Yes, kids are expensive. But also Priceless!

I have three daughters. Yup, just think about all those expenses that come with one girl, let alone three! Clothes, makeup, fancy dresses, shoes.... Yes, there is a middle ground and we try to spend our time there.

So my daughters love to dress up and dance around the house, as many young girls like to do. I avoided dance class as long as possible, but this year I bit the bullet. When the school year started, I shuttled them all to dance class every week until Christmas break. We learned what jazz shoes were and started searching for them, plus tap and ballet. We stocked up on leotards and tights also (lucky to borrow a few, too). That I could pay for their classes in a payment plan was a unexpected blessing, considering all the other costs!

I was relieved that the Christmas program was done simply. No costumes to buy, no tickets to sell, no dress rehearsal. Just show up as a family to the Rec center with the girls wearing whatever they wanted to wear. They were given a santa hat and red scarf to wear on stage with their dance classes. It was relaxed. Done. Merry Christmas.

After the holidays passed it was time to check in with the girls to see who still had the dancing bug and who had checked it off their list as done. To my surprise, only my youngest one was still interested. Spring dance is also pricier, so that was a bit of a relief - 1/3 the expense! The older girls tried gymnastics out, but didn't have it in them to stick with it.

So on we went, dancing one class per week. Along the way, kids were measured for costumes. Down payments were paid for recital fees and costumes. Costumes arrived and the girls' faces lit up, the excitement could not be contained!

Erin with her dance trophy

The night of the recital the kids were so full of energy, so happy and so incredibly adorable. I didn't sign up for the DVD, since I recorded their dress rehearsals. One expense I could trim off, right? But I was not prepared for their big performance. The backdrops were so cute! They did the best tap performance I'd seen all Spring. And then there was the ballet. My daughter got confused exiting  around the curtain, with the others following. It had me laughing so hard I was in tears! By the finale, I realized how much this night meant to not just my daughter, but me too.

Erin posing during dress rehearsal

So much time I procrastinated putting the girls in dance because of the expense. They were happy enough dancing around the house, right? But that night changed my perspective. All she felt was joy and excitement. She felt beautiful and happy. She loved her costume and tutu. And she had ballet friends that she loved to be with. Maybe it was a little tight getting everything paid for, but knowing how much it meant to her, I would do it all again. Heck, I'm pretty sure we Will be doing it all again for her. And for me, I ordered that DVD.

Erin, with Hannah and Kelcie after the show