Our Little Ballerina

B has been excited about taking her first dance class for months. She loved the idea of the ballet shoes and leotards and tights. She even liked the idea of dancing with a teacher and other little girls. My fear was that she wouldn't be so excited when the day actually came and that we would dread each Wednesday morning. However, I didn't have too much to be worried about.

Last Wednesday, B was completely dressed in her entire ballet outfit by 8 a.m. even though her parks and rec. "Ballet, Tap, and Tumbling" class didn't start until 11 a.m. She proudly walked down the hallway to her class and went right on in with her dance bag and all. She didn't even seem bothered when the teacher told all of us mothers that we had to leave. (Personally, I thought we should be welcome to watch a 2-3 year olds dance class, but we were left only peering in through the small window next to the door. However, I have some pretty sweet video taken through the reinforced glass, I must say.)

As the class began, B was listening to the teacher, but then as I see the other girls tapping in a circle, I see her laying on one the mats a little ways away despite the teacher's prodding. She later told me she was just feeling a bit tired. Next she got up, and grabbed her dance bag. I am thinking she is packing up to go, but she comes over to the door and waits until I open. "I can't find my lunch in my bag," she says. I explain that we aren't going to have lunch until after. "But I'm HUNGRY!" I hand her two little crackers from some random bag in my purse and tell her that she should go and dance with the other girls. I did not think this was going to work.

Thankfully those crackers rejuvenated her just in time to take off the tap shoes and switch to her ballet shoes. From there on out she followed the teacher's directions and had a wonderful time spinning around, pretending she was a butterfly, and fluttering around the room. She also enjoyed the tumbling portion and the butterfly stamp she got at the end. She walked out of that room quite proud of herself, saying, "That was so much fun!" She then asked when her next class was, and I happily told her that it was next week. I was relieved and so happy that she had fun! I can't wait until the last week of class when I get to come in and watch rather than just peer through the window like a peeping Tom!