As I mentioned last week (and you may have seen the video on Friday), Annabel had her first dance recital on Thursday. And oh you guys. I knew it was going to be hilarious. How could a bunch of three and four-year-old girls dancing not be hilarious? But I was not prepared to sit there and cry the whole time! I’m just glad I’m visibly pregnant, because I felt the other parents looking at me all, “That woman is sobbing and laughing…oh she’s pregnant, never mind.” But am I always going to cry at these things? What is going to become of me if she actually gets good at performing or sports or something?! I will be a basket case.
The “recital” was in the rec room that the lessons are held in, and it was packed – each girl had several people there, which was great. Annie had me, Mike, my parents, and my Aunt Lynn. She was so excited to see them there.
There are eight little girls total in the class, and Annie is the youngest (and smallest). It was so cute watching her look to the older girls.
The performance started and I was immediately giggling. The dances were cute and sweet, but more hilariously, Annie was always going in the opposite direction of the other girls.
She also couldn’t stop mugging for the audience:
In the middle of one of the dances, Annie ran over to me and Mike and told us she had to go potty. We’d taken her to the bathroom RIGHT before the recital started, and she’s never needed to go during a class before, but of course she said she had to during the recital because that’s just how these things always seem to go. So Mike and I took her to the bathroom….and she didn’t actually have to use it! Kids, man. Luckily, she only missed one dance.
For the last dance the girls were pretending to be music box ballerinas. The teacher reminded the girls to use stiff arms to “put on their crowns” and Annie yelled out, “I’m already a princess!” It was really cute and the whole audience laughed (me included) but inside I was like…it begins.
After it was over, Annie was awarded with the always-cherished hand stamp:
We all took pictures with our dancer:
Of course I signed her up for another round, which give me three months to start prepping myself to not cry during the entire thing. I fear I will not be successful.
Lilian says:
Ooooh Heather, I have to warn you, the tears do NOT stop. In fact as my girls got older, everything they did from dance recitals, to school plays, to athletic events, I balled my eyes out. When my younger daughter went into the recording studio with a producer, to record some songs she had written, I was a complete wreck. When she performed at Wembley in London, I thought I’d have to be carted off to the nearest mental institution. Trust me it never ends. But no shame here. Nothing wrong in getting emotional over our children’s accomplishments! Good luck, and buy tissues in bulk!! haha!
Auntie_M says:
I think it’s sweet that you cried! I cry at things like that all the time…it’s nice to know someone else does too!!!
And while it’s REALLY hard to pick a favorite picture, I’m gonna have to go with the 6th one down. Love it!
So glad you signed Annie up for more dance classes!!! Can’t wait for the next recital!!!!
Emye says:
Good luck! My girls are 10 and 6 years old and I ALWAYS cry at recitals…. I wish I didn’t, but I can’t help it!!! I’m lucky I’ve got two girls who are into dance and vocal classes…. crying at recitals isn’t too bad… But crying at football or baseball games would be weird….. lol
Kristen McD says:
So adorable!
I cried during my eight year old son’s recorder recital last month. RECORDER RECITAL.
Susan Culver says:
You will never stop crying. Our youngest is getting ready to graduate from college and I will cry. I cry at all of his track and cross country meets. Our daughter is living and teaching in Spain. I cry every time she posts photos of her travels on Facebook. You will never stop crying and that’s not a bad thing.
Susan
LK says:
My boys are 16 and 13 and they always know that if they look over at me at one of their events, I’m going to be crying! When my son was 14 and bowled his first 300 game, I was a mess!!!
The recital was adorable!! Annie did great!
Kaye says:
My boys are 8 and 10 and I still tear up during their activities. I have cried at everything they’ve done, from the time we took them to the Wiggles in concert when they were tiny (just seeing the joy on their faces made me cry), to watching my now 10-year old pitch in his baseball games, or my 8-year old say his one line in a play. I think it’s a mom thing. Truly.
Amy says:
We have just decided to put Nate into mini soccer this summer bum absolutely certain I will be the crazy person crying on the sidelines!
Heather says:
Mine have been dancing for 6 and 7 years, let me know if you figure out a way not to swell with pride and well up with tears. I still haven’t found a way to keep my eyes dry.
Christen says:
I LOVE it. LOVE IT!!! When my oldest was almost 3, we lived in MS, which has almost as many dance studios as churches. People were serious about their kids dancing!!! It took me a while to find a studio that had a class that fit our busy schedules, but ooooh when we did. You would have thought my daughter had found her place in life. She LOVES it. That first “recital” was much like Annie’s, but she went on and last year, she was a Bunny in “Hansel and Gretel” and this year she will be a Rose in Jasmine’s garden in “Aladdin.” I totally believe that my little star is the BEST one on stage… And she is quite frankly the cutest as well!
Joy says:
I love Annie’s little knees in the first picture – and that tongue! So cute!
