The Things We Do For Our Kids?
Many of the guys in my dads' dance group are fond of saying, "the things we do for our kids", meaning, that's why we're all there. I'm good with that.
Dare I say that our lives are about to return to normal? A couple months back I was writing about how over-scheduled I was feeling with weekly commitments of small-group meetings for our church, dance lessons, and glassblowing classes. All those are over now and I'm breathing a bit easier but we still have Rachel's graduation party to get through this weekend. So far the weather forecast (for what it's worth this far out) looks good with partly cloudy skies and 80 degrees. That will be a considerable change from the wet weather we've been experiencing almost daily for what seems weeks.
Last weekend was Rachel's and my (mostly Rachel's) dance recital weekend with one performance on Saturday and two on Sunday. As she loaded up her car to leave for the recital at Eastview high school on Sunday she carried with her a box of Puffs saying that she was going to need them after the show as she was planning on a few tears. Dance has been a huge part of her life and Sunday was a closing of that chapter. From the days when Tammy pushed her into it at 3 years old where she stood not-sure-what-to-do on the stage during her first recital to now where she is often the focus of so many people as she gracefully moves across the stage.
I've been watching her dance since she was 7 and even back then I could see a stage presence in her that most other kids didn't possess. For years Tammy and I assumed it was our bias because she's our daughter but at some point we knew it was more than that, but if we still needed confirmation we got that on Sunday. I had several parents stop me to say how they've enjoyed watching Rachel throughout the years and how they're going to miss seeing her in years to come. They would go on to say that when she was on stage it was her they would watch. What better compliment could there be?
Rachel was in six dances. That's a lot. I was able to watch a good deal of the show before gathering downstairs in the band room with the other dads from our group of dancers where we nervously waited (no kidding) and practiced our routine a few times before getting into position off stage. We went on just before the finale.
Of all the years I've been a part of this group, this was by far the most fun I've had out there. I admit it—it's the disco music. There's a history there for me but that's all I'll say.
The Finale was quite a treat and better than any from years past that I've seen. I was able to catch it the first night from off-stage. The kids put so much work into both their costumes and makeup in addition to their performance. I was very impressed.
Rachel likes to give each of her dancers a small memento to take home with them after the recital, usually, a craft that she makes. This year she made cutouts of each of her 20 kids she teaches, all made to resemble the recipient's appearance in the Finale. Quite cute.
Tammy and I were watching a movie Sunday night after the recital when I got a text from Rachel: "Dana wants u to do the dads dance next year...haha she says ur part of that community now". Dana is the owner of the dance studio. Rachel will no longer be dancing there but they want me to continue on? How is it that I'm finding myself being very agreeable to that idea but what do I say when the other dads comment next year about "the things we do for our kids"?
Dare I say that our lives are about to return to normal? A couple months back I was writing about how over-scheduled I was feeling with weekly commitments of small-group meetings for our church, dance lessons, and glassblowing classes. All those are over now and I'm breathing a bit easier but we still have Rachel's graduation party to get through this weekend. So far the weather forecast (for what it's worth this far out) looks good with partly cloudy skies and 80 degrees. That will be a considerable change from the wet weather we've been experiencing almost daily for what seems weeks.
Last weekend was Rachel's and my (mostly Rachel's) dance recital weekend with one performance on Saturday and two on Sunday. As she loaded up her car to leave for the recital at Eastview high school on Sunday she carried with her a box of Puffs saying that she was going to need them after the show as she was planning on a few tears. Dance has been a huge part of her life and Sunday was a closing of that chapter. From the days when Tammy pushed her into it at 3 years old where she stood not-sure-what-to-do on the stage during her first recital to now where she is often the focus of so many people as she gracefully moves across the stage.
I've been watching her dance since she was 7 and even back then I could see a stage presence in her that most other kids didn't possess. For years Tammy and I assumed it was our bias because she's our daughter but at some point we knew it was more than that, but if we still needed confirmation we got that on Sunday. I had several parents stop me to say how they've enjoyed watching Rachel throughout the years and how they're going to miss seeing her in years to come. They would go on to say that when she was on stage it was her they would watch. What better compliment could there be?
Rachel was in six dances. That's a lot. I was able to watch a good deal of the show before gathering downstairs in the band room with the other dads from our group of dancers where we nervously waited (no kidding) and practiced our routine a few times before getting into position off stage. We went on just before the finale.
Of all the years I've been a part of this group, this was by far the most fun I've had out there. I admit it—it's the disco music. There's a history there for me but that's all I'll say.
The Finale was quite a treat and better than any from years past that I've seen. I was able to catch it the first night from off-stage. The kids put so much work into both their costumes and makeup in addition to their performance. I was very impressed.
Rachel likes to give each of her dancers a small memento to take home with them after the recital, usually, a craft that she makes. This year she made cutouts of each of her 20 kids she teaches, all made to resemble the recipient's appearance in the Finale. Quite cute.
Tammy and I were watching a movie Sunday night after the recital when I got a text from Rachel: "Dana wants u to do the dads dance next year...haha she says ur part of that community now". Dana is the owner of the dance studio. Rachel will no longer be dancing there but they want me to continue on? How is it that I'm finding myself being very agreeable to that idea but what do I say when the other dads comment next year about "the things we do for our kids"?
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