Show Us Where You Live Friday - The Entry Way

I don't have a foyer, I have an entryway. It's just a little nook carved out of the front of the house. Since there isn't all that much I can do, without it clashing with the front room, I've tried to take a less is more approach.

You come in and this is it. That's my MeMa's antique serving cart.

It was kind a little bland for my taste, so I put an antique mirror on top of it and fit pretty much exactly! It just gives it a little Ooomph without detracting from it's antique-iness.

I bought this vase on (in?) Murano- which a little island in Venice. They have the best hand blown glass there, it's just amazing. They give tours and show you how they make it- it's a really fascinating process. Their sister island, Burano, is famous for their lace.

So that's it- my foyer/entry way. Kinda boring huh?

Other Rooms:

Outside - Yard & Porch

Master Bedroom

Bonus Room

Bathrooms

Office

Spencer's Room/Nursery

So You Think You Can Dance - Results Show Recap

Couples in the Bottom Three

• Caitlin & Jason
• Phillip & Jeanine
• Melissa & Ade

I'm very sad that Melissa and Ade are in the bottom three, but I'm really looking forward to watching both of their solos. I think that it will be Caitlin and Jason going home tonight.

Ade's dancing makes me... amorous!

Going home tonight...

• Caitlin Kinney
• Phillip Chbeeb
  

Oh. My. GOSH! I was NOT expecting that at all! I can't believe it. He was so good last night, too! I'm not happy with the judges. Awww, he's crying and I now I'm crying.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap - Top 12 Dancers

Tonight's performances will probably be a little rushed, as all the couples are performing two routines tonight. Tyce Diorio is the guest judge. It is also that last time for the couples to dance with each other. From now on, they will have a new partner every week until the finale.

Melissa & Ade - Disco -Doriana Sanchez - Move On Up, by Destination.

When do I not like these two? Ade is so great, smooth like butter! haha, I don't even know what that means, but it sounded good. Great lifts, tight moves, and it looks like they're having fun. Ooops, Melissa fell at the very end, but the routine was already technically over. Nigel said it was an incredible start to the evening, and it was a very exciting routine. (Is it me, or does his hair change every week?) Mary said they sure gave her the pick me up she'd been needing! Everything was well executed and both of them just let it rip. Tyce loves Melissa and thinks her body is brilliant and that Ade has fantastic rhythm and timing. His words - friggin' great. TEMPO01

Kayla & Kupono - Contemporary - Mia Michaels - She's addicted to him and she keeps coming back even though he's so bad for her - Gravity, by Sara Bareilles.

I found this to be a beautiful, powerful piece. Kayla isn't wearing any makeup and she looks strung out. Surprisingly, I identified a lot with this routine, not in the drug addiction way, but it in the addicted to bad love kind of way. Kupono was fabulous this time. Nigel thought it was great, but wishes Kayla's hair didn't get in the way of her beautiful face. Mary loves Kupona tonight. Tyce said he didn't feel like he was watching a dance, but an experience. Kupono was a great actor and Kayla is "a piece." That is "a piece" period. I'm assuming that means a piece of fine bottom, but you know what they say about assuming, haha! TEMPOS02

Caitlin & Jason - Foxtrot - Minnie The Moocher, by Bog Bad Voodoo Daddy

I thought it was good. I'm not at expert on this though, but they made it look easy and smooth. Nigel said it was very good and and Jason had excellent footwork. Mary agrees and loved their flow, Caitlin just floated across the stage. Tyce said they both looked like stars tonight and really captured the essence. He wishes Caitlin had glided more, because she's capable of doing more than she did. TEMPO03

Jeanine & Phillip - Russian Folk Dance - Youri Nelzine & Lilia Baeenko (new choreographers) - Kalinka, by Barnya

They both have on traditional Russian outfits, which are of course red. I don't know anything about this, at all. Phillip's jumps looked weak to me, but he did an excellent job with his squatting hitch kicks. Nigel started off by saying that he wished they didn't have that routine, it was nothing compared to Twitch and Joshua's Russian-Inspired routine last season- but it wasn't their fault. Ouch, to the choreographers. Mary said Jeanine made it look effortless and Phillip's hitch kicks were excellent, but the routine wasn't difficult enough. Tyce disagrees and says they need to be judged on the dance they did and they were great. TEMPO04

Randi & Evan - Hip Hop - Tabitha & Napoleon - Young couple in love who find out they're about to have a baby - Halo, by Beyonce.

