Moving Up Ceremony

My daughter is graduating tomorrow from preschool.  

There was a parent-teacher meeting a few weeks back to decide whether parents still want to have a moving up ceremony for the preschool kids.  Ever since the K12, there were no graduation rites required.   According to the teachers, they need to get the consensus of the parents on having a Moving Up celebration of the students. 

Well, everyone said yes to the idea of having a ceremony ... except for me.  I didn't see the point of having a ceremony for the kids since the transition of preschool to grade school didn't seem a big deal for me.  It was just another one of those we have to spend on.    

But I couldn't do anything about it since most of the parents said yes.  

However, during their rehearsal, I found it's importance.  It's about getting nearer to our goal of giving Via an education that she needs for her future survival.  And yes, it was worth celebrating.  Good thing parents like me were outnumbered or else, Via have to put off the chance to go up the stage and be recognised for the work the she has done the past school years.    

Ballet Recital

This is what I've noticed about my daughter: she loves to dance.  And so, when I saw that there was a dance school nearby, I didn't hesitate to enroll her.  I knew she would enjoy it very much.

However, every first day is the hardest.  It took her some time to get used to the teacher, the mirrored dance rooms and the pink-tutu classmates.

She enrolled late this year and so, the recital just came too quick for her.

Today, she showed that it didn't matter.  I think she handled it well.  

The kids had some kind of Kris Kringle in the dressing room while they were waiting for the show to start.

It started late than scheduled because (from what I heard), the ballet teacher had to wait for a parent.  I was afraid that the students, particularly my daughter, would be so restless and tired already.

I guess they were having so much fun together, no one was complaining.

The teacher fixed everyone's hair when there was a need for fixing.  And I just had to take a picture of the teacher putting some lipstain on my daughter's lips.  Via has this some kind of affiliation with make-up at this early stage.  Too bad her mom don't wear any on both regular and special days.

The ballet teacher, teacher Kat, did her own number for the invocation.  

It was pretty impressive.

Watching ballet this close, I could see how hard it was.  Jumping and landing perfectly on toed shoes.  This was a real sport.  Ballet dancers seem fragile but I think it would take a lot of effort to keep that grace intact while under some sort of pressure - the balancing act while holding your head up high.  I'd like that to be instilled in my daughter.  

There were a lot of grandparents there.  And everyone was rooting for somebody in the stage. It was a nice family day.  Via was constantly peeking through the curtains to wave to us.  She saw us once and she just couldn't stop to look and see if we were still in our seats.  She used to cry whenever she performs in front of people and see me among them.  But these days, she just smiles happily knowing that I'm there (along with her grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousin.  

Next month she will be seeing me and her father in the audience rooting for her.  I can't wait until then.  

Dress Rehearsals and Pictorials

 

Two Saturdays ago, I sent my daughter to her ballet class.  I thought I wasn't going to miss much by not going along with her but it turned out that it wasn't a regular day for them.  I wasn't given any notice that there was some kind of preparation for their recital on December.  

She surprised me when she came back after more than an hour.  She was wearing not her uniform but a fancy tutu.  The help told me that she wasn't able to answer my calls because she was helping my daughter get dressed several times.  

I was wondering why she had to dress several times.  She told me that there was more than one costume that they had to wear.  She took out what was inside her bag and showed me several colorful costumes.

I was so excited that I didn't even think that what my daughter was wearing was still straight from somewhere and haven't had the chance to wash it yet.

I asked her to wear it a little longer so that I could take pictures of her myself.  Her yaya told me that I need not worry because she took pictures of my daughter in school too!    

 I have to thank yaya because she did a good job being there with my daughter when I couldn't.

I have to say she did a pretty good job taking these pictures.

I showed them to my parents to get them excited for the recital.  They paid for the ballet classes which I can hardly afford and so, they have the right to enjoy everything about it.

The yaya told me that while almost every kid in the class was crying because the costumes were all somewhat itchy, my daughter was smiling for the camera non-stop.

The ballet teacher reiterated that she was really good during the pictorial when I sent my daughter to ballet class the next session.

Looking at these pictures, I saw how it was not a mistake to ask my parents if they could sponsor Via Faith's ballet classes.  Swallowing my pride gives a lot of good.

Her papa can take care of her tennis lessons in the future for free but I really like her to continue ballet too.  Dreaming big for my kid here :)







Ballet Classes in Greenmeadows ave: 0917 885 2464
Tennis Classes (Meralco Compound Ortigas): 0922 874 2959

Trick or Treat 2014

This is such a late post.  It's like a Halloween special on Thanksgiving (well, almost).

My daughter was able to attend at least one Trick or Treat activity.  Thank goodness for their school who thinks of so many ways to distract them from the seriousness of getting good grades.  I couldn't find time to bring her to any other Trick or Treating activity in the metro.  I have been so busy that I couldn't even afford to attend to her during their school activity.

Thank goodness for yaya who knows how to take pictures with the smart phone we lent her.  A little photo tweaking was all that is needed.

 

Barbies and Disney Princesses

For a long time, I blamed toys like Barbie and Disney Princesses for girls developing misconceptions about themselves.  If you happen to come across Barbie Dreamhouse (or something like that) in YouTube, it would seem that a perfect life comes from all good material things.  It was that extravagant and never simple.  If little girls would grow up thinking that way, they'll end up disappointed in many points in their lives.  They create unrealistic expectations of what they should have and what they should become.

I want my daughter to have an encounter with the same toys I have played when I was young.  However, there must be some guidance so that she would understand that:

There will be no prince or fairy godmother that can save her.  She can only rely on herself.

You don't need to have everything to live - only the important things.  

Keep fit.  Do not keep thin.

Work on your brain not only your body.
There is some good in everyone, even the villains. 

Don't show off.  

And so much more.  

I want the best for my daughter.  However, I probably won't be able to give them all to her.  I want her to know that she can learn how to achieve what is best for herself.  (YouTube) Barbies and (Traditional) Disney Princesses won't teach her how.