Ballet I - Spring 2016

After taking "Creative Movement" in the fall, Hadley got to try out Ballet I this spring. Though she was technically supposed to be four before joining this class, I asked Miss Stephanie if she could bump up a bit early so that we could do the Saturday morning class vs. during the middle of the week. Thankfully, she said Hadley was doing very well and allowed it, which worked out beautifully for several reasons. The first was that Dave was home to watch the boys, which meant Mommy didn't have to tote all three kids into the dance studio and try to keep the boys entertained (especially so close to Reid's nap time). Physically and logistically this made things a lot easier, but it also gave me a chance to watch this sweet thing with her friends and chat with some mom friends myself.

We got a great surprise at our first session too! Peyton (my cousin Leslie's daughter), who is just about year older than Hadley, had signed up for the same class. The girls stuck right beside each other the whole day.

Hadley's the one with the crazy tights and bright pink tutu. Peyton is right in front of her with the pink leotard and black tights.

My Aunt Beth (Peyton's grandma), my mom, and I sure did enjoy watching the girls that morning. We got so tickled watching them awkwardly try out new moves or catching them looking at themselves in the mirror. They were too funny!

That first day, I'd planned to do a breakfast outing with Hadley for a little extra special time with my girl. NaNa, Auntie Beth, and Peyton ended up on our adventure too, which made it even more exciting. Topping it off with some piggy shaped pancakes from L Dee's and a treat at the Dollar General later in the day, the girls were in heaven.

Peyton came with her Daddy the following week, and boy were the girls excited to see each other again. Right next to one another they positioned themselves.

Peyton is in the pink leotard and black tights and Hadley is behind her in all black

All the other classes Hadley has been in before were all pre-ballet, so this was definitely a switch. There was more direct instruction focused on specific skills, but she seemed to handle it well despite being a little younger than many of the other girls. It was good for Hadley to have a chance to practice listening to a teacher and follow directions though since she's not in preschool yet.

The exercises were good for her too. We talked to an orthopedic doctor recently about how sometimes she walks with a funny little gait, nothing really noticeable to most people unless you're really looking for it, but something we wanted to check into since our family has a history of hip problems and scoliosis. Thankfully, the doctor said that it's just developmental, suggesting ballet as a good way to strengthen up those muscles versus trying some type of physical therapy. Hooray, we're already on the right track!

More than anything though, I think ballet is good for Hadley socially. It's a place to get away from those boys for a little bit and be surrounded with other pink lovin' princesses like herself.

Several Saturday mornings this season, she even got in some special bonding time with Peyton after ballet class. One day we went to the library where the girls played in the toy section a little until Auntie Beth stumbled upon a special activity being promoted that day - a chance to read a book with a service dog. (To be honest, Beth may have been as excited as the kids about that!) Afterwards, we hit McDonalds (which Hadley was super excited about since its not a restaurant we go to often) and then headed on to Auntie Beth's house to spend a little more girl time.

Another day, Peyton came out to our house to play a bit, and Auntie Beth even brought us a country breakfast from the restaurant they own, the Knotty Pine - a Front Royal landmark.  A few weeks later, when I had a conflict between Hadley's dance class and Caleb's opening day t-ball ceremony, Beth saved me by picking up my girl for me since I had to leave early. The little ballerinas got another chance to go out to breakfast again - Knotty Pine style - and then came down to the ball field to cheer on Caleb and get their tutus covered in red clay mud.

Whether is it was meeting up for dance class or getting together somewhere else like Peyton's birthday party at the skating rink, Hadley always looked forward to seeing her friend. They were a precious pair.

It's so sweet enjoying all the little dancers together though, seeing how they progressed from the beginning of the season to the end both in skills and in friendships. The moms formed their own bonds too as we crowd together in the small viewing room to catch a glimpse of our daughters through the window.

The highlight of the dance season for Hadley was definitely the recital. From day one, she kept asking me if it was going to be recital day yet. After watching her cousin Anabella last year, she was so anxious for her chance to be on stage!

Finally, the day drew nearer and we got her all dolled up for the dress rehearsal and class photos. Granny had a conflict between our recital and Anabella's since they were on the same day, but thankfully this preview allowed us to get around that since she was able to come with us and watch their girls practice their routine on stage just like they'd be doing Saturday. It also gave me a chance to grab some beautiful up close shots that I wasn't allowed to take at the real deal. They were absolutely precious!

Hadley is on the far right

Petyon twisting in the middle

This is one of my favorites of Hadley. Her sweet smile and a little sass! She was having a blast!

I got a little picture crazy!

While I may not have been able to take any pictures of Hadley during the show, I definitely got a ton of her on her the morning of her recital before she went in. I think she's pretty photogenic!

My cousin's wife (Cindy) did her hair - beautiful!

I volunteered at the last minute to work one of the tables at the front, filling in for someone who wasn't able to make it, so my immediate family got free tickets which was so nice because tutus, tights, flowers, etc. add up. That said, I made sure I had a chance to sneak in the auditorium in time to watch as much of the show as I could, especially my girl's performance. Reid, however, decided that he was ready to go home and begged over and over to leave. Since I couldn't keep a crying baby in there I tried walking into the foyer with him and down the hall a bit, checking in to see if it was her turn yet through the window. He settled a bit and I stepped back in the room, hoping that if we stood in the back he'd be quiet for just a minute so I could see her routine, but immediately he started howling. Thankfully, I was able to see things through the back window somewhat but someone kept moving and getting their head in the way. Plus, it was so far back that I couldn't really see her sweet face clearly - not to mention that I was still having to wrestle and shush Reid the whole time. I was so upset I could have cried, but I guess I should be grateful I got to see her at all.

Afterwards, she so happy to hear everyone's congratulations and see who all had come to see her. She was pretty delighted with the little bouquet of flowers we'd picked up too. It was definitely a memorable day for all of us.

While there are so many things out there for kids to be involved with nowdays, I am so glad we chose this one this year. It has been such a good experience all the way around. I hope next year is just as pleasant.