Recital Day!

We finally made it - recital day! One of the longest days of our year (12 hours door to door), but always one of the best. A few of the highlights were:

* We had a few guests come to watch this year. Ava received flowers from no less than four people, and Ben and Jocie got a few as well. It was so special to them to have people come to watch them dance. It was special to me that anyone would sacrifice 3 or 4 hours of a Saturday to watch my family dance. I think they're pretty awesome, but that doesn't mean I expect everyone to agree with me.

* One of Ava's flowers came from Steve Olszowy. He is Victoria and Veronica's dad and works the curtain at recital. Ava and her friend Riley were walking in his wing before one of the performances, and Steve stopped them to give each of them a carnation. I looked and saw a box he had set up at his post, and several times throughout the day I saw him hand a flower to someone as they walked off stage. It was such a sweet and random gesture that was greatly appreciated by every one of his recipients.

Ava, Mr. Steve, and Riley

* Jocelyn's little class did GREAT! They smiled and did their dance so well. I was most proud of one of Jocie's classmates, who literally would not set foot on the stage at rehearsal, insisting on being held by her mom or a teacher the whole time. Today, she went out there all on her own with no hesitation or fear and did great. I'm not sure who was prouder, the dancer or her momma.

cheesing before the show

Jocelyn with her teacher, Miss Jenn

* The end of the night was rough. Ava did her quartet for the last time, and Victoria will be going to college in the fall. I found her afterwards in the dressing room just SOBBING. (Mainly out of sadness for Victoria leaving, but also because it was 9:15pm and she was way overtired.) She and Riley managed to pull it together to perform their group tap number but were still weepy all the way to the finale. As the kids were standing in the hallway waiting to take that fina
 bow, I saw Ava and Riley. Riley had her arm on Ava's shoulder, Ava's arm on Riley's waist; Ava's head was resting on Riley's shoulder, and Riley had her head resting atop Ava's. And they just stood there, holding each other. No more crying, just leaning on each other. It was a sad but sweet moment, an image that I won't soon forget.

I am completely and utterly drained by the past few days, but there is no one else I would share them with. I look forward to catching up on some sleep before partying it up  again tomorrow.

my all-star dancers