They did this SUPER cool move at the end where they kind of moved through each other. Nigel said one of the best things about the routine was that Nappy Tabs didn't ask them to be "urban" but just be themselves with a hip hop feel. Mary said she was expecting a train wreck tonight but it was great. She didn't see one mistake from Evan and Randi stood out to her as a very strong dancer. Tyce said it was such good storytelling, but Evan needs to find "more" and "come out" and "found out what this is." Vague, much? TEMPO05

Brandon & Janette - Argentine Tango - Leonardo Barrionuevo & Miriam Larici (new choreographers)- Libertango, by Forever Tango (original Broadway cast album)

They are serious and fierce. Seriously amazing. Janette is really a phenomenal dancer, I think she sometimes gets overlooked in the Brandon Hype, but she makes these difficult moves look so effortless. Nigel stands up and begins to clap before he says a word and Mary and Tyce joins them. He thinks it was as close to perfection as seen on this stage, evah. Mary says the temperature sure is rising in here!, that Brandon hasn't disappointed her once and Janette is flawless. She tells them they're on the Hot Tamale Train, and Nigel joins her, "who whooing" right along with her. Tyce said they're like fresh squeezed orange juice and you have to squeeze out all the juice and they just squeezed out the whole damn thing, unreal! TEMPO06

Melissa & Ade - Waltz - Ron Montez - Natural Woman, by Mary J. Blige.

They make everything look easy and HOT. Ade is just all M.A.N. And Melissa is wonderful, too- it's classy, smooth, and beautiful. Nigel compliments Ade's strength and Melissa's lines. Mary said it was beautiful for her, too. The lifts are effortless, but Ade's other moves need more rise and fall. Melissa is like a fine wine, just peaking at the right time (in reference to her age, which is 29). Mary calls Nigel an English Muffin and then tells M & A that everything they've done has been with class. Tyce thinks Ade is such a good dancer that he needs to try harder so it looks like not everything comes so natural to him. Hmmm. But that overall, excellent. TEMPO01

Kayla & Kupono - Broadway - Joey Dowling - The Dance at The Gym, from West Side Story.

Kayla's hair is out of her face, so I think Nigel will like that. It's fun routine, nothing like their last one. The judges didn't like it- they felt they just danced it instead of feeling the characters. Mary didn't feel they latched on to the style, but she still really enjoyed the dance and they both did a great job outside of their style. Tyce compliments Joey, but doesn't think they really immersed themselves in the West Side Story world. TEMPO02

Caitlin & Jason - Lyrical Jazz- Mandy Moore - Show Me Heaven, by Maria McKee

They redeemed themselves from the Foxtrot. I'm not a fan of the song arrangement, I prefer Jessica Andrew's version more. I thought they showed more chemistry than they have since their first dance- the Bollywood routine. Nigel said it was technically very good, but he didn't feel the Ooomph, (sex) behind it. Mary thinks they have chemistry, it wasn't magic, but memorable. Tyce doesn't want them to play it safe, but that he appreciates their work tonight and thinks they did a great job. TEMPO03

Jeanine & Phillip - Jive - Tony Meredith - He's been at sea for awhile, and comes home expecting, the..., but she wants to tease him first - Stuff Like That There, Bette Midler

I think Phillip has shown A LOT of improvement! Nigel tells them it was terrific choreography and that Phillip is the best he's ever been outside of his own style. He thinks he's now starting to come to life. Jeanine is one of the best Top 10 dancers he's ever seen, and if she's not here next week, he'll be surprised. Mary guarantees that Jeanine will be here next week, and that Phillip completely surprised her with his moves tonight, and he did a brilliant job. She said Jeanine was ON FIRE tonight and is on the Hot Tamale Train- Nigel once again joins her in the "who whooing! Tyce said, and I quote "Call 1-888-FAN-FRIGGIN-TASTIC." What Phillip lacks in technique he makes up for in performance. Jeannie is more than just a dancer she is a star. TEMPO04

