Let Them Dance!

                                  Elizabeth and Carolyn 2007
I have never been the most graceful person.  I am not into makeup, clothes or shopping.  I normally wear earth tone colors and decorate my home for function and ease of cleaning.  I guess you could say I was a bit of a "tomboy" growing up and am a no frills, down to earth, easy to please kinda girl.

When we adopted Carolyn as an infant and she began to grow, she always wanted to be just like me.  I was more than flattered.  We worked out side in the dirt, planting and growing things in the garden.  We built projecst together, she handed me tools just like I did for my dad when I was a child.  We worked around the house.  We worked around the farm and ponies together and she was a cowgirl from head to toe.  She liked pink and to wear dresses but on the day to day living....she was my girl.

When Elizabeth came along she was much more girly from the start but not over the top.  She always wanted to dress up even if we were not going to town.  She REALLY liked pink and purple.  She loved things with lace and bows.  And I admit it.  I enjoyed dressing both my daughters up and doing their hair with ribbons to match their outfits and such.  But basically the girly side of things in our home was low key.  I just didn't realize it.

UNTIL...one day a young home school friend of ours invited us to her ballet recital.  We are always looking for things we can go and do as a family that does not cost much, so thought we would get a little culture, go to the ballet and out for a cheap meal.  Little did I know that my girls would be forever changed.  They sat thru the whole hour and a half, eyes sparkling with excitement.  After that recital they wanted to do ballet badly.  They had me look for and by ballet dvd's and they checked books out of the library about ballet.

Elizabeth has many health issues that keep her from doing many things and I had never considered ballet for her because of her Cerebral Palsy. She trips and falls alot.   And Carolyn from having Fetal Alcohol syndrome has very low tone and has stripped out one of her ankles.  She has flipped it so much she has broken it at least 4 times and sprained it to many times to count.  She wears ankle braces to prevent it from happening.  

After that recital we went to, I was told about a ballet class for children with special needs at that ballet school.  So I called the director and she put both my girls in it.  It was a transformation for both of them.  The slow exercises and movements strengthened them both.  Elizabeth tripped less and her movements were more fluid and Carolyn's ankles got so much stronger.

After their first year in ballet the director suggested putting them into regular class.  They are now in their third year!  And we all look forward to their recitals. One is coming up in May!

One of the biggest changes though is they both have become.....Girls.  Very feminine and I am so glad.  I mean their room is purple.  They both care alot about their appearance now and primp!  Their closets are full of pinks and purples and very girly clothing and they always ask if they look alright before we go places.

They are always doing stretching exercises around the house together in their spare time.

 They do little twirls when walking when they are happy and do ballet leaps when running out side.

I never would have put them in dance had we not been invited to that first recital years ago.  I am so grateful to God for Him leading us to this.  As it has helped the girls health and bodies so much.  It has built their confidence and brought out the girly side of them.  As long as they ever want to participate in ballet....I say let them dance!

Psalms 30:11 - Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;

Ecclesiastes 3:4 - A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

May God fill you with gladness and joy till it makes you feel like dancing!

susan