for you! No matter where we want to travel, we will do it by cruise if it is possible- because we are hooked and we don't want to go any other way!


What is there to do onboard? No matter your age, interests, or season in life- they have plenty for you!

For FREE, you can:
* Comedy Shows (almost nightly)
* Vegas Style Shows (several)
* Sing or watch Karaoke (just for fun and/or contests)
* Go Dancing (multiple places)
* Dance Classes (multiple types: ballroom, salsa, country line, more)
* Miniature Golf (huge fun course onboard)
* Play silly trivia games (all kinds of topics from: "name that tune" to "sports trivia" to "star wars trivia" and just about every other topic you can't even imagine),
* Enter a Contest: (from bartending to men's hairy chest contest)
* Attend Seminars (on anything you possibly want to learn about)
* So many activities for kids at kids club- so, so many (most activities are free, some for a small price)!!
* Pool and hot tubs
* Waterslides (crazy and twisty)
* Full gym with equipment and classes (or you can jog around the running track on the upper deck)
* Talent Show - sign up and show what you can do!
* VIP perks: When you take multiple cruises with the same cruise line- you become a VIP member! VIP guests get lots of free goodies, perks, special privileges, and invites to exclusive events- not available to other passengers. We are excited that our next trip will move us into the "Gold" level of VIP- so our perks will get EVEN better!




For a little money, you can:
* Casino (learn that game you always wanted to try but never knew how)
* Bingo (tournaments too)
* Arcade
* Spa Treatments (all kinds)
* Shop! tax and duty free (lots of shops onboard)
* For the kids, they can attend late-night themed parties for a reasonable fee

Just remember that at the end of the day, when your vacation is over, all you will have is memories and photos. Make your memories unforgettable (by doing amazing excursions) and make sure you get plenty of photos! 10 years later, our memories from our first 2 cruises are as vivid as the last one!  

  

100 Days in School!

We love to find reasons to celebrate any chance we get! So of course we get excited counting up to our 100 days in school party! I can't believe we reached this milestone already- this year is going by so fast! We are just past the "halfway mark" for our school year (which is 180 school days- that's a long year).


Also, I MUST say as we recently transitioned into our 2nd semester this year, I was looking back at the work the kids BOTH did over the 1st semester and I am SUPER proud and excited! I am amazed at the levels they are working at and how much they have already done this year! I will definitely be sharing a video featuring many samples of their work - you will certainly be so proud too! It is actually almost unbelievable!

Here are a few pics from our celebration. I did take a few video clips that I will add to this post soon.

We had fun decorating the classroom for the occasion. 

We love these owl pennant banners that say, "Look Who's 100 Days Smarter"

 We each got a bag of yummy kettle corn in these fun little 100th day bags too!

 Getting ready to make "100 Days Smarter- Owl Hats"

Super fast & easy little wearable craft!

We did lots of other 100th day activities too!

 The kids got excited when they saw the book chosen for Maletch's read aloud today. They squealed, "Hey that's what we're doing!"

 

 The kids got LOTS of fun prizes too!

 

We had lots of fun! We are definitely looking forward to our end of the school year party!  June seems so far away! We will be doing the same thing for our end-of-the-year party as we did last year- woot!! Oh I don't think I posted that- it's a large Homeschool Group Field Trip! I'll post pics and tell you where we're going soon!

I should also share how we count our school days! I LOVE our "days in school calendar"- it uses magnetic Base-Ten cubes which teaches, reinforces. and gives practice for many important math concepts: place value, regrouping, and counting between tens and ones- everyday! Remind me if I don't include that in a future post soon.

We have a LOT of videos coming up- but I will try to get a quick overview of our 1st semester work soon- you'll be AMAZED at their work!!

Another Fun Friday Science Project!

