Dreams

Last night I took Raia to see a community theater performance of Suessical the Musical. One of the girls from my Activity Days group was a "Who", and she and Raia are good friends (even though there's a 5-year age difference). When I told Raia about the play and who was in it, I got an unexpected reaction: she got excited and asked if *she* could be in it too. Tears ensued when I told her that it was too late, and that she was too young, to be in the play. The rest of the night was rather bittersweet for Raia. While she very much enjoyed the performance (as did I, it was really cute!) every so often she would start to quietly cry as she told me which characterss costumes she would like for me to try and buy at the store (she didn't understand that they weren't like Halloween costumes that anybody can buy and have for themselves) so that me and her could play some of the parts. And on the drive home she kept talking about how someday she too will be in a play "when I'm six years old!"

It was a humbling evening for me, to see a dream form in her eyes. She's too young for any of the local production companies to want to use in a play, and what do I do in the mean time? I've looked at some dance studios (so she can be in a recital) and they go by the school calander, so registration for new students isn't until late Summer. I'm sure Raia would love just as much to do ballet, since she loves checking out the "Baby Ballet" video from the library and doing the lessons all on her own, with a swimsuit leotard, and dress-up tutu. This girl just wants to be on a stage! I remember enjoying the lure of the theater when I was a kid, getting to put on "elaborate" costumes (or so they seemed to me) and real make-up and learn fun dances and perform for an audiance. What I think of now is how much time that's going to eat up. Lessons and rehearsals every week. Money spent on costumes. Time spent at home practicing parts and lines. But you'll do just about anything for your kids, and so we are now on the hunt.

I wonder what my boys' dreams will be...