performing.

My bigger kids are big now... and they're great.
This past week I have watched them "perform" at dance and soccer and visited with their teacher for parent teacher conferences.
Teachers say, "I just love your kids."
And, I agree.  I love them too. 
They're good kids.
Not perfect, but good.
Jakob's coach said, "I just want you to know what a great kid Jakob is.  If I had a kid like him, I'd have 6 more."
I completely agree.  Um, I am having 6 more...

As I was watching the bigger girls ballet practice I was thinking about how nice it is to be in a stage of life where I can just watch and be proud of how my kids are "performing."

Right after the big girls dance, Leah has dance practice.  She has 2 years till kindergarten and dance is her very first "extra-curricular" activity.
She was funny-- kinda.
There were a LOT of kids in her class.  And they all listened to the teacher.  Except Leah.
She kept coming to tell me that her finger hurt, or her mouth hurt, or she was too tired to dance...
when I told her how beautiful she was dancing, she would say "Oh Yeah!  Watch me!" and run back to her class.

She pouted and sat down half way through... she stuck her tongue out at the teacher a few times (ahh!?!)... she was covering the mouth of the girl next to her, and even hit her on the back...

i REALLY wanted to go and grab her a few times, but i refrained, because i was supposed to be "observing".
oh man!  that child.

i've been here before, and i know that she will grow up to be just as well behaved as her siblings.
but, it's good to remember every now and then.
and... this week we are practicing pointing our LEFT toe, and our RIGHT toe, and summersaults, and skipping.
(even though leah was being a stink, i know it was just because she was embarrassed that she didn't know what to do.) 
don't worry... we'll be skipping queens in no time!
(and, um, the sticking out the tongue thing, she gets that from her father...)