An Eyebrow Trick

Ever since Katie was a baby, she has been able to raise one eyebrow. Before she could even talk, we would always know when she thought we were a little crazy because she would give us the raised eyebrow look. She recently rediscovered this talent of hers. She loves that she's the only one in our family who can do it, and she loves that every time she does it, it makes people laugh.

I'm not sure about what you are telling me right now!

Blueberry Picking

Before leaving Idaho, Katie got to go blueberry picking with Bailey and her family. It gave her a sweet treat to eat all the way home!

We got big buckets to put our berries in! 

Of course you have to eat some of the berries as you pick them! 

Even though it was hot, the work was fun with a friend. 

They looked and tasted delicious! 

 The last thing we did before going home was to eat lunch with Bailey's family. Thank you for having me! I had the best time!

Going to Idaho

Katie was very excited to go to Idaho because she has a cousin very close to her in age who lived there. She couldn't wait to see her cousin, Bailey, and her family.

 After we got to Bailey's house, we got to go out to dinner together!

I brought her a dog to match mine! 

Bailey's mom is going to have a baby soon. I wonder what he'll look like! 

I was excited to have a sleepover. 

Our silliness might have prevented us from going to sleep quickly, but we sure had fun!

An Overnight Trip

Katie was going to Idaho with my mom and Garyldine to visit cousins. She was just going to spend one night, but she did her own packing and thought she needed quite a bit!

I made sure to pack a suitcase, fill a backpack, take a purse, and fill the cooler!

A New Hat

When we saw this hat in the store, we couldn't resist it.

I love pink, so this hat is perfect for me!

Lyrical and Acro Dance

Katie also started a new, second dance class this summer. Ms. Moriah, the teacher Katie has had since she was two, teaches the class and Katie absolutely loves everything about it. She spends the first half of the class doing acrobatics and the second half of the class learning a lyrical dance.

With this class, Katie felt sore muscles for the first time. The class starts with lots of abdominal warm-ups and exercises. The morning after the first class, Katie thought something was seriously wrong when it hurt to move. She wasn't crazy about her sore muscles, but they were better in a day or two, and they have stayed limber ever since.

We have to learn how to do big leaps in this class. Ms. Moriah and her helper helped me by running with me and picking my arms up, so I could feel what a big leap feels like! 

Ballet

This summer, Katie moved into new dancing classes. One class that she wanted to take was ballet. She moved from her Pre-Ballet class to Ballet I. Because there are smaller class sizes in the summer, the dance studio combined Ballet I and Ballet II. The class is an hour and a half because that's how long Ballet II normally is. For Katie, that meant doubling the length of her class, which was a big jump. It is also more focused on ballet technique, which means that Katie has to do barre work for an hour before getting a break. It has been a challenging transition, but she is willing to stick it out. She has recognized that things get easier week by week.

One day when she was describing the class to me, she said, "We just have to be propered!" When I asked what that meant, she said, "We have to just be proper ballerinas and we don't dance." Her former teacher helped explain that as she learns more technique, she'll begin dancing more. I'm proud of her for not giving up.

We have to learn to stand in proper ballet positions for a long time. 

We do slow, deep plies with control. 

It's still hard to get my let up on the barre, but I try. 

By the end of this class, I'm ready to rest my legs!