Exit Stage Right

I wanted to write a post about how hectic this week has been.  Not just with Dance stuff but with every day junk muddling up my week.  The stove broke and Clover got sick and a bunch of little stuff in between.

But that is not what I am focusing on. 

For every minor annoyance I put up with this week there has been little moments of absolute joy to balance things out, and for that I am grateful. 

Whether it was the good news I heard from a friend or helping our Dance studio behind the scenes, the joy I found in those little moments helped keep me sane this week. 

I really do enjoy playing my part as a Backstage Mommy.  I think the best part is watching my little girl do what she loves.  She has a passion for being on stage.  She waits all year to be able to get up there and dance in front of her supporting friends and family.  This year she got to dance on stage with her Daddy.  She was so excited.  They spent so many evenings practicing the lift and dance moves.  It was very sweet to see the both of them up there.

I didn't know where our journey would take us when we had Clover.  I certainly could never imagine how much she would love to dance.  I had so many worries when we brought her home.  Would she have any physical limitations due to the tumor?  She proved very quickly that she wouldn't let anything get in her way. 

When she started dance, I worried about kids seeing her scar.  Once while we were on vacation, she noticed her scar in the mirror and asked me about it.  I jokingly told her it was where the stork bit her and then she wondered why the stork would do that.  I will admit that I sort of panicked.  I hadn't really prepared myself for what I would tell her.  So I told her the truth.  That when she was born she had a tumor and had surgery to remove it.  She looked at it, nodded, and then walked off.  As if we were talking about what we were having for breakfast.

Every step of this journey has been different than I expected.  Instead of tripping over doctors appointments and monthly blood tests, I am tripping over tap shoes left on the carpet and costumes laid out all over the house.  Her biggest worry lately has been whether or not she is going to do her roll on stage.  She did and she totally nailed it (twice).  She was very proud of herself.  Seeing how much she had struggled with it this year, we were all very proud of her.

I have said it before just how much I am in awe of her.  Standing on the side of the stage watching her from behind the curtain, my heart was filled with so much joy.  I'm so happy that we have made it this far and grown stronger as a family.  Of course that moment was about three minutes long because after their song was over we were responsible for getting the kids off the stage and dressed for the next number.

It's not easy getting seven kids to Exit Stage Right.  Glow stick flashlights help with that though.