Randi & Evan - Samba - Pasha Artem and Anya Garnis (From Season 3) - Ritmo De Bom Bom, by Jubaba

Nigel doesn't think that they were as H.O.T. as he would've liked it. Mary thinks it might not have been as hot as Nigel would've liked it, but she thought there was a nice slow sizzle. She thinks they need to find a little more fire in them and she loves them! Tyce does this whole "haa" "huuh" "heee" in order to show how Evan needs to be passionately dancing, with more ardor. Basically, Evan needs to put some more hot and heavy into his moves with Randi. I don't know why they're so hard on him, I like him a lot more than Randi. Am I the only one who feel this way? TEMPO05

Janette & Brandon - Jazz - Wade Robeson - Thieves, Brandon is calculated and Janette is crazy - Ruby Blue, by Roisin Murphy.

Typical Wade Robeson routine, but not quite as strange as usual, actually, I find this one to be quite enjoyable. I'm going to be sad to see this duo come to an end. Nigel says they've proved tonight, that there's nothing they can throw at them that they can't do. If they don't get the biggest vote tonight, he'll be shocked. Mary agrees and thinks it was the best performance of the night- they stole her, and everybody's, heart. Tyce said they have that thing - they got up there and did their own routine. Wade has such a strong voice, and he, for one, is inspired. Wade and his wife both have on matching sunglasses like Janette and Brandon wore. TEMPO06.

So who do you think will be going home tonight? My guess is Caitlin and Jason.

The End of the Beginning

Why so serious?

Where's her face?

Deep Thoughts.

Easter. That was the last time Spencer ever wore a headband. Ever since then she rips them off- hey, she knows what she likes!

Okay, she did wear it again, but as you can see, it she had almost gotten if off before I took this picture.

There's this children's song I always think of when I see this picture- "Standing outside with my mouth open wide- Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah, Ah." Anyone else remember this, or know it?

Us. Oh, how I love her. Love, love, love her!

Opening up presents in her princess chair.

Just a small birthday party meltdown.

In the Beginning

I had a little baby named Spencer Elizabeth. Both are family names, my middle name is Elizabeth and so was/is my MeMa's. Spencer was her Grandmother's name.

My Little Spence. 6lbs 7ozs at one month early. Can you imagine how big she would have been if she'd been full term? I'd known for awhile that I'd probably have to have a C-Section, because at every appointment my doctor told me her she was still heads up, despite all of their manual, painful, attempts, to get her to flip. I should have known then that she was going to be a difficult child, haha!

On our way home. I think it took about an hour because I made my mom drive about 35mph the whole way.

These were some of the first pictures I took of her with my new camera. She was dramatic, even in her first month!

Look at those feet. I only wear a size 7, so that's not my fault.

Frowny face, followed by her first real smile, not attributable to gas, at me!

I actually had four costumes for her, but it would just be too mean to show you the torture I put her through, especially the chicken costume, which she did NOT like!

Christmastime

She couldn't quite sit up yet, but that didn't stop me from pretending she could.

Favorite Photograph - MckLinky Blog Hop

Considering I've taken close to 15,000 pictures of Spencer since she's been born, picking my favorite one was VERY difficult. But I've always loved this picture I took of her on her first birthday. I snapped about 500 pictures that day- including the sunrise and sunset, and every other minute detail of that day, haha! I didn't pose her or anything (as if I could!) I just kept snapping away as she went about her business. I can't believe it's almost been a year! I wondering how many pictures I'll take of her on Friday?!

"Haha, I'm one now, you don't know what you're in for, Mama!

A Long Short Goodbye

This is going to be/is a pretty stressful week for me, as Spencer's birthday is Friday and her party is Saturday. Everything's been ordered, invitations mailed, now it's just implementing all of it. Of course my house needs a good cleaning, but it's not that bad. But when you have an almost two year old, and a Great Dane puppy, you can't clean too far in advance, or else you'll just be doing it twice, or thrice, and what ever the -ice version of four is.

