The Christmas Dances

Since I was selling tickets for the Saturday afternoon performance, I made sure the Norton girl fan club (including Auntie Jen, her friend Bryce and I) were on the front row.  Perfect for capturing this gem!  I almost didn't recognize Sarah with her bangs pulled back.  They are watching it right now and talking through all the moves.  They really knew this dance!

Libby as Ellie the Elf. She is the farthest one to the left (and the tiniest). Her friends at school have started calling her Nortiny. I think it is adorable. She isn't a fan of the nickname.
Sarah rocked this Reindeer dance!

Sibling Love

There has been a lot of love going on around here.  And a lot of angst.  Turns out that when my girls are up late several nights for several weeks in a row we are all a little on edge.  Libby's ability to concentrate and finish tasks goes from being on the low end to the non-existent end.  Sarah's weepyness comes out in more frequent and random moments.  Even Ben has a hard time keeping his cool.  But we have really enjoyed the wrestling matches, nutcracker performances (both the ones we watched and the ones we were in), the Christmas parties, the nights with fav babysitters (Miss Fish), and the general insanity of December.  We are all looking forward to a few weeks without school and a more regular schedule in January.  I am going to have to face reality that we can't go to every wrestling match since they start at the same time we should be starting our bedtime routine.  Yes, there is too much of a good thing.

The Christmas Gift You Have Always Wanted...

Ben cannot get enough of this box.  He even slept with it last night.
He gets excited about some funny things.  Lately he has asked me a few times, "When you got married, did Daddy say, 'Will you marry me?'"  Of course I say yes (although that isn't exactly how it happened) and Ben gets all giddy and excited.  He is a bit of a romantic I guess.

Our Version of the Nutcracker

Libby and Sarah have been working hard preparing for their role in our studio's Storybook Nutcracker.  It is a great show for kids of all ages to see!  There is a narrator that helps explain what is happening in this LSD Trippy story.  But a story that has come to be associated with Christmas around the country and that people everywhere pay lots of money to see.  The music is AMAZING,  the costumes are AMAZING, the sets and the fake snow MAGICAL.  But seriously, when you think about the story, BIZARRE.
Still, it is a great chance for my girls to do a bunch more dancing!  (I also think of it as a LOT of free dance lessons, since they rehearse every week for a few months.)  They also got to work with an amazing cast. The final product was SO good.  Next year I am hoping to be a party girl and Libby and Sarah have already been discussing what they want to try out for. It makes for an incredible whirlwind of a week (this year they danced in 3 performances).  We are all exhausted when it is over, but it is worth it!

The girls with "Mother Ginger."  In our version (and many others) the Bonbons come out from under Mother Ginger's skirt and dance.  

After the first show, all smiles!

When Sarah came out on stage with bangs pulled back (there were moms backstage helping with final hair and makeup) I almost didn't recognize her.  I have literally never seen her with her bangs pulled back.  

Auntie Jen came to see the show.  She brought a male friend and Libby told her "This is the first uncle I have met on your side of the family."

I don't usually think they look alike, but yeah, they do!

After the second show, not so smiley....

One of my favorite Sarah pics ever

Libby and Sarah with the Sugar Plum Fairy (their teacher), the Nutcracker and the Narrator

Grammy and Girls

Mommy and her little dancers!

Santa and Other Scary Things...

