All in a day's work

In a single day of season overlap, O had her first tee ball game and her dance recital on Saturday. After just one inning of play 'cause we had to hustle to dress rehearsal, she got a well-rounded taste of t-ball; she played third base, charged a grounder and threw it to first, or, you know, its general vicinity, hit the ball and got to advance on all the bases.

I honestly can't say what t-ball was like for me growing up - other than I apparently played in the dirt more than anything else - but the rules here seem uber-novice friendly, which after one inning of t-ball parenting, I think I endorse. Here's what I found of note:

1) there are no outs. If you hit the ball, you get on first base. The end. Olaiya cranked her hit down the first base line and the other team actually managed to get the ball to the first baseman before Olaiya got there. She remained on base. And as not a single other out was executed during our inning of observation, this mama was thankful her babe wasn't the lone participant booted to the bench.

2) every child bats every inning.

3) every child scores every inning.

So to sum up, every game is a "tie" and the children learn to throw the ball to first base.

We'll see what my opinions are after a whole spring of such "games".

After one inning it was off to dance dress rehearsal! Dress rehearsal? Yeah, that's what I was thinking. This was not just your little girls dance recital. This was full on modern dance. Olaiya's class is taught by an amazing woman that is part of the Choreographer's Collaboration Project here in DC. Totally cool. So in the hour long concert, we took in just three routines by those 12 and under and then a half dozen+ by the CCP company. For the first time while watching one of their creations, I thought of dance as a moving painting, a live piece of art in motion before us. Slightly revelational for the girl who just likes to move it. Yeah, no one was dancing to Beyonce or Lady Gaga here. If it were this mama on stage, I'd prefer some middle ground between interprets-a-visual-story modern dance and feel-the-bass-beat high school dance team. That exists, right? But back to O - she had a ball being on stage with her friends.

Grrr, why so blurry camera?

Hands down my favorite shot from the evening.

No tutus here.

(The video won't post! Hmm, is our new camera too cool for appropriately sized files? I'll get back to you.) This was one of several dress rehearsal runs, which because of the lighting, this video turned out clearer than the actual show's. Her crouched spin close to the end (that she was doing 360 degrees versus the intended 30) she got corrected for that night! I like to deem her the most excited dancer, if not the most accurate.