OUR BEAUTIFUL BALLERINA

The beautiful ballerina The happy family

I laughed, I cried, I wanted to see more...any guesses?

Kate's first ballet recital!

I have to admit, I was a little nervous, but mostly so excited. You know, a little like Christmas morning when you're a kid (ok, it is still like that for me). I had a hard time sleeping the night before because I was so excited to see her first "official" performance. Those who know Kate well know that every day is a performance for her, but this was special.

At the end of her last class, Miss Annette (Kate's wonderful ballet teacher) allowed the mommies to come in to see a preview of their dances. At first Kate followed Miss Annette and all went smoothly, but after seeing how much attention she had, she decided to "free-style" and improvise the dance a little. Needless to say, it was a lot of running around while constantly checking to see who was watching. She did FINALLY come back to her spot and finish the dance properly, but the whole experience had me worried. What in the world would she do when there was a room full of spectators? She lives for that kind of attention -- would she follow along as hoped or would it evolve into the Katie Bird show? My bets were on the latter, but I was hoping for the best.

The day came and we were all tired. She didn't sleep well, maybe for the same reason I didn't -- nerves. But, we got ready without incident (a major accomplishment!) and headed to Studio B. Kate had a wonderful cheering section for this special event, and after a quick change into her costume, she assumed her place on the floor and waited for her fellow dancing classmates.

This is where I could do a play-by-play of the dances, but suffice it to say, she performed beautifully. I was very pleasantly surprised to see how well she did, especially with so many people watching. Several times she did get a little distracted by a baby sitting on the front row -- we all know how much she loves babies -- but she bounced back and finished her dance with a flourish. We were all so proud of her. What a performer she is!

And here's where I have to get a little sappy. After such a beautiful performance, I was sad. And I'm still sad. Time goes by so fast. This was her last first dance recital. Where did my little baby go? The one that needed me to help her do everything. This little girl is definitely not her. She danced for that group of people all on her own and was perfect. I don't do well with change (I try really hard, though) and it makes me so sad, but very happy, to realize that she is changing each and every day. Some day, in the not so distant future, she will go to kindergarten -- ALL DAY! But, I'll not think of that now because I'm not sure I can handle it.


Special thanks to: Grandma, Pawpaw, Memommy, Meg, Peyton, and, of course, Daddy, for making time in your day to come see Kate's recital. You made her a very happy girl.