Dancing Queen

Last week I got to sit in on Avery's dance class.  She moves with such ease and grace, it is a pleasure to watch her.  It is also fun to witness her excitement about it, especially while she is practicing for her part in the Nutcracker next month.  Sometimes I look at her in such disbelief that she is a) mine and b) growing into such a little lady.  I still picture her as a little toddler but she is indeed growing right before our eyes.

 Dear child, if you become wise, I'll be one happy parent. My heart will dance and sing to the tuneful truth you'll speak.

Proverbs 23:15

I Will Dance

From week to week parents are not invited into the room where the dancers are doing their class, so the two Parent Observation Day's are special.  Avery had fallen asleep in the car on the way so she was a little out of it for the class, but we still enjoyed watching her perform all she's learned over the semester. 

Being the first born, Avery always seems so big to us, but looking over these pictures I realize how small she really is.  Near the beginning of the semester I had her go in by herself because her brother and sister were asleep in the car.  She enjoyed that little bit of independence so much she started to tell me I could stay in the car and so she'd go in, take her coat off and put her slippers on.  Made me a little sad that she no longer needed me but that is absolutely what's supposed to happen.

She's a beautiful ballerina and we're so proud of her.

Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.

Psalm 95:2

Dance

This week all the parents were invited to sit in on the dance class, where normally there is a shut door, no window policy.  Oh, I was so happy to be in there watching my girl do her thing!  Don't get me wrong, I love sitting in the waiting room with two dozen other people, including an unruly 1 year-old who insists on touching Aiden's face and then suddenly smacking him, over and over if I put him down for two minutes.  Oh the mother?  Yes, she comes over, takes her daughter's hand and helps her stroke his cheek while saying, see?  you do nice, nice.  Argh!

Anyway, where was I?  Oh yes!  My beautiful ballerina.  She is so graceful and attentive.  I was able to get a few pics even while holding her squirmy, stinky brother (sorry, people sitting next to me...I didn't want to miss any of the dancing!)

Avery's teacher told me that she has done very well, and is ready to move up to the next level.  She has "natural athletic ability, quite remarkable actually".  Apparently her jumping especially is above average.  Its funny, I would have had Avery pegged to take after me in that department, so I'm thrilled that the teacher sees some potential there.

If you love learning, you love the discipline that

goes with it— how shortsighted to refuse correction!

Proverbs 12:1

Amanda's Nutcracker

The Nutcracker was a theme for us this Christmas season.  We went to see it at the Boston Ballet, then Avery danced in a production on two consecutive weekends and finally it was Amanda's turn to shine.  What was supposed to happen the weekend before Christmas, actually ended up getting postponed to January 9 because of snow.  At the time Amanda was disappointed and did not understand why people couldn't drive in the snow.  (One of our vehicles is a 4x4 pick-up truck with a plow, so her daddy is usually out in bad conditions).

The day started out good.  She was up early enough that I was able to get her down for a nap and she slept for over an hour.  My mom came to stay with Avery and Aiden so I would only have one child to deal with backstage.  I got her dressed, put on her make-up and then she was able to hang out with the older kids and watch the craziness of back stage.

At intermission, I left her with her class and went to find a seat.  The Spanish Dance was the second one in the Second Act.  I was torn between whether to video tape it or do stills...I went with just shooting photos.  Glad I did, because there wasn't a whole lot of action.  Do you see the little one standing in back?

How 'bout now?  Yeah, that was her stance for the entire song, while activity buzzed around her.

There she is peeking out from the back.

Grandma came to the matinee to watch her and when we met her in the lobby she had a rose for Amanda.

Exhibit A why 3 year-olds should not wear make-up: she cried no less than three times in between shows.  Skinned knee, told "no"...the usual stuff.  I had to wash it off and start fresh.

Backstage for the second show.  All the older girls just loved her and she was right in the mix of everything.  They were all singing to a song from one girl's phone.

And the next picture I have of the evening show is the curtain call.  Amanda chose to not go out on stage with her class.  She was on stage, behind the curtain, but did not dance, and for that matter, did not even stand there with her hand in her mouth.

Oh, I was mad.  Really mad.  This was not a holy anger...it was the sinning kind.  I did not even see the rest of the second act, but sat in my seat furious.  WHY did she not go out?  WHAT happened in the five minutes from when I left her backstage?   She has 10 family members in attendance who had purchased tickets and driven up to 30 minutes, a teacher that's worked with her, a class counting on her and she just decides she's not in the mood to dance?   Yes, I was furious and embarrassed.

Pop and Kiki were able to see her behind the curtain from where they were sitting.

Cousin Maddie and Auntie Amy came...

...as well as Grammy and Bobbi

Shaun took Aiden home right after her class's dance.  My family was very gracious about the whole thing and gave her unconditional love.  I know I never did this to my parents. 

I didn't say a word to her but put her straight to bed when we got home.  Her daddy was disappointed but not mad, so he went in to talk to her.  Later he jokingly presented me with flowers that he'd bought "just for me" after work.

Before I went to bed, I went in to make sure she was covered up ok, and found this small, sleeping angel snuggled up with Bear and immediately (mostly) forgave her.  The rest came the next morning through prayer.

And so ends the dance class chapter in Amanda's life.  We'll see how gymnastics goes.

'The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion'

Numbers 14:18

Avery's Nutcracker II

This past Saturday evening found us at Avery's second performance of The Nutcracker in a different town.  She was just as excited as the first time and did equally as well.  All smiles!  She looked SO little up there on stage, not the big girl we treat her as.  (She's the stinkin' cute Spice Drop in green, four from the left).

She was in movie-star mode when she emerged from backstage, tightly clutching the flowers her daddy had given her, a stage smile still plastered on her face. Her grandparents and Auntie showered her with praise.

We're so thankful to our families who took time out to go to an out of the way town and pay dearly to watch Avery be on stage for three minutes.  She was so pleased you were present and we are grateful for your support!

(Bobbi, Grandma, Auntie Sarah, Pop, Kiki, Grammy, Daddy...and Aiden at his Nutcracker debut)

On the way home, Avery was hinting that since we'd stopped for ice-cream after the show last week, it would only make sense to do so again.  Well, it was COLD so we settled on munchkins and hot chocolate...no complaints.  Wow...how is my little girl this big??

Be glad, Zion Mountain; Dance, Judah's daughters! He does what he said he'd do!

Psalm 48:11