Branson, Missouri

This weekend Guy had a Manager's Meeting in Branson. They have them twice a year, but for the June one they always meet in Branson and invite all the families. It is a nice little inexpensive getaway since they pay for our gas, condo, 2 meals and a show.

This year we left on Friday morning and headed out for a 8 hour drive. I brought lots of things for the girls to do...workbooks, colors, coloring books, a TV that Carrie and Jeff were nice enough to let us borrow, Leapsters, Nintendo DS, and baby dolls. After 4 hours and no naps they were totally done with everything and ready to get out of the car. So the last 3.5 hours were very stressful, but I was thankful for Guy's refusal to stop for a break when we arrived in Branson half an hour early. The girls never did sleep and it was really hard for me to follow through with my punishment the day before of taking away their beloved MP3 players for a day. (I will never use those lifesavers as a punishment the day before a trip again. It was much more of a punishment for me and Guy than it was for them.)

We were heading home on Sunday morning, so we started having fun right away. What better way to start having fun than to start shopping. We headed to Branson Landing. It makes us all happy. Clothing stores for me, Bass Pro for Guy, a playground and Disney store for the girls, and a very cool Water/Fountain show for all of us.


This is a picture of the cool water fire show from the website. I'm not sure what they called it, but we liked it. It is set to the beat of the music and the backdrop is Lake Taneycomo.

The girls picked out these goofy sunglasses from the disney store. Thank goodness they were only $2 a pair. They don't look too bad on Maddie just a little big, but Maycee looked like a bug and wouldn't you know it for the first time ever they wanted to wear those darn glasses every second of every day. Thankfully I haven't seen them since we've been home.


Maddie and Maycee being interrupted from watching the fountains to take a picture.


Guy, Maddie and Maycee

It was very hot compared to what it was last year. Last time we were there it was in the 80's the whole time, but when we arrived on Friday it was 100. No cooler than what we left here. Since we were all hot and tired we headed to the Condo to check in and change into swimsuits. We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon at the pool and then order in Pizza.

Maycee at the pool

Maddie at the pool

After we were done at the pool we headed back to the condo for pizza. The condo was wonderful. The girls were dying to try out the jacuzzi tub. They had a great time in it. They even figured out that if they closed the shower doors they could splash all they wanted and not make a mess on the floor. That really tickled them and they must have spent an hour and a half in there.

On Saturday, we had to be at the clubhouse at 8am for a Breakfast and meeting with the owner of the company Guy works for. This is the worst part of the trip for me. They always have a benefits presentation before releasing the spouses and children. It is very hard to make the girls understand that they need to be silent as Guy's boss is talking to us. This time I took their DS and MP3 players with us. I was very worried that they would start singing out loud to the MP3's during the meeting since they don't seem to understand that we can hear them even though they can't hear us so I had a very detailed conversation about singing in their heads. Apparently I was worried about the wrong electronic because I didn't' think about the fact that they had never played DS with headphones and when Maycee finally found the last puzzle piece in the Pony game she got so excited to tell me that she yelled out "Mom I finally found it, I finally found it! and looked at me with the biggest, proudest smile." Everyone was chuckling except me and Guy :) I guess it could have been worse she could have been singing "Little ole Wine Drinker Me" at the top of her lungs which she knows every word to and is in her MP3 player.

To be continued....

My Little Ballerinas

Last weekend was the girls recital. They were so excited. I have to admit that I was excited too. I love the costumes, the makeup the whole thing. I will be a very sad Mommy when they get to old for dance. Right now they both love it. They never complain about going to dance class, they are always excited.

We had some trouble getting the girls up the morning of the show because we went to Summer Rythems by the Lake the night before and stayed out until about 11, but once they remembered that it was recital day everyone was up and moving.
This was just as we arrived at the auditorium. Maddie had two different costumes because she takes ballet, tap and jazz/hip-hop. She did two dances in the recital. (ballet and jazz/hip-hop) Maycee only had one costume. She takes ballet and tap, but only did a tap dance in the recital. It is funny because last year Maddie's class did ballet and Maycee's did tap also. I really wish they would have been able to do the opposite this year, but there is always next year.
Close up. I'm not sure what is up with Maycee's attitude face. They aren't nearly as cooperative about taking pictures as they used to be :)

This is in the band room. They had to hang out here until a couple of numbers before their dance. Last year I had to be one of the Mom's who hung out in this room to watch the dancers, but this year I decided to take a break. I was very happy to find out that I know and really like and trust the Mom that would be with Maycee's class. I didn't know the Mom with Maddie's class, but she would be in the same room with Maycee's class and I knew Julie would keep an eye on her for me. It was nice to get to watch the show from the auditorium with everyone else.
Maycee and her friend Kate. Kate was in Maycee's class last year also. They have fun together.

