The weekend, part 2: Dancing Queen

After a Saturday morning and afternoon filled with soccer, a friend's birthday party, and running errands, we prepared for Abby's big recital Saturday night. She's been taking ballet all year and LOVES it. I always pegged her as more of a hip hop or jazz kind of kid, but she's really enjoyed attempting to be graceful. I never took dance as a child, so this whole world has been new to me. And it is a serious world, let me tell you. The recital was almost THREE. HOURS. LONG. It would have actually been fun to watch the whole thing had we not had two boys who were not so into it with us.

My new camera did not let me down Saturday night. I still really don't know what I'm doing with it, so I was thrilled when I got such great photos. For the recital, I basically turned off the flash, zoomed in as much as I could, and prayed for the best. As you'll see, it worked.

Here's the dancing queen all dressed and ready to go:


Bias, schmias. The girl is pretty. She had to wear makeup which just made her look older and prettier.

Prepping her ballet shoes for the performance:

I always try to remember to get family pictures when we're together like this. For every 20 we take, we're lucky if we get one in which we are all even looking at the camera. We actually got two good ones this weekend! Here's the one the kind lady in front of us took pre-concert.

Abby's ballet dance was to We Are Siamese. Her teacher applied her cat makeup, which of course warranted another picture.

For most of her ballet performance, she was on the far side of the stage from where we were sitting so I didn't get a ton of great pictures. This is a pretty good one, though. She's the third from left if you can't tell. Somehow her headband got positioned on the very front of her head so it looks a little strange, but she's still lovely.

Abby was actually in 4 dances at the recital. Aside from her ballet performance, she was in the opening and closing dances along with all the students. But then. Her other dance was a daddy-daughter dance. Six young girls from the studio performed a routine with their dads. That's right. Matt, my sweet, quiet, behind-the-scenes husband went to practices all spring and got up on stage in front of a thousand people to dance. A little known fact about my husband is that he is a skilled ballroom dancer and has excellent rhythm. The dance was 50's style, to a song called Daddy Cool. Abby's best pal Audrey and her dad, Chad, also performed. Watching my husband up there, stepping WAAAYYY outside his comfort zone to dance with his little girl was one of the best moments of the weekend.

I got crazy lucky with where I was sitting and got some fantastic photos of the daddy-daughter dance:

Abby and Audrey in position before the song started. I LOVE this picture.

This is the only picture I have of the whole group. Just look at those six brave dads!

Some of their best dance moves:

I mean, come on. How can you not love that?

After the show, Matt gave Abby her flowers. She knew they were coming, I'm sure, but she was still so thrilled and thankful.

Oh my goodness! What a night. The kids didn't get in bed until almost 11, but it was worth every minute. I am so glad it went well, and I am equally glad that recitals are only once a year.

Up next: AAMEN's last first birthday party!