Tiny Dancer

Last night was the dress rehearsal for Ainsley's dance recital. I must admit that I was not very optimistic going in to it. Put a bunch of two year olds in big scratchy costumes and then throw them on a stage in front of an audience and bright lights? I was fully prepared to watch her stand on stage and pick her nose for 5 minutes. While we were waiting for them to come on stage I was talking with another mom about the ridiculousness of their costumes. Gloves? For two-year olds? Do you have any idea how long it takes to get gloves on those little fingers? The sequins lining the sleeves and neckline were the biggest problem - they scratched her skin and caused several screams and tears. We were supposed to put some make-up on them ("so they don't get washed out under those bright lights"). I was hesitant to say the least - she's two! I had visions in my head of those crazy beauty contest moms who put pounds of make-up on their babies. But I didn't want her to be the only ghost on stage so I finally decided that some blush and lipstick would be fine - I drew the line at any eye makeup. Lipstick was a new concept for Ainsley. She's used to putting on chapstick, which covers any part of her face that is somewhat close to her lips. The lipstick wasn't much different, except that it also covered her teeth.

After complaining to this other mom, it literally took my breath away when they all walked on stage together. One big "Awwww!!!" came out of the audience. Standing before us were seven tiny dancers, so beautiful and perfect. Tears came to my eyes as I watched my little girl standing on that big stage, confident and proud, ready to dance. I should've known better - as Eric reminded me later, "she follows directions very well." And she was GREAT! She was one of the few girls who actually managed to do (most) of the dance. If you watch the video below you'll see that she was very concerned about staying on her dot (the small piece of tape they put on the stage for each girl to stand on). It took a lot of self-control to keep from turning to my neighbors and saying "That's my daughter! The one on the end! Look at her dance!"

After watching the dress rehearsal, I have no concerns about the actual recital on Saturday. She's going to be great. That's one thing I've learned as a mother - life is full of pleasant surprises!