15 Definitions from a “DancinMoma.” Are YOU one too?

Are YOU a “DancinMoma?”

Are you a “DancinMoma?” No, not a trained dancer, but a parent on the move with a child (or two or three) in tow. If you are a “DancinMoma”, or know one who is, you should also know that there is a certain grace these individuals possess and masterful techniques they use to weave through a typical day.

Here are a few “DancinMoma Definitions” to ponder; have YOU experienced any of these?

The Pointless Pivot

Walking into a room with purpose.

Forgetting why you came there.

Pivoting the opposite way.

Remembering why you were heading there in the first place.

Pivoting again.

The Drop, Duck and Roll

The maneuver executed while walking through the living room covered only by a small, post-shower towel and hearing a loud knock on the front door from a delivery person!!

Maneuver is normally followed by a 30 second pause behind the couch, then a cautious peek.

The Trip Walk

Walking purposefully and alone to your destination, passing people and smiling confidently, then tripping, running three steps, and continuing as if you “meant” to do that.

The Tippy Toe Toy Hop

Inadvertently stepping on a Lego® creation or small toy.

Ow! Jumping! Hopping up and down holding your toe.

Happy S”hour”er

Extremely rare, uninterrupted time in your shower that feels like a frozen drink by a beach.

The Split Side

Stepping a flat, slippery object such as a magazine (Left by your spouse, no doubt). Then, while struggling to regain your balance, splaying the legs into an unconventional split you did not know you could still do.

Laser Spy Mission

Arriving from point A to point B in a playroom without hitting a toy.

The Baby Sway Stray

That side-to-side motion used to rock your baby that you do it even without your baby.

The Hip Dip

Closing doors or drawers with your hip while carrying a child in one arm, bags in the other, and cradling a phone in one ear. (Caution: only trained ‘DancinMomas’ should attempt this.)

Mac and Cheese Mambo

Stirring (and 1, 2) providing direction, repeating that direction (and 3, 4) without “boiling over.”

The Dip & Dunk:

Bending over to pick up item on floor and shoot a basket across room into the appropriate container or basket…. Score!

The Shuffle Shovel

Holding items in arms while maneuvering your foot to collect and slide things scattered on floor into a neat pile.

Cha Cha Chew Chew

The amount of time (1,2) allowed to eat your dinner — cha-cha chew chew chew — after everyone is taken care of.

The Splam

That moment when you walk away from a conversation only to run into a door or side stage wall… Splat is what it is normally called. If your name is Pam, however, like me…. the “Splam.”

Five Minute Flail Fail

The 5-minute warning that evolves into 15 to 30, or more, as you motion to

your child with flailing arms that it’s “time to go!”

Please Define YOUR “DancinMoma” moments below and add to the list!

Happy DANCING!

Get Jiggy in March!

“Dia Dhuit”

Top of the morning to ye, lads and lassies! Follow me to the end of our imaginary rainbow to search for a pot o’gold…’Tis time to get your “Leprechaun” on.

We step, we skip, we hop, we MARCH! It’s time to kick up our heels and dance a jig or two in honor of St. Patrick. You see, I grew up in an Irish family and married into an Irish family. So I’ll be knowing an Irish Blessing or two. St. Paddy’s Day is a big deal in our home, right up there with Christmas and Halloween. It’s not about the pub crawls (but that’s not to say a green beer or two wouldn’t appear.) 😉 To us it’s about Leprechauns sneaking in, leaving a bit of a mess, and maybe a wee lil’ gift or two. It’s about pots of gold and magical rainbow myths. We dress in shamrock-adorned clothes and carry banners as we march proudly in our local Irish parade. We sway arm in arm while harmonizing over “Oh Danny Boy” and yes, we know all of the arm motions to the infamous Unicorn song.

Aye. Kiss us. We’re Irish! 😉

I hope that you, too, will get your “Green” on…whether Irish or not. ‘Tis a fine time to clap your hands with the beat. Stomp your feet. Click your heels. Make some noise and celebrate!

On this St. Patrick’s Day — and everyday — count your BLESSINGS. Take a moment to look for the “four-leaved” clovers in YOUR life.

“Slån!”

I will close with one of my favorite Old Irish Blessings…

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rain fall soft upon your fields,
And, until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.

CUE THE ORCHESTRA!

One, Two, THREE! We dance teachers have a “thing” about counting out numbers with the music. “5, 6, 7 ,8” is a popular count to begin a combo and get all the dancers in synch. Each step or movement usually has an assigned count to it from 1-8. There’s “1 and a 2, 3 and a4” or “1e and a, 2e and a, 3e and a” Lots of options to remember and lots of music to be played. But these variations also make me realize that these counts in OUR own life go by quickly, as if stuck on fast forward.

THREE!

I’m “zeroing” in on the number THREE because in the blink of any eye…my youngest (our lil’ miracle baby) is turning three. She’s old enough to do ‘big girl things, but young enough to keep her childhood magic aglow during a simple day (even more during holidays and special family events.) She coaxes out the inner child in virtually everyone around her. She’s a little sis to two wonderful big brothers who are also growing too fast by the way. If I could only hit the “pause” button with my kids, as we do in dance class to repeat a combination. In the meantime, I will SAVOR the moments. I will pause. I will stop. I will watch. I will listen. Just as I do while rehearsing my classes for a big show. It’s about fine tuning. It’s about details. They have my full attention.

