A Little Recital

I've been around nursing homes quite a bit since I spent most of my summer breaks working at one. It can be terribly heartbreaking one day and thoroughly uplifting the next. Yet some of my greatest advice has been given to me by my "friends" I met there. Without a doubt, I adored that job above any other.

Every so often my kids will perform a little recital at our local nursing home in hopes of brightening someone's day and making someone smile. We've been doing this for a couple of years now and each time is special and funny and adorably cute. But beneath it all, I want my kids to know the real meaning of compassion. And selflessness. And maybe they won't understand all of it right away, but I hope one day they will.

Until then, baby steps.

And here's some bonus material. Mia, my 4 year old, closed out our nursing home recital with a little solo that she learned in school. 

She signs the song What a Wonderful World and every single time I see it,  I smile. 

And tear up. 

It's my job.

I tried convincing her to be homeschooled-it didn't work.

"How much fun are YOU having today, Mom?" screamed Bella, rather loudly from the bathroom stall next to mine. Ya know, she's old enough to go without me now, in her own stall with her own toilet seat cover, which is exactly how she sounds when she says it to me, like a teenager!! Normally, I might high-five this independent streak, but not today.

"So much fun Bella," I responded a little quieter since I knew everyone in this mall bathroom must be listening to us right now.

"Well, I'm having one hundred-thousand-percent fun today Mom!" I smiled and teared up right there in the public bathroom. She and I were on a shopping date, for new school clothes and new shoes. The entire time I walked around holding her hand I was in shock, wondering when did she get so tall? We tried on new shoes, and somehow-somewhere in the past month her foot decided to grow a size. What? Now? How dare it! I stared at the shoe attendant in disbelief. Not that I wasn't willing to go up a size but that the truth was harder for me to swallow. Yet another sign of her impending growth which made this day, the day before her 1st grade, harder than normal.

She picked out her "1st grade 1st day" dress and twirled around the dressing room with the hugest grin. All I could do is smile back at her. I couldn't help thinking that one day I'll be sitting in the same seat watching her twirl in a prom dress or even further down the line, twirl around in a wedding dress. And probably feel the same sort of emotion, on a much grander scale-yes, but the feeling will still be the same--this tugging emotion of both happiness and excitement and sadness to see this last stage pass.

This is motherhood. 


She woke this morning three hours before the bus was to arrive. And brushed her hair and teeth in record time. Excited? You betcha!

We made our celebratory 1st grade pancakes.

We packed her lunch (in her fancy bento) which she had planned out for months.

And as a family, we all helped hoist up her heavy backpack.
With the weight of every school supply imaginable, she smiled so confidently.

And just like that, she left me again...

Happy-Sad, 1st Day of 1st Grade, Bella.

The Show Must Go On

This past Friday was Bella's hugely anticipated ballet and tap recital. No kidding on that one. Bella has been patiently awaiting this recital for 2 whole months. And bless her heart, she practiced every chance she could. Which pretty much meant non stop tapping and ballet-ing all over the house!



This was her second recital since we moved here and the first one in December was hilarious, complete with an antler malfunction and all. Honestly, there is nothing cuter than a toddler ballet recital. It wreaks of cuteness. They don't even need to dance all they have to do is stand there and they're super cute.



Ah, the delicate "Blue Steel" facial.


If you look closely, you'll notice Bella is not wearing her ballet shoes. Hee hee. She arrived with them, that I know for sure. But they didn't quite make it to the stage. I don't think she minded--in fact, I don't even think she noticed.



Here's a rather long clip that shows, if anything, our little Bella beats to her own drum.



Bravo Bella Bravo!