You can't do anything in advance really, just order, buy, and wait for the horrendous day when you know you have to do everything at once. It's just hanging over my head right now, and I've never been all that great at implementation. I'm a much better planner than doer. Almost every paper I've ever written that received an A was done in an all night marathon. When I spent days or weeks trying to write one paper, I'd write a few pages, come back the next day and maybe decide to go with a new theme, or the flow was off, the tone different. I'd second guess, rewrite, re-edit, waste loads of time, and erode my self-confidence in the process. For me, long term projects lack coherency- I'm a sprinter, not a marathon type of girl.

Of course this leads to a great deal of stress and is probably not the smartest or healthiest way to handle anything, but so far, it's the one that produces the best results. But I'm open to suggestions, always!

So today, while I was taking a break from my mental party preparations, Spencer and I went with my aunt to my Grandparent's house. It's finally been sold and the closing is tomorrow. I'd already said my goodbyes to the house and I really didn't want to go, I felt like it would be having to do it all over again. But my aunt really wanted someone to go with her, so we went. And I'm so glad I did.

I didn't go in again, but I got out with Spencer and walked around. It's the weirdest feeling to be somewhere and know that you'll never be there again. Even though it's only 15 minutes away and I could drive by anytime I want- I won't. I won't be able to go in the backyard or sit on the porch. This was it. I walked to the edge of the backyard and memories came flooding back. There's this concrete drain type thing in the back, that runs through the entire neighborhood- on the other side is just woods.

When I was a little girl I thought it was a real creek, because water was always flowing through it, and I used to dare myself to jump over it. My Grandpa built a plank for me to cross it, like a pirate, and then I'd be in "the woods" which was very scary for me. It's where I saw a deer for the first time, and I'd put out treats for her so she'd come back and visit. I can remember my Grandpa telling me to be very quiet or else she'd get scared and run away.

The "Creek"

As I got older, I rarely headed into the yard and the creek became more overgrown. When I saw it today, it looked nothing like my memories of it, but it still brought tears to my eyes. I have a very difficult time letting go of things/feelings, but I've done a really good job with it in terms of Grandparents. Not forgetting them, but knowing that they needed to be together to be happy and if that meant they'd have to be in Heaven to do so, well, okay. But going back there reminded me of a much happier time with them, it made me forget their last awful days, and it was tears of happiness that I quickly brushed away from my face. (Spencer does NOT like it when I cry).

My Grandpa was my only grandparent who got to meet to Spencer. My parents initially tried to hide my pregnancy from everyone but my Grandma died when I was 6 months pregnant, putting an end to that. My Dad told him shortly thereafter and when I saw him the next day, he gave me a long hug and said "We lost our girl, but God's given us another one." I'll never forget that- his words, his expression, his embrace. He was so loving and supportive of me.

I thought I'd already said goodbye, I sprinted right through and tried not to look too far back. But Spencer's upcoming birthday has really made me very reflective and emotional. I decided I don't need to say goodbye, I have two decades worth of fabulous memories and stories to keep my company. So much of the grieving process is spent on the final days, probably because the good days are too hard to remember. But going back to their house today reminded me of all those wonderful times and cherished memories. It wasn't a goodbye today.

The Pool - Making it Safe All Year Long

Spencer's paternal grandparents have a big beautiful pool in their backyard. It's a big beautiful pool that's caused me hours of worrying- I've seen all those 20/20 specials where babies and pets fall in and drown!

Most people think I worry too much, which I don't think is possible when it comes to safety of your child, so I did what I always so - a little research! According the US Safety Commission, 75% of all accidental pool submersion drownings, involved children between the ages of one and three. They reported that 65% of all these accidental drowning occurred in a pool owned by the child's family and 33% happened in a pool owned by relatives and friends. Folks, that means 98% of all drowning accidents happened in their own pool, their family's pool, or a friend's pool. I decided I had plenty of reason to worry!

I've found a few ways to make sure your pool area is as safe as possible. During the summer months, the majority of families leave their pool uncovered. This is a big no-no, as 2/3 of all those drownings I mentioned earlier, occurred during the summer, when the pool is not in use. Invest in strong pool cover, a mesh cover is a must for protecting your family and your pool. There are also covers that use solar energy to warm the water, in case you were thinking "how else will my pool ever warm up if it's always covered?" Not only are you preventing your family from a potential devastating loss, but you are all also avoid a possible legal battle and lawsuit.

