Dance Class... Part 2

So excited prior to going in the line for the "Train to the studio"...




And then the teacher "Miss Michelle" came in and asked all the students to get into a line and form a train.

Maddie kept looking back at me with a petrified look on her face, as if to say "I'm not getting on a train with these people I don't know!" 


Just look at that little face!!



At that point, I knew that this might not be smooth sailing as I had once hoped...

And here they go in the train.... so fun, not threatening - right?

Well, I get settled in the waiting area (with about 10 other parents)... and then I hear what I thought might be a crying child.  Naah, I thought, she's too excited, must not be her.

To minutes later, "Amanda?" Asks the woman walking into the room - "yes" I respond - looking around and hoping there's another parent with the same name.  "We tried to give it a few minutes, but she's not stopping - I think if you sit in there, she might be better"...
Not stopping is right.  She cried through the ENTIRE 45 minute less on and clutched my leg the whole time.

When I asked her why she was crying, "I just missed you mumma"... and I told her I was right in the other room.  "No, please stay in here with me - I don't want to be a ballerina anymore" was her response.

Oy vey.  But, we're teaching her that if you commit to something, you don't quit until you give it a fair shot.
So, we're headed back next week.  I'll keep you posted on our progress (if any).

Dance class... Part 1

So, Maddie has been asking for months if she can take dance class and become a ballerina.  I know this was encouraged by my Mother in Law and whatever, if she wants to try something, I'm all for it.

So I went and dropped $160 on a leotard, tap shoes, ballet shoes and one month of lessons (figured we'd just do one month in case she hates it).

Saturday was her first lesson.

She got all dressed (we had bought a back-up leotard because the regulation one hadn't come in yet and she needed to have one for the start) so she started in one leotard and the regulation one was waiting for us at the studio - so she ended in another.

Anyways, she was excited and so cute waiting for the class to start.  One woman fit her into her new leotard and shoes and then they all had to line up to form a train and head into the studio.

She clearly was sizing up the woman.

See how excited she is??  


Stay tuned to see just how well dance class went!!

Random Musings

So when I'm running (which I'm doing a lot right now because I am training for a half marathon in a month) I think of so many great things to blog about....

Then I sit down at my computer hours later and can't remember a damn thing I wanted to post!

I do pray a lot on my runs.  I pray for my dad.  I know his test results showed no cancer and I'm so thankful for that - but I also know that bladder cancer is a bitch and keeps coming back - so I'm prayerful that it stays away from him.
I pray for my mom.  I think she's an amazing woman and I wish she could see herself through my eyes.
I pray for my sister.  I think that she could be a lot happier if she made better decisions for herself and believed in herself as much as I do.
I give thanks for Ryan.  I've never met another guy like him and I try not to wonder what I did to deserve him but I just give thanks and pray that the love we share never fades.
And, I give thanks for Madison.  She's so amazing and sometimes so challenging.  I try to have patience with her (she's just like me!) and I want to be a great mom to her. 

Praying during my run makes the run go by a little quicker. Or at least that's what I tell myself.  My Saturday run was not fun.  In fact, a little known fact about me is that I don't actually LIKE running.  I love the feeling I get when I'm done with a good run.  I love being in races.  And I do love that I have at least one half hour of alone time.  It's one half hour where there is no one asking me a question, demanding anything from me, or needing me.  But during the run, its not like I'm all smiles and happy.  I'm usually exhausted.  I run anywhere between 5-6am so I'm half asleep most of the time!  But my training is obviously paying off.  My pace has decreased so that I am running a 9 minute mile or less.  My 10 miles this weekend was 9.03min/mile and I was actually at 8:33 for the first 6.5 miles.  Yesterday, my run was 4 miles long and I was at 8:34 the entire run.  Today, 5 miles and I was at 8:45 the whole time.   I'm proud of myself.  Proud that I have stuck to this hobby that I started three years ago to simply lose baby weight. 

One random thing I do remember from my run this morning was thinking:  I'm odd sometimes!!
This was because I had just seen my favorite amount of change on the dryer before I left the house and then I got to thinking - that's weird that I have a favorite amount of change.  But I do.  In the spirit of this thought, I'll list some random musings about myself for your enjoyment:

• My favorite amount of change is $.41 (and yes, there is a reason - if you can figure it out, you win!!)
• My bed MUST be made each morning - no exceptions.
• I clean like a mad woman when I am stressed.
• I am a horrible photographer and almost always forget to take pictures on picturesque days
• I stopped getting my nails done a few years ago and do them myself because I think I do a better job than the salons!
• I sweat like crazy when I eat ketchup - but I love ketchup and eat it on so many things.
• I fix the towels in the bathroom every time I go in there.
• I do the same with the pillows on the couch.
• I cry when I'm stressed.
• I try so hard not to judge others, but I still do it (and beat myself up for it afterward).
• I am terrible at geography but fairly decent at math (I did major in it!)
• I am extremely thrifty.  I wont pay more than $15 for almost any article of clothing unless it's a big occasion.
• I don't love babies.  I wont ask to hold your baby, I wont get excited when one comes in the room, and they make me a little nervous.
• I do enjoy being with toddlers - I feel like I can reason with a toddler, therefore they are a little less intimidating.
• I often have a hard time forming an opinion on something until I've heard the opinions of others (on both sides of the argument).
• I love bruschetta. Especially Trader Joe's.

That's all of my randomness for today.  I'm sure there will be more.