Shall We Dance?

I didn't plan to post twice tonight, but then I didn't plan to dance either.

Alex's daycare center had a dance for the kids, complete with a DJ. I took Alex last year, and he clung to me the entire time. I didn't think he was ready for it this year, but his teachers conspired against me. When I picked him up tonight, they had taught him to say, "I want to go to the dance!" He was so excited, running around with one of his friends, so how could I say no? I called Eugene to let him know about the change in plans, and off we went.

I took Alex to dinner at Panera first, and he ate pretty well. (The secret to a happy toddler is to make sure he eats well and gets enough sleep.) Then we drove to the banquet center where the dance was being held. It was pretty slippery; I fell as I got out of the car. Luckily, I didn't fall when I was carrying Alex (his Royal Highness doesn't walk if he can get me to carry him, and I usually do, no matter how awkward it is).

Many of the kids were dressed up for the dance. Alex was still in his casual clothes, but there were plenty of kids going casual too. I brought him to the edge of the dance floor for a couple of songs, but as I predicted, he clung to me. Eventually he wanted to leave the room. He started to get a little more active, especially once he saw a couple of boys from our playgroup. They had fun running up and down the hallway, trying to get money from an ATM machine, and generally acting like toddlers. Alex even latched on to one of the other moms for a while! Eugene met us at the dance and talked to a couple of other fathers there. One of Alex's teachers actually brought him onto the dance floor, and I danced a little bit too. It's been a long time, and I was amazed I still had the energy for it! But eventually the dance ended, and Alex ran out of energy. So we'll see how he does next year.