Everyone should try this project- it was lots of fun! Who wants to try to smash rocks open with hammers?
I know you do! Smashing things is fun!
Pick up some "Crack Open Geodes," get a good quality rock hammer, don't forget your safety goggles- and get to crackin'! 
They do sell child size rock hammers which I definitely recommend for little ones (they are lighter and have a shorter "pick" end (that is much less sharp), and are much safer for little ones to handle).
However, today the kids did not have success getting the geodes to crack open with their hammer. It may have just needed more force, but when I helped them handle my rock hammer they got them open easier.
I still preferred the child hammer in their hands since the heavy hammer with the long sharp pick made me all kinds of nervous (greater risk of child hitting their face with the sharp pick end on the "back swing").
I must say, the kids really showed responsibility and took heed to my safety warnings. I was pleasantly surprised how calculated and cautious they both were when holding and using the hammers.

Rock Pick Hammers Side-by-Side: 

You can see the difference in the steel head size. Since we used the flat end to smash open the rocks, the pick end was towards our faces- which is why I preferred the shorter pick for the kids. Mine is more than double the weight of theirs too (my hammer: 22 oz/ kids: 10 oz).

Oh, do you want to see what we found inside?

Wait for it...

Drum roll, please... 

Before ....

After!

So fun right? Lots of quartz crystals, that Sariah called "diamonds."Don't I wish! This science project tied in perfectly to our Unit Study featuring gemstones and where they come from!

Stay tuned- we took a VIDEO of this project- YAY! Way more fun to share exactly what happened, what went wrong and what went right- HA! I'll upload the video later this weekend!!


Video Disclaimer: I have never cracked geodes open before, so our video is definitely not a "how to do it properly video"- maybe more like a "how NOT to do it" as far as technique goes, hehe... BUT for us it was not about being experts on getting them open, it was about having fun (which we did) and learning and finding out what was inside (and we did that too)! So I am sure there will be some "rock expert" people shouting we are doing it wrong :)
This project was definitely one of our favorites and one we look forward to doing again. We wanted to share the learning while exploring- FUN we had! We hope lots of families will try this too! Happy crackin'!
...........Post Video Link Here...... 

Summer Recital Preparations Already!!

Holy Heck, as we are getting ready for our upcoming trip- the stuff I need to take care of just keeps piling up!
Sure enough, although we just had the Christmas Recital Show- we are all gearing up for the Summer Recitals already! The costumes have to be ordered, kids have to be officially signed up, etc.
I am happy to report that I took care of it all today since the deadline is fast approaching.
Anyway, the kids costumes and the numbers they are both doing are so dang cute!!
Sariah will be wearing a "Jasmine" costume (from the movie "Aladdin") and she will be dancing a ballet number to "A Whole New World"- aaahh I love that song!
Maletch will be doing some SERIOUS Tap moves! He is now in Tap 2 (just moved up from Tap 1) and this class --whooooah- they move their feet so fast (while doing fancy tricks) almost like they are in a personal bubble and don't have gravity or something! Craziest thing I've ever seen- Maletch's. New. Lessons. What in the world did the teacher just do???
I told him we will need to seriously practice at home - if he wants to really learn this new routine. Luckily mommy has a pair of tap shoes so I can help "break down the moves" a bit slower at home! We are always so busy, so we'll see if we really carve out the time to practice like we intend to or not- HA!
Anyway, the girls in his class will be wearing sequined Dorothy costumes (from "Wizard of Oz" - exactly like Sariah's Halloween costume from last Oct. if you saw it)-- and Maletch will be wearing a Tin Man costume dancing to "Ease on Down the Road"- (such a fun beat to get crazy to- hehe)
Every recital has a theme, so it appears this Summer Recital's theme will be "Classic Movies" with songs and costumes from different ones- so FUN!
If anyone is interested in coming please let me know ASAP! Recitals will be in June, there will be 4 shows, and I am unsure if Maletch and Sariah will be in the same show- or 2 separate shows yet. They have not provided the program line ups yet. If you are interested in coming, the tickets will SELL OUT (super fast!)- so I will need to give you the info ahead of time. I will share the exact date, time(s), and location - directly with anyone interested in coming.
We all hope to see you there!