I was surprised to read that a large number of these accidents occur during the off season months. A lot of pool owners use old or weak covers to protect their pool after they've closed it up for the season. Winter Pool Covers not only protect your kids, they also prevent pools from icing over- which opens up an entire new can can of worms. If your pool cover has a hole in it, don't tape it up! Get a new one or have a professional fix it.

In ground pool owners are not the only ones that need to worry about this, a large number of these accidents happen in above ground pools- especially during wintertime. Winterizing your above ground pool is 100% necessary if you want to keep it healthy and safe. Most people tend to worry about children falling in a pool and drowning, and forget about the possibility of an inquisitive four year old climbing on top of their pool- to a kid it probably looks like a big trampoline! Having a strong, stable cover is just as important on an above ground pool as it is for an in ground pool.

Benjamin Franklin once said, An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If you are one of those lucky people with your own pool, please make sure you've taken every possible measure to ensure the safety of a child.

Forget Me Not

The Forget Me Not Flower

I have an excellent memory. Not photographic, but I did memorize the entire Gettysburg Address in the 5th grade (I still know it), I could tell you what you wore on any given day, and can playback entire conversations from as long ago as nursery school. I just remember things, which can sometimes be good or bad.

Most of these things are facts or feelings, I often can't remember where I hid my keys from Spencer. But recently I've noticed a startling a trend- I've forgotten, or blocked out, large parts of who I used to be. Before Spencer (BS), I was the ultimate hopeless romantic, the girl who believed love conquered all, and there was no romantic comedy that I didn't like. During my freshman year of college, our hall ordered t-shirts that had our names and a quote about us on it- mine was "Katie 'I love love." I had a kissing wall, every year, in all of my dorm rooms- photos and magazine cut outs of various kisses. I unconditionally gave my whole heart to the love of my life.

Then one day I had a baby and all my love went to her. It no longer seemed appropriate to be that girl anymore, after all, it was my amorous ways that got me here. Deep down though, I'm still that same hopeless romantic who believes in soul mates and true love. But, it makes me sad to remember that Katie (uh oh, I'm talking in the 3rd person) and how I thought I was going to grow up, become a pro bono lawyer, get married, have kids, and live happily ever after. That's still no excuse for completely excising that part of myself just because it makes me wistful.

Yesterday, I realized that it wasn't just the "I love love" me that I put on the back burner, I also did it with, to a lesser extent, the government loving patriotic me. I still talk about politics, but if you knew me BS you'd know that it was one of my favorite topics to discuss- I don't think a day went by when I didn't talk about it in some way or another. But then I had a baby and continuing law school was no longer an option- talking about politics, governments and laws only reminded me that I wasn't going to have the life I'd spent years preparing for.

I was listening to NPR on the way home from celebrating the 4th with the PGP's and they did a segment on the WASPs, no not White Anglo Saxon Protestants. The WASPS, Women Airforce Service Pilots, were female pilots during WWII, who flew military aircraft for United States Army Airforce. They were flight instructors, test flew sick planes to make sure they were suitable for flying before the men flew them, and were often used to pilot planes that were being used as target practice for the men learning how to shoot while flying. 38 of them died and not one was allowed to have a military burial or a Gold Star- the US didn't even pay to have their bodies shipped back to their families. After the War, Congress defeated a proposed bill that would have given these women the military benefits they deserved and went so far as to seal the records of the WASPs, their contribution hidden from the world. On July 1, 2009, 65 years after their records were sealed, President Obama awarded these courageous women with the Congressional Gold Medal.

When I heard this, I burst into tears- which surprised me. But I thought about why it had elicited such an emotional response and the answer came to me- these ladies were heroes who were unjustly forgotten. They dedicated a part of their life, some gave their lives, to a cause and were then forced to ignore it, to pretend like it never happened.

