Thanksgiving morning Toddler 1 came downstairs and asked me in a disappointed tone:
“Where are all the presents?”
Just the day before when I had told her that her beloved Uncle Ju-Ju was coming home for Thanksgiving, she asked me:
“What costume will he be wearing?”
The festivities of October through December are a lot to keep track of when you’re three. Once we got over our holiday confusion, we had a great weekend celebrating with family. Toddler 2 is still overwhelmed by crowds, cameras, and festive food, but once we made our way to the great outdoors and the fabulous playhouse in my in-laws’ yard… fun was had by all.
One of the highlights of last week was Toddler 1’s first ever ballet performance at the Fantasy of Trees… though I nearly ruined the whole event. Here is a before picture:
You’ll notice that she looks ready. Leotard: check. Tights: check. Ballet shoes: check. Ponytail: check.
Now, here is a picture of her taken during the actual performance. You’ll have to look closely (and ignore the speaker) to see the wardrobe omission.
Yes, she’s a shoeless ballerina. I still can’t believe I did it. Who takes their child to their first ever ballet performance without their ballet shoes? It’s like going ice-skating without skates or skiing without skis. I have no idea how the box of shoes got left behind when we were flying out the door, but they spent a peaceful evening on our kitchen island while I frantically searched the bag, the car, the coats, my purse, other peoples’ bags, etc. for them. When I eventually resorted to consoling Toddler 1 by telling her how unimportant shoes really are, I was supported in my efforts by a very friendly mom who tried to make me feel better by telling me she once forgot to take the baton to her daughter’s twirling event. I immediately loved this woman. There’s a special bond among the scatter-brained.
Fortunately, the program Toddler 1 is in is aptly named “Dance for Joy.” I’ve never thought much about that name until I had to find the lead instructor minutes before the performance and explain to her how irresponsible I had been. And, in that moment, grace abounded. Not only was she not angry or hateful, she was kind and gracious, calm and comforting. She had perspective that can only be attributed to a gentle spirit and a lot of practice … because sometimes it’s more about having a good experience than wearing the right shoes… or not wearing any.
And, so Toddler 1 danced… without her shoes… with her little friends beside her … to Away in a Manger. And, she didn’t dance for competition or applause, she just danced for joy. Only, I’m pretty sure the joy was all ours.
Now, with this weekend behind us, I’m ready to say: welcome, Christmas season. Bring on the lights and the music and the wonder and the joy. Just give me a few more days on the decorations.
PS: Happy birthday to my sister!! Welcome to thirty! It’s not so bad 🙂
Trust me, you were not alone. I talked to at least one other mom who was missing slippers that night.
Here's my trick (b/c I had to make this a hard an fast rule more than a year ago): Every activity gets it's own bag. Dance, soccer, the library, school, etc. Items relating to that activity NEVER leave the bag (unless they are being laundered and then said item is immediately returned to the bag).
Once we came up with the bag rule, it has made life much less chaotic at home. Chaos is still alive and ticking, but I know I have a 95% chance of getting to activities with all our "gear" in tow.
Have a great Monday!
Great advice about the activity bags. I have a "dance bag" on the Christmas list. I should probably add a checklist to it, too, lest I forget what goes in the bag 🙂