Reason No. 52 for me to be reluctantly supportive of Jane's dance career

Fact: I'm not a dancer.

Never have been. And at this point, I doubt I ever will be. My mom tried, she really did, but I just wasn't into it.

I think that it costs ridiculous amounts of money.

I think that it sexualizes young girls.

I think that it puts too much stress on kids that need to spend more time living life and less time dancing.

I think the outfits are almost exclusively without taste.

I think that it points out the physical flaws and differences in girls, breeding insecurities, undue pride and a shallow way of thinking about their own value.

*I think that "dance moms" that get worked up over how their daughter looks in this year's costume and how advanced her class is are completely obnoxious.

I could go on, but in an effort to prevent you all from thinking that I'm a total stick in the mud, I'll stop there.

Suffice it to say that I've never understood the drama, the stress, the whole culture behind dance and I've been pleased that I've been able to avoid it all my life... until now.

Fact: Jane is a dancer. She likes it and I think she's got potential to be really good at it.

This puts me in a tough spot.

For most people? Not so tough.

For me? A woman who has deep seated moral opposition to the art that has probably directly resulted from knowing that so many of my friends that I grew up with in Las Vegas ultimately became strippers to pay the bills instead of doing something more productive with their dance training (not to mention my own inability to succeed at it and all the girls who did that ultimately made me feel inferior to them)? I'm in a tough spot.

I keep worrying and worrying about what to do next year. It's a scary thing when you realize that the judgement calls you make when your child is 5 can have serious long term effects on the person that they ultimately become. Being a mom totally sucks sometimes.

But I can't think about that right now. I'll go crazy if I do. I'll think about that tomorrow.

Today is Jane's dance recital and Reason No. 52 for me to be reluctantly supportive of Jane's career in dance would be her neon pink, zebra print, hot shorts/halter top combo of a costume.

The other ones are neon green. I'm just glad that I got the pink one.

Yes, my daughter is wearing makeup. Don't judge me. She's always trying to put it on, so we have a deal that she'll stay out of my drawers if I promise to put in on her for dance recitals and halloween.

I DO think that next year, she's going to start focusing on ballet more. Wanna see why?

She just poses like that on her own. This photo's just screaming for some ballet slippers and a tutu. And less neon pink zebra print.

Show off.

btw... did I ever mention that I finally picked a color for my new front door? Guess what color it turned out.

These pictures were taken a few minutes ago BEFORE her recital. I'll get some more when we go and post those later. There's a whole 'nother classy outfit to photograph.

Mostly, this post exists because I'm feeling tormented by dance at the moment and I needed someone to talk this over with. Thank you computer. I know that YOU'RE always there for me, unlike my husband who is currently asleep and completely oblivious to how I suffer.

That was a joke.

Ya, this post makes me sound like a total stick in the mud. I'll try to liven up a bit for the next one.

* You should know that I'm totally turning into a "dance mom." How can this be happening?