This weekend was a busy one. Not only was it Father's Day weekend, it was also Big Sister's annual dance recital. Due to the location of all festivities, we opted to spend the night at my mother-in-law's home, which meant our first (only?) overnight stay away from home with the spica cast.
First, we attended our Pink Princess's dance recital. As this was a 3.5 hr event, we had some compromises to make. Big Sister's mom was kind enough to save us seats near the rear of the auditorium- a very smart move. I thought we were well armed with snacks and live entertainment. Unfortunately, Big Sister's two numbers were dispersed between many more and Hip Chick was restless. While we awaited the star of the show, I took Hip Chick into the common area of the high school hosting the big event.
Hip chick begged to "crawl" through the empty hallways. She insisted I lay her down onto the cold tile, and then she dragged herself past empty classrooms, asking to be picked up and peek into their windows. Together, we discussed what may have occurred in them. She was thrilled to pull herself as I strolled alongside, the irony of her clawing the floor outside a dance recital lost upon her.
Parents, relatives, and dancers passed us by in the common area. Some pretended not to look, diverting their peripheral gazes as my eyes met their faces. Others smiled weakly and sidestepped. I was tempted to pull her up but resisted- I wanted her to feel I was as proud of her as any dancer's parent inside the auditorium. She was as happy as a lark with her accomplishment in progress. I was relieved by the few with enough courage to ask why she is casted. I prefer intelligent questions over sideways glances any day.
When it was Big Sister's turn to perform, she held no shortage of support or excitement for her big sister. She was happy to clap and cheer for her sister, but she did not seem to care much about the other numbers. I wondered whether she would be bothered by so many dancing children in front of her, but the juxtaposition seemed to have more impact on Mommy than our little hippie.
Of course, with an event this long, a diaper change was badly needed- especially since our plans for after the recital would be unlikely to offer a convenient location to change her. Unfortunately, nerves must have unsettled a young dancer too much and the bathroom was a big mess. We climbed a stairwell and changed baby girl's diaper in an empty hallway.
Afterward, we met extended family for dinner, which went well. It was her first family gathering with my in-laws since the onset of traction (much less surgery and casting) and she weathered all of the activity with good spirits.
We spent the night at my mother-in-law's, which meant her first time sleeping away from either home or hospital since last year. Aside from our trusty portable booster, our biggest aid was our rocking bee. I used it to clean her, dress her, fix her hair without missing a beat. She did not sleep quite as well as usual in her unfamiliar surroundings, but Mommy was able to keep her (mostly) contained in our shared bed. I was nervous that she would fall off the bed as I slept, without her crib slats to guard her, but she was happy to snuggle next to me as best she could in her cast.
We enjoyed brunch with my husband's immediate family in the morning. Despite being away from home for so long, she continued to weather the string of events well. Better than expected, actually. 24 hours away from home without too much hiccup. We may not incur any more of these occasions before her third cast is removed, but I feel that we accomplished plenty this weekend to be proud of.
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