I hope YOU dance!

We made it through our first year of dance and look forward to a great dress rehearsal tomorrow and recital on Saturday.  I am so excited to watch the recital and Emma's class dance to, "It's a Small World".  They have had Tech. rehearsal the last two weeks and they have really done a great job.  Our class began with about 15 girls and quickly dwindled down to the sweetest seven.

We love our Dance studio, but I have learned in the past month that they are very serious and disciplined when it comes to recital.  I appreciate the structure and the organization that goes into all of it and respect that they continue to hold our little ones accountable while having very high expectations.

I am certain I will cry like a baby when I see all the kiddos dance their little hearts out to christian music and Disney songs.  That is one of my favorite things about our Dance Studio, they want our little girls to be little girls and they put God at the center of everything they model and teach.

All year I have been taking pictures of Emma's class to the point I am sure some parents think I am the "crazy dance Mom".  All along I knew that I wanted to do something special at the end for our teacher and the girls.  After programs and events all the parents would ask for copies of my pictures and I would selfishly, but with a hidden agenda always forget them. 

Tomorrow we will give each girl a goody bag filled with cotton candy, rice krispie treat, crayons,various ballet color sheets, Capri sun, candy/cookie cone and a hard bound copy of the collection of pictures I have taken this year.  The My Publisher books turned out cute and each girl is featured in it many times.  It was super easy to make, the perfect size for them and truly captures their first year in Preschool Ballet.

We are so proud of Emma and how far she has come since we started Ballet in August of last year.  She was not a huge fan in the beginning and I often had to sit on the floor in class to get her to stay.  There were times I never wanted to go back, but I could not allow Emma to quit something we made a commitment to once we got started.   I am so glad we stuck it out, she really seems to love Dance now and is dreaming of taking Hip Hop someday soon (like Tori).  She has made some really great friends and I have enjoyed getting to know their parents.

We can not wait to see you take the stage Saturday at your FIRST Dance Recital Emma Lou!  You have worked so hard and you even practiced tonight in the kitchen using a paper plate as the moon and sun. 



I started looking for recital goodies months back for our Little Ballerina after the recital was over and here is what I found.   The cutest little Ready, Set, Pirouette book, a Ballet outfit for her doll Tilda and a new custom dance bag made out of pink shimmery fabric with a tulle skirt at the bottom and her picture on both sides.  Of course she is also asking, "Mom, am I going to get flowers after my recital like Tori got?"  The answer is yes baby girl, we are going to get you the prettiest pink gerber daises we can find.

We love you Emma, we believe in you, we are so incredibly proud of you and are beyond blessed to call you our DAUGHTER!  

 I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I HOPE you dance

Dance like no one is watching baby girl and when you point your toes on that stage for the last time, I will be there to scoop you up, squeeze you tight, twirl you around and tell you how proud I am while giving you "Two Kisses & a Hug".