Thanksgiving

Reason #2 why people don’t read this blog: because so few people actually know that it exists.

Reason #1 why people don’t read this blog: because there are so rarely any new posts here.

For over a month I’ve had a half-written story which I do plan to post to this blog. It’s on the “To-Do List”. It’s just not “to-done” yet. I miss writing. I enjoy playing with thoughts and shaping them with words. Maybe during Thanksgiving vacation I’ll find some time to write. Maybe...

Time sneaks away so quickly. One of the assistant instructors at my daughter’s dance school gave birth to her fourth child on the 16th of October. Because she’s a friend (and likely because I seem to live in the parent lounge of the dance school, as I’m there almost every day), I’ve had the great pleasure of cuddling baby Liam while his Mom teaches. He is so small, so precious! Last night, while the warmth of this newborn was still fresh on my shoulder, I tucked my own children into bed. How did they grow so big so quickly?

This Thanksgiving vacation, I’m going to take the time to jump in the leaf piles with my girls instead of working on the Irish dance school’s website. I’m going to cuddle under a blanket and read some mind-numbing novel instead of stressing about the “To-Do List” growing longer. And I’m going to appreciate every ounce of the nervous excitement in Katie’s eyes as my eight-year-old prepares for her first Oireachtas experience! Wasn’t it just yesterday that she was a small newborn on my shoulder?

Real Life

So, it’s late Friday afternoon, on a beautiful Fall day. My children are playing happily, and I’ve snuck away to the computer for a peek at the Irish dance sites. Life is good!

But… what’s this I’ve seen??? Ashe of Diochra.com has posted a list on Dance Net of Irish dance related blogs… and THIS site made the list!

My first reaction: WAY COOL! What an honor! Thanks, Ashe!

My second reaction: YIKES!!! My “small project that nobody really knows about” has just been announced! Better get to work…

For anyone visiting this site for the first time (and to the small handful of friends who drop in from time to time), welcome! Thanks for stopping by! I don’t post here as often as I would like. Real life keeps interrupting.

What kind of posts will you find on this blog, you ask? A quick sample...

I’ve recently pondered what effects our family's Irish dance addiction has had on my youngest daughter, four-year-old Ellie. As is so often the case of a second child, Ellie is typically the “sibling in tow” to various Irish dance events.

The above picture was a quiet moment between competitions at the ROI Feis. I wish I had a picture to share of the treble reel competition, a few minutes later, when Ellie inched her way through a crowded room in order to sit on the floor by the edge of the stage, legs crossed, slapping her knees in time with the music! Somehow this child manages to jump into the thick of things, even if she's not yet on stage!

The picture below was taken at the Notre Dame Pep Rally performance last Friday. Ellie wanted a prime viewing space, and refused to move from it, even though it happened to be at the back of the stage…

It’s not possible to force passion. It comes from within. As a parent, it’s beautiful to watch passion develop in a child! Life is full of opportunity, and sometimes it's good to get your feet wet, even if you're not quite ready to jump in.

In real life, Ellie may be the sibling in tow at various Irish dance events. Will a passion for Irish dance develop within her? I don’t know. But for now, she rests comfortably surrounded by it…

Yes, life is indeed good!

(Photos by ZandB, except pep rally photo by CW)