Yes, I'm a sad bunny - I admit it. Somebody find me the closest Control Freaks Anon meeting, please!
Anyhoo, Jess is now WAG L5 and RAD Grade 5, while Tamsin is (well, she may be WAG L2, if she gets her act together but that's another story) WAG L2 and RAD Grade 1. Which means juggling the class time clashes again.
This is not new.
In fact this will be the 4th year that I've done this - so you'd think I'd have it down pat by now. However, not only do I not have it down pat, but I now start worrying about it earlier and earlier as each year goes by.
As I said, I'm a sad control freak bunny.
The main reason for worrying about it earlier rather than later is to do with the possible need to change clubs or ballet schools to make it all fit in a way that is actually doable without resorting to transporter beams or cloning.
The trick, I've found, is to make one activity the stick in the sand around which all other activities fall into line (please excuse the mixed metaphors!) and then changing gym clubs/ ballet schools if a new one has a timetable that suits better.
In our case, the pivot point is gymnastics - particularly Jess' class times (she's happy where she is, it's working for her and it fits in well with the change of schools next year).
Fortunately her coach is also somewhat of a control freak and was able to 90% say for certain what class times she's decided on for the L5s for next year. I'm also 90% sur
e that Tamsin's gym class times will stay the same next year (but will check tomorrow to find out for certain).
e that Tamsin's gym class times will stay the same next year (but will check tomorrow to find out for certain).Please cross your fingers for me that both gym coaches don't change their minds. And please also cross your fingers for me that the ballet school that girls used to go to also keeps the 2008 timetable exactly the same for 2009. Cos if they do, then next year's logistics will work out just fine thank you, even if it does mean moving ballet schools again.
I'm really hoping that it does fall into place that way for several reasons:
Jess wants to go back to the previous ballet school as her best friend is there; I'd like it as it is closer (like 5mins max away); it's cheaper that where they are now; they both need new leotards anyway (don't you love how each ballet school has its own colour leotard??); plus the girls would get to do recitals again.
Have I ever bored you with my issues about ballet recitals? Yes? No? Don't know?
Well, here's the diatribe anyway.
Much as I'm mostly happy with the girls' current ballet school, my biggest gripe is lack of advance warning (I'm a control freak and info junkie, remember) about anything - recitals in particular. So much so, that last year I pulled the girls out of ballet for Term 4 as I couldn't get any info out of Miss Lily about the recital before the end of Term 3.
This year is unfortunately no different. So I've broken my promise and the girls are out of ballet for Term 4 again.
Tamsin doesn't care as we're replacing it with beginners Rhythmic Gymnastics classes for her. Jess, while a little upset, understands my reasons and is happy to focus on upgrading her L5 gym skills without the distractions of recital.
At SABA ballet, on the other hand, recitals have happened the same way since Adam was a cowboy and even if the official information is a bit sparse (but at least there is official info), all the "old" ballet mums help the "new" ballet mums learn the ropes. Plus we've done 2 SABA recitals so I'm technically an "old" ballet mum.
You know what really bugs me about the lack of information?
It's that it can be done.
Check out the Victoria Phillips Dance school. That website has had recital details on it for the whole year already, right down to rehearsal times - to the point that it says that if you can't make the scheduled rehearsals, don't bother auditioning for the recital. Now that's the dance school for control freak evil ballet mums (i.e. me!). Shame they don't do RAD and are all the way over in Glenn Innes.
My only comfort is that I know I'm not the only mum out there facing this issue. And I'm only juggling things for 2 daughters doing the same two (related) sports. My sister has two boys doing two activities in common (water polo & swimming) and one activity each that is completely different (yachting and archery). Not only are they different activities, the venues are miles apart and require lots more personal equipment than gymsports - a whole dang boat + sails for example. Then there's Floss: 4 offspring doing completely different sports, plus it snows down there, just to add to the chaos.
DH, bless him, just carries on and earns the money that pays for it all.
