My little girl turned 3 today. And I am left wondering. Wondering how this wee little thing who could do nothing for herself:

Turned into this little baby, who could stand and walk:

Wondering how that little baby turned into this toddler, who could talk and climb:

And how all of them, all of them, turned into this little girl who dances and plays and shows signs of reason:

I was there. I had a front row seat. Still, I don’t really know. I don’t really know.

I can’t even imagine what this year will hold for us. What Hannah will be like when she’s 4. I’m too busy trying to understand what happened yesterday, or maybe (if I’m lucky) what’s happening now. The future will have to take care of itself. I only know that I will still be vaguely baffled that I somehow birthed and raised a child who is so much her own little person. It seems impossible, but it’s clearly not, so I just continue to wonder. How? Why? When was I not watching, and it all happened?

Yesterday evening Hannah attended her first ballet class. She was very excited and a little bit nervous about this class. She said, “But, I don’t know how to get there.” She wondered what the floor looked like at the ballet class, whether ‘the ballerinas’ would all have necklaces, and what the teacher would say if she needed a tissue from her mom. She wanted to know the teacher’s name, as well as each ballerina’s name. She wanted to know if they would have naptime.

We packed up her ballet costume in her ‘ballerina backpack’ (although I wasn’t sure if it was necessary or appropriate) and set out early so that we could get the lay of the land. I tried to wind down her expectations a little, in case the class wasn’t everything she anticipated. I needn’t have worried.

Seven little girls showed up, all in skirts, and most in special ballet outfits. These kids were dressed like candy confections, and Hannah changed into her outfit and found a place on her own little mat. She sat quietly while the teacher spoke first with the parents, and then with the dancers. Hannah paid attention, and followed directions. She pointed and flexed, galloped and skipped, lept and spun. She waited her turn, and even spoke up when the teacher asked questions. She sang the ‘Lullaby League’ song from the Wizard of Oz to herself during her free dance. And she had a great time. I was so happy to watch her enjoying herself and learning. It was truly awesome. The level of parental pride I felt watching my daughter in her class was overwhelming, and possibly even ridiculous, but I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face.

Afterward, we went to Dairy Queen and got her a ‘delly bar’. It was a great Valentine’s day, even though I didn’t see my husband but for a half-hour in the morning. Really, what can hold a candle to hanging out with a ballerina in a flower tutu and tiny pink shoes? It turns out, not too much.

Playing with iMovie today, seeing what I could make with my favourite subject.