Recital Day for Madeline

So this has been a busy week for us. Nonnie (my Mom) has been here all week. She came for Sadie's recital and stayed until Madeline's recital (details later in this post). It's been great having her here all week and I already miss her.

This has been a week for finishing probes (reports on things that go into a "probe book" and they decorate it, etc.). Sadie's last probe for the year was on the Roman Aqueducts. Very dry subject - teehee. Have you ever tried to find stuff to decorate a report on Aqueducts? Until you have you will never know the angst of such an exercise in futility. Madeline's was a little more labor intensive, yet, easier to decorate for. She had to make a model (which, of course, means paper mache' for us - ugh!) of a stingray. Here it is...
She made a 90 on it. I was proud of her. I really didn't help her at all, except mixing up the mache' soup and typing it up - which I used a font too big and she got counted off 5 points for it. Big help I was.

At some point during the week - the days all run together now - Anna got into the ink pads (yet again). Just when I think I've hidden them or put them up high enough, she either finds one I didn't know about or fooled myself thinking it was hidden well. Here she is in all her blue splendor.

Yep, that's blue on her face, hands, arms, legs, feet. She looks like she's turning into Elfaba (from "Wicked"). She actually did try to clean herself up, finding some wipes and trying to get it off herself. Didn't work.

On to today...

Here is Madeline and Nonnie as we were leaving for the recital. Mads didn't seem nervous at all.

At "her" chair backstage, with her costumes. Such a cutie.
She had alot of energy and couldn't resist running around and managed to find this "stage" outside the theatre. When she first got up there she was still and facing the other way. I told my mom that I bet she turned around and posed and sure enough, this was her pose.
After a wonderful show, every ballerina should receive flowers. We did not disappoint.
Gettin' some Nonnie-lovin' before she headed back to Louisiana.


I will tell you all I feel like a circle has been completed in some way today. 4 years ago, we (Sadie, Madeline and I) went to Andrea's (Ricky's daughter) recital at Texas Hall (where Madeline's was held today) and Madeline, especially, was smitten. We happened to be sitting near a wheelchair spot (think "mini stage" for a 3 year old) and Madeline could not stop dancing with the girls onstage. I said to her that we should go in the back so we didn't disrupt people trying to watch the people on stage and we got up and went to the back and she said "up there?" pointing to the big stage. I told her "no, we can't go up there but you can dance your heart out back here". She and Sadie danced their way to the end. I told Miss Persis about it later at church and she said that I should have let her come up there, that she would have let her dance. I doubted what she said at the time (that Miss P would have let her on stage) but having had the last 4 years to get to know her better, I believe she would have, if for no other reason than to allow one more person to realize their dream.

They both took dance that next year at Miss Persis' Studio which happened to not be a recital year. Madeline had her own vision of dance and wasn't ready for anyone to tell her how to do it so she didn't finish the year. Sadie was old enough that I made her finish the year but she opted out the next year finding out it was a recital year. No big stage for her.

Fast forward 2 more years and here we are. Madeline wanted to take dance and did very well at it, loved it and looked forward to dancing in the recital. Today, she did just that. Saw her dreams realized when she took that big stage and danced so well and so energetically. Not one moment of stage fright or second thoughts. I asked her on Wednesday night after the first rehearsal at Texas Hall if she liked dancing on that big stage. She enthusiastically said "yes". I am so proud of her seeing this year of classes, rehearsals and recital through. She's made it look so fun that even Sadie wants to give it a go again. That is yet to be determined. However, as I reflect on today's events, I see the growth of my Madeline, the love of dance that Miss Persis unknowingly instilled in her 4 years ago performed on a stage as big as Madeline's unlimited potential. Thank you, Miss Persis (and all your wonderful teachers).



This is not necessarily a "bootleg" of the recital as it is the dress rehearsal that took place last night. It's just the first dance that Madeline performed. She is the one essentially in the middle of my frame. Enjoy!