Not Enough Time

Nearly 6 months have gone by without so much as a peep from me. I haven't even had time to read my favorite blog links!

Life with two kids, softball, dance, and two jobs keeps us scheduled for the basics, but not much else. We've taken to scheduling even our meals, otherwise we end up eating dinner at 8. That doesn't work too well with 7:30 bed time.

And here we are in May, softball finished today and Saturday dance recital practices are just beginning; there are only three weeks left of preschool and a month left for Samantha.

And faster than the days move, the girls are changing. I've watched my confident 7 year old become shy and embarrassed. It's painful to watch, but it seems to be part of life for a second grader. I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't know what embarrassed meant. And she's growing so much--feet only two sizes away from mine!

Alyssa has become a beautiful little dancer. She's always dancing and anxiously awaiting her time back on "the big stage." She's dancing her recital dance to the same Tinker Bell song Samantha danced for her first recital, which makes it so special for me.


For now, Al and I try to take all the quiet time with the girls we can get--even if it means watching crazy improv dances for an hour every night!

I'm a sucker

When we were "shopping" around for an activity for Samantha I never dreamed I'd be living an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras. I think I'll need some therapy after next week's ballet recital. And if she likes it--I don't see how she wouldn't since she loves the draw of the lights and the stage--then I'm doomed. Doomed, I tell ya.

We have a Tinkerbell costume for one part of the recital and then a homemade jack-in-the-box for the Coppelia part. We received our music yesterday and so we've been playing a song from TinkerBell and the Lost Treasure on repeat while Samantha practices in her costume. The hour-long repeated song isn't even the worst part--I got teary eyed when she put on the costume and she started practicing.

She's happy. I swear to you the girl was glowing. She looked so content and proud. I have no doubt that she will want to continue ballet and she will want to do the ($$) recital part again. I'm just having a hard time with the makeup part. The makeup thing gets a little too close to the Toddlers and Tiara part. But I know she'll feel exactly like a princess when I put it on.

I was never a glitz and glam girl. I was the neighborhood tomboy. This is a little out of my realm, but I'm trying to embrace it (lightly).