I'm turning into a stereotype!

I've gone and done it. I've gone and read the first two Twilight books and now I'm officially obsessed. I'm starting to daydream about a trip to Forks and La Push (only 4 1/2 hours away!), seeing the movie on opening day, etc. I even spent an hour online yesterday reading Stephenie's blogs, and watching different movie trailers and interviews. Yeah, wow. It's fun though, since I didn't get too into Harry Potter, or other similar series, although I liked Harry Potter just as much as the next person. It's fun to get into something this much when it's been a while since I read fiction. I won't talk too much about plot details for those of you who haven't read it, but suffice it to say that it's as good as everyone says it is. Now I need to get my hands on Eclipse (Book #3). I only bought the first two books since they're the only ones in paperback, so I'll need to borrow that one. Then I'll be all set for Breaking Dawn to come out in August and then the movie in December!

In other new hobby news, I'm obviously turning into a complete stereotype because I'm trying my hand at scrapbooking. I've never been interested in it before, partly because of the money investment (that crap gets expensive!), and partly because I've never been particularly drawn to arts and crafts-type stuff--too tedious. But I spend so much on the computer for work and personal stuff that I'm feeling a need to move away from the screen and create things with my hands, tangible things. Also, Madison's baby book is full and it's time to start a new means of record keeping for all the exciting things that await her as she starts her school days! I was able to get started really cheap too - just using regular 8x11 card stock, and finding a yard sale where an avid scrapbooker was getting rid of a ton of unused stuff for obscenely cheap.

I did the first page last night, and it wasn't all that, especially when you compare it to the professional stuff you can find online and in catalogs, but at the very least, Madison will have a book recounting major life events that she'll have forever.

Madison's Recital

Saturday was Madison's big dance showcase, which was a big Fiary Tale-themed show with several dance numbers. Her ballet group danced to "Part of Your World", as part of the Little Mermaid portion of the show. She danced beautifully! She didn't look scared or nervous, just concentrating on what she was doing. She even told us afterwards that she wasn't scared at all, "It was fun!" Here are some picures we took before and after the show.

Madison's dress rehearsal

Madison has been taking ballet and tap dance lessons all year and it's culminating this weekend with the big showcase of all the groups of dancers performing the dances they've been working on for months. So Thursday we went to her dress rehearsal. She's in a class of 10 5-yr-olds dancing to "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid. Sooo perfect, since she loves that whole soundtrack, and their costumes are beautiful.

I remember a couple years ago when she was in a different dance class, I cried the whole recital. Partly because I was so proud of my little girl (who was barely 3 at the time!), and partly because I had a weird feeling inside that I was turning my little girl into a dancing monkey, fulfilling my long lost dreams of becoming a dancer. Was this my first step toward becoming a bonafide Stage Mom? This was completely unfounded, you understand, because Madison loved dance class, and I didn't micromanage any details whatsoever. I think I just had to come to terms with the whole thing.

The good news is that this time around, those feelings have completely dissipated, and I've truly enjoyed watching her learn and grow this year as I've watched her dance each week. Saturday, at the showcase (recital), I'll be beaming with pride, without the negative feelings thrown in. Yay!

BTW, my computer was giving me problems uploading the photos we have of Maddie in her dance costume, but I'll try to get some more up this weekend when she's all dressed up for her big performance! Until then, here is my favorite picture of her:

Our online journal

Although I have my own indulgent music blog, I'm finally starting a family blog, for several reasons, not the least of which EVERYONE else I know has one. It will be nice to have an online record of my family's happenings and milestons, and it will be a great way for friends and extended family to keep in touch.

But the most important reason why I've finally decided to keep a family blog is because I want to make each moment count with my husband and daughters. If I can create a way to linger on those wonderful, seemingly insignificant moments, even after they're asleep, the time it takes to keep this blog - even if no one reads! - will be well worth it.