Why I cry when my children perform.

My daughter took a 5 day dance camp a couple of years ago. I was so excited for her. I myself had always wanted to take dance lessons. But we lived in a small town 30 miles from the nearest dance studio. Today it would not stretch the imagination to drive so far for dance lessons. But back in the 70's it would have been unheard of.
So we bought an inexpensive pair of tap shoes, ballet practice slippers, and a leotard and tutu. She looked so sweet in her leotard. Her little pot belly protruding ever so slightly.

Every morning we would get up and I would style her hair into a cute pony do that would keep it under control. We packed her little bag with things she would need at camp. All her dance shoes, socks, extra clothes, and a snack (to keep the energy level up).

The camp included instruction in ballet, tap, and gymnastics. After the 5 days there would be a recital where the girls would showcase what had been learned.

So the day of the recital came. Randy and I both took off of work to attend the event.

There they were, nine little girls each wearing their dance leotards mom had helped them choose. Nine little hands waving frantically to nine sets of moms and dads and various assorted grandparents. It really does'nt get much more adorable than that.

The lights went down on the audience, the music began, cameras began flashing, and nine little girls began to dance.

My heart sang at the sight of my sweet little angel. There she was on the stage, a ballarina. I had a fantasy of being a ballarina from the first moment I had seen the Nutcracker performed on public tv. Here was my beautiful daughter fulfilling that fantasy for me. In my minds eye, I could see her twirling and pliaing to the symphony at Carnegie Hall. My eyes welled with tears of joy as I watched my baby on that stage. I took a deep breath, wiped the tears from my eyes and returned from my future fantasy to the reality of the moment. Nine little girls dancing off step as if they were marionettes, their strings being pulled by some uncooridinated dance puppeteer at stage left.

Each girl had her eyes glued to the instructor, each pirrouette, each plie was performed with little finesse. They tapped and pirrouetted and performed feats of gymnastics in choreographed chaos.

I heard the quiet sniffles of mothers all around me. And it was at that moment that I realized why my mother always had that teary eyed look after every performance we went to when I was a child. I knew then, that it is a mothers inherrent ability to see beyond the clumsy off-step to the prima dona behind. To hear each flat note, and block it out and hear the lilting melody of a future diva. To see each A on the report card as an indication of the genious that lies within.

So the next time you are attending a function where children are performing, bring along some extra tissue. Share them with the mom next to you. She will be ever so grateful.










when i think of my child hood I remember it so differently than say...it actually was. Hope in ballet. me on the cheer squad.

Halloween 2009

Halloween is almost here. This is a big deal in my family. We started having a haunted house a few years ago and it was a HUGE hit with all the neighborhood kids ( and their parents).
My brother, Steven started the idea at his own house many years ago and was sorley disappointed with the success of the project. He lives on a secluded street that does not recieve a lot of Trick-or-Treaters. He went to great lengths to scare the little goblins only to have no little goblins show up.
So the idea came about after our first Halloweeen in our house,When we revealed that we had had over 100 Trick-or-Treaters. The following July, ( just after the big 4th of July celabration which I will touch on in later blogs) plans began for the haunted house. We began imagining all sorts of themes and methods to realize the project. Flying ghosts and vampires, elaborate scenes of macabre mellee gave way to a much simpler reality. A black plastic maze wound it's way thru the garage with plenty of shocks and frights along the way. It was simple and cheap. But the resulting screams and laughter were pricless. The first year we had around 200 visitors come thru. All recieved a candy reward for their bravery.
During the first year my brother and my husband, Randy, frightened a little girl so badly that she became paralyzed with fright and her mother had to go in after her. After the family left and it slowed down a bit, the two of them emerged laughing so hard about having scared the pee out of that little girl that tears were streaming down their faces. I had to tell them that it was disturbing that they would get so much glee out of scaring a 5 year old. Admittedly, scaring little kids was the whole idea behind a Halloween haunted house.
The second year was equally successful.
Our haunted house made us famous in our subdivision. Kids would aproach us at the pool many months after and ask "Are you guys the ones with the haunted house?" And with a sly smile I answered "Why, yes, we are."

Plans are being formulated for another go round.
If you find yourselves in a place where screams pierce the night, followed by raucous laughter. You may be in our neighborhood. Come on by and see if we can scare the pee out of YOU!! MwuHaHa Ha!!!