I agree with these other moms, the tears don’t stop! My boys are 12 and 14 and when I watch my older son run cross country meets: tears. I can’t help it! I thought when they got older I’d stop getting choked up but now I realize how fast these years fly by and I cherish every minute, tears and all!
Lisa says:
I cry at everything when it comes to my son performing. He once was a donkey and though his only line was “ooh?” I had tears streaming down my face! The to first time he won a karate championship I could barely take the picture I was crying so much. His first win in high school wrestling. Cried. His second win. Cried. Poor kid. He is now aspiring to be Mr. Olympia …. God help me if he wins.
christine says:
Oh, that smile alone makes me tear up! These classes are genius for her!
Steph says:
Our girls are 15 and 9 and it hasn’t stopped for me. After they work so hard and perform so beautifully, I just can’t help it. Parent-teacher conferences always make me tear up. so embarassing. Glad high schoolers don’t have pt conferences:)
MG says:
I’ve only been to one recital, it’s my good friend’s daughter. (my dd is only 6 mo) This recital was a HUGE production. I mean, the little girls have to get costumes for each performance and I they have 2-3 performances. And the costumes are crazy expensive. It’s at a local school, with a stage and a packed house. You pay for the tickets and I think they do 2 performances. Of course it was cute and the older girls are amazing to watch but I thought it was a little much for the little girls. I wonder what the norm is? This seems normal around here in WI. But I have to say, I MUCH prefer what your little one did….they got to perform in front of family and it wasn’t as expensive and stressful!
Lindsey says:
Loved the video (which I sent to my girls who took dance for thirteen years and we all recognized the very first song!!) and the pictures are AdOrAbLe!!!! I always cried at recitals, too!! And held my breath!! Sometimes, the tears were for other reasons, though besides Button-Popping-Pride in them —- sometimes, it was because their adoring mom – me- was in the very front row, as always, and their very very absentee father was standing against the back wall of the huge auditorium, holding his latest child by his third wife, making it very clear that he was there ONLY so he could pat himself on the back and say he never missed a recital—–sorry, didn’t mean to get so mean but some hurts never go away!! I love your beautiful ballerina and am proud of her and proud that you have her in a bun, looking much more like a ballerina than most of those kids!!! Get with the program, other moms!!!!!
marcia says:
Just wait until her first ‘concert’ at school…something about the sound of those little kids singing their hearts out gets me every time.
Gina says:
My daughter has been dancing for 7 years and I still cry at every recital. Idk why either….I can’t control it!
Carolyn says:
I am the SAME way. Our daughter is 4.5 and I have cried at every dance recital (she’s had 4 – 1 at Christmas, 1 in the Spring). The moment I see her on that stage, I just lose it. I just pack some tissue because I know it’s inevitable. I agree – it’s a bit of pride mixed with an “omg-that’s-my-baby!” feeling.
Glenda says:
Annie is amazing.
It doesn’t get easier. It starts now at 3 and continues. Every milestone, every achievement you WILL cry
It’s that bond a mother has with her children.
It’s that unconditional love.
April says:
We loved the recital video! My 15-year-old daughter is a pretty serious ballet dancer, and I still have to practice “deep breathing” when she performs. And I develop a tremor for piano recitals.
But – it is so wonderful to see them develop their skills and their arts. I have learned to hide my freak outs from the kids. That takes time, but it’s worth it.
Andrea says:
My daughter is almost 20. She shows horses. It only gets worse. At her first CDI or international level show, I cried like a baby watching my tiny girl canter down the centerline on her enormous 17.3 hh gelding all by her big girl self.
Laura says:
I love that picture of Annie twirling with her feet pointed in! So cute – instant classic. What camera and lens do you use?
Heather says:
I use a Canon 7D, and for these pictures I used a Tamron 24-70mm.
Leslie K says:
First of all, Annie was absolutely adorable in her recital! I loved the video and the pictures. And, of course, she’s already a princess! Gosh!
Secondly, pregnant or not, I cry at everything! I even cry watching other people’s children perform. I’m a freaking BASKET CASE watching the Olympics. Can you even imagine how THEIR parents feel?? My 16 year old son sang a solo at church a few weeks ago for the first time. I’ve heard him sing in the car and around the house, but he’s never been involved in choir (church or school– he’s a band geek!). I was a nervous wreck wondering how he would do, and then he opened his mouth and a really beautiful sound came out and I was done! We attend a small church (a couple hundred in attendance on Sunday morning), so he is well-known and well-loved and as it turns out, all his “other mothers” cried too. I’m pretty sure it’s just a mom thing!
Debbie says:
It never ends. Daughter 14, son 9. Both have been dancing since they were 3. I cry every time. Now that they are competitive dancers, I cry when the OTHER kids on the team dance.
Kathy Gee says:
So precious! I’m sorry to tell you the crying doesn’t stop. Almost every video I have of my children performing includes sounds of me sniffling in the background. One of my daughter in first grade, singing a solo in the Christmas performance, even includes sounds of me trying to stifle my sobs! lol