Playdate: Nutcracker Ballet

Another first for us.... the Nutcracker Ballet - it's honestly amazing the amount of things I have never done or been to before....until having Kapri!  We went with K's best friend from school, Chloe & her mamma Rain....love these two! When we met up with them the girls exchanged gifts - and great minds obviously think alike because they each got each other different style bracelets!

We stopped for a quick bite to eat before going to the Carlsbad Cultural Arts Center - which we've actually been to once before to see Seussical the Musical (so fun!). We made it there just in time and the girls were in awe the entire performance. I can only imagine what they must've been thinking - it all must seem so magical in the eyes of a 4 year old girl...especially ones that have done ballet themselves and in a way, hold a ballerina high on a pedestal with their beauty & grace.

Towards the end of the show, the girls just could not sit still...so we got out of our seats and took them over to the stairs along the side of the auditorium. There they could watch & mimic the moves they saw on stage, without us worrying if they were blocking someone's view from behind us!

It was so adorable - just to see their eyes - focused intently on all those little dancers. Maybe next year we'll take them to see the Nutcracker again, but on a bigger, more elaborate stage... at the San Diego Civic Theater!

Twinkle Toes - K's 1st Ballet Recital

After 16 weeks of Sunday morning ballet classes, Kapri finally had her very first ballet recital! The outfit chosen by Miss Sarah for all the little girls to wear was just adorable...K love it!

Invite I made in PicMonkey & emailed to our family:

We took a few pics of her that morning as we were leaving... of course she wanted to stand by the first rose of the season....

IN the dirt....

IN her nice new ballet outfit & white shoes.

Oye.

She's such a little poser sometimes!

The picture she's holding is something I saw on Pinterest awhile back and we made a few months ago... the tutu portion is her hands in pink paint, and the leotard part is a pink patterned piece of scrapbook paper. Then I hot-glued on some ruffle ribbon in the middle, and some loose pears to act as a 'faux' necklace. The little piece next to the pearls is actually where some pink paint dripped, so I cut out 2 little hearts, folded them down the middle and put it on like a 3-D heart to cover up the paint spill.

It really is adorable... I should get a little shadow box for it & hang it on her wall :-)

Then we arrived & took our seats...we had both grandmas, a grandpa, & an auntie in attendance with us - so I think K was a little shy & put-off by all the extra attention on her...but she did really well, and is improving with her slight case of 'stage fright' that she's had for the past year & a half or so. But she's really blossoming...little by little!

Afterwards we took more pics, she got a ton of flowers...

Love our little ballerina!

....then headed off to lunch to celebrate her job-well done...and since it was also Cinco de Mayo, we ate at a little Mexican food place: "Garcias" - $14.99 buffet brunch WITH unlimited champagne/mimosas...amazing deal!

Now time to sign her up for swim lessons, per the princess' request! haha

My little {ballerina} dancer

A few months ago, Kapri came home from preschool asking to go to 'ballet school'. So I told her I'd talk with daddy and we'd see. I started looking into classes, but needed a weekend class...so we ended up at the YMCA, which happened to have a Sunday class, just for 3-yr olds starting mid-January!



We signed her up 2 weeks before the class started - she was so excited! She also saw a friend of hers from preschool while we were filling out paperwork...she hoped she'd be in the same class - but since there are classes ranging all week long, I was doubtful.

But sure enough, while waiting for her class to start...her friend Brooke showed up - they were SO happy to see each other & be in the same class!

I had a work conference to attend right after her 1st class (with a 2 hour drive up north), so I was grateful I got to go...she looked seriously adorable in her little outfit & sock bun.



The class started with her teacher & assistant going over a few rules & info, then the parents had to leave the room so all the little girls could focus and listen to the teacher's instructions.

For 45 minutes, James & I peaked through one of the windows and tried to take pictures through the blinds... she did so great following along - she definitely fit the part! We have a total of 18 classes, with a final dance recital just before her 4th birthday! I can't wait to see everything she learns :-)

Side note - we had a little plain bag for her ballet gear, but I found this cute canvas pink one....then embroidered it with her name and added some pinwheel fabric flowers to it and it's perf!