Well, it isn’t a family vacation video, but it’s a video nonetheless. And without building it up too much, it makes me laugh every time I watch it.
Last September, Edie began taking dance classes at a local dance studio near our house. She’d really been enjoying it and having a good time, and I really enjoyed the fact that it was very little inconvenience to me. None of this driving-kids-across-town, several-nights-a-week nonsense. This was a low-commitment, low-cost activity that she could participate in. She was happy. I was happy.
Then about two months ago, all her friends started talking about the wonderful world of soccer. Soccer, soccer, soccer! Everywhere we turned someone else we knew was playing soccer. So about a month ago, she announced that next year she wanted to play soccer instead of dance.
“Whatever you want, ” I said. “But I’d wait to make that decision until after your recital.” Let’s face it – I know my kid, and at even at age four, the girl loves a stage. I had a feeling that after her recital, she might forget all about that soccer idea.
It could just be me. Watch the video, and then tell me if you think I’ll be spending my Saturdays next year at the soccer field. Enjoy!
Edie started taking dance classes about two months ago. She’s really been enjoying it, and each week she comes home with a new dance step to add to her collection of moves. To the untrained eyed, it’s nothing more than tapping her toes, but to me, her mother, I can see that she is just oozing with talent.
Normally, the parents are not allowed in the studio during their dance class. However, tonight was “Parent Observation Night,” and we got to witness the magic that is, three year olds dancing. It really was too precious for words.
We have “craft time” every day at our house. Edie sees to it. She wakes from her afternoon nap wanting to know what we’re going to make that day. Some days when I’m really on top of things, I coordinate making something we’ve been talking about and sneak a lesson into it. Most days though, I give her some watercolors or playdough and tell her to have at it.
In celebration of Memorial Day, we made an American flag for craft time today. With little hope that the result would meet United States regulations, I thought if I could drive home two points, then I would be successful at sneaking in the lesson. #1. It is the AMERICAN flag. #2. It represents FREEDOM.
Now how exactly do you explain “freedom” to a three year old? I took the approach that freedom means “you can grow up to be anything you want to be.”
“Like a ballerina?”
“Yes, Edie. Our brave soldiers fought and died for this country… and your freedom to be a ballerina.”
How incredible is it that we live in a free country and that our children can dream big and be whatever in the world they want to be? I often take this for granted, but in sitting down to explain it to Edie, it somehow became much clearer. So on this Memorial Day, I want to offer my sincere gratitude to all of the brave men and women who serve this country and defend my daughter’s right to dance.
Ken put together a little video that we shot the other night of the little squirt doing the Hokey Pokey. She will dance to this song as long as I sing will sing it. It’s pretty cute… Enjoy!
My sweet husband has been working for the past couple of weeks to produce something worth watching from our home videos, and I think he has done a fabulous job (if I do say so myself!). We had accumulated so much footage that I had quit video taping Edie since we never seemed to have time to edit it. Well, anyway, we finally made the time, and now I am back to video taping EVERYTHING!
I just don’t want to forget what she was like at every stage. It is funny how small she seems in these videos that weren’t filmed that long ago. She is changing everyday! So thank you again to my precious husband for this gift. He has so many talents, and I am blessed that he takes the time to do these things for me and our daughter…produce videos, take beautiful pictures, create web sites. I know Edie and I will both cherish them as she gets older.
