Ballet.

So today is my due date.  Which, whatever.  This kid is never going to come.  I'll be on one of those "Pregnant for 50 years!" freakshow A&E specials someday.  Fine.

But I"m actually kindof happy that this baby didn't come yet.  Because today was something that I really, really, really didn't want to miss.  Today my daughter had her first ever ballet lesson.

She wanted to pose laying on the ground.  I don't even know.

A little backstory.  I was in ballet for many, many years.  I took lessons from the time I was my daughter's age through highschool and even into a few college courses.  I was serious enough to work towards and dance on pointe - something you have to be pretty committed to do.  I knew I'd never be a professional but I loved it all the same...

However!  I don't ever want to force my kids to do something just because it's something I"m interested in.  I don't want to live vicariously through them or push them for my own benefit.  Besides, I don't wear nearly enough makeup to be a stage mom.

Anyways!  This summer we wanted to get our daughter into something physical.  Get her gross motor skills going and all of her summer energy out.  At first we tried to talk her into T-ball.  We took her to a kid's game while visiting friends in cincy.  We talked all about how her friends would be doing it.  We practiced with her brother's T in the yard.  And Matt, bless his heart, even bought her a decent glove.  Her reaction to all of it?

NO.  Not interested.  N. F. W.

And honestly this is a child who runs in a specific way so that her skirt swishes back and forth (she is ALWAYS wearing a skirt).  Who are we kidding with this sportsball thing?  So I offered up ballet as an alternative and she was... hesitant.  But not blatantly opposed.  So I took the leap and signed her up for lessons.  I was a little concerned she'd have issues with the dress code:

"Girls wear black, short-sleeved or cap sleeved leotard, ballet pink tights, pink leather ballet slippers, and hair in a bun."

But a shopping trip with grandma, a sparkly hairband, and a lot of propaganda* took care of that issue:

 And when it was time for her class today I she had no issue dressing the part:

I DIE OF CUTE.

I had to leave her at the door - there's no parents allowed in class because we are a distraction.  And for all her concern beforehand she never looked back:

My heart is bursting.

And.... I.... found myself in a waiting room with a bunch of other moms and nothing to do.  I still need to figure out the whole mom side of this situation.  I"m thinking the time has come to keep knitting in the car at all times.

Afterwards she was so, so, SO happy.  Grinning the whole way out.  And on the way home this conversation happened:

"Is Ballet just for summer?"
"Um... no it can be for winter, too if you want."
"Ok."  ....  "Well what about fall?  I want to do ballet in the fall, too."

We stopped in the grocery store for a few things on the way home.  She galloped through the store with pointed feet just like she learned in class. And walking back to the car she said this:

"Noone told me I look like a ballerina.  How come?  I"m wearing my ballet clothes!"

And then this:

"Maybe tomorrow after rest time we could go to ballet again."

I think she likes it.  I couldn't be happier.

*Extra fun bonus:  The propaganda - pictures of me as a ballerina that we dug out to convince her of the black leotard/pink tights situation:

I"m the short one.

Yup.