Maddie and her friend Elli. Elli lives in our neighborhood and we have gotten to be very good friends with her family, but Elli came to the dance studio with her mom before we knew them to check out the class Maddie was in. It was very strange because Elli recognized Maddie from school and told the owner, Ms. Kim-Lan that she knew Maddie. When they left Ms. Kim-Lan asked if I knew them and I didn't. I asked Maddie and she said "Oh yeah that's Elli, she goes to my school and she has a twin brother Kai and they live in our neighborhood." Wow! It was my first experience with Maddie having her own contacts. How could my little baby girl know people that I didn't know. :) It has only gotten worse. Everywhere we go now, she knows someone.
Waiting in the band room.
Maddie, Maycee and Addison. We were so lucky that they were all three in the same show. Last year Maddie was in the morning show and Maycee was in the afternoon show. That made for a Very Long day!!


After Maddie's Jazz dance she had to change into her ballet costume. That meant changing her hair from gelled down, majorly hairsprayed piggy tails to a ballet bun. It wasn't easy, but we got it done with no tears.

Maddie and Maycee after Maddie was all dressed for Ballet.
After the Recital, with their teacher. Even though they were in different classes they both had the same teacher this year.
Guy giving them their flowers.
With their flowers. They were so proud of themselves and so happy to see everyone who had come to watch them. They didn't get to see everyone before the show.
Ashley, Addison and Adam
Maddie, Maycee, Addison and Kaleigh.
Left to Right...Elli, Maddie, Kai, Maycee and Addison
Leigh with Maddie and Maycee
Sweet Sisters
After the recital we all.....Me, Guy, Maddie, Maycee, Mom, Dad, Kaleigh, Adam, Ashley, Addison, Kennedi, Leigh, Laurie, Adams Mom, Dad, Step Mom, Step Dad, Brother, Sister In Law, nephews, Carrie, Jeff, Kai, Elli, Carrissa (thier older daughter), Carrie's aunt, Jeff's Dad, Carrissa's boyfriend went to eat at Nate's. It took a LOOOONG time, but it was a fun party and the kids were all very good. They even got to sit at their own table.



Mom, Dad, Maddie and Maycee at Nate's (Maddie changed her costume in the car. We aren't sure why, but she insisted that she needed to change. I suspect it is because this one is more Hannah Montana-ish which is what she is into right now.)

Mom, Dad and Addison
Guy, Maddie and Maycee


Laurie with Maddie and Maycee

Friday we had dress rehearsal. We had to be there at 8:30 which was a challenge since they have gotten used to sleeping until 10:30 or 11:00 this summer, but we made it on time. Addison was first to dance (we were lucky enough to have all three girls in one show this year!) and she did a great job. Such a little ham. Next was Maddie's hip hop dance and about a quarter of the way through the fire alarms sounded in the school. It was chaos for a few minutes as people filed out and Moms tried to find their kids who had been in a separate room waiting to perform. Maycee was with me because she didn't perform until the second half, but Ashley had to go find Addison and my friend Carrie and I had to find where they had taken Maddie and Elli when they ushered them off the stage. It was a strange feeling to hear the alarms and not know if it was a real fire and not know 100% that they were out of the building. I kinda felt a little panicked for a second, but we found them and they were fine. There actually was a fire in the science lab, a chemical fire. The fire department came and after a while gave the all clear and we were able to get back in a finish the rehearsal. Maycee danced and did a great job and then Maddie had her second dance and we were finally finished.

I only have pictures from recital day to post becuase I can't find my camera charger for my Canon and had to use my Kodak camera on recital day. My rehearsal pictures are stuckin my Canon with a dead battery until I find the charger :(

New Pictures

Okay, so I've been really bad about updating my blog lately, but I just received these in my email and thought I would post them. We were shopping today and passed an empty photography studio and the photographer asked if she could take a few pictures of the girls. Since having pictures of them taken is one of my favorite hobbies I was more than happy to let her even though their hair really needed brushing. So this is what we got. =)

We are headed to Branson this weekend for a business trip with Guy. I will work on uploading and posting pictures from the recital on the looooong drive there.

Kindergarten

Untitled from april varney on Vimeo.

I know I've been gone for a while, but Maddie finished Kindergarten on Friday. I can't believe it. The time has gone by so fast. Anyway this is a slide show I put together for her of all the fun she had this year. It includes music, so go to the bottom of my blog and pause the playlist or they will both be trying to play at the same time :) You have to push the play button in the box and if you click on the symbol in the bottom right, before the word VIMEO you can enlarge it.