Jasmine Turns 8

Yesterday we celebrated Jasmine's birthday. We have been blessed to have her for 8 wonderful years and even though there are some rough times we are thankful for every second we have with her. She continues to grow in so many ways. She's improving her speech, she loves playing with her baby sister, she loves reading and coloring. She even tried playing Soccer for the first time. Jasmine has not only brought us joy but she's also brought us an appreciation for all special kids.

Her Own Thing

This past weekend Jasmine had her annual dance recital. She got to perform in 3 different dances, 1 ballet, 1 tap and 1 hip hop. It was a 2 night performance on a Friday night and the following Saturday night. When Jasmine got home from school Friday she went through with her regular routine and laid down for her nap. Unfortunately she didn't wanna wake up when it was time to get her make up done and start getting ready for the dance. Because we were interrupting her nap and her daily routine she ended up being cranky the remainder of the night.

All things considered she did good for her 1st performance of ballet Friday night. When it came time for her 2nd performance, a tap dance, she came out from behind the curtain crying. We don't know why she was crying but whatever it was, she got over it as soon as the music started, and started getting into her routine. Finally her final performance of Hip Hop Jasmine didn't seem to be too interested. Maybe it was just too long of a day for her or maybe it was because another teacher was leading them and Jasmine was unaware and didn't know what to look for direction. She was in good spirits when it was all over and even got a bouquet of flowers from her grandparents.

After relaxing all morning Jasmine seemed more ready for Saturday's performance than she did the previous night. She was in a better mood throughout the night and it showed when she was on stage. After her 1st performance of ballet she even got complimented by one of the other fathers backstage who said she was a beautiful dancer. Her tap dancing performance came off without a hitch, she was not crying this time around. She finished strong with her Hip Hop performance dancing her little heart out. It was a beautiful thing to see; not just her performance but how far she has come and how far she has grown into her own person. It was an exhausting 2 nights but all I can say is, "I can't wait until next year."

Go Jasmine Go

8

Earlier this month Jasmine wrapped up her 2nd season as a Cheerleader for Upward Sports. And like last season, she loved every minute whether it was cheering on the sidelines as the games were in progress or whether it was performing the halftime show every game. Before each game I had to let her know where we were sitting because throughout the game she would constantly look for us and wave. She loved having her family there especially her brother who would play in the following game. The times I did forget to let her know where we would be sitting she would look for us diligently. Even if it took her the entire game to find us, she wouldn't give up looking. 

Her family wasn't the only ones supporting her; the other girls on the squad were always looking out for her and offering a helping hand anytime she had any kind of trouble. She made numerous friends on the squad and retained others that returned from last season as well. Every one is so kind and generous to her we are so thankful for the local Upward Sports organization.

As far as the future we are considering signing her up for soccer as well. Her big brother, who she looks up to, plays soccer and lately Jasmine has been kicking the ball around the house as well.  Jasmine has her yearly dance recital coming up in a couple of weeks. She's doing such a wonderful job in her routines. I hope to have another update then. But when it comes to cheer I think I speak for Jasmine when I say we can't wait for next year.