This morning marked Stephanie's first dance class. I signed her up for tiny hip hoppers, mostly because there was no break-dancing class, which would really have been better suited for her style of dance. I am really pleased that she is finally at an age that we get to do things like this and she was really excited about it, talking about it all week. We have a really extensive Parks and Rec system that offers lots of classes and you get to invest in them with minimal time and expense to see how you like them (and that is how I know I can't zumba [why, oh why did I think I could?] , and why I am willing to try a 3 year old in dance classes).
I was all set for her first dance class... bought her the required tennis shoes this week (she has worn boots all winter), video camera charged with space on the memory card, camera charged, ready to post my first video to the blog ever. I had a vision of the outfit she might wear for the first class. I typically let her wear whatever she wants, and occasionally try to find a way to get her in what I want, and I will say that I did put up more resistance than usual to her particular outfit choice, but she was very insistent that it was a good dance class outfit. Frog pajama top, way too small giraffe pajama bottoms (but don't worry, she can just pull the socks up to keep her ankles covered, as I was told after pointing out the giraffe pant length issue), and a "dress". This particular dress is a terry cloth bathing suit cover, which in no way matched either pajama piece. And off we went to dance class.
We arrived just as the teacher was coming out into the stairwell/hall of the "studio" to tell us parents the guidelines. The first of which was no parents allowed in the studio. My anxiety rocketed, as I had assured her that I would be at her class, and now I was certain she would NOT go in with out without me... she objected strongly when I insisted that Buzzy Bee could not come to class. She won't even sit with the other children at the weekly library story time we go to, instead always choosing to sit in my lap. She is actually generally very independent, but seems to be fairly shy about situations that involve new people and new experiences. To make matters worse, she had also been quizzing me about whether or not her best buddy from school would be there, and I had told her, no, she probably would not know anyone, but that she could make new friends, so she was fully aware that she did not know the teachers or any of the other kids. They eventually do a roll call, and she has to walk up the stairs to join the other kids. Instead, she clings to my hand and I walk up the stairs with her to get her to go, and I am sure this is going to end badly. They open the doors and the teacher starts to escort the kids in, and she just lets go of my hand and walks right in without me. At this point, I realize that I, too, must suffer from separation anxiety, as I had to stop myself from calling to her and asking her if she is sure that she is okay with out me. I just bite my tongue and let her go. It is pretty similar to how I feel about daycare... If she cries and screams when I leave, I just want her to give it a rest, but if she happily marches off to play with her friends, I sort of miss a bit of mama drama, so I can never win! During her class, I could see her in the mirror through the window, and she had a great time. For the record, she was the first one out the door looking for Mommy! She got a sticker for being a "great dancer" and was thrilled to tell me about the class. I am so glad this worked out for her! And, while there is no video to post today, the last day of class is "Parent Observation Day", and I fully intend on videoing heavily! And won't it be fun to see what she wears?
