Extracurricular Excitement

It's really important to me that when I sign Maeve up for something, be it swim lessons, sports, dance, gymnastics, whatever, that it be something Maeve is personally interested in doing. This is especially important because I don't personally have a huge interest in kid's soccer or swimming or even dance, so I want to make sure Maeve is choosing something she wants to learn more about. She won't ever take anything just because it's what I used to do. I want her to choose her own adventure.

That being said, Maeve is now taking bellydance lessons. I'm sure a lot of you would never in a jillion years consider signing your kiddo up for bellydance lessons, but hear me out. Some of our friends bellydance, and Maeve was enthralled when she went to see them. She was equally enthralled when we saw bellydancers at the Renaissance Festival this year. So I knew she had a real interest.

She didn't precisely ask me for bellydance lessons, but I knew she was keen. There aren't, in our area, bellydance lessons specifically for kiddos, but I asked my friends who have done it for years if they would be open to teaching Maeve in a one-on-one situation.

Here's where I get lucky. I have the best friends. They love Maeve, and they said yes! How many girls get their own private dance lessons? No one to impress, no one to be embarrassed in front of, no one to compare herself to, nothing to lose. I mean really.

We started last week, and Maeve kept asking, What else can I learn? What's next? What else is there? She was so sweet, and really did a good job following instructions. It was a lot to take on, because bellydance involves learning a lot of different ways to move the body, and Maeve has never spent that much time focusing on all those different muscles and movements. But I loved sitting there, watching her little mental gears turn as she figured it out.

She'll get to dance at a recital someday if she wants to, but there's no hurry. Right now she just gets to learn, right here at our house, with some women who are investing in her. I love that.