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If you happen to be outside my house looking in through the big picture window into our office, well, that's a little creepy, but you'll have a good chance of catching sight of the happening Webster Groves dance club that is the Bittle household. On first glance, it may seem that I am dancing with myself, but if you wait around long enough you might catch sight of the tips of Kate's fingers as she waves her hands in the air like she just don't care, or Clara's hair as she jumps around, jumps around, jumps up, jumps up and gets down.
It's definitely not a compliment to them that they are both better dancers than I am. Who isn't? Clara approaches her dancing like she approaches any other of her activities: This is really fun for a little bit but what's next? But Kate, all of nineteen months, could actually teach a class on dancing. Any hint of music - from the radio, television, or even the ring tone on my cell phone - will get her head and then her shoulders and then her hips moving to the beat. And she doesn't have just one move. She'll do the head bob (What is love? Baby don't hurt me...) She'll do the shoulder shimmy. She'll put her elbows out and act like she's doing a marching dance. She'll do the twist. She'll do the side to side sway. She'll lean all the way over in a new dance, sure to sweep the nation, that can only be described as a sideways limbo. Where Clara dances herself into a frenzy before spinning herself onto the couch, Kate is actually working on her craft, attempting to match her bouncing and the waving of her arms to the beat of the song. This is no passing diversion.
Occasionally while we are watching Noggin "Move to the Music" will come on with a short clip of the song "Bottle of Sunshine" by Milkshake. Kate's eyes get big and her mouth forms a big O and she runs onto the dance floor, giving me nasty looks if I don't run out there with her.
Honestly, Kate doesn't need music to dance. If you ask her to dance she'll grin and start moving. Clara just looks at her with a puzzled look on her face - why are you dancing? Because it's fun!
I don't have any good video of them dancing yet, mainly because if I'm not dancing with her, Kate furrows her brow and points at me and says, much too forcefully for me not to obey, "Dance!" Once I do get good video I'll get it up here for her many many fans.
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4 comments:
Darn! I was hoping the video was going to be Kate dancing! Davis and Elena are STILL talking about (and imitating) Kate's dance moves.
-Traci
Hi Joel!
This is your favorite Dunne staff member: Annarose! My parents saw your name in the paper and went to your blog to see if it was really you. I love your writing! I have just recently turned fourteen and am a sophomore in high school. Right now I'm on the dance team, which is a lot of fun. Lauralyn is now nine, and Maryclare turned 12 in July. They are a great as always, and people often mistake them for twins, as Maryclare is only three inches taller, and we all look so much alike. My parents are doing fine, they are working for the 5 local Catholic churches in the valley and I think they enjoy working together again. Love to be able to contact you, but I don't want to leave my e-mail here. If you have my parents e-mail, its still the same. You can look up our phone num. and give us a call: we'd love to talk with you guys. Tell Megan I said hi and hug your girls for me (they are so cute!)Bye for now!
<3 Annarose
Annarose!!! Megan and I were just this morning looking through picture albums and came across our trip (with Dina) to see you in Seattle in 1996, when you were Clara's age. It's great to hear from you. We miss you and your family greatly. You can go ahead and post your email address in a comment here - I won't publish the comment publicly. I can't wait to see you again.
Joel & Megan
It is great fun to read about your cuties. You have a beautiful family. We are not the least bit surprised!
This is the proud mom writing to brag about the baby who shares her birthday with your first kiss anniversary. She is a great kid who is a 4.0 honor student with a beautiful voice. She also loves to dance. The only problem we have with Annarose is that the boys think she is quite wonderful as well. Truth to be told she has honered our every request and is going slow with the dating scene. One boy who would be her boyfriend if we allowed that, is an Olympic hopeful in the butterfly. He is currently the top 16 year old in the country in this event. He also is an honor student. If they had met two years from now we would be very excited to have him in her life.
We are very grateful to have three amazing daughters who do well in school and continue to bring delight to our lives on a daily basis.
Probably one of the most remarkable things about our girls is that they live with two grandparents who have Alzheimers. Person after person comment on the loving care the girls offer their grandparents.
I can't wait to have you meet them again. Any chance you may be coming this way??? We have a large house with more girl toys than you can imagine. Our girls love little ones and would be in heaven to host your little ones. In fact they think our lives are not yet full enough and encourage Tom and I to start Foster Parenting again so they can have little ones to play with. I think the plate is plenty full already!!!!
Good to reconnect.
Love to all of you. Rosemary
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