Tess' first basketball camp

Tess started her very first official basketball camp today at Detroit Country Day.  Turns out they didn't advertise it very well since Tess and her buddy are the only campers.  So essentially, Tess gets her own workouts with the boys varsity coach and varsity players.  The coolest!!  By the end, she even made a couple of left-handed layups.

Piano Woman

Tess had her piano recital today.  She did great!

Tess and Mrs. Downey

Tess and Eliana

The crew

Happy Father's Day!

Dance Recital!

BOTH girls had their dance recital today.  And BOTH girls had their dad dance with them in the Daddy Daughter Dance, which was a tap theme this year.  Wow, what lucky girls to have such a brave and nice (or perhaps mentally ill?!) Dad.

The Dancing Duo

Ballerina girl

Jazzy Jane

The Career Crew

Happy Fall!

Nora's first school field trip

Look for more posts soon! 

Tooth Fairy Alert! Tooth Fairy Alert!

Did you think we were gone?  We've taken a brief summer hiatus, but now that major milestones are happening, we are getting back to it.  This post is a current this-is-happening-right-now-post.  We'll have to do some catching up with this-is-what-happened-over-the-summer posts, but not now -- we've got news:

Tess lost her first tooth!

Here she is in bed with her tooth fairy pillow that she's been dying to use...

And here she is dreaming of tooth fairy treasures.

 (Yes, were are also practicing with the pink foam curlers to see if they are first day of first grade worthy!)

Happy Father's Day and Go Tigers

Happy belated Father's Day to the best dad in the whole world.  We love you, Daddy!

Last night, we went to a Tiger game.  Great night for a game!

Look who agreed to get within 35 feet of Paws! (with a buffer, of course)

Cotton candy bliss

 The quality of this pic isn't the greatest, but you can still see Ms. Goofy in the back...

Dance recital!

Sunday was Tess' dance recital.  Grandma Muriel and Papa Art came to town special for the event.  We were lucky enough to score front row seats to the show.  In attendance were Meena, Papa, Grandma, Papa Art, Michael, Stacey, Dad, Nora and me.

Miss. Hip Hop and her little sister (also in make-up, of course)

Perhaps one of my favorite pictures of her.  Ever.

Let's just say that it's a good thing everyone was there for the recital.  At the very end when all the dancers were on stage for the finale, the owner of the studio passed out one award to the 2013 Student of the Year.  And we all about fell out of our chairs when she announced that the winner was Tess Tillman.  Um, WHAT?  Unreal.  Tess was selected out of over 200 dancers (many of whom are in more than one class).  Needless to say, we are still completely baffled as is the 6 year old who was honored with said award. On that note, does anyone know of any good agents for 6 year old stars?

When she won, I tried to grab the camera quick.  Wasn't quite prepared.

 

Tess and Ms. Rhona

Tess and Ms. Marli, her teacher

With Michael and Stacey

With Meena and Papa

With Papa Art and Grandma

Tess & Eliana

The Hardware 

The note she put next to the hardware the second it came through the door...

The best Daddy Daughter dance team alive!

Last day of Kindergarten!

How can this be?  Our big girl is now a first grader... no more kindergarten!

First day of kindergarten

Last day!

Lining up before school for the last time 

Nora was really happy for Tess

Mrs. Bernacki

Tess and Abby

Tess, Emma & Abby

Going in a kindergartener for the last time, coming out a first grader

 

The day after school got out, there was a Kindergarten Celebration at the park

Mrs. Bernacki passed out their end of the year packets

They also put on a little performance:

Room 107 hug

With Meena & Papa

Our favorite First Grader