And here I am, shutting out, ignoring huge parts of myself just because it makes me sad?! So what if I don't have the life I imagined? It may be different, but I LOVE it. All I've really wanted, my whole life, is to be remembered, have a legacy- change the world for the better in some small way. I still plan on achieving that goal, I'm not sure how, but I still see endless opportunities in my future. I'm not sure why I've going about these past two years as if the old me no longer exists, or isn't really relevant to the current or future me.

My baby turns two on Friday. Two. She's a little girl now and I'm having some trouble accepting that. I keep thinking about our life together and how I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. I'm happy- there's no longer a reason for me to forget who I was. Spencer is almost at the age where she's going to remember her life- our life- and I want to be all of me for her, not just the parts I've carved out. After all, if I hadn't been me I wouldn't have had her, and that's not something I ever want to forget.

Show Us Where You Live Friday - The Yard

This week on Show Us Where You Live Friday is all about yards and garages. Well, I don't have a garage, but I do have a lot of yard- almost an acre and a half- to be exact.

View from the front porch. I took this picture awhile ago, that's why it doesn't really match the rest. My momnesia led me to believe that I had a lot of pictures of the front yard so I didn't need to take any more, but no, this is was the only one that shows more than closeup.

My bicycle planter. You have no idea how long it took me to put this thing together. I blame it on faulty directions, but I might have made some errors myself!

Kappa Kappa Gamma! The colors are wrong, but it's still the fleur-de-lis.

This is Spencer's flower stand. I let her water it, which she just loves, and then she tried to pluck them!

Crepe Myrtle in the front yard. I can't wait for it to bloom- early fall.

My July 4th Spirit, haha! And that's Spencer, coming to show me the flower she just picked. I have the hardest time keeping her from doing that, but my hurt just melts when she says "Flowee, prit-ee!" And then she pats her head, because she wants me to put one in her hair. She has a headband that has a flower on it, and to make her want to wear it, I showed her how pretty it was and how pretty it looked on her. Ever since then, when she sees a flowee, she wants to put it in her hair!

The backyard. You probably can't tell from this picture, but it's almost an entire acre.

That's a dogwood behind the slide, which is Virgina's State Flower, even though it's a tree!

On the screened in porch. Oh, how I love my screened in porch! It's probably my favorite thing about our house.

View of the backyard from the porch. That's a shed you see to your left, which is the home to many a creature. I don't want to destroy their thriving ecosystem, so I leave it alone, and they leave us alone.

So that's my yard. It's a fair amount to maintain, but Spencer and Vivi love it, and so do I. It really is kind of therapeutic , trying to keep all my flowers, trees, and grass alive while wrangling an almost two year old and Great Dane puppy, but I like knowing that I can do it!

Other Rooms:

Master Bedroom

Bonus Room

Bathrooms

Office

Spencer's Room/Nursery

So You Think You Can Dance - Results Show Recap

The show opens with a group performance to Brand New Day, from the The Wiz. I liked it!

Couples in the Bottom Three:

• Vitolio & Karla
• Kayla & Kupono
• Phillip & Jeanine
  

Everyone, including me, seems VERY shocked that Phillip & Jeanine were in the bottom three, losing to Caitlin and Jason. Something seems very wrong there, because Caitlin and Jason were no where near as good as Phillip and Jeanine.

Desmond Richardson and another female dancer perform during the break, and wow... just wow. He is such a beautiful dancer.

The dancers do their solos. Both Phillip and Jeanine were amazing. I'm guessing Karla is going home and either Kupono or Vitolio.

Leaving SYTYCD Tonight:

• Karla Garcia

• Vitolio Jeune
  

So You Think You Can Dance - The Top 7 Couples, Top 14 Dancers

Mia Michaels is the guest judge tonight- I wonder what whacked out things she's going to come up with?!

