The Lass’ Day Arrives

With all the end-of-year activities the boy has been participating in, the lass has been over-shadowed for the past couple of weeks. That’s not all bad- kids need to learn they won’t and can’t always be the center of the universe so it becomes an exercise in being happy for someone else. But yesterday, the ‘someone else’ was finally the lass.

The day of her dance recital had finally arrived.

The Wife started getting her ready a little after lunch so things wouldn’t be rushed. Also, it minimized opportunities for the lass to find a mudhole in which to immerse herself. The Wife took her over to the school around 3. The boy, myself, and her Grandparents arrived a little closer to the show’s start time.

Her act was the 4th one to go off. There were 6 dancers for her class all told and they all did just fine. Because of her height, the lass was front and center. If she was nervous, it didn’t show. My guess is the Wife was more nervous than the lass, but she’s allowed. The teacher was right up front guiding them through the routine. The routine lasted about 3 or 4 minutes, the song they danced to was one called “Gee Whiz”- appropriate for a new group of dancers.

The entire recital was about 2 hours 45 minutes. About 30 minutes too long for the boy to sit still. But even then, he managed without any major breakdowns.

The Wife wanted me to make sure I noted that I fulfilled the lass’ request- I dressed up for the occasion, wearing a shirt and tie for the festivities. I’ll also note that I only saw one other Dad wearing a tie, and when the lass changed out of her dress, my tie came off.

While waiting for dinner afterwards, I got curious whether the lass was nervous about her routine. So, I asked her if she had a funny feeling in her belly before she had to go and do her performance. She gave me a distracted “Yes”- she was busily working on coloring her food mat while waiting for her burger. When I then asked her if it felt liked butterflies, she replied “No, it just felt like when I’m hungry.”