My Lautala is a little firecracker. She's so amazingly smart for her age, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her mom. She really is too smart for her age. She's only 2 and she talks like she's 10. She's quick-minded and super sarcastic and she's got the biggest bossy-est personality. She makes me laugh, and makes me proud, and makes me mad all at the same time. LOL. She's one of a kind! She, however, takes stanger danger to the next level. She is soooooooooooooooooooo shy and doesn't like to meet new people. It's hard for her to let people in and most of the time when people that she doesn't know try to talk to her, she'll try to hide behind me or she'll bury her little face into my leg. I hate when she does that. She doesn't only do that to strangers, she does it to pretty much anybody. If she hasn't seen you or if she doesn't see you like everyday, she's scared of you. She does that to my parents....which makes me so mad. It always takes her a long time to warm up to them....just because we don't see them all the time. My dad tries so hard with her, but that makes her even worse. My dad even said to her once "Tala, why do you hate me? All my grandkids love me, but not you" :( He, of course, was just joking.....but there was definitely some truth behind that question. Before Uncle Po moved to Vegas, he was her favorite person in the whole world. Now that he's been living there for a few years, and she hasn't seen him in a while, she runs and hides from him. If he tries to hug or kiss her she screams and throws a huge fit. I don't care if she does that to strangers.....but it breaks my heart when she does it to our family.
I got a text from Niki Moleni a couple months ago that she is going to start teaching dance out of her house. The cost was only $10/month. Total score! Lautala LOVES to dance and she's constantly dancing and singing throughout the house. If any music comes on when we're watching tv, she'll jump up and dance, so I thought that would be an awesome opportunity for her. Plus, I was hoping it would help her come out of her shell a little. I texted Niki back and asked what the age range was and she said they had to be 3. :( Tala girl is only 2 so she doesn't make the cut. A few days later, Niki called me and said that Tala could join! She's so advanced for her age that she thought she'd be fine. YAY!!
The first couple practices she stood in the corner shaking with fear. She would hold on to me and bury her face in my side and she wouldn't let go. She didn't want to dance, she didn't want anyone to talk to her, or even look at her....yet she didn't want to leave either. She stood there watching. It was just a new environment for her and new people. There were only 3 girls in that little class (2 other girls and Tala) but she didn't know Niki, or the other moms that were there.....and she was really uncomfortable. I talked to Niki about how I was hoping that by putting her in dance she'd open up a little, but that I didn't know if it was working. Niki told me not to give up.....it will help her, but I had to be patient.
Sure enough.....she warmed up and it didn't take long at all. After about the 4th or 5th practice she didn't even want me to go in with her....she was a big girl, she was comfortable now and she could do it all by herself. Yay! :) She picked up the dance really fast. She danced around the house all the time, and she had the whole routine memorized, it was so cute and I was super proud of her! She loved it and I honestly saw a HUGE improvement...and I saw her open up more. Her dance class was on Tuesday nights and she would ask me every single day to take her to dance. I would always tell her that dance is only on Tuesday and it's not Tuesday yet.....and she would say, with an angry face "I don't like Tuesday, I want to go to dance right now" LOL. I downloaded the song that she was dancing to and she would play it over and over and over again and dance all around the house. It was too cute!
Tonight was the recital where they got to preform all the dances they had been learning. This year Niki went with a Halloween theme and it was so awesome!.....I mean who doesn't like Halloween??!! I got Tala all dressed up in her costume....with her hair and makeup and she was ready to dance. I gave her a pep talk about how proud I was of her and how she was going to do such a great job tonight at the recital. I was pretty confident that she would preform and wouldn't get too shy....but in the back of my heart I kindof knew she would. I just hoped she wouldn't.
We got there a little early and helped them set up. Tala was being so good. She was running around with the other kids and she was excited. I kept pep talking her all the way up to the performance and she kept telling me that she was going to dance. Then it was their turn. She was doing so great and she even walked out on the stage in front of everyone. She was going to do it! Then it took too long for the music to start and she started playing with her little wand. She pulled the star off the end of it and then she couldn't get it back on. Then the music started. She didn't want to dance without the star on her wand. She was overwhelmed and I could see it in her eyes. I blame myself because I should have ran out there and put the star on it for her.....but instead I told her to just throw it down and dance without it. That obviously wasn't going to happen. She lost it. She cried and screamed and ran off the stage. She was NOT going to dance without the star on her wand.....and now she was NOT going to dance at all. :( I tried to talk her into going out there, but it wasn't going to happen. She's so into gum right now and so I offered her 10 peices of gum. She didn't even want that. She was not going to dance. I was bummed and kicking myself for not fixing her star. I believe she would have danced if that little incident didn't happen. She was traumatized and kept telling me that she doesn't want to dance anymore. Sad moment.
She sat on my lap for the rest of the recital just watching everyone else dance. She even won the prize for the most hours practiced because she dances at home and practices all the time. Tonight was just not her night.
On the way home from the recital, she told me that she does want to dance again. I didn't get mad at her for not dancing....my heart was sad about it, but I understood what a huge step that was for her to even get up on that stage. She knew I was disappointed. I'm at work right now. I dropped them off at home after the recital and then I had to come into work. Ova just texted me and told me that Tala said their bedtime prayers tonight and she blessed herself to dance and don't be scared so mommy doesn't get mad. LOL. Step by step, little by little. She's made so much progress already just from going to the dance class. She's not as shy, she's nice to my family...and to Po LOL. We've just got to keep on trying....she'll get there! Good job my little dancer, I love you Tala girl!
Tala girl with Constence Falatea....isn't her makeup awesome!
The little girls class
RubiMei-4yrs, JennaLee-5yrs, Lautala-2yrs
Tala didn't end up dancing, but JennaLee and RubiMei did such a great job preforming the cute dance they'd been practicing for months. So grateful to Niki Moleni for doing this at such an affordable rate for all our kids. Even though my Tala girl didn't perform, I totally notice how much it has helped her come out of her little shell. She loves to dance, and I will continue to put her in it until she's comfortable up on that stage! :)
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