Dancing Queen or Lets See If Those Chicken Wings Can Fly?

Oh the wonderful world of dance. I love dance I really do I love to watch dance I love to dance my self, although I believe I lost all the moves I once had in the postnatal drip. I can "churn the butter," "start the mower," and do "the q-tip"(think Hitch) with the best of them. However never once in my wildest thoughts and hopes and dreams does it occur to me that I want to, at my age, dance on stage for all the world to see. My children dance. All three of them take lessons they take between them perhaps close to every form they offer. Hip Hop, Jazz, Ballet, Musical Theatre, Modern, Lyrical, and my oldest daughter's favorite is Tap. I will and do sit and watch them dance for hours in their recitals twice a year. I drive them to practice after practice, I sit and wait and wait till I think I can't do this anymore.
I sit and talk to other mothers who are waiting for their children to get finished and some of them I have gotten to know quite well. Some of them wanted to take an adult hip hop class this last year and asked me to do this with them. I said no. They joined realized how difficult it was, how expensive it was, and perhaps heard my snickering and quit. I believe everyone should be allowed to take a dance class as long as you are taking it for the right reasons, personal growth, exercise, increased energy, making new friends perhaps. Never because you are middle aged didn't get to make a debut as a child and want to relive the "glory years." NO ONE wants to see that! I certainly don't nor would anyone I know. Dance in your kitchen, living room, heck dance in your back yard you own it who is anyone to judge what you do in your yard as long as it doesn't break any codes or laws, go for it. Personally I dance when no one is around in the privacy of my privacy fence when I'm almost certain no one is around to see me, even my children, who by the way find my dancing hideous and a complete embarrassment.
My point and I do have one, unless you dance as well or better than the dance teacher you should not as an adult be in a dance recital for children. Unless you think people need a nap halfway into the show or want to be comic relief. There I've said my peace. From one chicken winged old woman to another save yourselves the costume money enjoy the dance class then watch the kids from the audience like everyone else.

Have you seen this cat?

My new neighbors have a very rambunctious and adorable puppy. They also have a cat. I think. My new friend tells me she has a cat. I've seen the cat door for the cat area. They moved in in October I think. I have been there inside the house. My son plays there frequently. No one has seen the mysterious cat. I suppose it exists in the real world they seem like very normal people. They seem to only have one personality no multiples going on over there. Although they were psych majors perhaps they are just better at covering these things up. Perhaps it is an imaginary cat. Perhaps it is a stuffed cat and they have very active imaginations. I don't know. I will continue on the quest to find the mysterious cat whenever I go there. They really are very kind and generous people even if they have a mysterious cat. So I am asking everyone out there........Have YOU seen this cat? If so send me a picture. Thanks!

Are Fun Nights Really That Fun?

So I'm on this committee for a 6Th grade fun night. I signed up for purely selfish reasons. I wanted to go to Chicago with my child on a field trip. Possibly the last field trip I will be allowed to participate in as she is growing up and leaving me in the dust faster that I can count. So this is how it works they lure you in with the promise of a guaranteed spot on this field trip if you sign up to be on this committee. Being the push over I am I signed up. Perhaps push over is too light of a word. Perhaps sucker would be more appropriate. Anyway I signed up thinking "how hard can this be it's a sixth grade party." I should have known better, I thought I knew better, I was wrong.
So I was lured in at this prospect and then I was hung within an inch of my being once I got there. I have planned parties, I planned my entire wedding and reception. When I was a mere child I pulled off a surprise birthday party for my mother and then again pulled one off as an adult. I am a grown woman with party planning experience for crying out loud. I should be qualified to come up with a mere eight games decorate them and move on. I am not. The theme of this wondrous event for children who read a bountiful amount of books (3) is American Idol. Very difficult to come up with games for that theme with limited space, equipment, and electrical outlets. But we did it. We have everything (I think) pretty much ready for Friday night.
Here is the kicker the children you and so deserving of a party are apparently not deserving enough to party with their friends. They have been divided up into groups by teachers that they are to go from station to station with a guide like a bunch of foreign tourists to the White House. They aren't with their friends at all. In fact my child doesn't even want to go.
So my question....Are fun nights really that fun if you can't go to game when you choose, eat when you choose and in general act goofy with your friends and make memories you can laugh about later?
Oh and guess what? I get to do it all again in two years! And again in five years. I have met some nice people and as nut as this entire thing has made me and don't get me wrong I can't wait to get my life back. I will be excited to try my hand at again. I may be a glutton for punishment.