Tots & Tutus

Yesterday was Mikaella's 1st official Tots & Tutus class. Creation Station is a cute little dance studio in Culver City where they encourage dancing for girls from 18mths through till their teenage years.  For 18mths - 3 year old the class is called, Tots & Tutus and we are now officially a part of it.

Mikaella dances to pretty much any and all types of music and has for a while now. There are times when I don't even realize music is playing in the background but my little muffin has music radar and will be dancing away in her own little world as soon as she hears it. I grew up really loving sports and being a Tomboy so this whole area feels a little foreign to me. My Mom always wanted me to pursue dance and my Dad was always encouraging of music but I had another agenda [playing any & all kinds of sports, wherever I could and preferably with any boys I could find in the neighborhood as they better athletes than the girls I knew]  However, my little mini-me seems to possess interest in both areas which is making her Grandparents very happy.

I have to admit that although I had no desire whatsoever to go to a dance class or anything to do with music when I was growing up, it is pretty darn cute watching how much joy Mikaella derives from the arts already at this young age. In Santa Monica there are a number of outdoor-style shopping areas and since we are blessed with beautiful weather year-round, Mikaella and I frequent these destinations. Mikaella will be holding my hand and will stop abruptly or "put the brakes on" as I refer to it, and start dancing in the middle of the sidewalk because she can hear the sound of the music playing from inside the store out onto the street and she must dance until the song has completely finished before she begins walking again. It cracks me up!! Not once have I done something like this so to me, this is all her. She also can hum the tune of all of her favourite nursery rhymes which blows me away because she is only 18mths old. She is starting to speak but has shown more in terms of her musicality vs her verbal communication skills.

The other day we were at Starbucks and while we were waiting for our order, she heard a song that struck a chord with her and all of a sudden started doing her "slow groove" as we call it in the middle of the store. It was early in the morning and all the other customers were in their busy get to work mode, and they all stopped to watch my little sweetie dance it up. She made people smile that would normally not look twice at a little 18mth old girl during their morning commute but she made it so that you couldn't not stop and giggle. At the end of her dancing which simultaneously was when our order was ready, she turned to everyone and started waving and said, "Byeee" in this cute little upbeat voice. Then reached for my hand and walked out of the store as if her work was done for the day. This is my little Mikaella :)