Our first dance recital.

Are you ready for some most awesome sweetness?! Well, here we go! This is Miss Linda Lou. She is daugther to Linda Lavender Ford, who was MY three year old dance teacher, and primo dance teacher for the past 2oish years. Ellie adores her.

She has to have the patience of Job to deal with all these babies... as they make formations, learn their moves, pick their noses, scratch their behinds, wave at mamas in the audience... and you get the idea. Three year olds can be pretty unpredictable!

But MY three year old, on the end there, did an AWESOME job! And I just don't think I could have been any prouder!

On her toes, arms out, as instructed as she exited the stage after her ballet routine.

During dress rehearsal, we let Gabbi Girl hang around on the edge of the stage. Todd told me I'd regret that decision, because he was sure she would think it would be ok the following night at the recital. As it turned out, she sat perfectly perfect in my lap!

This is "the pit". This is where all the instructors stand and orchestrate the whole shindig. They have to conduct every routine from here, "reminding" the little ones of their moves.

Meanwhile, stage right. or left. Or? I don't know. But, Meredith was so sweetly preoccupying Gabbi with a few moves of her own. Can you believe SHE is eligible to start classes this summer? My BABY!!

And then came the tap routine. It was to "justin Beaver"'s, "Baby".

And it was a total hoot! Would you look at my girl giving her "shuffle step"!? Way to go, baby girl!

She was really into her tap dance. She sang most of the words and definitely came alive with the up tempo music. I remember that feeling. I never was much of a ballet girl myself!

Here's Linda Lou reminding them of each move.

And believe me when I tell you, you CANNOT fully get the volume of the excursion of the range of motion of the JOLT of these hips during the chorus!

It must be experienced by video. And luckily I have that for you! I will do my dead level best to show it tomorrow! It'll make you howl!

After the dress rehearsal, there was an opportunity to take recital pics in the lobby of the civic center. I had seen the line earlier and knew it was no small undertaking! But, lo and behold, we came out and were SECOND in line! Oh yeah, baby! This was sa-weeeeet!!

I pay my money, get her to the backdrop, and would you believe it? The world's most photographed child FROZE and started crying. She could not get it together and refused to take a picture unless Staci was in the picture with her.

Which caused Madi to start crying as well. So, there went THEIR opportunity to take recital pictures as well. Rusty Lavender, the photographer, DID manage to snap one picture of them all red-eyed and boo hooing. I MUST have that picture. It's like the one where the kids hate Santa Claus and cry and when you look back, years later, you can see the humor in it.

Sooooo, we pulled them aside, and took a few classics of our own.

And I think they are precious, thank you very much!

I think these with Ellie Sue holding out her tutu may be my faves. Would you just look at that little pointed toe?!

These two were so sweet. And honestly,I think they had a super fun first recital experience.

It is the first of many. I'd say we may be looking at dance recitals for about the next 13 or 14 years if her stage presence is any indication.

But that's ok by me, because tonight, I was one proud mama!!

Mo