Dancing Monkeys

 Hello everyone!  I got my professional dance pictures back this week and thought I'd share them with you.  I had big smiles so my parents were really happy!

 This is my dance group.  I was apparently the only one who remembered to smile! 

 On Tuesday we headed to the mall and got to see my BFF TC Bear.  My friends Nolan, Logan and Isaac came too!  In the morning before we left our house I asked Mommy if we had any honey for TC Bear as "he really likes honey!"  Mommy said we didn't.  I asked, "Do we have pretend honey?" and Mommy said we did and she gave me some pretend honey and I put it promptly in my "star pocket" (also pretend).  When it was my turn to see TC, I told him that I brought him some honey and I handed him the invisible honey.  TC Bear took it, pretended to eat it, and then rubbed his tummy like it was really really yummy.  I was so happy he liked his pretend honey!!

 Time to sit on TC's lap!

 And a big bear hug from TC!

 After visiting TC we all got baseball temporary tattoos and then played a little bean bag toss.

 After all that excitement it was time to get some lunch.  This is Nolan and I wearing our Twins shirts.  We're friends, just like Mauer and Morneau!

On Wednesday Mommy and I headed to the University of Minnesota.  I got to go to college!  I was selected to take part in a research study going on at the U.  It was a behavioral study so it just involved me getting to play some educational games and observing my reactions.  Mommy got to watch via live video feed in the next room.  I loved going to college.  First the teacher asked me a lot of questions using this flip book.  At first it was really easy stuff like identifying letters and counting things. Then the questions got really hard-- asking me to identify words, addition and subtraction, telling time, etc.  The teacher asked me to find the word cat.  I looked at the page and asked her, "What letter does it start with?"  The teacher wouldn't tell me.  Then I asked again very sweetly, "ummmm what letter does it start with?"  I knew if I had the first letter I could find it!  After the book game was over we played a game where I got cards with either little dogs or big dogs on them. I was to put the little dog cards in the little dog box, and the big dog cards in the big dog box. I was really good at this as I love matching.  Then they switched up the game and I was supposed to put the big dogs in the little dog box.  This was very confusing to me.  I kept taking the cards and putting them in their "correct" box.  I would put the picture of the little dog next to the little dog box and say "It matches!" and then put it in.  Then it was time to play a bunch of different activities on the computer.  Many things of doing the opposite of what you would think to do.  For instance if a dog barked, I had to touch the picture of the cat.  This was hard stuff!  The teacher kept asking me if I wanted a break but I said, "Nope! Let's keep going!"  Afterward she told my mom that she was amazed that I did the entire thing without a break (minus the potty break that happened 5 minutes before we were to be done).  She said most 3.5 year olds need a ton of breaks and the session takes about an hour and a half. We were done in a little less than an hour.  So they were impressed with me so I got asked to come back again for phase two.  This time I am going to need to wear a EEG helmet (measures brain waves) while I'm doing the activities.  They call it a "space helmet" and we get to play an astronaut game. I'm a little unsure about this.  Mommy is trying to think of a really good incentive--perhaps ice cream afterward.  I'll let you know next week how it goes! 

 On Friday Daddy came back from work early and headed for a little overnight stay-cation at the Water Park of America. 

 We haven't been to a water park since New Years so it was about time! 

 Daddy and me carrying our tube to go ride the waves!

 This place had a really nice lazy river.  It was big and the right amount of "lazy".

 I liked these guys!

 Our room was really fun.  It had a big bed for Mommy and Daddy, and then bunk beds behind this curtain.  I thought it was great, and Mommy and Daddy appreciated not having to go to bed at 8:30 although everyone was tired after being at the water park and so everyone was asleep by 9:30. 

 In the morning after breakfast it was back to the water park for a little more fun!

 And a little water basketball!  All in all it was a fun little overnight trip 20 minutes away!  And we highly recommend the Water Park of America! It was great!! And we had a Minnesota celebrity sighting--Marquis Gray, the QB of the Gophers was there with his twin babies. 

 On Sunday we had set up duties at church.  We got the job of the welcome table. At the welcome table, you welcome people of course, and hand out name tags. Well I guess usually people just take their own name tags, but I took it upon myself to give people name tags.  Each time I'd say, "Here's a name tag! It's just for you!"  Everyone appreciated my enthusiasm for name tags.  After church we had lunch and then it was time to get ready for my big recital!!!!

Before we left, I wanted to practice one last time.  It's a little hard to practice without the banana pillow or my scarf but I made do.

 This is me on the red carpet at the recital. It was a high class affair!

 This is me on stage doing my monkey dance.  We had these fun banana pillows that also held our scarves for dancing.  Pretty sneaky!

 I loved performing and I remembered to have my big smiles!  I LOVED IT when everyone clapped at the end. I just beamed!

 More dancing pictures........................

 This is the part of the song that says "If monkeys could dance what steps would they do?" 

 This is my teacher Miss Kathy and I at the end of the recital after the big finale!

After the recital I got a star balloon from Mommy and Daddy.  This was possibly the highlight of the day.  I kept asking if it was time for the balloon yet as I knew I was getting one at the end.

What else is new with me?

• My new bed arrived this week. I guess we forgot to take a picture!  Anyway, I love my new bed and in big news, I have given up my night time pacifier.  My parents said that pacifiers belong in little beds, not in big beds and I agreed.  That was it. No more pacifiers. 
• My last molar is now starting to sprout so soon I will have all my teeth! Wahoo!