Today was her second ballet class. It went sooooo much better than last week. She has been eagerly waiting for class all week and was all smiles and confidence as she strutted into class in her new ballet slippers and sparkly tutu. She spent class having a great time, but absolutely marching to the beat of her own drum, unconcerned if her twirls and leaps were not exactly the same as the other girls. She was eager and friendly but definitely giving off that I’m Gonna Do It My Way vibe that I love about her.

Do I care if she becomes smitten with all things ballet and turns into a Swan Lake Super Star? Nope – I just want her to have a great time and learn new things with confidence and poise. To embrace the challenges in her life and never stop trying. I want her to fall down and get back up – to make new friends and know when to let go. I want her to define awesomeness for herself and defend those choices with vigor.

After class I asked her if she liked being a ballerina and she said calmly, “I’m not a ballerina mommy. I’m a Princess who does ballet.” I tried to get her to divulge the difference between ballerinas and Princesses Who Do Ballet but she was pretty vague on the topic. I think it has something to do with the skirt? But probably it’s about the attitude. Ballerinas fall in line, princesses draw the line, you know?

This girl definitely draws her own lines!