The Day We Learned About Dance Day

This year Katelyn and Brooke both have ballet on Monday.  Brooke’s class starts right after school.  After her class ends, we have an hour to kill before Katelyn’s class starts.  That is just enough time to drive home and get out of the car before we’d have to load up and head back to the studio.  So on Monday dance days, we utilize the many gadgets on our mini-van to make the experience as pleasant as possible.

In order to make the magic happen, Brooke and I start getting things ready about 2:00 p.m.  We start by packing up dinner for everyone and picking out a movie.  Next we fold down 2/3 of the back and arrange some blankets and pillows.  All essential items are put in the remaining cargo space so that they are accessible to us but out of Emily’s reach. 

 

By 2:40 p.m. it is time to get Brooke in her ballet clothes and make sure we have everything Katelyn will need to change for her class.  Once everything is loaded, we wake Emily up and head to pick-up Katelyn from school at 3:10 p.m.  If I take a secret back road and in doing so miss the busy intersection and super long light at Sprague and Sullivan, we usually arrive just as her class is starting. 

 

During Brooke’s class, Katelyn does her homework and if she is lucky enough not to have any, she plays with Emily.  They both love no homework days.  After class we reconvene in the minivan and it is time for dinner and a movie.  About 95% of the time, this part is so much fun and is something I know we will always remember fondly.  Usually if my prep work was done properly, things go really well.  But if we can’t find what we need or I forget something, it can unravel quickly in our quaint little space.

Fortunately, things usually go really well and we have a lot of fun and countless laughs and giggles.  I love that dance gives us an excuse to do something so fun that normally wouldn’t happen – at least not on a weekly basis.

After dinner, Katelyn changes for her class and it is her turn to go dance.  Sometimes we go in and watch, but most of the time we hang out in our mobile home.  Brooke likes to color the picture she gets at dance and Emily likes to explore the minivan play land.  When she is tired of exploring, Emily will recline in her seat and watch a Baby Einstein DVD to pass the time. 

We usually arrive home four to four and a half hours later with some worn out but happy girls.  While Katelyn and Brooke shower and get ready I clean out the van and Emily plays in the family room.  It always amazes me how much stuff we take and how much mess we manage to bring back.  I hope they will always want to do this kind of stuff together and I hope we always have a car that actively supports us in our adventures and makes it possible for four hours in a parking lot to be fun and comfortable.