Dance & playdates

It was visitor's week at dance this week. Mike took off of work early and we got to sit in on the girl's dance classes. Briana LOVES dance and really looks forward to it each week. She is getting really close to being able to do the splits. She has made a friend in her class, and it is a really fun time for her. Sydney hasn't quite got the enthusiasm that Briana has. She goes to dance, but I know she doesn't love it. Just last week while we were waiting for Sydney's class to go in, I asked her which of the little girls in her class was she was friends with. She shrugged her shoulders. "That one?" I asked, pointing to a little girl sitting by her mom. She shook her head. "That one?" I ask again, pointing to another girl adjusting her ballet shoes. Sydney shakes her head again. Then she looks up at me and says "I haven't really made any friends at dance."
My heart broke a little bit. And, to be fair, Sydney is usually friends with the girls that are a lot like her. Rule followers. They do what they are supposed to do when they are supposed to do it. And she's never friends with the bad kids. And there isn't really any other rule followers in her dance class.
So today during visitor's day, I expected to watch Sydney with a tense look on her face. The last time we went to visitor's day, she was really nervous and it showed. She did her dance moves but didn't put anything else into it. She did what she was supposed to do, but I could tell by looking at her that she would much rather be sitting on my lap watching the other kids dance. Today, she really opened up. She was smiling, dancing and even shaking her tooshie a little. She got all her moves right, and her teacher told all the parents that Sydney was the only student who remembered what second position was last week. She beemed with pride.
And, to top the day off (well the dance portion of the day, anyway), we got to see the girl's costumes!! They are very cute. Briana will be in two dances at the recital and Sydney will be in one.
Now to really top the day off, the girls are both having friends over after school tomorrow. Woohoo! I have plans to let the girls decorate Valentine's Day cookies while they are here. Hopefully there will be no finger licking while decorating. If there is, they will have lots of cookies to take home with them. Maybe I better make a double batch just in case.