The Dance

It's dance recital week and, phew, we're exhausted! Seriously! How do you do this when it's baseball games and goes on for months?! The festivities kicked off Saturday, when Ava had her in studio dress rehearsal and pictures.

Tuesday night was the epic Civic Center dress rehearsal that went on, and on, and on... John brought Ava home after rehearsing the first number only and they didn't get home until after 11:00pm. Because Ava is goes to the Downtown School, a year round program, we suspect she was the only dancer who had school the next day. At least I hope that's the justification for keeping all the rest of her class of 7 and 8 year olds there rehearsing the remainder of the show until 1:00am.

Wednesday was the first performance and Ava was so excited when I picked her up from school I thought she might come right out of her skin. She asked to go to Centro for dinner because "that is a very special place for me."

The backstory.... the night she was born John brought me margarita pizza, insalata mista and some red wine from Centro to celebrate her birthday. A sacred meal indeed and a story she's heard time and time again.

So here's my sweet girl, on the patio at Centro, a hipster downtown restaurant, just looking like she owns the place. (BTW, she ordered fried ravioli's and said when they arrived, "I really like the presentation." Do you think we watch a little too much Food Network around here?)

But she's still 8 and and you'll recall she still likes to sit at the table with her feet up, so maybe she's not such a hipster...

At the side station she spotted the "really tall pepper cracker" and asked that I take her picture with it.

The rest of the evening was such a blur that I didn't take a single photo of Ava that night. But take my word for her, she performed beautifully, with great joy and enthusiasm, to my delight and the delight of our dear friends Bill and Annie.

And then Thursday night we suited up and did it again. This time she asked to go to Splash for dinner, a swanky seafood restaurant across the street from the Civic Center. As we pursued the menu Ava asked to order some oysters. Yes, seriously. She reminded me that last year she had oysters and she loved them.

So she ordered two and ate them with the mignonette sauce instead of the cocktail sauce because she likes tangy sauces. Oh my, what have we done?

We were lucky to be joined at dinner by Papa Ray as Ava wandered the restaurant taking in the aquariums and the art work I got to have pleasant, adult conversation.

Then off to the Civic Center where my rough and tumble girl transforms into a dancer.... It is kind of difficult to put make up on her beautiful face, even though I know it is part of the performance. This year, more than others, it made her look so mature... I didn't get a single picture of Ava in her other costume, a frothy pink sequined number that conjures images of princesses. Ava proclaimed it itchy and only wore it as long as absolutely necessary to perform the Princess Promenade.

Papa Ray and I watched Ava and her friends dance with as much energy and enthusiasm as the previous night.

This is Ava's fourth year dancing and she just loves it. And while it can all seem like a bit.... much.... I love that she loves it and I love the marker this time of year has become along the way.

Year One

Year Two

Year Three

It all goes so quickly.....