Dancing On The Inside:: When Tiny Got Her Groove Back

When Tiny told me she didn't want to go to dancing anymore, I thought about how to handle it - and then decided it was best if we didn't force it. Like many of you commented (thank you) - there's plenty of time to go back to it if she wanted to. 

Tiny wasn't keen to be part of the concert, and I think she'd found it difficult with some of the other little girls - so we stopped going. But I did ask if she'd like to go to the end of year concert so she could see her cohorts in action. She said yes, and this weekend we were in the audience to watch them dance their little hearts out.

She really, really loved watching the concert - as did I. I think Tiny's favourite thing was the amount of sparkles and the heart costumes - she kept talking about them so much.And then she said she wanted to go back to dancing next year. 

I am such a dork - my daughter wasn't even in the concert and I got tears in my eyes - actually no - it's pollen! Those sweet, enthusiastic children are only small for such a brief amount of time - it made me think about how brief childhood is - and how in the matter of a few short years - things change completely. 

I am going to do my darndest to make this Christmas super smashingly fun to the max. I'm going to get my Christmas craft on ASAP - and get a tree this week. You heard it here first. 

I've been saving up to buy the smalls a trampoline - I can't wait to bounce on it with them. When Tiny got her groove back - and when Lexi threw caution to the wind and re-discovered the fun. Boom! We're in business. 

Dancing VS Parenting VS What's Right VS What's Wrong

Tiny goes to dancing on Saturdays. She started because, as lots of small girls do, she loved to dance and move.

Every Saturday for an hour of power, she dances with a group of 16 other little girls.

She's probably not the most enthusiastic dancer, and some weeks, she doesn't want to go. But when we go, she has a good time.

But not this week. This week we went. It was cold in the big church hall. We arrived early, found our seats, switched her shoes over to jazz shoes, and she clutched her "news" (this week - a piggy bank) and walked up to be first seated in the circle.

Once news was over, they started dancing. They have three dances for their end of year concert. If you've ever seen small girls dancing, it can be a good abdominal work out. Some weeks they have me in stitches. It's well choreographed chaos.

And after about 15 minutes of dancing, I could see Tiny was a little deflated. The teacher could see she was not happy, and called me up to see what was happening with sad little Tiny.

She crumbled as I reached the stage. And wouldn't tell me. After a while I cracked her, and she told me she didn't want to do dancing because she didn't want to be in the concert. She was sad. I felt sad for her. But what do I do?

I'm not someone to make my kids do something they don't want to do (unless it is having a bath, or tidying their room *snort* like that ever happens). But do we persevere with dancing and terrify poor Tiny? Or ditch it and up the fun stakes?

I am erring on the side of the fun stakes.

Thoughts dear reader? Ever been in the same boat?

image of Australia's very own Darcey Bussell as taken by Annie Leibovitz

Listening to? JustB Top 10

It's been a long time between posts. Long time for me. 

To keep you company while I whittle a new post out of a keyboard and a computer, here's my Top 10 With a (Licorice) Bullet over on JustB. 

It'll get you dancing, to be sure to be sure.

Disclaimer: I am dismayed I did not include any TLC in the mix. Here's some TLC to make amends to TLC. I love TLC. I mean, how could you not love TLC?! It baffles me daily. 

The Start Of Something Beautiful

Tiny started dancing lessons. Oh my. I wasn't prepared for the cute attacks that I had during the lesson. So darn cute.

During the week leading up to the class, Tiny had told me what she wanted to wear. It swung between the pendulum of fairy wear to ballet attire.

On the day? A very small tutu and her favourite t-shirt. I then pointed out that she had to wear something so no one would see her knickers. So she tossed a nightie on over the top. Eclectic ballet attire.

If you're considering signing any of your smalls up to ballet/dance - do it. You will ensure a great ab work out (from giggling) and they have such a wonderful time.

Tiny was completely pooped afterwards. Halleluljah!

Kung Fat Hei Choi!

Very, very funny. Thanks to Ike for revealing this pearl to me.

When Life Hands You Lemons

I'm not even going to pretend.

The last few weeks have been an emotional rollercoaster. And I really want to get off it, pronto.

My Mum is sick. And I'm worried.
Work is stressful. And I'm not coping.
I miss spending time with my smalls.
Some a$$hole broke my rearvision mirror - and 5 others in our street
The kids fetes are on - stress. Baking. Donating. It's never ending.
And Matt's show opens this weekend.
Right this minute, I've drunk half a bottle of wine (yep, way to control stress) and I'm dancing to this.

