Thursday, June 10, 2010

I couldn't make this up...

Tuesday marked V's first big recital. After however many weeks of "Jazzy Bugs" ballet/tap/creative movement/gymnastics, she was ready for the Little Gym end of semester show case. Or so we thought...

First, I have to give my mother, aka Queenie dba Kiki, props for hauling little V to class every Tuesday at 11:15. And to Tres' mom, aka Grandma, for taking her last week when Mom was in England and lastly, Kristy the babysitter, for getting her there this week so Tres and I could show up and enjoy the show. We didn't even mind that Kristy forgot V's dance shoes.

We arrive and V is thrilled to see her friends. Thrilled to be wearing a pink tutu (even though it wasn't the official tutu of the class*). Thrilled to be a Jazzy Bug. Until the music started...

And then she turned into a hair-gnawing, hand-wringing statue.

She watched as the other girls jumped, twirled and kicked around her.
And she shook her head "no" each time I motioned from the back to smile, dance, move, or do anything but stand in one place.

She eventually just gave up entirely and came and sat in my lap. I loved her anyway.


When the dance routines were over (and there were three, count them, three routines), I asked her "Why won't you dance? Are you scared?" She shook her head no and simply said,"I'm waiting for gymnastics!"

And true to her word, the little girl turned it out in gymnastics! She did her routine on the balance beam.

She swung on the uneven bars.

She had a great time.

She even got a medal, which she accepted with style.


After she got her medal, she led us (Tres, me and Kristy) back into the dance room where she proceeded to dance her little booty off. Jumping, spinning, kicking, the whole 9 yards. In shock, T & I asked her almost simultaneously, "Virginia! Why didn't you do that in class?" To which she replied,

"I didn't want to share the stage!"

Is the saying a star is born every minute? Or just a sucker? Either way, we are in trouble. Big trouble.


*In my defense, several mothers swore to Kiki that they wouldn't buy the $30 tutu being sold for the class and would send their kids in tutus they already had...but at some point those mothers must have backed down from their oath because all but 2 other kids had on that stinkin' matching tutu!

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Best $10 ever spent

Last summer we threw a wicked awesome 4th of July party and I purchased a number of water-themed fun items at Big Lots. None has come in more handy than the $10 pool. It survived not only the party with half a dozen kids getting in and out of it, but it lived through the winter in Tres' shed and has reemerged as my favorite toy in the world.



Ahem, I mean Virginia's favorite toy in the world.




Heat be gone. To quote V:

This IS the life.