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As another weekend approaches after a week that seems to have literally flown by, I thought I’d get my fingers flying across the keyboard for a quick update on last weekend and my proud Mummy moment!
After three months of preparation and practice, the girls’ dance show weekend was upon them! As in previous years (this was Asri’s third show and Eleni’s second), a busy weekend of rehearsals leading up to the performances on Sunday afternoon and evening followed. Luckily for me (!?) it was the girls’ weekend to be with Daddy and as a resounding silence had followed my offer to help out, the bulk of the running around was not mine to do!
And so it was that I headed straight over to Darren’s after work on Friday, where we were expecting the arrival of his brother Russ and Russ’ other half Rachel. Veggie chili cooked (I helped with some chopping) and the house hoovered and dusted (I offered moral support from the sofa) we settled down in front of the TV to eat dinner (very yummy!) and to await our guests. After a fairly easy ride down from Knaresborough, Russ and Rachel arrived about 9pm. It was lovely to see them again after a few months and we chatted for a couple of hours before heading up to bed.
Saturday morning dawned and we were off into London for the day (damn nag it! I forgot my camera!). The plan was a rough one, but basically involved walking along the South Bank (meandering along the Christmas market), taking in some pubs (including The Black Friar near Blackfriars Station and Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese on Fleet Street – both brilliant character pubs that have to be experienced!) and making our way over to Leicester Square in search of a cake shop. It was a lovely clear day, a lot different to Darren and I’s last trip into London a few weeks earlier, which made a huge difference to the skyline. It did, however, grow steadily more windy as the day went along. Dinner was once again enjoyed in Wagamamas (no one can say we’re predictable!?), before we made our way along the utterly rammed Regent and Oxford Streets, taking in Christmas lights, on the way back to Paddington. A tiring but thoroughly enjoyable day!
After a night of sleep that seemed far too short, the girls’ show day arrived. After a filling breakfast of fried eggs on toast (thanks, Darren), I was on my way over to help the girls get ready for the big performance. Their hair had to be slicked back into neat buns (held in place by a million hair grips) and full faces of make up applied, which I can assure you is not easy on young children! It takes around an hour to prepare them both and they were very well behaved throughout the whole process. Midday arrived and we were off to Leighton Park School for the show.
I had volunteered to help backstage during the first performance and had been assigned to Asri’s dressing room with a selection of the older girls. Two words: absolute mayhem! But it was good fun. There were a lot of jitters leading up to show time (2pm) but once the performance was under way it was a whirlwind of costume changes, make up re-touching and new hair styles. The hour and 45 minute performance flew by and it was soon time for a food break. Asri and I collected Eleni from her dressing room and we headed into the main auditorium where they tucked into some much needed grub!
I was absolutely thrilled that Darren had said he would come and watch the girls’ performance with me, and both the girls seemed equally pleased to see him when he arrived. The second and final show was due to kick off at 4.45pm, so I took the girls’ backstage at around 4.15pm to get them ready. Costumes organised and make up touched up, I left them in the capable hands of the Mum’s assigned to help out during that show and joined Darren in the auditorium.
And what a show! I fought back the proud Mummy tears every time one of my girls was the stage. Asri, who has been studying both dance and drama, was involved in three of the acts, while Eleni was in one. Last year’s show had been Eleni’s first and she was in the toddlers class with teachers on stage with her… not so this year. Now in the next class up, she was on stage for the fairy ballet without a teacher to follow and she did an excellent job of remembering her steps. Absolutely adorable! Asri too was fabulous, remembering all her song words and moving about the stage well. I was so proud of them both.
At the end of the show the teachers and guest judge hand out awards for best performances on the day and best achievements throughout the year… and I was absolutely thrilled when they read out Asri’s name as having gained the trophy for “Best Achievement in Tap for 2011”. What a proud Mummy and what a brilliant girl!
Two very tired girls came home to pizza (thanks again, Darren), and the joy of removing the million hair grips and make up. But they were soon in bed and dead to the world… and I wasn’t too far behind!
Well I’ve just had a little cry reading this and wish I had been there to see my two great granddaughters perform, can’t wait to see the video! Next year Nana and Grandad will be there, Goa will wait for another time.