Natalina Ballerina

I know I told you guys that I had two blog-worthy posts from last weekend & only did one.  Well wouldn't you know that "life" got in the way of my blogging time!?!  Unfair! :)  But now I'm stealing a few moments to share with you my adorable little four year old in her first ever dance recital.  (Major mommy gushing to follow.  Consider yourself warned! ;)).

So those of you who have had the pleasure of meeting my little Natalie know how painfully shy she is.  Although you wouldn't know it to meet me now, she does actually get it from me lol.  I was the same way until I was about 6 or 7.  So coming up to recital time I was crazy worried about how she would react to being on the stage in front of a couple hundred of people.  Three days in a row.  (Panic!)  Dress rehersal was on Wednesday & thankfully her dance was the last one before intermission, so she had plenty of time to watch lots of other girls do it without losing their minds & ask me as many questions as she wanted.  By the time it was her turn, you would've thought she did it hundreds of times before!  Big smiles, remembered (most of) her steps (lol!), and didn't panic at all!  I was so proud of her!  And she managed to keep it up throughout all three days of her recital! :)

Of course I have a bazillion pictures!  Here are a few from when I got to be a backstage mom on Friday's show.  (And for the record, I am not now, nor will I ever be a "stage mom!"  Cringe!)  Also, for the record, even though I danced for 12 years of my life growing up & completely recognize that it's a necessary evil, it feels very very wrong to put makeup on your four year old.  Just sayin.' ;)

Passing the time.  Natalie shares my her iPad ;) playing Wreck It Ralph with her friends.  This took about 30 minutes of coaxing for her to talk to anybody!!

Clearly she got over it!  Being silly with her new friends! ;)

Her favorite teacher's aid Miss Lily



Miss Lily keeping the kiddos occupied backstage until it was their turn.  She taught them the dreaded "Baby Bumblebee" song... thank you sooooo much Miss Lily. :/ lol




She got up from the group to go sit next to her.  She loves Miss Lily!!



About to go on...



On stage!  Look at those big smiles! :)



By the end of the fourth day in a row the old antennae didn't cooperate so much lol.  But she's still cute! :)

Yay!  So fun!  And in case you'd like to see it, here's a video too.  If you can tell from the little bugs she's the third bug from the left in the front row... the one with the crooked antenna. ;)  It's a little fuzzy & we missed the first 20 seconds or so, but still adorable.  Plus the little girl who decided she was the star is rediculously funny! lol

When the end of the performance on Saturday came, Natalie asked me if she got to do it again tomorrow.  I said, "No Honey.  We're all done with dance until the Fall."  She got teary & replied, "But that's like 30 years!!!" lol  I love that she loves it.  I look forward to many more years of ballet recitals to come! :)