Ohmystinkinheck

What do Emelie and I do when we have one hour to wait for a recital, while holding 6 seats in the historic, but very cramped, rows of our town’s Old Town Theater? We watch YouTube on my iPhone and make faces into the camera. What? You don’t do that?

This is our “Down with the Homey’s in Huntsville” look.

Be scared. Be very scared.

This is the “Okay, I’ll distract the lady at the cookie table with small talk while you quietly slip to the other side and grab a bag.”

JOKING! I’m joking. We didn’t steal. We only THOUGHT about stealing.

What I was actually saying was “If my bum gets any bigger I’m going to have to sit in the aisle.”

A few minutes before I had left Emelie to save our seats and watch Evolution of Dance while I dropped Meredith off in the Green Room.

She was more than a little bit jittery. Excited, but jittery. I stayed with her until a few of her friends began filing in.

This is Meredith’s third year in dance. She has been taking ballet, tap and jazz twice a week up until this year, where her schedule has her taking all three classes on Mondays. It makes for a long Monday for her, because she goes straight after school, but she always comes home excited. Monday night bedtimes are never a battle - she slides right in without a word.

We took a few photos before leaving the house. The light was just perfect Sunday afternoon.

We made up her eyes and face for the stage and Emelie let her borrow some clear body glitter. The effect was breathtaking. Emelie and I just stared.

It doesn’t take long to remember that she’s a 7 year old when she grins with that wide, gaggle-toothed smile. Yep, that one.

During the end of year recital parents are needed to help between dances to assist with costume changes, but this time Meredith only had two dances, the first of which was her ballet. I could sit out in the audience, instead of rushing back to the Green Room, because she needed only to put on jazz pants and a brilliant red T-shirt for her tap number.

As girls of all ages (3-18 at this studio) started filling the dressing room, I popped off a few more shots.

All these “ladies in waiting” were so adorable. I found myself giggling a bit as the little ones pulled at their tights and, in spite of their mother’s efforts, kept rubbing the makeup all over their eyes.

Meredith, of course, did a little soft primping herself.

But mostly, she was wringing her hands. “I wish we could just DANCE. Waiting makes me nervous.” She’s a performer at heart. THAT is something she did not get from her mother.

I must have been holding my breath during Meredith’s dances because after one of them my mother leaned over and whispered, “You can breathe now.”

And I took a deep breath.
And exhaled.
And felt better…until the next recital.

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35 Responses to “Winterfest”

1. Angella

   Oh. My. WORD.

   Meredith is stunning. Jeff has a shotgun handy, since he’s a hunter, right?

   Because the boys will be knocking before you know it :)

2. witchypoo

   Merideth is a fabulous subject, and a stunner, but how better to capture it than through the loving eyes of the mama, who can tell a good shot?
   Brilliantly done, OMSH!

3. Jill - GlossyVeneer

   I was smitten right off the bat with the pics of you and Emelie, they’re so fun! And the Meredith pics are breathtaking, but I absolutely love the 7-year-old “gaggle-toothed” smile thrown in there.

4. Marcie

   My first thought was, OHMYGOD YOU HAVE AN IPHONE?!

   But then I saw the pictures of your lovely princess. What a sight for sore eyes she is. Ugh. I’m all about little boys but sometimes, like moments like these, I’m reminded of why it would be nice to have a little girl.

   She’s a beauty. Truly.

5. Nancy

   I remember those days… dance and recital. Costumes, make-up, and holding my breath. Meredith looks beautiful. I bet the dances went perfect too =)

6. Country Mouse

   Oh, my… She’s stunningly beautiful, and she looks like she loves the dancing indeed.

7. Mrs. Wilson

   She is so gorgeous. I love watching dance. I think I like it so much because it is something that I cannot do. I tried. I cannot do it.

   That revolution of dance video? Is awesome.

8. Shawna

   Meredith is absolutely breath-taking, as are your pictures.

9. Golden

   Wow. Both your girls have such a sophisticated look about them! You know how some people you can totally see them when they are 30? They are both stunning, so beautiful!

10. familymclean

    Your photography blows me away, these shots are fantastic!
    Stunning!
    Gorgeous!
    Lovely!
    Beautiful!

11. Not The Mama

    Those pictures make my ovaries ache. I remember the days of recitals so well, even though it’s been ages. I so hope I eventually have a little girl who loves ballet as much as I do.

12. nyjlm

    I have tears in my eyes. so sweet. Meridith looks just gorgeous.

13. ashpags

    Haha, I love that first picture! Y’all are so gangsta! ;)

14. Lanna

    You and your daughters are just all so adorable. :) And yeah, I second the shotgun comment. Or maybe teach ‘em how to use a baseball bat to their advantage. ;)

15. chris

    Love these photos. I remember being meredith’s age and waiting to go on stage. Oh the hand wringing I did too.

16. ByJane

    Look at that turnout!

17. Kini

    What a beautiful girl! And a beautiful ballet costume! Love the photos :)

    My little one is in her second year of ballet, the little ones are so sweet (I did the green room stint last June)!

    I’m jealous of your iPhone and of your green (and likely warm) locale! (We’re snow & ice and 30 degrees high today).

