Oh my goodness!!! Brooklyn is sooo adorable!! I love the tutu. Bella is a doll too in her little boots and dress. I love little tutus. That is one thing I miss about not having a little girl. My boys are rough and rowdy, not little ballerinas. Oh well, maybe I wil have to buy myself a tutu.
Your boys would be as happy
not having tutus as the girls were
to have them.
I do feel very blessed that I got to be a mother to both sexes. They are unique experiences.
If there isn't a third child in your future, maybe you can borrow some little girls occasionally to do frilly things with. I know of two who would be happy to oblige, if you are ever over here in Middle Tennessee.

One of these days, we are going to make our way to Gatlinburg, so maybe we can cross paths again over toward your way.
I love the tutu with the boots. Hope you and the family have a great holiday and manage to stay warm.
Yes, I thought the boots completed the ensemble very nicely.
We will have a great family holiday. Staying warm - I can't promise!
Yes, I do have short trip coming up in January. We'll be at WL for 2 nights before flying out of MDO to Buffalo for a wedding. It doesn't make sense to start our season passes for 1 day of park time so it's a no park trip.
Brooklynn is an adorable ballerina. I think I would dance for ponies too. This reminds of my girls' first recitals. Amy still dances. Emily does not.
Wilderness Lodge will be so nice. I love that place!
Brooklynn is such a cute ballerina! She looks like she's dealing with a case of butterflies in the first picture.
Jill, I really like your sweater dress.
She had some gigantic butterlies, for sure!
They calmed down later that evening, though, and she did very well.
I loved the story of Jill bribing Brooklynn!!!
I'm not sure Toby is yet at the age where he understands bribery
As he is yet to realise what "let me dress you quickly and with no messing around or kicking and I'll give you a snack" means!!!
I have a question... in the UK our "traditional" Christmas lunch/dinner is Turkey with all the trimmings. As you eat this on Thanksgiving - what is the "traditional" American Christmas lunch? Don't tell me turkey again! I'd be so jealous! Next year I am going to do my family a thanksgiving lunch I think!!!
I finish work in 7hrs

for Christmas and don't return until 4th January. I am looking forward to a rest! I enjoy Christmas Eve very much - as my "heritage" is Danish and when I was a kid myself, we used to celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve!
Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and New Year!
Julie xxx
Bella wouldn't understand bribery yet, either, but it works wonders for a four year old.
A lot of people here have ham and/or turkey for Chrismas. Ham is probably more prevalent. Many people go a little off the norm and do lasagna, too, just so everyone is not eating ham at every stop. We're doing spaghetti and lasagna at Jill's on Christmas Eve, and then she is fixing brunch on Christmas Day. Christmas night, we're doing Sheperd's Pie here, as per Trent's request, and the next day we are going Mexican with an Enchilada Casserole that is a family favorite.
Yes, bribing can never be underestimated!!! I am so glad the ponies did the trick! Brooklyn is adorable up there in her tinsel wings!
I bet you have some past bribery stories of your own, huh?
Then comes the day when bribery has to stop, and you just give them that,
'I will ring your scrawny little neck' look.
And they know you really will.
Oh my goodness- how cute are those ballerinas? And Miss Bella all dressed up to see her sister.

to the pony bribery. Hey- whatever works.
Bella sat very nicely through the whole show, too. We got up one song before intermission because I need to cough. After we got back, I sent her down the row to sit with John's parents so that I could get pictures of Brooklynn, and she sat with them and ate goldfish and did very well.
Bribery -- at it's best! Comes with a wonderful reward, though! I know I have succumbed when I needed to most... try every Christmas to get them to sit for portraits together without putting fingers in eachothers eyes, and to actually look like loving siblings...
If the shoe fits...
She looked adorable, though!
Thanks. She thought she looked very stylish.
Good morning! Vacation is finally here for me and I so enjoyed spending my morning looking at your pictures. I love the look of MK in the fall and when we go in October I can officially say I've been there for each of the seasons! Then I can start doing them all again!
Brooklyn was sooo cute in her ballet recital. I remember Ellie's first one when she was a cat. They are just so sweet. I totally agree with Jill, a well placed bribe is a mom's best friend!
Are you predicted to get this snow storm? They are saying it is going to pound us. So, to be proactive, looks like we are canceling our Christmas lunch with family, making it Christmas breakfast, and then heading out. John made a reservation in South Carolina where the storm looks to be just rain or nothing at all, depending on how it moves. John's sister will need to head out as well to avoid the bad weather so it's probably best for everyone. So, we'll be in Disney a whole bunch earlier...thank you snow!
Hooray for vacation!
Safe travels for all of you.
Can't be unhappy for extra Disney time.
Yes, it does appear that we are going to get a little snow here. Hopefully not enough to make for bad travel.
I do believe I've been in Jill's shoes before...bribery works wonders sometimes. Brooklynn makes a cute ballerina.
She enjoyed the evening, so that's what's important.
Bribery always does the trick
It works on my nephews all the time
Another little bit, though, and the bribery will succumb to that dirty look thing.
Love the bribery! Brooklynn looked so cute in her tutu, boots and wings! Looks like the perfomance was a hit!
Loved all the Toontown pics. I took a bunch of pictures as well. When I told the girls that the houses would be gone the next time we came back they were very sad.
I guess all we will see will be walls when we go again, but I hope when they open it back up it will be awesome with lots of fun new things to do and see.
Adorable dancing pictures! I'm glad that the ponies did the trick. This year for Ava's preschool concert there was a little bribery involved. Since there was no tears, she participated in the singing, and she didn't pull here dress over her head she got a treat at the end!
Yes, I think not pulling the dress over the head is worth a little something.

Exactly what was the price for that?