Dancing Queen....

Just before school started this year, I got an email from a friend telling me about this cute/quaint little dance studio that she'd taken her daughter to last year.  For only thirty bucks a month Maggie could do "tap" and ballet with this woman in her darling studio she build behind her garage.  Miss Melendie is truly so adorable.  And, she is sooooooo great with the girls.  They are learning REAL steps, but in the cutest way.  Plus, best part about her, no costume/recital fees.  Well, unless you call fifteen bucks a fee.  That's all we pay for the kids to use 2 costumes and to help with recital costs. THAT is something I could get behind.  As opposed to all the studios out there where you're shelling out hundreds of dollars on costumes and recital fees.  PLUS, for the actual recital, the parents got free tickets and then the cost after that was 3 bucks for a ticket.  Whereas my sister just had to spend TEN bucks per person in her family to go to her daughters recital.  Just sayin.

Anyway, the big day of the recital came, and as I said, we were RUSHING home from Flagstaff and we were a crazy mess of hurry.  We somehow got Maggies hair up in a bun, makeup on and tights on, sans undies.  It was horrid, and there was much screaming, crying and gnashing of teeth from Maggie.  And, I KNEW that once we got there and she had to put on her first costume, things were NOT gonna get any better.  I'd caught a glimpse of it, and I knew that it was gonna be "scratchy."  And, if we've learned nothing about Maggie, we have learned this....she does NOT do any clothing that she can feel on her skin in any way.

True to form, she FREAKED out putting it on.  She cried and screamed and pouted and cried and screamed some more.  I finally got her to calm down by promising her a trip to McDonalds after the recital, and reminding her that we would be decorating a gingerbread house that night, IF she could pull it together.  I got her to chant "gingerbread house, gingerbread house, candy, candy, McDonalds".  Somehow we got her through.

This is how she REALLY felt about this "evil", "awful" costume of horror.

Yet somehow, she pulled it off.  Even if she doesn't like to lift her midget arms all the way above her head.

Now THIS costume she could get  behind.  She loved this because it didn't scratch her skin.  And the dance was adorable to Little Toy Soldiers.

My little starlet, third from the left.

The BEST part of this came at the end.  When all the other girls were running off stage, Maggie decided that she was gonna bow, TWICE.  Slowly and grandly. It was hysterical.  That's my little dancing queen.

All in all it was a very cute little recital.  I'm pleased with her teacher and with how well the girls all did.  Can't wait to see what next semester brings.

Scratchy netting and sparkly skirts,

Allyson