Dancin'!

Today was a big day in our house - Isabelle started dance!  Now I know probably 90% of little girls do dance at some point, but for us this is Isabelle's first organized activity of any sort.  I know lots of people start their kids a lot younger but for us the best decision was to wait.  I wanted to wait until I could really determine what she would actually enjoy and I also knew that with the reality of my schedule the only previous option would have been something that took place on Saturday mornings.

On Saturday mornings I make pancakes.  We hang out in our pj's.  Isabelle gets to just play with her toys, something that rarely happens during the week.  We snuggle in my bed.  Sure, we do occasionally do things with friends, especially the guatetots, but I just haven't been quite willing to give up our down time in favor of some sport or another.  I know we BOTH look forward to our lazy Saturdays :)

Enter new daycare...the local dance studio picks the kids up and takes them to the dance studio!  To me, this is the best of both worlds!  Isabelle will have dance on Monday mornings at 9:30, a time when she is still awake and alert.  I don't have to worry about transportation or the inevitable church conflicts.  BUT...they have a double mirror, so if I am able to slip away from church for even just 30 minutes I can go and watch and she never even has to know I'm there :)  To me, that's the perfect solution!

So when Isabelle started singing all the time and dancing around her room I asked her if she'd like to take a dancing class...that afternoon after nap I found her in a leotard and a skirt and we had our answer!

Will she stick with it forever...or even for 6 months?  Who knows.  But she doesn't seem to be the type of kid to change interests - she's still into the exact same things she loved when I first brought her home (she's just expanded the list).  I'm excited.  She's excited.  We'll just go from there!

Gotta do a little spinning :)  I (of course) made her a pony-O to match her outfit and couldn't figure out how to get a cute picture of the back of her head, so here you go!

Day 1 was a success - 5 little girls in her class and they all seemed into it :)  Isabelle is the youngest, but all the others are at the same daycare, so they will all ride the bus together.  I watched the whole time (she didn't know I was there until the end) and geez is it hard not to step in and be mommy!  I sooo wanted to go in when I saw that she was still wearing her pants over her leotard...cute skirt still in her bag in the corner :(  She paid attention really well but in true Isabelle fashion never uttered a word.  But hey, that's part of why we chose dance - she can fully participate and doesn't have to say a word until she's ready!  I warned her teacher (out of her earshot) that it may take months before she speaks...

Sooo cute :)