Janette & Brandon - Cha Cha Cha - Jean Marc Genereux & France - Hush Hush; Hush Hush, by the Pussycat Dolls

I think Janette is just on fire tonight. And I find Brandon to be believable as her lovah, so I that's really goods. I thought he did a great job at being her partner instead of being showy for the audience- which is just something I look for, I don't know why. Nigel said it's the best Cha Cha ever seen on the show, and Brandon has "Michelangelo Feet." Mary, well we all know Mary LOVES Brandon. She stands up and screams "YOU TWO HAVE TWO FIRST CLASS TICKETS ON THE HOT TAMALE TRAIN!! WHOOO! WHOOO! WHOOO!" Mia tells Brandon the reason she was so tough on him before, was because she sees so much ability and potential in him. Wow, that was some serious spin Mia! Aww, Brandon starts crying. She says he's amazing and she wants amazing from him. Mia thinks Janette is brilliant and Miami should be very of her. TEMPO01

Kayla & Kupono - Jazz - Sonya Tayeh - A matter of life and death, vampire-esque - Eyes on Fire, by Blue Foundation.

I'm going to go out a limb here, but I kinda like it. I'm not a huge fan of either of them, but I have say that I thought it was very good. Kupono did a much better job than his he's done in his last few performances. Nigel agrees and thinks that it's a great partnership. Mary compliments Sonya on her great choreography- and I have to agree with that, too. It was a great routine, maybe that's why I liked it. Mia says that aesthetically, they are beautiful together and that, in her opinion, it's Sonya's best choreographed piece on the show. Kayla is wonderful and Kupona is getting better and better. She sees him growing and that's the most important thing, and all they can ask of him. So far, Mia had been on her best behavior, hmmm. TEMPO02

Randi & Evan - Broadway - Joey Dowling - Toxic relationship - Rich Man's Frug, from Sweet Charity (2005 Broadway Revival Cast)

I love Broadway routines, so I'm probably not the most impartial judge here! It's a pretty unique routine, and of course I always like Evan, but I really do think he was great tonight. Nigel, once again, praises Randi and tells Evan he needs to be better. Mary said she enjoyed it, but was kinda Meh about it. Mia told Randi she was dancing to heavily and that she knew she could do better than that. They really are both too short, with matching body types, to be partnered with each other. Oh, but Nigel did say the thought they were going to make it into the Top 10. TEMPO03

Jason & Caitlin - Pop Jazz - Brian Freidman - She's the leader and he's the follower- she's an alien impregnating the last human being on the planet. huh? - Creator, Santigold.

First, those costumes are hideous, bizarre and distracting. But on to the dancing. They seems much better than they did last week. I don't know if the strobe lights have something to do with that, but it's a pretty cool performance. Brian Freidman is one weird dude. Nigel says BF comes from another planet, haha, and that Caitlin's outfit looks like a dancing condom, to which Cat says "Safety First, Nigel!" I burst out laughing. Mary doesn't like it and doesn't feel like it played to their strengths. Mia thinks it was fine, but doesn't like Caitlin's outfit and found it completely wrong. She should have looked more Species alien and less Coneheads- meets aluminum foil- alien. TEMPO04

Jeanine & Phillip - Hip Hop - Napoleon & Tabitha D'umo - About what the dancers go through on the show, specifically with their partners. They will be dancing in chains. Love Lockdown, by Kanye West.

I can't wait to see Phillip in his element! I just don't get how he's able to do those things with this body. Jeanine isn't bad, either. The chain actually was a really good prop, and I'm not a prop fan. Nigel says that if they keep dancing like that they should be partners for life. Nigel calls Napoleon and Tabitha, Nappy Tabs, haha. Mary thought it was absolutely, incredibly creative- and she thinks they brought it on. Yea! She was very complimentary of Jeanine for being able to keep up with Phillip and wishes they could always be partners. On to Mia- who starts off with a nod to the fabulosity of Nappy Tabs, but she wasn't a fan of the chain. She thought it was a little unpredictable and sloppy. A little unintentional hilarity ensues when Jeanine is talking about the chains they practiced with and how much they had to practice with them in order to get it right. She said we have them everywhere, all over our apartment, which of course brought out the TMI comments, but it was a cute faux pas. TEMPO05

Melissa & Ade - Classical Pas de Deux - (this is the first time a classical PdD has ever been - Thordal Christensen - Romeo & Juliet, new, tender young lovers - Romeo & Juliet Prokofiev's Suite No. 1 Op. 64b, 6th Movement, by Orchestre De La Suisse Romande & Armin Jordan. Whew!