Last Saturday Santa came to our Ward (church) party.  Sarah refused to come anywhere near him.  She had one of Santa's elves sneak a candy cane for her without the normally obligatory (and much desired) chat with Santa.  But Ben and his best buddy Noah enjoyed sitting on his lap together.  Libby also took advantage of the opportunity to ask for more gifts.  Ben asked for a crocodile and a snake and a Casper the ghost something or other.  (Don't worry, he is getting plastic snakes and a crocodile game where you look for the sore tooth.)  Libby asked for a book.  A princess book with stickers.  Hmmm.....
Sarah was seriously hilarious, hiding her face and avoiding anyone who might make her sit on Santa's lap.  Not sure why she is so scared of Santa.  This is the kid who said, "I'm not afraid of shots" at the doctor's office.  But I remember the last time we encountered a live Santa, she did the same thing so this is a long standing fear.
The other "scary" thing that happened this week was on the walk home from school.  Libby is terrified of dogs.  We walk through a park on the way home from school.  Most days we encounter no dogs.  But on Thursday, 3 DOGS!  It was hilarious for me and horrifying for her.  One big black dog (on leash, with owner) we had to pass and I thought she might have a panic attack.  I almost had to pull her along.  Then we got to the loop around the park.  We started going the way we usually go, then Libby yelled that she was going to scooter herself the other way around.  After she turned and started the other way around, I realized it was because she had spotted the (tiny, on leash, with owner) dog along our path.  Then I looked up and realized that there was another dog (on leash, with owner) on her new route that she hadn't spotted yet. A minute later she yelled for me.  I couldn't find her on the path and realized she had attempted to strike out across the soggy outfield of the baseball diamond in an attempt to avoid dog #3.  Scooters and soggy grass don't go together well and she was mired.  I had to make her go back to the sidewalk (like any good parent would, by yelling across the park).  Then I yelled, "Go Libby, Go Libby, Go Libby...." over and over to get her to ride past dog #3.  A beautiful, fluffy non-threatening dog that didn't even look up at her.  She sobbed the rest of the way home.  Poor girl.  This is what HUNGY+TIRED+FEAR OF DOGS is like.  She ate an entire package of Ramen when we got home.  (And if you know Libby, this is a feat!)

Noah and Benny waiting to see Santa (Notice I am in this photo...I forgot my phone that morning, so I asked Noah's mommy to take these pics for me.  She did a great job!)

Libby asking for books...

Ben and Noah loving their chance to talk to the Big Guy!

Ben the Fashion Guru

This week I took Ben to the Deseret Industries to look for ugly sweaters for our party on Friday night.  He saw this t-shirt and would not pass it up.  It is a bit small, and I don't know if there is anyone in San Jose that loves him--but it was only $1 so I let him get it.  I love spending time with this guy.  He makes me smile about 100 times a day.

My Dancers...

I LOVE to dance.  Love it.  Love it.  I want my girls to be dancers.  Not enough to become a crazy dance mom, but enough to force them to take dance all the way through Dance Arts II (which is what Libby is in this year) so they can get all the basics.  Next year Libby could choose what to take at the studio--Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, etc.  Sarah still has one more year of the basics.  Libby thinks she wants to switch to gymnastics.  So, I am doing my best to help them see how AWESOME dance is.  This year they are both Bon Bons in our studios production of the Nutcracker.  So I wanted them to see another version by a professional studio.  For Sarah's birthday I gave them tickets.  Friday night was our date.
We started off with dinner at their fav restaurant, Olive Garden.  Then we went to the show.  Since I bought the tickets in Oct., I was basically the first one to buy for such an early weekend in Dec.  Our seats were PERFECT.  And the show was amazing!  It was fun and interesting.  They had lots of little kids and some beautiful costumes and props.  Libby was totally absorbed.  And horrified when the Nutcracker came out in just tights.  "He isn't wearing PANTS!" She exclaimed!  It was pretty funny.
Sarah got super tired by the end, but they both watched the whole thing with wrapped attention.  So maybe Libby will keep on dancing?

At the Theater in Kirkland

Libby's class practicing their dance.  Parents get to watch class one week every other month.  She has her dance for the recital down!

At the Olive Garden.  It was so fun taking them out to a restaurant now that they are older.  I remember taking them when I was pregnant with Ben and wanting to drink Alfredo sauce.  That was a zoo!

I got them each a ballet dancer necklace at the theater shop.  See, doing my best to help them want to dance!

Sarah's class on visiting week.  This is just before she fell down (which she always does when trying to balance.  She totally falls on purpose.)