Shannon Hale Book Signing

This year, the school where the girls dance, The Creative Arts Academy, will be performing a Ballet based on Shane Hale's novel "The Goose Girl", an adaptation of a Grimm Fairy Tale. Since she is from Salt Lake, a book store in Bountiful was able to have her come to speak at the the Creative Arts Academy and book signing. Ellie and I head read the book the month prior, and she loved it. She also got to play the part of the princess' lady in waiting "Selia" for the beginning scenes in the ballet, which takes place when the princess in the book is a little girl. So getting to meet the author and have her talk to Ellie and Emma was so exciting for them. Ellie is so funny, she loves stories of female authors, like Jane Austine (could I ask anything more from a daughter!), Beatrice Potter and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Becoming an author is consistently on her rotating lists of "what she is going to be when she grows up". She writes stories about her American Girl dolls in various historical settings - which are hilarious! Anyway, Shannon Hale gave a great speech and was very encouraging about "following your dreams" to all the kids in attendance. The first picture is of Ellie, with her friend, Elise Monson and the author Shannon Hale, the next with the girls getting their books signed

The Last Six Months . . .

I suppose before jumping back on to the family blogging bandwagon, I should probably give a little update on the family happenings for the last 6 months . . .

October 2007

The Girls were so cute for Halloween. My Emma was a "Sunflower Princess". She loves Sunflowers and spent every possibly moment playing in the sunflower butterfly garden we made last summer that sits outside her window. I think in August she announced to me that she wanted to be a "Sunflower Princess" for Halloween. I thought this would be a cinch to whip up without a pattern. I wish I could say it was (but that would be slightly deceitfully remembering the countless hours spent in my sewing room in the weeks leading up to Halloween and the numerous beta versions that I produced before the final product). But I must say, she is the cutest little Sunflower Princess there ever was!

Ellie was an angel. She had decided on this months prior as well. Her costume was a much easier endeavor! Halloween becomes a much more significant holiday with little ones. Truly, they have already been discussing what they might be for this upcoming Halloween. Ellie was a beautiful angel! This year was the first time she really grasped the possibilities that a night of door to door begging can hold! Up until now, we could get away with a few neighbors and stopping by a couple of friends houses before calling it a night. Her friend invited her along to Trick-or-Treat with her and her Dad, and Bryce and Emma joined in for an hour or so. Ellie was far from ready to call it a night when by the time that Emma and Bryce were ready to head home. Her friends parents dropped her off maybe an hour and a half latter, and I knew from that sparkle in her eye (maybe I could describe it more as a crazed look!) that the short "family" Halloweens of past were no more. C'est la vie! And this was the first year I couldn't get away with hucking all her candy after a few days. She was totally on to me!