Ballet Girls

For the past two years, Aiden has bought season tickets for herself and Elina to go to the ballet. Ballet days have their own rituals: getting dressed up together, mom taking pictures, our special drop-off/pick-up place, the cell phone call to say when it will be over, and the intermission snack (a pretzel and waters). But what I like best is the drive home. They excitedly recount the evening "OBT has the BEST bad guys mom!". They laugh and exclaim, their voices rushing in and out and over each other, coming together then apart, deferring certain story points to each other in a dance of their own. Aiden tells of the moment in the dramatic opening when they realize that the tree in the set is really dancers as it deconstructs into the bad guys "minions"....."it was SOOOooo cool." Elina laughs so riotously as she tells of the little minions and pantomimes a chase where "they were running and running and running!" The retelling lasts all the way home with lots of "remember when" and "oh YOU tell this part!" Their sisterhood entrances me and I realize that I'm getting the best show of the evening.

Day THIRTY-ONE! <>

Sometimes things are solidly on the ground but look out of balance. Today I was out of balance but thought I was solid. You know when you start to fall and think you've righted yourself, and then you just keep falling and think NOW you've righted yourself... and then you just keep falling? Yeah. And everyone looks and you feel like you should take a bow. But you bounce up and say "I'm ok! Everything's fine!! Nothing's happened" but you have the bruises to show that you really did fall!


And it's a Thursday. The busy day of our week. Aiden usually works, volunteers at the therapeutic horse barn and goes to an institute class. I'm her transportation. Somehow I also squeezed in cuddling with the kids, falling like a dork in the library, hanging out with a friend, sweating, doing dishes and book club!
And somewhere in there got a picture. It would have been nice to finish May with something spectacular but I am quite happy with the month. It's been fun!