First class - sorry, it's long!

OK. Today was the day that, really, if I think about it, I've been waiting for all my life. Ellie's first ballet class. SO cute, I could hardly stand it. The class is for 2-3 year olds, but it seems the average age is 3 1/2. Ellie was seriously a head shorter than everyone else (including one boy), and significantly younger. She didn't know WHAT was going on. I wish I could post the 20 minute video I took of the class... I'll show you if you ever want to see it. I already made Jenn watch it.

Anyway, to preface the cutest thing ever, this was how my day started. 3:17 am Matthew wakes up and demands food. 6:11 Matthew wakes up again to demand food (We're actually making negative progress with the sleeping through the night. He's gone from waking up every 5 hours to every 2.) and poop. 6:53 Matthew wakes up AGAIN for no reason other than the desire to play. 7:55 I surrender to his coos and stop pretending to be asleep (as though it was doing me any good - the kid's 2 months old). 8:00 I give him a bath to get rid of his Oh-Family-Stinkyhead. 8:15 Ellie wakes up. 9:00 Matthew goes back to sleep, Ellie gets plopped into the tub. 9:15 I take a quick shower, washing only the body parts that are especially sticky due to Houston and breastmilk squirting (sorry, graphic). 9:30 I shove a granola bar and a sippy cup of milk in Ellie's hand, grab a banana, pull peacefully sleeping Matthew out of bed, and run out the door. 9:45 it starts pouring rain. 9:46 I realize I don't have an umbrella. 9:47 I pull into the parking lot of the ballet school. 9:48 I run into the office to find out where I'm supposed to go and borrow a big umbrella. 9:50 I carefully balance the umbrella on the car door and Bjorn crying Matthew. 9:51 I hurl my diaper bag, bottle cooler, and videocamera over my shoulder. 9:52 I somehow manage to carry Ellie along with the other things into the school. 9:53 it stops raining.

So we get there and she's all excited. Then when class starts, the teacher takes her by the hand, leads her into the room and closes the door. So my video footage and photos are through the window, which really sucked. Anyway, I'm just dying with delight for about 10 minutes when Matthew decides he's hungry. So now I'm carrying him in my left arm, videotaping with my right hand, and propping a bottle up against my left boob. Then after he's done, I Bjorn him back, and he poops ALL OVER my shirt and hand (which happened to be under his butt). Rather than being grossed out, I'm just disappointed that I'm missing video opportunities of her class.

Ellie liked the ballet part, but didn't really know how to follow directions. She was confused when the teacher tried to get her to sit on the line or do the stuff the others were doing. Then, she is lacking the coordination to do a lot of the things they were asking, but she didn't let it get her down. When the others were hopping on one foot across the room in an orderly fashion, she was joyfully galloping around the room while looking at herself in the mirror.

Then it was time for tap. I didn't get to buy tap shoes in time (they're stinkin EXPENSIVE!), so I just brought her black patent leather mary janes. Anyway, the kids all came out to change shoes, and Ellie thought they were done. Then the teacher brought her back in and closed the door, and she started crying in confusion. Then the lady at the desk told me not to stand in the window or Ellie would cry even more, so I didn't. Later after class, I asked her why she cried. She said, "I look for Mommy and you not there. I scared." SAD! I'll just stand by the door next week.

Anyway, she said she wouldn't cry next week, and she'll have actual tap shoes by then. Here are some mostly bad pics of today. The last ones are of her eating the cookies I got to console her for being deserted by me. I wish I could post the video. So cute. She keeps waving at me and doing her "ballerina" move, which involves putting her hands over her head and spinning around. I think she was confused that they never did that. Her thighs just BULGE out of her leotard. Takes after Mommy.