MOMENTS?

Can you think of moments you may have missed while you’re focused on a phone or iPad, while your child is experiencing a brand new fleeting childhood moment? I am guilty of that. Especially with my 3rd child. You see, not only is she three, she is growing up through social media. Although I am happy her life is well-documented on Facebook, on my phone, on instagram and now, this blog. There have been times where I’d take a photo, post it immediately, then check far too often waiting anxiously for “likes” or “comments.” Yet at the same time…

I am missing the authentic moment.

Right. In. Front. Of. Me.

Pause. Rewind. Start over.

One more time.

5, 6, 7, 8.

LIFE BY THE NUMBERS

1. Our youngest surprises us by entering this world, early
2. We were expecting a boy — we already have two — but ‘she’ surprises us
3. Welcome to this world precious soul
4. New words in the house, such as “she“ and “her”
5. A puffy cloud of pinks and purples came over our home
6. Time crawls by, yet suddenly she’s walking and talking
7. Our baby turns One!
8. Our baby turns Two.

Clearly 8 counts of a song or combination cannot capture the numerous MOMENTS of wonder, joy, and pure LOVE we have celebrated these last three years of this precious, sweet, girl…..SIGH.

Time to add more music, more “steps,” more counts. So in class I could scroll down for a new song on the iPod or put in another CD. Ahhhhh…..the music continues….the counts go on….I pause, I rewind, I fast forward, then rewind. A “dance” is created. It’s a memorable one too.

Stop. TAKE A MOMENT TO “PLAY!”

Grab some type of material, even a napkin, in your house or office (we use scarves in dance class). Take your item and scrunch it up into a little ball in your hand. Grab a few family members. Now count down…..then toss it in the air, knowing that our family is laughing along WITH your family and friends. Hey. It’s even a simple joy by yourself. Feed your inner child. 🙂

Are you ready? 5.….4.….3.….2.…..OOOOOOONE!!! (Toss your object in the air, with all the joy you can muster!)

Cue the music! Now get on with your DANCE!

The “Dance” of Life…. Your “First” Steps

This is my very first BLOG. Would love some feedback and even a follow if you are so inclined. 😉 I’ll follow back!!! Have a great day. 🙂

The “Dance” of Life…. Your “First” Steps.

A Curtsy to Oscar Night….

Who will you THANK in your “Fake Acceptance Speech?” 🙂

A Curtsy to Oscar Night…..

The “Dance” of Life…. Your “First” Steps

“Firsts” are momentous, and they happen just once for each new experience. The list is common, yet unique to each of us.

First steps.  

First smile. First kiss. First heartbreak. 

First job. First car. First baby. First loss.

First ultrasound. First concert. 

First words.  

And, yes, first dance class….  

Excitement fills the air as little girls dressed in pink leotards, tights and tutus, with perhaps a flower in their hair, shuffle tentatively into the dance studio for the first time in their lives. Brand new ballet shoes in tow, many of these youngsters will find that the studio becomes a lifetime companion. The little ones look around with an infectious curiosity. Some leap right into action while others hang tight to mom or dad. 

Miss Pam (yours truly) greets each little one for the first time. Neither of us can know yet whether the teacher and student relationship will last for one session… or decades. For me, this first meeting is always a celebration. Teaching these precious soon-to-be dancers has taught and continues to teach me much about life, about me, and about firsts. I want to share these simple lessons of life with you and together we can celebrate our own “firsts.”

For instance, this is my “first” official blog. I am still learning the “steps” of a blog, but subsequent posts will be filled with thoughts in my head that keep me awake through the night. Dancing, motherhood, teaching dance and experiencing life through dance have provided me with a distinctive perspective on life. I invite you to share the journey.

The correlation between dance movements and those of day-to-day life is simple yet quite fascinating, in my opinion. As we begin class I instruct the girls and the occasional boy (have to get more boys involved) to stand on their tulips with feet together. I teach them how to turn their toes to either side and look down. To the new dancers it looks like a piece of cake or pizza, or at least that what I understand through their giggling. We reach down for our magic sparkles and toss them into the air and onto our feet to create our “twinkle toes.” 🙂 Some girls reach down to open their feet, some try, others need assistance, but at one moment they are all standing in first position, otherwise known as “kissing heels.” First position is a success! They will use it from this day forward each time they dance, as I secretly hope that the sparkles touch their hearts to let them shine from within….

Firsts can add anticipation, curiosity, a new hope or a new beginning to life, such as the first of the year or the first chapter of the book you’ve always wanted to write. I ask you to recall your firsts — good or bad, reflect on how you’ve learned from them. Are you using what you’ve learned to improve YOUR life? 

First dance. First time driving. First snow. First meeting. First book. First movie. First sunset. 

First phone. First birthday. First tooth.

That first precious look in a mirror…. Sigh ….

So many…. “Firsts.” 

For today’s final curtsy, I’d like to point out that the word ‘first’ is also correlated to its counterpart, the numeral ‘one.’ 

One. 

So simple, yet so complex. I believe that ONE person CAN make a difference. So take those FIRST steps in your life today. 

Be that ONE.

Be the FIRST.

“DANCE” through your life….

And watch what happens!