2011 Summer Camp Show - Ballet

Hmmm, is anybody else annoyed with these videos like I am? I've found that I must have patience to play them twice. The first time, it starts and stops the whole time. But if you click REPLAY, it will play smoothly after that.

2011 Summer Camp Show - K1 Performance

Here's T performing just with her camp class.

2011 Summer Camp Video - Cheerleading Award

Since I had no idea T was going to win, I didn't have my camera going. All I'm left with is this after the fact video. Grrrrr.

2011 Summer Camp - Cheerleading

2011 Camp Show - Modeling Video

Don't forget to scroll to the very bottom, to turn off the blog music by clicking the big circle, so it won't interfere with the video's music. Enjoy!

Grand Entrance with Pomp and Circumstance!

Here is T's grand entrance at the graduation. Don't forget to scroll to the end and turn off the blog music before playing, so that you get the full affect of the video!

Rock and Roll Taylor

Don't forget to scroll down to the very end, and mute the blog music before playing this video, to get the full affect! Meanwhile, I have to work on my camera skills. I was so busy watching her that most of the time I just filmed her feet. Quite prophetic, as it turns out!

Let the Lessons begin!

Here's T on the trampoline, waiting her turn. I'll be posting some video clips here. I took lots b/c Dot had me under strict orders to document EVERYTHING. Luckily, they're really short, if you want to take a peek:

1. T's First Floor Exercise - If it ever gets posted...she tumbles down the incline, to which she informed the teacher, "I want to do it all by myself", goes down the slide, across the balance beam, bunny hop to the bar, hang on the bar, and lastly handstand with the help of the wall.

T, not satisfied with the difficulty factor, added her own moves to the routine...she also hung backwards and attempted to hang sideways and with her feet (a big no-no, as your hands must apparently always go the same way), then later spontaneously went from a handstand into a tumble at the end. He.He.







2. T's First Trampoline Routine



3. T's Attempt at a Trampoline Split jump




4. T climbing up the ladder - Poor baby, you'll see when she gets near the top that she makes a fatal mistake....she looks down. I think she gets a little scared, as you see her hesitating. She then violates all the rules, and walks the circuit backwards...guess she was getting her self-confidence back by going back and touching all the things that she did.




I was very worried that T'd have a melt down when she realized it was over and that we were leaving, but she was a very good girl. She put her shoes on, and happily left. She balked a little at first, until I told her that we might see Aunt Dotty today...then she was out the door like a flash.

Olga Korbut and Nadia Comenichi Step Aside

...there's a new girl in town! We got very lucky and got into the Sat 10:00 a.m. gymnastics class. I say lucky b/c since we aren't "members" or Coral Gables residents, we don't get first dibs. What's worse is that most of the classes are in the p.m. when most people are working. I can't tell you how annoying it is when all the classes are in the p.m. That's when all the soccar classes are as well. Therefore, we won't be joining anytime soon.

That's OK. We're just doing one class at a time. Not need to burn myself out. Notice I said myself and not ourselves. T could probably do 3 or 4 classes a day. Old mom, however, just doesn't have the energy or time to schlep her around like that.

So, after signing up after work, we went to dinner then came home and T had to put on her leotard. Now granted, its probably technically a ballet leotard vs. gymnastics, but that's all we have. This one is a little too big, and was part of the loot we inherited from Gabriella. So, unless the teach says that the little skirt will interfere, T will be in this. She may get one more. Marie told me that there's a whole ballet/gymnastic dept in target. So for variety, and to spare the black one from too many washings, if T's really good in class, she'll get to pick out a 2nd tumbling leotard after class tomorrow. We'll see.


Meanwhile, tonight I filmed T doing her self-taught tumbling. She's a little like a drunken sailor when she does it, but I'm sure her form will improve with instruction. If the video gets posted, please ignore the sound. The movie The Incredibles was playing on TV, and Elastigirl was flying the plane dodging missles. That's why you may hear lots of screaming and a woman yelling "Abort, Abort".

Despite what you may think, that's not me yelling at T.

UPDATE: Guess who is so excited about her new class, that she insisted on SLEEPING in her leotard?

Fa Mulan as played by Taylor

Introducing Taylor The Actress....

In this scene, she's playing Mulan meeting the matchmaker. The matchmaker calls her name, "Fa Mulan", and Mulan who is kneeling behind her umbrella, brings it up and announces, "Present!". Enjoy....

T in China

I have been waiting for over 2 years to post these videos. They both were taken in China, in our room at the White Swan Hotel, on January 17, 2006. As you can see, T was quite physically adept. She could hold her head up, sit up, crawl, and surf the furniture. Clearly, she had gotten some good care (relatively speaking) in the orphanage.


I forget how little she was!

And here's the second video, of T surfing the furniture.

Testing....One, Two, Three

Here's my first successful attempt EVER to post a video to T's site! This video was taken right before Xmas of 2007. As you can see, T's doesn't have a real good relationship with the hairy, fat man. Anytime I mentioned going to see him, this is the reaction I got..."I don't like Santa. I don't like that man!" In fact, that's the reaction I still get to this day!

Since T's only experience with Santa was in Dec. 2006, when we attempted to put her on his lap while we were at a hotel in Vegas, I no longer push the idea. T took one look at that Santa, who was a cross between Santa and Merlin, and started screaming bloody murder. The only reason we even got a picture of it, was b/c Aunt Dot and I got in the picture, too, and I held T.

Who knows, perhaps Xmas 2008, which will be her 3rd Xmas and my 3rd opportunity for a Santa shot, will be the charm!