Mele Kalikimaka!

Olivia loves to dance. She will dance to just about anything with a beat - commercials, the doorbell, and even Daddy's snoring. (Well, maybe not that. She shudders in fear when that happens.) Doug thinks she got her dancing skills from him. He is only partially right. Back in the day I used to be quite an accomplished ballerina. I even danced with Ballet West in the Nutcracker. But then again, so did Doug. (Surprised? So was I.) But I will be the first to admit that Doug has skills. He is a great dancer, and not just ballet. He pops, locks, rolls, grooves, and gets his thang on! I look like a wounded bird trying to dance. It is kind of sad. Fortunately, Olivia got the best of both worlds.

She danced in her first recital a week ago. She was fabulous. It was a Hawaiian Christmas, complete with little hula skirts and flowers in her hair. For months she has been practicing with her class. When the mothers were first invited to watch their rehearsal I was so proud of her. She was chosen to act like a "bridge." She and the teacher were the first ones on stage, and formed a bridge, like the one for 'London Bridge is Falling Down.' I tried to give Olivia a life lesson. Olivia was much more pragmatic...

Me: Olivia, when you listen to your teachers and do what you are asked, you get to participate in fun ways, like doing the bridge. That is why it is always good to listen to what you are told. That way, you get more opportunities to do fun and important things.

Olivia: Mom, actually my teacher chose me because I am the tallest in class.

Me: Tall and cheeky.

She performed wonderfully, and didn't exhibit any fear whatsoever. Here she is after the performance...

I have officially become that mother. You know, the one that cries when she sees her children succeed and shouts and claps frantically. Yep, that's me. I swore I would never do that. My mom always bragged about me. And at the time I would get so embarrassed. But now as a mother I can understand why. In some small way it reflects on me, and shows maybe I can do something right. Olivia proves that all the time spent driving to and from class and wrestling with Ethan and Ben during class is worth it. And even more important than that, it shows that she is becoming her own person. I'm just along for the ride.