South Padre Island

Lee had an annual conference in S. Padre again this year. This is our 3rd year to go and it just gets better and better as the kids get older! A whole week! It was great! We spent most of our time on the beach. No oil here! YET! We went dolphin watching, went to see the rescued Sea Turtles, lots of beach time, Schliterbahn, and ate tons of yummy seafood!

Corinne was completely fascinated with the sea turtles. She went from tank to tank and back a dozen times. Surprised me...

The dolphin watch. Curls? What curls? It was so humid. A storm came up on us and we were all soaked, but we saw those silly dolphins!


The girls being girls. These sisters are inseparable! Not sure how Claire is going to deal with Corinne going to kindergarten next year!



Hanging out in our condo. Check out the view!

Claire Bear

The beach!

Fun in the sun!


Our little fish! She was showing off her swimming! Glad the lessons are paying off!

Must have done this slide 100 times!

Corinne's 5th Birthday

Wow! Where is time going??? Corinne is turning 5 and starts Kindergarten this fall!! She is super excited and we are super not! Really though, we are happy, just sad that these sweet, innocent days will be gone forever! She will be out of our protective bubble and facing worldly people. Hopefully, though, we have instilled good morals and ethics into her. She tends to be more of a leader than a follower, so we have that on our side! I think she is most excited about riding the bus. We are going to let her in the afternoons, as we are the second stop. But we will take her in the mornings. There are 7 or 8 - 5 year olds starting Kindergaten at the same time, here in our neighborhood. We already know 4 of them, so we are glad that she will have some familiar faces. I know she will do just fine and shine like the star that she is! We are so very proud of her and her accomplishments! On that note....she just graduated from her swim lessons! She completed 10 levels and moves on to the big lanes in the big pool!! She even learned how to dive from the edge!

Here are some pictures from her birthday party! We had tons of fun!!

For all of them, you can copy and paste this address to see them. Then, click on slideshow.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kristinursemom/CorinneS5thBirthday#

Claire's Ballet Recital

Let me just say, Claire has shocked us! She was great!! Most of you know what a stinker she can be, and she acted a if she owned the stage! Funny thing though...there were only 3 little girls in her class. Their teacher had them practice facing the back wall so that they were not distracted with the mirrors. They practiced coming and going on and off the stage countless times. So, during the recital, one little girl immediately turned around and faced the back. Then, the little girl next to her turned around. Claire kept looking at them and then thought she was wrong, so she turned around too! They dimmed the lights and cut the music, someone ran out and turned them all back around and started over. The audience was laughing, it was so cute! She far exceeded our expectations!

Corinne's dance recital

Corinne had her 3rd ever dance recital today! Let me just tell you, she did awesome! We are so proud of her and her confidence! Her ballet routine was to "Que Sera, Sera"...in translation means: whatever will be, will be. It is a song about a little girl asking her Mommy, what will she be. It brings tears to my eyes every single time I hear it, and most definitely when I saw my daughter on stage dancing to it and singing the lyrics as she goes! Her tap routine was to "Lollipop." You know, "Lollipop, lollipop, ooo la la lollipop." Precious! They actually wore the same costume for both, just changed their tights and their shoes.
In the parking lot! Ready to go!!
A few backstage shots.

Ready for ballet routine!
Here is tap!

You have to understand these blurry pictures! (Shutter speed issues.) This is Corinne at the end of the tap routine...she had a solo! She ran back out after the girls "tapped" off for one final "Lollipop!"

Bali and her beautiful Mommy, Keili. Bali got to hang back stage and watch the girls from the wings.
Me and my girls!
Bali and Corinne with their bouquets.

April has been busy!

April has flown by for us! Super busy bees! Claire Bear turned 3 last week! I can't believe my baby isn't a baby anymore! She doesn't hesitate to tell you that she is a "big girl now!" Here is a link to some pictures of her and her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, her most favorite place on earth! Also, are some pictures from the bluebonnets.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kristinursemom/April2010#

The girls have also started swim lessons again. Corinne is flying through the stations. We were hung up on Station 7 for months, which is the back stroke. So we stopped last October. She did gymnastics in between and her upper body strength is incredible! She is on Station 9 now and swimming the length of the pool. She swims 5 strokes frontwards and 5 backstrokes. She just keeps flipping over and over until she reaches the end. Her confidence is amazing! Claire is still on Station 2. But doing awesome! She will fall into the water like a starfish and float, holding her breath for 5 seconds!

The girls both have their dance recitals coming up. Corinne's in the beginning of May and Claire's is the beginning of June. Claire's costume came in already and it is adorable! She is dancing to "It's a Jolly Holiday with Mary," from Mary Poppins....which happens to be one of the girls' most favorite movies, next to Annie, of course. Corinne's tap routine is to "Lollipop, Lollipop." It is very cute! I can't remember the song for her ballet.

We went to Galveston this last weekend for a conference for Lee. We had a great time and not a single drop of rain....evidently, it rained here at home all weekend. Galveston is still as gross as I remember it, but they have done a great job restoring buildings and houses. Here are some pictures from Schilterbahn. They have about 1/3 of the park covered for the winter months. It has a lazy river and two sections for kiddos. The air is heated and the water is heated. The girls had a blast!



Here are some shots from the playground at our hotel. And some of Lee trying to go down the slide.




Some from the pool. And, the hula hoop contest. Corinne can hula!!




That is Corinne's arm, doing her strokes. Our little fish!
We met up with my girlfriend of 20+ years, Jenni, for dinner. Her husband and kiddos. Reese is 5 and Knox is 4 1/2 months. The girls played and laughed and danced at the Flying Dutchman in Kemah.