The Muffed Dance
|
Teri was 5. As younger siblings do, she looked up to her oldersister, the dancer, in a big way. Sara was 4 years older and wasexcelling in ballet, tap and jazz.
So we enrolled Teri in the same dance school and she reallyseemed to enjoy the lessons and her new friends. She was now, ofcourse, a dancer, like her sister. And Teri very much looked forwardto the climax of her first dance season, the year-end dance recitalthis school put on.
If you've ever been a dance parent, you of course realize that theobligation is quite large. Aside from the weekly lessons, scheduledon different days in our case, there is the extra investment of timeand money preparing for the 'big event' - extra lessons andrehearsals, fittings for the completely different head-to-toe costumerequired for each dance number and a parents meeting for eachdancer to make sure everyone was on the same stage come recitalnight. Baseball parents have it easy!
As fate would have it, Teri had surgery to lengthen her heel cord afew weeks prior to her dancing debut. But that didn't stop her fromlugging around the heavy cast trying keep up with the otherperformers. That's my girl!
The big night arrives and in a flurry of hurried activity, we deliver ourgirls backstage complete with special hair do's and a full coat ofstage war paint and we take our seats in the auditorium.
The place darkens, the curtain rises and the show begins with theperformances of some of the advanced students. They beam withpride showing off the stuff they had worked so hard on all year long.Two of Sara's dances were slated and as always, she didn't miss astep.
Then, to the "ahhhh, aren't they cute"'s of the packed house, thecurtain lifts to reveal Teri's class of little tykes all in a line lookingnervously around under the bright lights. At one end of the line wasTeri, with her bulky cast in plain view and her hands tucked in thewhite muff in the starting position for "the Muff Dance."
The moment arrived and music started. Teri didn't. She just stoodthere, still as a statue, while her friends slipped into their well-rehearsed routine.
Was she nervous? Did she forget her steps? Did her foot hurt?
Then, as if on cue, she gracefully took her left hand out of the muffand raised it to her face, inserted her index finger into her nostriland with the precision of a Texas oil driller, began a full-scaleexploration of the orifice that seemingly wouldn't conclude until shehit paydirt! That's my girl!
Needless to say, the place erupted into hysterical laughter thatoverrode the loud music. I began to slither down in my seat tryingnot to be among the majority who were splitting a gut at thespectacle and add to the embarrassment that Teri must have beenbeginning to feel.
Suddenly, as if it finally registered that the non-relenting roar oflaughter was directed at her, she ran off the stage. I was alreadyhustling out of the theatre to the backstage area in anticipation ofhaving to do some creative parenting and intense consolation.
With a lot of tear drying and a little coaxing I managed to convincemy little dancer to "get on with the show", where she performed therest of her numbers, without using her fingers.
The next year, she played tee ball.
© Rick Beneteau
Rick is co-creator of the breakthrough Make Every Day A GreatDay Program. Read the powerful, life-changing testimonialsand discover how this revolutionary product can dramaticallychange Your Life too!:http://www.MakeEveryDayAGreatDay.com/yes
|
|
|
Inattentive Adhd: Just Like Winnie The Pooh
Winnie the Pooh is the classic picture of Inattentive ADHD. In other works we have called this "Space Cadet" style ADHD. These are people that suffer from "brain fog" as they go through their day. Although Pooh is very lovable and kind, he is also inattentive, sluggish, slow-moving, unmotivated. He is a classic daydreamer.
People with this type of ADHD are often easily distracted, and have problems staying focused on boring tasks, like homework or cleaning. Their ability to pay attention to a task that is not interesting, or is hard, is limited. They will often daydream when others are talking to him/her, They will often lose things, and cannot find anything that they have just put down somewhere. They are often l...(related: Parenting)
Choosing The Perfect Jogging Stroller
When choosing the perfect jogging stroller, a very important question to ask yourself is whether you want a swivel or fixed wheel. The benefit of choosing a jogging stroller with a fixed wheel is that it will offer the stability and straight tracking that you will require. The front wheel tends to be lar...(related: Parenting)
What To Do With A 6 Year Old Smart Mouth Know It All
Just the other day, I was talking to some other stay at home moms and asked if they were struggling with any difficulties. "Yes," one piped up almost immediately, "discipline problems with my 6 year old smart mouthknow-it-all! I don't want to spank, and don't, but he seems to laugh at t...(related: Parenting)
Maturing As A Parent
I have three children, ages 19 and 16 (yes, the 16 year-olds are twins!) My older son just mailed his college deposit and will leave for school sometime in August. Thinking back over the past few years, I've just realized my children have been spreading their wings to fly away for sometime now.Your life begins to change as your child enters high school, whether you like it or not. Boy, did I not like the changes. Many of your family's practices change, just because your children won't always be around for them. Accepting these changes as gracefully as possible is part of your maturation as a parent.Family dinners were our first casualty. I grew up in a family that d...(related: Parenting)
More Than Mom And Dad
Love, love, love. It makes the world go round. It makes a family. So why does it seem the moment you have a baby, love, or at least your love life as you know i...(related: Parenting)
5 Tips For Improving Communication With Your Teenager
Parents are always looking for ways to open up the communication with their teenagers. Here are 5 id...(related: Parenting)
If At First They Dont Succeed - What A Great Opportunity!
When kids try new things, sometimes it's a 'fit' and sometimes a struggle.So what's a parent to do when they find that a child is floundering in a new activity? What if your son is in over his head? Or your daughter is not doing as well as either of you had hoped? What if they even fail outright?Often, they're tempted to give up. Just to quit. And with the busy schedule facing most families, supporting that decision can be a real temptation.But what's the lesson from that? Quitting just makes it easier to quit again later, or, worse still, can stifle the urge to tackle future challenges.When faced with failure at a new activity, another option is to help your child to take...(related: Parenting)
Just What Is A Learning Disability?
A learning disability is defined as a permanent problem that affects a person with average to above average intelligence, in the way that he/she receives, stores, and processes information.
How To Raise Creative Kids
"Where did he come up with that?" Kids often amaze us with their imaginative ideas, and we should give ourselves a pat on the back for playing a role in this development. Innovative thinking is es...(related: Parenting)
Pieces Of Time And Pivotal Moments
Life is comprised of pieces of time sprinkled with pivotal moments. Sometimes these moments have immediate impact. Other times, they are slow to manifest and reveal their importance. But if yo...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting