Pride and Joy

My great-grandpa, Pop Pop, used to call me and my sister his "pride and joy." (Or is it, my sister and I? I have no idea. That stupid rule always confused me. And I digress...)
This week, I've been feeling that same pride for the girls and the Hubs.
I was approached about singing in church a few weeks ago and agreed to do it, but I thought it might be fun to sing with Taylor for the first time. I asked her if she wanted to sing with me and she looked terrified. She immediately said no because she had stage fright. But we practiced the song a few times anyway, and I added a little peer pressure by asking an older girl from church to sing along with us. And I'm not above bribery. I sweetened the pot by telling her Nana would get her whatever she wanted from Target if she went through with it. Parenting 101, my friends.
Well Sunday came, and she was willing to give it a try. Wes was pretty convinced that it wasn't going to happen, but I felt like it was something she could and should do. She has a pretty voice. It would be a shame not to, and the earlier you get up in front of people, the quicker you realize that being nervous is really silly.
So Grandma, Grandpa, and Nana came to sacrament with us. I sat in the pews with my family, more nervous than Taylor. My stomach flipped and flopped. I didn't want her to have a break down in front of everyone and be scarred for life.
But we got up there and Tay seemed fine. Our friend, McKenna, sang the first verse and then it was Taylor's turn. McKenna and I both had our hands on Tay's back, wanting so badly for her to feel the comfort I assumed she needed. But she opened her mouth to sing, and the nerves were nowhere to be found. She sounded beautiful. Her voice didn't shake. She was loud and clear during the entire verse. And I was holding back tears. So proud of her I could burst. I looked over at Wes, who had his head in his hands the whole time. He couldn't look until she finished her part successfully.
When she was done she just stared at me as I sang my verse, trying hard to pull it together. I was SO proud of her. But I always am. I'm proud that she breathes. I'm proud that she's kind to others. So it really didn't matter that she sang in front of 100 people, but it was still special.
She was beaming after sacrament when everyone came up to her to tell her what a great job she did. She asked to do it again, too. Apparently she's been bit by the bug.
Aside from that, we celebrated Wes' birthday. Money is tight, but I wanted to do something special for Wes, so I surprised him by decorating his cubicle at work and bringing in cupcakes. We had his favorite dinner and plan on spending the day together tomorrow.

The girls decorated the house. And by decorated, I mean that they pulled streamers apart and taped them in random places, as well as taping dollar bills to the wall. Weirdos.

When Wes came home on his birthday, Zero was excited. So excited that he took one look at Wes and peed on the floor. Happy birthday, dad!
Taylor's parent-teacher conference also went really well. Wes was able to come, and Mrs. Burkman had nothing but wonderful things to say about Taylor. It' s so nice to hear. Not that we didn't already know those things about her, but like Wes' Aunt Joy said, it's sort of like getting a parent report card when you meet with a teacher. Taylor was said to be "very mature and much more grounded than most kids her age." Which is pretty funny, because she's known as the Drama Queen at home and prone to being- well, not grounded. lol But home needs to be a safe place where you can blow off steam after a long day at school and work, so I get it. Just glad she's looked at as a leader and tries her best.

Picture of the girls with Grandpa at In and Out. Our Tuesday hang out.
Corinne is growing up so much. I've noticed it more and more lately with the way she speaks, her vocabulary, and the way she's hell bent on making every decision on her own. We fight every morning about what she wears that day. If it's not a skirt or doesn't sparkle, she's just not interested. And pants are "NOT cute!!!!" She's always looking at herself in the mirror and asking me how old she looks.
"Do I look like I'm a first-grader?
Every day. The same question. And don't you dare say she's little. She'll bite your head off. She's so competitive with Taylor and wants to be the best at everything. We're hoping her stubbornness works in her favor, eventually.
For now, she's loving preschool and would go everyday if I let her. We've learned she's a very meticulous artist for her age. Her teacher, Miss Lorrie, said she stayed at the art table for 30 minutes, coloring a picture of a turkey.  She stayed in the lines, which is sort of crazy for her age. Her teachers were impressed. Having a  big sister that you are constantly trying to catch up to is probably part of it. But she's such a good little artist and spends a lot of time coloring. I'm pretty sure Santa will be bringing her an art desk for Christmas.

This is Corinne and her BFF, Madelyn, on a field trip. They just love each other.

As for me, I've enjoyed taking family pictures lately and teaching dance class on Tuesdays (thanks Dad!), and getting the choir ready for Christmas. I've gone back to dance class too. I don't know why I waited so long to go back. I get in front of the mirror and the music blasts, and I'm HOME!!! It feels sooooooo good to be back.
So that's it.  Joni Mitchell starts playing in my head this time of year. But since I can't play Joni Mitchell (yet), Tay and I have been practicing Jingle Bells on Grammy's piano. I normally don't post hideous shots of myself with no makeup on after a day in the rain, but I love this video.