One
Track season came to an end Tuesday night. It wasn't the ending we expected, as this was attempt #2 at a district meet after attempt #1 was cancelled due to lightening and thunderstorms last Thursday evening. It also wasn't the season Will had hoped for: his times weren't as fast as he wanted them to be, his team didn't do as well as he would have liked, he wasn't able to break one particular record he worked toward for weeks, he injured his quad, and his team had to miss one of their four meets because a COVID-19 exposure quarantined half the team (not Will, thankfully). But it was still a season, and for that, I'm grateful.
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| 4 x 400m relay |
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| 4 x 400m relay team |
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| 800m He was proud of this finish: 3rd out of 24. Also of note here - Coach Mo, bringing Will in to the finish line. Coach Mo was also Will's basketball coach this year, and he never failed to impress me with his approach to teaching, motivating, and just interacting with these kids. |
Two
Dance performance assessments were supposed to be completed in February, but Hallie spent all of February in a boot and therefore wasn't able to complete hers on the same timeline as the rest of the dancers at her studio. As of Tuesday, however, all of her assessments - ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop - are DONE. Regardless of what these assessments say (we don't have them in hand yet), I'm so thankful this stressful time of year has nearly come to an end.
Three
On a related note... Despite choosing a studio without a competition team (Hallie's dance company doesn't compete), dance has - over the last couple of years - become more competitive and then by extension, more emotionally and mentally challenging. Some of this competition is inevitable as kids get older, begin specializing in certain sports and activities, and are then up for the same parts, roles, and spots. But some of this competition is the result of outside forces, and that's the kind we wish we could and are trying our best to avoid. Thankfully, despite what is thrown at them, Hallie and her sweet dance friends continue to support and love one another. The tender moments when they mend each others' broken hearts with gentle words and acts of kindness...these have been beautiful to witness.
Four
Dance performance assessments were supposed to be completed in February, but Hallie spent all of February in a boot and therefore wasn't able to complete hers on the same timeline as the rest of the dancers at her studio. As of Tuesday, however, all of her assessments - ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, and hip hop - are DONE. Regardless of what these assessments say (we don't have them in hand yet), I'm so thankful this stressful time of year has nearly come to an end.
Three
On a related note... Despite choosing a studio without a competition team (Hallie's dance company doesn't compete), dance has - over the last couple of years - become more competitive and then by extension, more emotionally and mentally challenging. Some of this competition is inevitable as kids get older, begin specializing in certain sports and activities, and are then up for the same parts, roles, and spots. But some of this competition is the result of outside forces, and that's the kind we wish we could and are trying our best to avoid. Thankfully, despite what is thrown at them, Hallie and her sweet dance friends continue to support and love one another. The tender moments when they mend each others' broken hearts with gentle words and acts of kindness...these have been beautiful to witness.
Four
These three are still delightful.
Five
Last Friday our ballet academy hosted a socially distant and masked movie night, and while the girls watched their movie, a few dance mama friends and I - all fully vaccinated - indulged in drinks and appetizers (and a couple of desserts) to celebrate...getting to go out, I guess?
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| No picture of the mamas, so you get a picture of movie night instead. |
I've always considered myself an introverted extravert or an extraverted introvert, but I feel considerably more introverted now than I did before the pandemic. My desire to go out in large groups has decreased significantly, and I no longer want to spend time in crowded places, especially around lots of people I don't know. I do, however, still like intimate gatherings, in safe spaces, with friends I trust. Friday night was exactly that, and a welcome treat.
Happy weekend, friends!
Happy weekend, friends!
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