Clean Sweep.

Day 3. 
Dance 3. 
Gold 3. 

Smiles.... 3 hundred thousand. From her and from me. The photo makes me chuckle as it just captured her "Fit to burst" smile which she saves up for Mummy's eyes only at festival. 

Song and dance solo day. She was beautiful. It was wonderful to see how she's grown with this particular solo. Today she performed it in it's updated version for the first time and it was gorgeous. She shone. She received wonderful feedback from the adjudicator, both when she awarded the placings and in her report, plus another mum was sat near her during the performance and she said some fantastic things then too, including taking particular note with interest of Katie's name. I was thrilled for her how many of her ballet friends came specially to see her and were so delighted for her. She especially wanted to win this trophy as she won the section last year so wanted to have her name on it a second time in a row. She was rightly chuffed to bits that it will be the case! 

I was really proud of her though, again for other reasons. Her granny and grandad came to see her dance. She was so pleased they came, and really happy to give them cuddles after. But despite having just won, despite having them there, she wanted to put her hoody on and get herself back into the auditorium so she could support the friends who support her. I thought that was rather wonderful. 

Having time with their friends and supporting each other is such a huge part of the festival week in my mind. They all are massively proud of each other, they are all delighted in each other's successes and helping each other be their best. The big girls look out for the little girls and sit with them when they watch each other, they really look out for each other. It really is a wonderful thing to see. We have been there all day and she's absolutely loved seeing some of her dearest friends win their first trophies & do brilliantly with new dances. She was desperately holding on to see some of her much loved bigger girl friends doing their evening performances, but as we were queuing to go in she put her arms round me and said "mama, I think I'm just too tired". She tried so hard and the girls & their mummies had all seen Katie trying desperately to hang on for them, it was very special. We'd had a nice chat, lots of us mummies and the principal in our school's dressing room. Katie's favourite big girl ballerina happens to have a mummy who is her favourite TA at school, they regularly have "Ballet chats". I apologised that she'll be turning up on Monday with her trophies (they normally show and tell on Fridays, but Katie misses it because of school orchestra) and she said "not at all, it will be wonderful - I will make a nice fuss of her during circle time" and was so proud of. And I am Extremely proud of this pickle tonight. Again.