Charlotte turns double digits, but it feels as though she’s been 16 for a couple years. When she was born, we received a gift that said a common saying, “Sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of.” Wow, that is our Charlotte. (It’s still in her closet.) She’s strong and bold and beautiful and I do not worry about her taking on the world. I do, however, hope she can stay 10 as long as possible and not grow up too fast.
Charlotte pushes herself in dance and in school. She also pushes me in my journey as a parent. Boundaries are getting less black and white with her negotiations and determination. It’s Charlotte’s world, and I’m just here to hold on for the ride. I truly wouldn’t want it any other way. She just gets things and sometimes “parenting” her feels silly. I will continue to yearn for more patience and humility.
Charlotte strives for perfection and holds a high standard for herself. I admire her hard work and commitment in all she does. If you give her a task, she will nail it! It might take longer than expected, but it will be done well. She is currently very involved in dance and is spending 14-15 hours a week dancing. She is on a competing team where they will compete in jazz, contemporary and hip hop next spring. She has taken on another dance solo and has also achieved the status of point where she practices once a week with a private ballet instructor on point shoes (her first pair of high heels). This last competition season was a huge success with her team where they received many awards and 1st place titles. Charlotte also took her hip hop solo to Nationals in Las Vegas and won 1st place in her category. Go Charlotte!
When Charlotte is not dancing, she’s home listening to music and enjoying art, fashion and makeup. For Charlotte’s 10th birthday, she and I were able to steal away to Las Vegas for one night to see the Michael Jackson show where all of her favorite things were combined – dance, music, art and fashion. It was an inspiring show for both of us. I love spending one-on-one time with her and getting her fashion and makeup advice. She’s my best girl and I’m the luckiest mama! Can’t wait for more, Charlotte!
One last note worth documenting, we gave Charlotte her first iPhone for her 10th birthday. There were multiple factors that weighed heavily into this, mostly her dance schedule and her dance friends. We’re still working on the balance, but wow, what a time to be alive!
