99

Happy Birthday Gran! Here are some photos from a visit to my grandmother who turned ninety nine a few weeks ago! She still knows how to laugh and certainly seemed to enjoy the company.

Ballet dance to the music

Everybody wins!
That's what the girls say when they race back to the bar in their ballet class with Miss Alana at the local community center. I had no idea there would be a little show for us at the end of the sessions. Lola, Amma, Uncle Mark, Lalaine and even Daddy was able to come and see. The girls looked so cute! My little girl consented to having her hair braided and wore one of my little friend Chanel's outfit that is too small for her now. She absolutely loved the class and it was a big one too. She enjoyed getting a little love note ready for her teacher. The other little girls were generally decked out and I think some girls just love pink and fluff and delicate things and some don't care if they're dressed up fancy or not. Mine is the former but hasn't quite figured it all out yet. She insists on wearing a skirt or dress almost everyday but doesn't like tights and isn't too big on having her hair brushed and put nicely. I certainly remember having my long hair brushed as a little girl and it was not a nice experience sitting for what seemed like forever in the bathroom on the top of the toilet to get my hair combed and put into braids or pony tails. My middle daughter calls them dog tails because she thinks her fine straight hair looks like puppy dog ears with one in an elastic on each side. Anyway she really enjoyed her first experience of dance and perhaps she will continue. We all enjoyed their twinkle twinkle little star dance. It did not occur to me at first that they would be using music in their classes. I guess I just remembered all the following, instructing, practicing and stretching and forgot about the performing and the just dance part. Although my lessons and participation is fondly remembered I suppose etched in my brain is the do it like this part and the anxious instructors trying desperately to help us perform properly. I do however remember the beautiful and varied costumes. I was once the head penguin but just because I was the tallest of the group not the most skilled. I was possible eleven and had not done the type of ballet where you perform in large amounts with costumes and schedules and practices. Also the ballet I had done was not for a few years and was mainly lessons only with an exciting performance for our parents at the end.