    Merry Christmas, Heather!

18. Leta

    Wow, she is gorgeous. I think my little one is going to be more of a soccer player than ballerina, but that’s really more my style anyway. Great pics!

19. Nancy

    How beautiful! Meredith is absolute georgous. I would love to have seen her perform. Maddie and Kylee are taking jazz and ballet. They only have one rectial a year in May. Merry Christmas to you and your amazing family.

    PS- Emilie is getting so big!!! I can’t believe how grown she looks. Makes me a little sad.

20. Colleen

    She is an absolutely gorgeous ballerina! Did you do any video?

21. Lisa C

    B-E-A-UTIFUL! What great pics!

22. Keri

    awwww. My little dancer’s career ended on the practice floor when she fell and began to cry and everybody LOOKED at her!!! I never got her out there again. Those two lovelies of yours??? Gorgeous.

    How fun for you!

23. teeweewonders

    Your little ballerina is so beautiful - wonky seven year old’s teeth and all. :)

24. jessica

    What a sweet post! i feel like i know you more after you post like this! i love that gappy smile: my nephew is 8, and can’t eat certain foods right now as he seems to be missing all 8 of his “top teeth”. It’s embarassing for him, but it’s really so sweet. Sometimes they act so grownup at that age that having all those teeth gone reminds you they’re still little:)

25. Aileen

    The pictures are so lovely. She looks angelic. I bet she danced like a dream.

26. zoe

    she is a beauty! and yes you look very threatening!

27. Angelena / CountryLife

    What beautiful photos of Meredith! I have all boys - sigh- the closest thing I will ever get to a dance recital it the touchdown dance in the endzone!!

28. Joely

    What a beauty! Thank you for letting us all share these special memories with you!

29. Mr. OMSH

    chuk-chik (sound of shotgun chambering a round).

30. She Likes Purple

    Some of my favorite childhood/adolescent memories (heck, favorite life memories) were dancing on stage at recitals and shows.

31. OMSH

    Angella and Lanna - as Mr. OMSH has already shown…shotgun is loaded. heh heh

    witchypoo - thank ya. *grin*

    Jill - GlossyVeneer - We’re sorta partial to that gaggle tooth too! :)

    Marcie - Well, I’ll tell you one thing, boys are certainly a lot less complicated! But thank ya!

    Nancy - The dances were perfectly precious, but not “perfect” - which, of course, makes them all the more perfect. Hahaha!

    Country Mouse - She really does have a heart for dancing…her body does it naturally and constantly. She favors ballet above all else.

    Mrs. Wilson - I think at one time I could dance. Oh wait, that was a dream. I’m with you - completely not a dancer.

    Shawna, Golden, and familymclean - Awwww….thank you so much!

    Not the Mama - I’m with you on the ovaries! Of course that’s because Aunt Helga is in town, but still…ooooooooh.

    nyjlm - That is too sweet, thank you. *smile*

    ashpags - Hey, we try…oh how we try. hahaha

    chris - I’ve NO desire EVER to be on stage…so jittery on stage. Heck, I’m jittery when SHE is on stage!

    ByJane - Turnout?

    Kini - Ah, but is it really Christmas-y feeling without the cool weather? Let me answer…NO! I think today it might hit 80. EIGHTY. Gag.

    Leta - I got one of those too! We are covering all the bases…oh wait, goals. hahaha

    Nancy - Yea, Emelie is growing like a weed all of a sudden. So aware of herself and her development. Eeek. It is driving her daddy crazy!

    Colleen - One thing I do not have is the capability to do video. That’s next - God help us all!

    Lisa C. - Why thank ya!

    Keri - THAT would have been what happened if I was on stage - I swear. DYING up there is what I would have done. She’ll come back…maybe. :)

    teeweewonders - We do love those teeth. Paid a pretty penny for the one she broke (a front tooth), so we’ve a lot invested in ‘em too! HA!

    jessica - ALL EIGHT? Oh my word, that poor boy! He needs dentures ’til the new ones come in. Teehee.

    Aileen - Yea, it was a bit dreamy. :) Thank ya.

    Zoe - I am a bully - you just don’t know it. Okay, so I’m not, but I pretend to be when my kids are acting poorly. haha

    Angelena / CountryLife - Hey, we’re hoping for touchdowns with our li’l guy. I say dance when you can dance!

    Joely - Absolutely! Thanks. :)

    Mr. OMSH - Our defender! Whoohooo! Lovin’ that you’re a good shot baby! *wink*

    She Likes Purple - Really? I remember that I got to wear make-up…but not much about being on stage! HA!

32. OMSH

    Oh my word. That was a lot of responses. Can you tell I have a bunch of work I’m procrastinating?

33. iamthediva

    Wow, so beautiful! She looks great!
    i popped over via witchypoo.

    Happy Holidays!

34. MMM

    breathtaking.

35. KYouell

    I second Lanna: the shotgun is a good backup to the baseball bat. I would favor a trucker’s tire whacker though. Looks like a tiny bat and has a steel rod inside. Easy for the most delicate and frail of females to wield mightily. Then they can run and get their dad!