Goose's Dance Recital - WITH INSULTS!

Ah, there is truly nothing like a dance recital - sincerely! I so look forward to Lucy's dance recitals. Most of this is because I am obviously quite fond of Lucy. But even beyond that, I think it's cute how proud, nervous, and excited these girls get. And up until about Lucy's age, they don't have experience with buffering their thoughts and emotions. You get what they are - in all of its raw, unfiltered glory.

We still laugh about the tiny three-year-old girls who got into a shoving match last year when they both felt their personal space was being breached by the other girl. For them, the dance was over, just seconds after it started. While their peers were going about their performances on the stage all around them, these two little balls of fury traded shoves - neither was willing to give in. Even when the music ended and they walked off the stage, they were staring daggers into each other.

This year, a little girl walked onto the stage, just as excited and happy as she could be - at least until she turned and saw the big, scary crowd. Then she froze, stuck out her bottom lip, and started to wail. The other girls awkwardly tried to ignore her - to dance around her; but she was front and center - literally and figuratively. Finally, one of her instructors mercifully came out and carried her off.

Then, there is our sweet, little five-year-old. You can see the video of her performance below. It's just a normal dance recital video, for the most part - the kind of video that makes a parent or grandparent's heart swell with pride, no matter how many times they see it. For everyone else, it's something to which you politely smile and compliment: "What a BEAUTIFUL little girl - WHOA! Look at that time! I've gotta run!"

The funny thing that makes watching this a worthwhile investment happens at about the 2:20 mark of the video. I won't ruin the suspense, other than to give a brief background.There were about 300 - 400 people in the audience. And since the lights were off in the auditorium, you could only see the first row or two from the stage. As the dance progresses, Lucy moves to the right side of the stage, and the video zooms in for a closer shot. From there, you can see the moment she looks down and notices her beloved big brother, Pax. (He had moved to the front row with Gabby Handley, who was doing the filming.) Lucy's reaction is natural and spontaneous - a quick acknowledgement for Pax, and she's back to focusing on her performance. The natural bond between a girl and her brother can't help but warm your heart!

Eyewitnesses said that Pax was actually innocent in the exchange (I say "actually," because this is rarely the case). The "L" Lucy makes with her fingers does not stand for "Lucy," unfortunately. Instead, it's Lucy's way of telling Pax that she considers him to be the antithesis of a winner.