Wow, what a showcase for Melissa's ballet ability. She kinda reminds me of Julie Kent, when she danced the role of Juliet years ago. You could totally tell that she was loving every minute of it, like this was her dream come true. It was just beautiful. I love ballet. Nigel is very excited about the routine and how they've come full circle on SYTYCD, with having impregnating aliens and then a classical Pas de Deux. Mary loves it, and was very glad to see Melissa in her element. Mia liked the black and white Romeo & Juliet thinks it was brilliant and beautiful, she tells Melissa that she's a True Ballerina. My favorite couple, I'm rootin' for them!TEMPO06

Karla & Vitolio - Quickstep - Jean Marc Generaux - Puttin' On The Ritz, by Rufus Wainwright.

I would not want to be them tonight, especially with Kiss of Death Dance, the Quickstep. Maybe it's just me again, but Vitolio looks like a real ballroom dancer, so debonair. They do a cool costume change on Karla. Nigel thinks it was great, he thought it was a really entertaining routine and was glad to see Vitolio's personality out there. Mary says so much for the kiss of death dance, they brought it alive! She has some ballroom technical mumbo jumbo critiques for them, but overall she thinks it was fabulous. Mia tells Jean Marc he is a genius, from the costuming to the choreography. She's surprised how they stepped up, and wishes Vitolio would be more consistently good like he was tonight, but tat she was very proud of him. For Karla, Mia thought she looked scared a few times, but otherwise she was wonderful. TEMPO07

Everyone was so good tonight, I didn't think any couple had a bad performance. Of course some were better than others, but all of them were pretty solid. Here are my Top 3 Couples of the night:

• Melissa & Ade
• Janette & Brandon
• Jeanine & Phillip

What do ya'll think about tonight's performances?

The Five Stages of Spencer

Spencer's latest thing is complete and utter hatred of my camera. If she sees me with it, she immediately starts shutting her eyes and covering her face. Oops, I guess I did something wrong there! For the past few weeks I have cut back on my overly zealous photo-snapping tendencies, hoping that her distaste for the camera would going away. At the very least I was hoping she'd be more tolerant of it, but NO.

Yesterday was the first day in over two weeks that I'd taken any pictures of her, and I did get a few cute ones of her in the pool. But I guessed I pressed my luck, because when I brought out the camera in the evening, she threw a complete fit. As long as she can't see it, Spencer's happy, but once she realizes that I might be using her playtime as a photo op... well, here's what happened.

Denial. She can't catch me- I'm the gingerbread girl.

Anger. I am SO mad you, Mommy!

Bargaining. Please, if stop taking pictures and push my swing higer, I promise I'll go to sleep early tonight!

Depression. Why me? Why? Oh, the horror!

Acceptance. Fine, I'll smile for a minute, but I'm NOT going to bed early!

The Next Michael Phelps

My little one loves to play in the water. It's gotten to the point where she deliberately makes "a masse" when she's eating, so she can get "a bat-te." (She makes a mess so she can get a bath) In order to minimize the number of baths she takes a day, she also goes swimming in her pool everyday. She LOVES it. Even when I splash her, she laughs and doesn't even get upset when the water gets in her eyes.

She likes to spray me with the hose, which I normally don't mind, unless I'm snapping away with my camera! ha!

Oh, look at that little butt!

She makes me smile everyday.

It's Her Party!

My little baby is turning two on July 10, 2009. I cry every time I start to think about her growing up so fast, so I'm turning my, and your, attention to her birthday party invitations. Oh, how I love, love, love them!

This is the front

This is the back- I selected one of my favorite poems i carry your heart with me, by ee cummings to go on it.

Fun & Sassy Designs made these beautiful invitations for me and I couldn't be more pleased. They are just a pleasure to work with, have endless creative ideas, and really did everything possible to make sure I was pleased with my order. I have nothing but positive things to say, or write, about how happy I am! So go check them out when you get a chance, I promise you won't be disappointed!

And to all of my bloggy friends, of course you're all invited to Spencer's birthday party. Just email me for directions, I had to blur out my address on the invitations. Trust me, you don't want to miss it!