As we pulled into the parking lot, Alexis peered out her window and declared, "Wow! That's a lot of tutus!"
It was a lot of tutus. Dozens and dozens and dozens of little girls walked proudly with their families into the big auditorium, all ready for The Big Day. Recital Day. We joined the march and I urged Mr. Husband to go run ahead and grab seats while I took Alexis to the dressing room.
I knew it would be crowded and crazy, and it was exactly that. Despite arriving early, we were still left to sit near the back. There was a lesson learned in there that I will remember for next year. That lesson is a little something about being -ahem- more assertive in our quest for seats next year. And possibly camping out the night before. And bringing a bottle of captured Bulldog farts so I can clear the room.
It was a very long wait for Alexis' class to perform as they were scheduled for near the end of the program. While the show was very well-organized and clearly the people in charge knew what they were doing, I spent a great part of the show wondering if they had a plan for someone dying in the middle of the production. The grandma seated next to me coughed up a lung, a kidney, and possibly the kitchen sink. I kept hoping that if she did fall over dead, she would at least manage to lunge herself towards her family so that I wouldn't have somebody's dead grandma in my lap.
Fortunately, she made it through the entire show. THANK GOODNESS.
When at last it was Alexis' turn to shake her tail feathers, she marched out on that stage in front of thousands (literally) and did her thing. It might be cliche and I might be biased, but damn if she wasn't the best little dancer on that stage for those few minutes. No, really. That thing I said a while back about her not being all that good at tap? I TAKE IT BACK. I don't know when it happened, but at some point she learned how to really memorize choreography. She hit all those steps like a champ, all the while looking out at the audience instead of the teachers hidden off-stage who were leading the class. The best part was that the look on her face was one of confidence and sass and a little of "I own this moment, people."
After the show, we gave her some roses and a little trophy, which pretty much made her life. She was so happy, she was positively glowing. When I asked her what her favorite part was, she said, "Everything!"
Everything, indeed.
