Two weeks ago, Olivia’s dance class started! Want to see pictures from it? Okay:

Yeah, we missed it.

We thought it started at 10:30. It started at 10. So we were told to come back on Thursday. “Oh, good,” we thought, “She can come back on Thursday, have her first dance class, then resume Saturday lessons for the rest.

So, Thursday at 4, I start getting the kids ready for the 4:40 dance class. After diaper changes and diaper bag checks and pottying-even-though-we-insist-we-don’t-really-have-to-go and leotards and tights and skirts and socks and shoes and jackets and carseats and seatbelts we head out the garage door at 4:30. And it takes half an hour to get there.

So we arrive a good 10-15 minutes into a 30 minute dance lesson. Standing outside the door, we watched and realized this wasn’t their first time. So she completely missed her first dance lesson. And arrived half-way through her second one.

Worst. Parents. Ever.

With about five minutes left in the class, the teacher invited Olivia in and she danced with a scarf for a bit, got a sticker, and came back out.

This past Saturday, we set our alarms for 8am with a goal to be out the door by 9. For a 10am class. We were out the door by 9:15 and arrived 20 minutes early. BUT WE WERE THERE. FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE LESSON.

Twirling in the hallway while the teacher sets up the class. (We had to get black everything even though we REALLY wanted to get pink. Something to do with the butterfly she’s going to be in the recital. We had to order the shoes. They’re not in yet.)

“Can I go in yet?”

At the “bar”. The YMCA doesn’t actually have a room set up for dance lessons. They have to make do.

For most of the class, Olivia stood there, unmoving, with an overwhelmed look on her face.

It took me back to PE on the days they taught something new. Yeah, that was me with that look on my face.

“Oh, scarves! I remember this!” You really could tell she’d done it before. It was the only thing she participated in all morning.

Look how cute! Finally losing all inhibitions and just DANCING! Too bad she was SUPPOSED to be getting in a circle…

Her sticker. And her bewildered face that was there most of the morning.

After that, we headed to the park, since the weather was so nice.

Benjamin is developing his own unique personality. In this shot, he’s trying to find a path away from the slide, but is surrounded by mud! Refusing to step in the mud, he kept turning in circles. I finally rescued him. He’s too cute when he’s trying to keep his shoes clean.

And here he is asserting his dominance over a dog three times his size. No fear, I tell ya.

Golfin’

Her Braveheart impersonation. (It’s blue chalk).

His prep impersonation.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNND NOW…

I would like you all to meet a dear friend. I’ve been missing her dearly. She had been such a huge help to me, but I couldn’t afford her services. Then a great deal presented itself to me, and I swooped in! She’s back! Meet….

THE MAID.

If you follow my facebook statuses or twitters at all, you’ll know I’ve been washing dishes by hand since August. It’s not unheard of, I realize this. Lots of you out there do this everyday and manage just fine. My mom did it. And every generation before her, actually. But I’m spoiled. I had dishwashers in all my other apartments and I knew the luxury.

As far as dishwashers are concerned, it is NOT better to have loved and lost. It is better to have never loved at all!

But I wouldn’t buy a $400 new one. Just couldn’t justify it. I had the time in my day to do them by hand. I had the lotion to repair the damaged skin.

But we told ourselves that if one was ever available on Craigslist for less than $200, we’d get it. But around here, portable dishwashers last less than 24 hours on Craigslist! Seriously! So it took eight months, but we finally got our chance. And only because the first ones to reply never showed up. Thank you, Lord!

And $125 is so totally worth this:

The counters! On a Monday morning! The counters are NEVER clean on a Monday morning! Monday dishes are the WORST! And they’re DONE!

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