Recital Insanity

I will start by saying they did a great job. Abegail and Annie had a dance recital this weekend and they were fabulous and of course some of the cutest kids there. Scott promised me he would post the video later today. In the meantime I'm posting photos both of the dress rehearsal and the afternoon show yesterday. Yes, there were two shows, the first at 1 p.m. and the 2nd at 6:30 p.m. yesterday and they each lasted 2 1/2 hours.

We got to the dress rehearsal (3 plus hours and we left early) and the theater was full of moms and costumes and lost costume pieces and some lady telling us our kids shouldn't wear underwear with their leotards and I immediately said, "this is insane." One Mom looked at me and said, "this isn't your thing is it?" That's the understatement of the year! Tights, puffy hair, shoes, different shoes...no winners or losers, just for fun?? No opportunity to be the best, no possibility of a college scholarship, is this a really good use of our time? Oh yea, the kids LOVE it!
But I am convinced God sometimes uses his power for a good laugh. I am here working on show business while my sister must be at a swim meet somewhere juggling goggles.

The kids both have a wonderful teacher, a college student, Michelle. But this was our first experience with the drill sergeant owner who ran the recital. If the kids didn't do exactly what she said she acted as if we would lose the Iraqi war. Wait, she reminds me of a certain swim coach I spent eight years with. Oh, now I get why the parents were not pleased. Now I get it. I could not possibly imitate her except to quote her, "c'mon girls lets hustle. THAT MEANS RUNNING!!" "Take off those earmuffs, they are hideous, no offense!" "Girls, your dresses are falling all over the place. Sew your elastic, WE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN CLASS!" "uh, you didn't press your skirts..." Lady, don't you know if someone is going to yell at my kids its going to be me!

By 9:30 Friday night and a very fussy and tired Annie and moody Abegail later I had had enough.

But the recital went well, you can tell the older girls spend their life at the dance studio. It was the Rudolph girls, Annie's age group, who stole the show every time. Of course their 2 1/2 minutes in a 2 1/2 hour show was much too short. Abegail really had rhythm and did awesome as well. Great job girls.

Oh, do you know you have to give the kids roses at these things?? They are 4 and 9, flowers really? OK, everyone else has them...could I have ones without thorns??

Quotes from Emmanuel:

E: Mommy, can I wear a costume and be on stage?

M: (Thinking about the look on the owner's face when E-man runs on stage and trips all the little girls. Then thinking about the look on Scott's face when I tell him his son is taking ballet. Whose laughing now God?) Then you wouldn't be able to play soccer or basketball and that wouldn't be fair to the contact sports gods?

E: Vroom....off with his hotwheels, case closed.