Dance competition, baby!

Whew.  I think I'm taking this "explore" thing a bit too seriously!!  And I'd apologize for it, 'cept, I'm not!  I'm kinda loving it.  We are booking it around the state that's for sure.

This weekend we got to see this darling, but in a totally different venue.  We were in New Orleans for her sister, Elaina's wedding.  If we are friends on Facebook or Instagram, that's no new news to you!!  However, I have Windows 8 on my new computer (new as in August of 2013 from Todd for my birthday) and have no idea how to operate my own system, so I'll have to take my computer AND phone to work tomorrow to have someone upload my pics for me.  Yes, I know.  I know.

WHile we are awaiting that transaction, we'll head back to the last weekend in March when we went to Baton Rouge for dance competition.  This year, lil' bit got to go play with us!!

And Mary Allison was there to meet us when we arrived!

Cause, well, as you know she's a Tiger, so Baton Rouge is now her home.  Can you tell my little posie Mcposers were pretty fired up!?

Aaaaannnndd... one more for good measure.

This is Linda Lou, their beloved dance teacher.  And you might recognize the one shouldered net shirt from last year.  Ellie let Gabs have all her "old" things.  She was ready for round two of buying the cool dance clothes at Competition!

Gabs was a wee bit intimidated at first, but she settled on it. (Forget thinking big sister would help her ease in!  Tweens were there who needed to be MET!)

While they danced, I bonded with this sweetie pie.

Breanna and I share a vehicle and travel this journey together each year.  This year, my Gabs and her Hazel both made the trip too.  However, Little Miss Audrey is also new to the crew, so there was an extra carseat.

I told Bre that if she keeps this up, we won't be able to travel together anymore.  This is her number 5!

And for whatever reason, it took her fifth for me to claim, upon her birth, that I am her Godmother.  Rather that is for reals or not, I make sure to buy Miss Audrey special little trinkets of love and devotion so she'll think it's for reals someday!

She has got to be one of the happiest and smilingest babies I've ever known.

I think she is saying, "YES, mo.  Please be my Godmother."

We're a match made in Heaven.

So, the little girls get the same instructors as all the big girls.  The instructors just take turns passing through the various classrooms, teaching each level a new dance.  They have to learn and perform the dance in the hour allotted for the class.

That's quite a feat for little girls.  Oh, and here's my friend, Cleavage, I mean, Cindy, who also had a little girl in this class.

She thought I wouldn't post it.  Silly girl.

Here's Miss Hazel, Bre's number three kid, with the teacher.

Along with Ellie and Angel Grace, Cindy's girl.

This dude was the hiphop teacher. Please note the change of outfit.  These have big baggy plaid pockets on the back , and Ellie was wearing her Converse to be all streetwise and edgy!

I gotta admit, Gabs spent about 50% (or 75ish?!) over here in this chair with us.  I found out too late, sadly, that if I wasn't on the sidelines watching, she'd meander back to the class.  This baby girl is a MAMA's GIRL if there ever was one!

And this is the tap instructor!

She would have the girls stand up and whisper to them a song, i.e. JIngle Bells, and they would have to tap it out until the class could pick up on what it was.  Pretty neat class!

And Gabbi onlhy got excited when she saw a little bit of gymnastics happening!

Here's DJ.  He is one the big girls' favorite.  And so, you know who felt a kinship as well.

Our sweet Sarah (last summer's babysitter) won a spot as an assistant with LADM, so she was on stage helping teach.  We felt like we knew a star!

At lunch, all the classes would convene, and Ellie would hang out with her "people"!

And as SOON as it was over, I'd convince them to come hang out with mine!!  Barnes and Noble, baby!!

My kids LOVE elevators!  Do all kids?!

They are sort of growing up, and I can sort of see it in these pics, with them just leading the way.

Oh, and having a little caffeinated snack.  Gabs loves coffee.

Ellie just likes posing with the cup.

This was a true mama-daughter weekend.  All the girl mamas are there.  Most of them are going out to eat together and shopping all day until performances that night.  But "most of them" aren't 44 with a 5 and 6 year old.  THIS mama is still sitting in the class WITH her girls waiting til the break to help them change their shoes!!

It's quite a different perspective than most friends my age, but one I wouldn't trade for the world.

We're just taking it one weekend at a time...

And totally exploring the world.

MO