ballet was today. i have no idea how it went--ava was happy when she went in (with 10,000 other little girls) and she was ecstatic when she came out. no further information was provided.
carter was distraught when she marched off to go dance and he did not get to go. we had been talking all day about it, ballet this, dance that, and when we got there he clearly thought this was for him too. he was running around doing his chimney sweep dance, and very happy. and then the crushing realization that this was for ava. and only ava. he was not alone in his 2-year-old disappointment--there were about 5 other teary kids--but that did not help.
we played outside, and periodically he would go up to the window and holler "AAAAAAAAAAAVA!" -- fortunately the studio was nowhere near that window.
it will be much easier when he is 3, and there are things for him to do.
tonight, after he fell asleep, ava and i had "spa night" -- this is an idea that i got from mothering magazine, of all places. she was allowed to stay up late, provided she read quietly while i put carter to sleep, then we went into the bathroom, lit a candle, and settled in for an evening of lotions and potions. it was a very nice way to have a little mommy and ava time, and she was remarkably open and willing to chat. she did not let me wash her hair, because she likes her ballet braids, but i was able to do all of the maintenance that she usually balks at (namely nail clipping and flossing) with no fuss. at the end, when we were all clean and smooth and soft and toasty warm, we did our nails. ava decided that her right foot and right hand should have pink polish, and her left foot and left hand should have purple polish. she did not understand why i did not want polish on my fingernails, but i finally made her understand that it feels funny to me--like my nails are stuck in a sleeping bag and they can't breath. after that she was ok with my choice.
when we were all finished, we turned off the lights, watched the candle for a minute or so, said our blessings and blew out the candle. a few minutes later, as i was hanging wet towels, i glanced over at her as she was standing in the kitchen waiting for me and i noticed that she had her hands clasped in prayer, her eyes were closed and she was saying something under her breath. when she opened her eyes, she looked embarassed, then she smiled and said "i was just thanking god and mary and jesus for my nail polish..."
