The Dance Recital

Brayden had her dance recital on Friday night. She's been taking dance classes at one of our friend's houses for the past eight weeks. She's done so well and has been enjoying it and learning so much. I was hopeful with this recital coming up, (since at the last one, she was going through an "independent" stage and was rather difficult). I was excited to see her perform and see her have fun with it this time.

However, Friday morning's dress rehearsal didn't start out the way I had hoped.

This picture above was taken not long after we arrived.

We pulled up to the house shortly after one of the other (rather dramatic) mothers had gotten out of her car. She was running around, swatting her arms, like she was being attacked by killer bees, or something, calling out to her child to run into the house. She then turns to us and tells us about...

THE MOSQUITOES.

I don't like mosquitoes...but how bad could it be?

Right then I opened both kid's doors and then the mosquitoes came swarming into the car. Brayden was strapped into her car seat, unable to get away from them, as dozens of giant mosquitoes hovered over her. I couldn't get her out fast enough before the hysteria began. She was freaked out. I was trying to calm her down while failing miserably to get those nasty bugs out of the car. The longer I took, the more mosquitoes filled it up. She jumped out and ran to the front door. They let her in and immediately closed the door. I got Kaleb out and they were waiting for me to enter without allowing any more mosquitoes to come into their house. With all of us arriving, it was hard not to. We continued to swat them away inside, leaving behind blood spots everywhere (so gross).

This was seriously like something out of a sci fi movie.

(Just another reason I don't like Texas).

We pulled out the repellent to put on, and it was yet another reason for her to freak out. Since the poor girl has had eczema so bad her whole life, she has had bad experiences with putting anything on her skin since it stings. Even though I knew the bug repellent didn't sting her this time (because she wasn't having a break out, and I was spraying it on her tights), she was scared it would and went hysterical all over again.

So this explains the picture above. She was anything but happy to be there.

I pulled out some tricks however (bribery), and she perked right up and put a smile on her cute little face...

She showed me her 'arabesque'... ...and her 'posse' (karate kid style)... Here's the rest of her cute little costume... They were called "The Purple Little Pansies." (Brayden, Olivia, Macaela, Madison) I couldn't get her attention for the above picture posing with their dance teacher, Nanci. When I told her to smile, this is what I got...

She did a great job during dress rehearsal, even though she was a little high strung. On our way out to the car the hysteria began again. I couldn't blame her. We were trapped in our car with dozens of mosquitoes. We got most of them out before we drove away. As I was driving away we saw that other mother that I mentioned earlier, flag down a landscape worker nearby to bring his "leaf blowing" device to blow them out of her car (like I said, a little dramatic).

Anyway, on our drive home Brayden asked me,

"What are 'moskeetills'?" Wanting to make it seem like she didn't really have to worry about them, I replied,

"They're just like flies."

She then said, "Well, they need to 'fly' all the way to heaven and never come back!"

That made me laugh. I think she may be scarred for life.

We stopped at the "treat shop" (gas station) on our way home for her promised reward for doing so well at the dress rehearsal. She picked out a giant pixie stick...

I poured it into a bowl, and here she is spoon feeding herself pure sugar.

She was happy now.

The recital was later in the evening, and was supposed to be outside at the same location as the dress rehearsal, but since the mosquitoes never let up, it got relocated at the last minute.

I was relieved because I don't think if we went back to the same place, she would have gotten out of the car.

Luckily the mosquitoes didn't ruin the whole thing, and Brayden was happy again and performed very well in the recital. Their dance was first in the show, and afterwards she enjoyed watching all the other dances.

She especially enjoyed a nice treat her teacher gave them...which happened to be pixie sticks...

For this group shot, she is the one in the front chugging down the sugar.

We all had a good time, and are very proud of our little dancer.