North Somerset Festival of Dance

North Somerset Festival of Dance was last week, and both girls had two solos, and DD1 had her duet too.  Normally they are in a lot of group dances too, but the school didn't enter the groups this year because All England Regional Finals were the same week, and many girls had qualified for there.  (My girls hadn't, sometimes being only 1 mark away! sob, sob. Lol)

I like going to this festival, not least because I can go back to the MosaiCraft shop - the craft that I discovered last year.  I have bought a new one to do, but won't share anything else about it until after September, because it is going to be another present. And, I'm being a bit braver this time, and I have decided to personalise it, not just following the pattern.

The festival also meant that I could meet my best mate for lunch, as she lives nearby. 

Though we were in the same friendship group at school, it wasn't until Sixth Form that we really became good friends.  Since then, I went to uni and have since started a family.  My friend, otoh, has had a much more exciting life, doing a year at one university before deciding to totally change direction, and location, and did a different undergrad degree in NZ.  Then she came back to the UK to do her Honours year, and her Masters at yet a different university.  She started a PhD at a different university, but didn't get on there, so after a year out, went back across the world to Aus to do her PhD.  She's nearly finished, and is back to do her write-up. <fingers crossed it goes well>

All-in-all, it means I don't see her as often as I'd like.  We keep in touch using FB and Skype, but it is nice when we can actually meet up for a chat.  After lunch we went back to her house, and I was doubly pleased that my girls were no longer afraid of her dog!  It's a black lab, and my girls are often afraid of dogs they don't know too well, especially if they are bigger than a Westie, or excitable.  Instead, they were playing with the dog, stroking him, and laughing lots - it was good to see.

At the Festival itself, the girls did well and got some high marks.  They didn't get placed, unfortunately, but with over 20 competitors in many of the categories, the fact they were still managing 80+ pts was really good.  DD1 had a new costume for her tap solo, and DD2 had a brand new dance - a character: Mary from The Secret Garden.