Omaha Desert Dome- March 2019

Part of the Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo is the world's largest geodesic dome with a desert inside. No joke, it's really warm in there. It's actually three deserts with animals from three different parts of the world: Africa, Australia, and the southwestern United States. Under it is a huge nocturnal animals exhibit and it's pretty freaky in there. In any case, this warm location seemed like the perfect temporary cure for our neverending winter. We also got to watch a free Meerkat movie with our membership. Great way to spend a winter day.

Inside the dome is a desert

Having a little Harry Potter moment here- don't let the snake out!

a Rock wallaby hiding in a cliff way up above us

Collared peccaries

The super creepy bat cave

 

I didn't even realize aardvarks were nocturnal.

Back to reality- Outside is a tundra

PreSchool Story Time- October 2018

James's school, and Miranda's school next year, has PreSchool Storytime once a month in the library. Luckily it's in the morning so I was able to take Miranda before her afternoon PreK class. First, we had story time and songs. Miranda felt too shy to sit with the other kids during story time. Then we had a craft. Then Miranda got to check out a book (on James's account). Really great class- and it was all free!

Story and song time

Craft time! Miranda cutting out Piggy.

Our friends Hans and Lindsay

 

Gluing the puppets together

Piggy puppet

James's Acrobatics Class 2018-19

James's has been taking gymnastics for two weeks now at the same place that Miranda has dance class. He loves it!

 

Ready for class

 

Peaking at the previous class

 

Roundoff attempt

 

Roundoff

 

Cartwheel with assistance

Cartwheel with assistance

Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo 2018

We are officially zoo members here! This is from our first visit! It's a really beautiful huge place and we can't wait to go back and explore the rest of it. James's favorite area was the insects, which I didn't get any pictures of this time- though we are pictured outside the insect building.

Outside the Desert Dome, we'll go inside desert on next visit

Miranda guiding us around

Giraffes!

Giraffe and ostrich enclosure

The elephants came from Africa two years ago

Elephant close-up

We had mammoths in Nebraska!

A life-sized bronze mammoth sculpture

installed 2 years ago when the real elephants joined the zoo

Monkey playhouse

Checking out the black-and-white ruffed lemur

Huge mama gorilla- Miranda was scared

Close-up through glass

Similar

Posers

Insect building

Outside the insect building

Miranda's Dance Class 2018-19

I thought getting Miranda signed up for dance class asap would help her keep some continuity after moving to Nebraska. At first, she insisted that it wouldn't be the same as her old dance class but once she actually went to her first class, she had a blast. Her class is amazing! Way more active than her last class and they're learning the real ballet and tap steps without any pressure to be perfect. I love it!

Her little ballet class of 8.

Miranda's Recital 2018

I took too many photos of this cuteness. I couldn't handle it. Miranda had a superhero costume for her first dance performance complete with a gold cape. The performance was at the very professional Stony Brook University Staller Center. She performed to three numbers, two with her age group only, and one large finale with the older girls. I took video too, let me know if you want to see that.

Posed strong photos

Showing me some of her moves

At the Staller Center. She's not nervous!

Dad walking her.

The first performance was about the costume theme. The girls danced to Megan Nicole's "Get Your Cape On!" and then JoJo Siwa's "Every Girl's A Super Girl."

 

 

 The second number to the song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun":

 

Third number with the big girls:

She's hard to find in this one.

Cna you see her now? Peekaboo!

With mom

With our family's superhero