What my girl does after school...

Kira was a budding gymnast in Tucson. She truly is a natural at the sport, it comes easily and she "gets" it. But she doesn't want to be a gymnast she wants to be a ballerina. What can you do? So after doing her research (she asked the neighbor girl Rachel who is TEN and oh-so-cool which studio she danced at) it was decided. She goes for one hour a week. Which turns out to be a good thing because it is on the mainstreet in town and took us over 30 min. to get there during rush hour even though we live about 2 1/2 miles away. I don't think I can handle that more than once a week. I was tempted to dump her out of the car and have her walk. I'm still not convinced that wasn't a good idea, but since she is 7, and we just moved here...well you know.

I tried to get a picture of her grumpy expression, because as we are all aware, any time things go wrong and you can blame your mom, you should. She was so angry with me about the traffic. I was told "Can't you just *pass* someone" (Um no darling, we are in gridlock, there is nowhere to go) "Why are you going to make me late on my first day! I hate this traffic!" (Um...yes darling, we all hate traffic. It's especially lovely with a griping 7 year old in the back seat while you can't go anywhere). In addition to her frustration at being late, having me for a mother (geesh! what luck!), she was nervous. You see the accelerated 1 class was full. There was only one option. Ballet 2. Now she had ballet for an hour a week at the gym but she was convinced that it wasn't "Really, real" ballet and that she would not know what to do at all and she would "Probably mess up and look dumb". So anyway, I took her picture but she kept fake smiling. I said, "Why are you doing that, let me get a picture of you grumpy" and she said "Mom, you look ugly when you are grumpy and I'm smiling to be in a picture" (In that tone of voice that makes sure you know you are in fact an idiot)




So when we arrived 15 min. late she shoved her slippers on her feet, and when we opened the studio door was greeted by "KIRA!!! Kira! I didn't know you were in this class! Come sit by me!!!!" I apologized profusely and shut the door.



Then I walked outside and sighed with relief. I called Shawn and told him that by the time I manuevered the car out of my parallel parking spot and got home I would have to turn around and leave again, so I would just wait for her. He agreed.

So I stopped next door. Isn't this a lovely sight?



I ordered the just out Pumpkin Spice Latte. Oh, what a little piece of heaven!



Then I strolled down mainstreet. There were lots of cute little shops so I stopped in the bakery. The conversation that ensued was mind numbing.

I tried to get a quote on ballerina cookies with fondant. Lets just say that it was a nightmare. And while I'm all about supporting local business, I cannot support local morons just because they go into to business. Guess I'll be ordering my cookies online as I planned originally...

Then I found an old fashioned pharmacy. They sold candy out of pretty glass jars and the pharmacy counter had old signs one said "Biologicals" and they had tons of cool old bottles and stuff on display. I even saw "Pills for the bowels" :) I bought Shawn and the kids candy and then strolled back to get Kira. She was in better spirits, said "I think I did okay, I know how to do everything I'm just a little out of practice"