Dance Mom, Part 2

8:36 am

 I tried many many many times between leaving the convention yesterday and coming to warms ups this morning to convince Dorothy to start her day in the junior/senior combo room doing tap. I told her it’s so cool that this convention even has tap because most don’t. I texted friends and told her who’d be in the room to dance with. I even let her know that her day 1 crew wasn’t arriving until later in the day, so she might have to do the other class by herself.

BUT she was put off by the combo room because she started her day there yesterday with a hip hop friend (even though I wanted her to do the junior jazz class) and then stayed there for leaps and turns with the same friend even though that meant she was going to miss the only ballet offering of the convention, and the combo room is much harder than the junior room. She elected to do her first this morning in the junior room (hip hop again), and she is having NO FUN because she’s not with anyone she knows, which DUH.  She was just standing on the corner of the stage with her hands in her pocket. I told her she either had to try harder/act happier or take off her team shirt at least so her teachers didn’t see her acting like that (I AM SUCH A GOOD MOM). She was like ok fine I’ll go to tap, and I was like duuuuuuuuuude they’ve already learned half the dance. 

Also— WHY do I know and care what classes are offered and have an opinion on which ones she should take? I know absolutely nothing about dance, and the best part of this whole thing is how happy it makes her.

Well, no. The best part of this whole thing is this random kid from another studio’s convention blanket with her swag hat, extra shoes, and GALLON SIZE BAG OF FLAMING HOT CHEETOS. Just the essentials.

SO. That’s where we are after another 5:30 am wake up on a dang weekend. I mean, she didn’t wake up until 6:20 for a 6:30 leave time, and yes, I am jelly. Also, Minnie woke up once after 2 nights of no wake ups. It was 3:30, and I was back in my bed before 4, but then she had some sort of LOUD nightmare where she just kept saying NO and DOP (stop) but was not awake (Ben and I both were tho). So, blergh. (And before all this, I woke up randomly at 3:16 and was juuuuuuuust falling back to sleep when Minnie woke up. I blame the 3/4 glass of Prosecco I had before bed, which always makes me sleep terribly).

I don’t know about America, but I definitely needed to run on Dunkin this AM.

So many moms bought themselves a convention sweatshirt, and I just … like, why?

10:00 am

She is a million times happier after taking a contemporary class with her friend where they hugged each other a lot and danced with their emo faces. I LOVED IT. Also I really cannot even tell if people were supposed to be doing the same dance or if there was some free styling happening. In other words, listen, I do not understand contemporary.

(Ben is taking Minnie shopping for winter jammies that are not sceddy (she is scared of some fleece Dino’s and some fleece monster print ones in her drawer, and she’s turned off all winter jams as a result, but her room is drafty, and her nighties are not going to cut it) and I wish a little bit I was there because taking a 2 year-old to a store and letting her choose clothes is, like, one of my top 5 favorite things to do in the world).

Now I really am going to get back to writing, I swear.

12:49 pm

I DID write. But on Google Docs, and I really prefer a Word file. Also, I am losing my narrative threads because I have been working on this thing forever. Chapter breaks? Just throwing the, in wherever I want. GAH.

Dorothy liked her contemporary class so much that she wants to stay for contemporary improv this afternoon, but she’s belly dancing (LOL) right now, and I don’t think she can make it through one more hip hop class, let alone an improv one, too. 

I packed us both apples, PB&J with no crusts, pretzels, and oatmeal choc chip cookies for lunch, and we had a delightful car picnic. She’s having so much fun, and this whole convention has been incredible. It’s so neat that these dancers get the chance to learn so many different styles and from so many different teachers. I have also noticed that Dorothy and her friends are getting much better at learning choreography quickly.

Kickline class:

Teams pic that she took a running dive into at the last second (LOL)

Belly dancing— watching her fight with her veil was a highlight of my day for sure

She finally threw it around her neck and over her shoulder like Isadora Duncan, and I loved it.

I thought she’d want to leave after that class, but as I type this, she is back for another round of hip hop. WOW.

3:15 pm

She did NOT actually make it for the improv class, and we are HOME. Even though it snowed a little. And also I left my Hydroflask there and realized it kind of close to the hotel but didn’t go back because I could not figure out how to get off and get back on the highway. Going to target for a lesser water bottle momentarily. 

Meanwhile, here’s D in a giant tub of magnesium: