Dance School Promotion

Rebecca was recently moved up to a higher level class at her dance school. She has been working really hard all year, and has put a lot of effort and energy into this class.

Earlier in the year, she tried out for the Spring Ballet and earned a prominent role in one of the dances. She was in the front row, in the center spot, and did a great job of "owning" the dance, and performed with reckless abandon. She looked like she belonged there. There were many, many trips to the dance school for weekend practices (it was a big PIA), but it all became worth it when we saw how happy she was doing this dance.

As a result of her hard work, and wonderful performance, the head of the dance school decided Rebecca was ready for the next level (and he is a very serious man who doesn't hand out compliments easily). She is now more excited than ever to go to dance lessons, and is already talking about the Winter Ballet, and how she's going to try out for a big role.

Jen and I are very proud of Rebecca's perseverance and her follow-through. She's come a long way since her bumble-bee dance when she was 4....but she's still our little Lamb Chop.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

We recently had Parent-Teacher conferences with both Joshua's and Rebecca's teachers. We are happy to say that both kids got very good reports.

Joshua, apparently, is a leader in his Kindergarten class, and many of the other kids want to play with him and sit near him at lunch. Joshua is completely clueless to this fact, which is probably a good thing. He just goes about his business, not realizing that the other kids are watching him and trying to emulate him. Some of the kids with special needs often select Joshua as their "buddy" when they go for additional services with the school specialists. And in fact, Joshua's teacher encourages this, as she feels he is a good influence on these kids. Who would have thought?

Rebecca is excelling in reading and writing. Her reading comprehension skills have gotten excellent, and she is better able to describe events taking place in the books she reads. She is also doing great in her writing exercises. This is something she thoroughly enjoys, and even writes stories in her free time for enjoyment. Jen and I were worried about her math skills, but her teacher says she is doing great, and is improving nicely. One thing she needs to work on is penmanship, but I'll give her a pass on that.

Very proud of our two little pups.