Finally, a video game system I love

What took so long to create the Wii? I'm glad someone did create it though because we're having so much fun with it! We gave the kids a Wii system last Christmas (2007) and it was fun...but this year we added 3 games to our system (at the price of $50 or more per game we tend to wait for big occassions to get them).

Rylie wanted Wii Fit for Christmas and Santa obliged. Nana and Papa Beck sent Wii Music for our trio and Darren and I gave the kids Outdoor Challenge. All 3 games get them up and moving and having so much fun together.

At one point in the day Josh and Rylie were both huffing and puffing and they are in extremely fit condition. Plus the addition of Wii Music had all 3 kiddos forming a band and playing incredible music.

I can't wait to try out Wii Fit although I'm going to have to steel myself for the frankness of the "trainer" - they tell it like it is, and after not much exercise at all for years...I'm sure the news won't be great!

With the additional gift of rechargeable batteries for all 3 remotes... hopefully exercise for the rest of the winter is well taken care of. Since they are outside playing most of the warm weather months, and the Wii seems to disappear back to the basement for those rainy days.. I don't mind how much they use it during the winter.

Make a Smilebox greeting

Dance, Dance and more dance

It's that time of year. We had the two performances of The Nutcracker Tea Party on Dec 7th. All went well. I helped backstage during the first performance and enjoyed the tea party and performance at the second showing. The girls worked so hard for so long that it was gratifying to see the end result.

So... no more Nutcracker rehearsals til next year, but we jumped right into the twice-yearly "watch week" classes. Rylie has two classes Monday (plus assists during a Creative Movement class Mon afternoons), one Tues evening, one Wed (although that class we watch this coming week), one Thurs, and one Saturday morning.

On top of watch week, her Jazz Company had a performance Saturday afternoon at a nursing home and then she had to be back at 4:45 for a 5:15 voice recital.

Today (Sunday) the Jazz Company (along with the ballet company) had a performance at Union Station in downtown KC.

All were wonderful of course... and we have one more day of performances - this Friday she has 3 shows right in a row... two at two different daycare settings and one at the YMCA. THEN we'll finally get a much needed two week break!

But she lives and breathes dance... so it's all worth it!

New Knitter

Josh has taken up knitting! He is creating wristbands from various yarns. I showed him how to do the basic knit stitch and he's taken right to it. I believe he's done 3 wristbands so far and is asking for more yarn. He's also searching knitting patterns online and found a pattern wristband that he wants to tackle. Unfortunately, he's going to have to wait on that one til I finish the last of the ponchos that I have to get finished by Christmas!