How are you holding up? For realz, I want to know.
And so what I was going to say is: when life hands you lemons, make a peach and raspberry tart to sell at the preschool fete. Ok? (Trust me, it's easy)

But Don't Worry Possums

Matt and I went to a fantastic dinner party on Friday night. It was super fantastic even. A grpup of peeps from Twitter. How fabulous!

Mushroom soup. Veal. The Women's Weekly pool cake. Great wine. Great company.

And there may have been a solo dance to Ceelo Green.

On the other side of the dinner party, I may have been wielding an almight hangover. Ouch.

For some reason I felt compelled to take a self-portrait. Probably because Matt never takes photos of me. Accordingly, I never appear in our photo albums. Unless I take the photos.

Crazy Dancing

Rihanna. Ahh Rihanna. You give me such joy. I love crazy dancing and imagine wedging my bubble butt into some acid brights like yours. I could wiggle it baby. (And people could say "Who's that crazy chick?")

I think I'm well and truly overdue for some crazy dancing. Like dancing on table tops kind of dancing. Like showing some whipper snappers how it's done kind of dancing.

Sometimes I need that.

Anyone in?

I Want To Do Some Clarke-ing

This morning I took the smalls to see Justine Clarke on her 'Great Big World' tour. Man that woman is all sorts of awesome.

We got there a little late and the hall was already pretty full. I found a little spot towards the back - and my two smalls, hand-in-hand went to the front of the stage. Thankfully it wasn't Pantera. They danced, cuddled, jumped and clapped. Uber cutesie.

Justine and the musicians had the smalls captivated, dancing, even the parents were singing and rocking out to the familiar repertoire.

If you get the chance, snaffle some tickets. This afternoon Tiny has asked to go back to Justine Clarke - as well as saying she wants to 'do some Clarke-ing'. I'm guessing this is dancing to JC? Well that's what we're going with at any rate.

And if you do go, check out the ace Beci Orpin artwork. LOVE! (and check out her collab with Gorman - LOVE!).

Tiny Dress Ups

Tiny is big loving the dress-up box at the moment. Mostly she's just loving her tutu too-too much. Five days running and by now it has been encrusted not with jewels or sequins, but instead Milo, melty chocolate, dirt and any other sticky food groups that she's gotten her filthy mitts into.

Today she dragged out everything from the dress-up box and simultaneously was a dancing koala-lizard. Interesting? Experimental?

Once we got home from our afternoon excursion she raided the dress-ups again. This time - a dancing pirate. See the theme here?

I think I'll try and sneak that tutu out of her room tonight for a quick wash. Chances of success are slim to none. But worth a shot.

Crazy In The Coconut

It's windy here today. Like blow your skirt up windy. Like blow all the wheelie bins over windy. Like blow all the marquees down at Bondi over. Whoaaaa Nelly - it's like send your smalls crazy with all those ions being stirred up crazy.

I'm taking Tiny to her first dance class this afternoon. Well it's not a dance class as such, but an opportunity for her to dance all her sillies out. Well I hope it's not a class because Tiny has a style all of her own, and dances to her own beat (just like Gerald) - so this will be interesting..

Other news-breaking items:

• We went to the nursery this morning and the friendly nursery dude repotted my orchid for me, since it was sprouting all over the place and I was too scared to snip it and repot it myself. Some people are good, right?


• We visited our new local library. We now can no longer go back to our old library because our fines are crazy out of control and we've been run out of town. We now have books to go-go. We will not be skipping town to Mexico. This time we will return our books on time!


• The Doctor is refusing to have a siesta because he 'can't take it anymore' and he apparently 'feels like he's dying'. Uh huh.


• Tiny on the other hand is in bed singing and looking at books.


• We went to look at that school (take 3) again yesterday (Sue the Poo was not around - phew). Now I have to write a letter to say why I want the Doctor to go there.


• Cheery Ripes are no longer Cheery. I am on a wild losing streak - about to lose the clothes off my back if I don't win soon. So in a rash move - I've switched to Matt's Crunchie stash. And I AM WINNING!

I will report back later on my habit forming ways.

image via Aquabumps - this wind is so windy it blows over motorbikes. Yeeehaw.

Don't forget to enter the Beanstalk Books giveaway - leave a comment here to enter - I'll draw the winner on Thursday night!