Dance Party

This weekend was a busy one with three Annie productions and Ballet Forest Grove’s The Nutcracker. We are so lucky to live in a town that has so many amazing programs for kids and for the community. The Nutcracker was absolutely amazing. The show was dedicated to our girls and was rich in blue and purple accents. The dancers, many of our girls’ friends and role models, are so incredibly talented. They put on a show for our community that was absolutely beautiful. Tom and I felt so blessed to have the girls be honored in this way.

Forest Grove Dance Arts  has a yearly scholarship set up in Anna and Abigail’s name. It will provide dance lessons for a year and recital costumes to a number of girls that would not be able to afford participating in dance at the studio. Being a teacher, I know a lot of girls that would love to be involved but can’t due to financial restraints. This scholarship means so much to Tom and I. Miss Patty, the director of the studio, has done so much, not only for our girls but for so many little girls in this community. She is so amazing and I feel so blessed to have had her be in Anna and Abigail’s life. I really can’t thank her and the entire staff of instructors enough for all they have done for us as a family. I’m sure lots of people in Forest Grove feel the same way we do.

Yesterday Tom posted on his Facebook page that he wished he could have dance party with the girls. Dance party is a nightly ritual at the Dieter-Robinson house. Tom would take the girls into the family room and let them put on current pop tunes and they would all dance their little hearts out. Tom often would use this as a form of exercise, busting out 100 sit-up or 40 push-ups while the girls danced around him (or on top of him for added resistance). I was usually dancing in the kitchen doing dishes or taking a few minutes to myself while Tom had the girls completely enthralled in complete dancing joy.  They would all surface after about 3 or 4 songs sweaty, smiling and begging for more.

Before we met Tom and the kids, Anna and I would have dance party on a regular basis. We would dance on beds, around Sampson or I would pick her up and swing her around the room to music. One night this Fall she reminded me of this little bonding experience we used to have and asked if we could do it again. So before bed one evening, I picked Anna up like I did when she was 3 and danced around the room with her. She held on tight with her legs wrapped around me. I remember thinking that my little girl wasn’t so little anymore. My heart melted as we danced around the room to 22 by Taylor Swift.

Dance Party to All the Single Ladies

When we blended our families, Anna and I quickly learned that Tom and the kids also liked to rock out to music. We had “dance parties” and they had “rocking out sessions.” Tom would turn one of his favorite “Rocker” songs on and the kids would all dance around the living room. It didn’t take much to get this started – just a little music then Tom putting his hands up and starting to move like only Tom knows how. I love watching Tom dance. How he dances at home is very different then how he dances as a servant of Mr. Warbucks in Annie….just saying.

Rocking Out Robinson Style

We haven’t had dance party in almost 2 months. I’m sure one of these days, when the mood is just right and the song on the radio speaks to us, we will get up and dance again. When we do I know, without a doubt, our girls will be dancing with us.