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I am so happy and proud today – I could burst! 

My girls had their first day of Princess Ballet Camp through Roseville Parks and Rec today.  It is only one week, one hour per day.  But it is a fun little experience for them.

Let me explain why I am so thrilled; 

When my triplets were 3, I signed all three of them up for one week of Tiny Tots dance class.  None of them would let go of my legs.  It was completely impossible.  So I quickly got ahold of the P&R office and canceled their class.  Luckily, they had pity on me and gave me a refund.

When they were 4, Daughter1 begged and begged me to sign her up again. To convince me she was ready, she took to making up a new dance every night to show me before bedtime. So, I signed her up.  But only her.  And we talked a lot about what was expected at dance class – that Mommy had to leave the room and she had to participate. She had a tough first day, and then a small battle with shyness at the beginning of each class, but she got through it and loved it.

Now this year, Daughter2 actually asked if she could go with Daughter1 this summer.  We talked A LOT about what dance class is like, what happens there and how all the little girls have to go in without their mommies and follow the teacher’s instructions.  We bought a book with photos of girls their age in dance class and read it in the weeks leading up to it.  I hoped for the best for her and braced myself for the worst.

And today; we got there early...checked out the room....took our time changing into dance clothes....went potty...checked out the room again... and when the time came, the door opened, both girls went in and ....Magic!  They were both participating in class, standing where they were told and doing what the teacher showed them.

I was practically doing cartwheels in the lobby!  They have grown so much.  But especially my Daughter2.  She has come a long way between her Sensory Processing Disorder and naturally introverted tendencies.  To see her participating on the first day... I just know it takes so much courage for her.  And the blossoming and maturing she has done over the past year, and her effort to try new things despite how uncomfortable I see she is at first, reaffirms my decision to hold her back (and therefore her triplet brother and sister) for Kindergarten. 

I am truly feeling she will be OK.  Her beautiful smile when she bravely accomplishes something that is new and scary for her tells me so.

Or rather; My welcome to the 'Sandwhich Generation'.

Thursday, as I was tied to my phone waiting for two kinds of calls; 1) to know when my mom came out of surgery and how she was and 2) waiting for the hospital to call and tell me where my daughter was in the surgery line-up for Friday, it occurred to me that at 37 I have a secure place in the up ‘til now mysterious 'Sandwich Generation'.

Last week was rough.  My Daughter#2 was scheduled for tonsil and adenoid removal on Friday and my world revolved around making sure she stayed well.  Of course, last weekend my son's body decided this would be the best time to whip up a mysterious fever.  The fever lasted for 3 days but we kept him quarantined to his room for an additional day, just to be sure. He was actually really good about staying away from his sister.

Meanwhile, in Southern California, my mom was preparing for her surgery scheduled for Thursday.  My sister went down to be the designated-offspring-on-hand (just as I had volunteered to be there when my dad went in for prostate surgery in December).  I was glad she was there, as I couldn’t be in two places at once.

It is a very strange position to lift yourself out of full-mommy-mode to check and make sure your parents are being cared for correctly too.  This snuck up on me -When I am sick I still want to pick up the phone and call my mommy for comfort. And now I also need to admit that she needs her children to pick up the phone and check in on her health too. We have all been told that the roles would slowly shift as we grow up, and now as I learn what it is to be a mother I must also learn how to care for those who mothered (and fathered) me)

My mother and my daughter both came through their surgeries very well and now it is just up to restraining them to keep their activity levels quiet while recovering.  Oddly enough this entails keeping them both from digging in the dirt in their respective gardens. Oh how the similarities abound!