Irish Dancer Falls at Feis, Gets Up and Runs Marathon!

An adult dancer friend of mine named Chris competed last weekend at the Rhythm of Ireland Feis, adding a bit of creative choreography to his dance steps as he was departing the stage. And in case anyone missed it, he valiantly offered an encore on his way to accept his award. Click here to see the feis photographer’s documentation of this move!

This same dancer will be running in his first marathon this coming weekend, the Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, October 28 in Washington, DC!

Chris has been training vigorously for this event, but not only for his own quest to complete the race. His efforts are also benefiting many others by raising money for the Tourette Syndrome Association. His team could really use your help! Will you please consider contributing a donation? Click here for more information…

On a personal note, my 9-year-old nephew was recently diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome (TS). TS is an inherited neurobiological disorder, and the Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) is a well-run non-profit organization working to identify the cause, find the cure, and control the effects of TS. This organization has already helped my family immensely by educating us on the facts and myths of the syndrome, and offering suggestions for ways to help my nephew cope with some of the effects of TS.

Many people have either never heard of Tourette Syndrome, or only know of the Hollywood version of a rare symptom which affects a very small percentage of individuals diagnosed with TS. Whether you choose to donate or not, educating others about TS is very helpful. Click here to watch an educational video about TS presented by a young girl who, with her sister, founded the “TSA Youth Ambassador” program.

Thanks very much for your consideration…

And a big THANK YOU to Chris for his mission in this marathon! My family is cheering for him every step of the race!

Leaving Tracks

The grass needed to be cut today for the first time in a month. Most of it is dormant because of the drought. But there were some wild and woolly green clumps scattered throughout the shady areas of the yard that couldn’t be ignored any longer.

There were a myriad of other things on the to-do list for today. But instead I rode a tractor over two acres of grass, most of it brown.

Back and forth. Back and forth. Around a tree. Back and forth.

It felt like all I was doing was leaving tire tracks on the yard.

From the road in front of my house you can see row after row of neatly mowed brown grass. Much of it isn’t any shorter than when I began.

Why bother? Because the neighbors might be impressed? Or because I live in rural suburbia and I’m a stay-at-home-mom with two school age kids, therefore …cringe… I must have nothing better to do than to ride the mower back and forth, leaving tracks?

Why bother?

While riding the mower, I saw a butterfly. It danced in the breeze, keeping pace with me for an entire row.

A delicate little yellow butterfly, with a wingspan no bigger than two inches wide.

Its movements looked like a giggle.

It was so fragile and so beautiful that I cried.

I couldn’t see that butterfly from sitting at my computer, or from driving in my car on the way to the grocery store.

My neighbors couldn’t see that butterfly while passing my neatly mowed rows of brown grass.

I could only see that butterfly while it fluttered along side me as I continued the discipline of riding the mower back and forth, back and forth.

Just doing. Just breathing. Just being.

But there's so much to do.

This year Katie will compete in the Girls Under 9 Championships, her solo dance competition for the Southern Region Oireachtas. She’ll also compete with a 4-Hand Team, 8-Hand Team, and Figures Choreography Team.

I’m already tired of the drives to the studio for the extra dance practices, which lead to the late nights, which lead to the rushed mornings the next day. In the car to go here, and back in the car to go there.

Back and forth, back and forth.

So busy. So tired. Not enough dark chocolate.

For us, it’s Irish dance, but it could be anything.

Just doing.

And then...

My kids giggle.

And they flutter along side me as I continue the discipline of driving back and forth, back and forth.

Just breathing. Just being.

And suddenly I realize…

I’m not just leaving tracks.

I’m loving the butterflies.

Just loving.

Wow, It Actually Worked!

Ellie started kindergarten this year. Full day kindergarten.

She was ready. I was never really worried about her being ready for a full day of school. But I knew that it would mean tough evenings, at least at the beginning of the year. Last year she was in preschool three mornings from 9-11:30. This year she’s in school from 8am-3pm five days a week. She arrives home emotionally spent, and anything that would normally be a minor mishap instead seems a tragic calamity.

So I didn’t register Ellie for dance class this year.

Ellie is surrounded by Irish dance. I’ve often mused whether she will indeed develop her own passion for Irish dance, or if she only shows interest because she idolizes her big sister and is the sibling-in-tow to so many events.

Ellie is five. Look at these sweet eyes, equally excited and nervous about the first day of kindergarten.



But with a big sister to take her hand, to lead her up the steps, and to sit with her on the bus (OK, yes, at least for the first week of school), her confidence increases.



It begs the question, is Ellie just following where she is led in Irish dance?

Ellie started the “Teelin Tiny Toes” class for preschoolers when she was three. Last spring, at age four and a half, she had outgrown the Tiny Toes level and was ready for a Beginner class. So we tried a class that started in January and continued through June.

She was the youngest in the class, and although capable of the skills, she started to resist. Several times, right before class, her shoes suddenly felt horribly uncomfortable, or her outfit just wasn’t what she wanted to wear that day and how could I possibly ask her to participate in class if she was wearing purple when she wanted to be wearing pink.

Mean Mommy that I am, when my kids are registered for an extra-curricular activity, I expect them to stick it out and to attend the entire session. We always discuss this ahead of time, and I emphasize that they don’t ever have to participate in that class again if they don’t want to after the session is over. But they do need to give it a fair try.

Not every week of class was a struggle for Ellie. She still flitted and fluttered around the house showing off her hop-1-2-3’s and her pointy toes, and she loved dancing in the Spring Performance.

But there were enough questions in my mind, on top of the kindergarten factor, that it seemed best to not register Ellie for dance class for this year. I was NOT going to make it a battle, and make Irish dance become something that Ellie HAD to do.

So I asked Ellie if she would like to take Irish dance again this year. I reminded her that it was her choice, but that if she decided yes, she needed to commit to attending all of the classes without complaining.

She very wisely said, “Maybe I’ll take a break from dance class.”

Yes, I was disappointed. We’re at the dance school at least three days a week anyway for Katie’s classes. Wouldn’t it just be easier to have Ellie in a class one of those days instead of waiting in the lounge?

Evoking the wisdom of other mothers, I did not register Ellie for class. I was hoping that she would miss it and then would ask to return. It had to be her initiative.

Guess what… it only took three weeks!