Since Leahness has been seizure free for over a year now, I decided it was time for her to start back up with ballet. When I pulled her out of San Antonio Dance Academy, she was having a seizure once every 5 minutes in her brain (according to her EEG done in Feb 08). Suffice it to say, she was having a difficult time staying "on point" figuratively as well as literally! She asked me over and over when she can start again and I just kept saying soon. It was one of those things that after a while a kid will just stop asking because they give up hope. So it was really a treat when I surprised her with the news that she will be starting back up and she was ecstatic! It really was meant to be because my mom found some ballet slippers in her exact size that were brand new with tags still in them at the thrift store. I found a ballet studio closer to home and in my opinion a better one to boot! The director is the owner and director of the one professional ballet company in San Antonio: The San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet! It surprised me she had a studio for young students, but was very excited to give Leahness this opportunity. Her class is small with only 4 other girls and last week...the addition of a boy!
They were holding auditions for the Nutcracker Ballet that they put on at the Municipal Auditorium every holiday season. They were auditioning the young children to play mice, toys, and angels. She was too big to play a mouse or toy and too small and inexperienced to play an angel. It was her first big audition. She really wanted to audition, but I don't think she quite understood what she was doing. With only being back in ballet for 2 classes, I could tell she felt like she wasn't prepared enough or even really ready to be on stage in front of a few hundred people. I got that knot in my stomach like it was me auditioning and when she came out with the slip that said, "dancers should not be discouraged because they did not fit a role for this performance...", I was transported back to my days of auditioning for community theatre in Royal Oak and getting that, "we're sorry, but not really" rejection. She was over it in no time and said she wants to audition again next year. She really has to be ready for something before she'll give it her all. It's just right, or nothing at all with this kid.
BIRTHDAY GIRL
For her birthday this year, we went to Walt Disney World in Florida. We went to see my grandpa on the way since he is only an hour away. It was a wonderful trip that we really needed to take. You see, her birthday last year was a complete bummer. Since we don't have ANY family in town except my mother, she doesn't have any built in friends, aka cousins. The only small cousins she has are 3rd cousins (my cousin's children) who all live far far away. I also have a step-sister who has 2 boys, but she is in Delaware! Since she starts school so close to her birthday, there isn't much time for her to make friends that will come to her birthday party. I sent an invitation to every kid in her class last year and 1 showed up. She has a friend from church that is her age, but just one...our church was small. She came which made a whopping 2 little girls for this huge party I planned: bouncy castle, elaborate games, pinata, gift bags, etc. It was really sad for Leahness. She tried to have fun for the sake of the 2 girls who came, but it was visibly upsetting for her. I cry every time I look at the pictures because you can see it in her eyes how sad she is. So this year, I decided it wasn't an issue of IF I could afford it, it was an issue of I HAVE TO DO THIS FOR MY KID! I took her to Disney World and I didn't look back at what it cost...not even once! She had the time of her life and the most magical day she could haven't even have dreamed up herself! It was one of the best days of my life. It made up for her last downer of a birthday and I will never forget her smile that couldn't be wiped off with anything every time someone wished her a Happy Birthday! Her button on her shirt they gave her at the front gate that said Today is MY BIRTHDAY made sure to broadcast her big day! Those that didn't notice, she made sure to tell them too.
She's 8! I keep saying that. She's 8! It hasn't sunk in. I'm not sure why this year is such a big one for me. Maybe it's because it's when my life turned upside town with my parent's divorce; it was the year for me that I became a small adult. I took care of myself a lot starting at that age. Leahness won't have to do that. I want her to be a kid for as long as possible. It killed us this morning that Noggin is now Nick Jr. I started thinking about how she still likes Noggin (er Nick Jr. - BLECH!) and the preschool shows on it. She asks me sometimes if this show, or that show is for babies and I ask her, "Do you like it?" when she confidently says "YES!", I say, "Then it isn't for babies because you are 8!!" I like that she is still into Pinky Dinky Doo and Little Bill and Dora. It will be sad when I have to say goodbye to Moose A Moose and Zee, but I know that time will come. For now...."It's PUZZLE TIME!" ;)
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