I wake up to my alarm clock. It's 6:30. Getting up is always hard but I love to be up early, if I can manage it. Besides, it's completely worth it in this case.

After I'm dressed and I've fished my ghillies out of my Irish Dance bag, I walk all the down the long hallway to Michaela's and Katie's room. After I manage to make it next to Michaela's bed without stepping on the numerous cracks in the floor and waking up Katie, I wake Michaela up. I sneak all the way back out and downstairs. I say good morning to mom, who is running on the elliptical machine and watching TV. I rearrange the den, pushing back the chairs and the table. I have my ghillies tied on and itunes opened, and the first song chosen before Michaela makes it down. This was not exactly one of her fastest mornings.
We do all our stretches and coincidentally forget to do drills. We run through four dance routines, which is pretty much exhausting. Then we work on our Single jig and do our evil arm exercise. We got in a good 40 min practice which is pretty standard right now. After we have reached the allotted time,(7:30) we head out onto the deck. Of course, everything is wet, because it has been raining as usual, so we creep along the very edge of the deck, where the house protects it, so we don't get our ghillies wet. Then we sit on our hands on the wet picnic table, in an attempt to not get wet, which naturally doesn't really work. After we have been sufficiently outside to cool off, (our breath is visible, but it doesn't feel that cold by any means!) We go inside and flop on the couch to watch the rest of the morning news: Anyone else heard about the fires in Southern California?

After breakfast, theusual rush on tuesday mornings to get the important things in school done, before we have to get ready for Latin, Geography and Irish Dance class,begins. At 11:30 we drop school, and eat lunch, pack our Irish Dance stuff, which includes ghillies, hardshoes, clothes for dancing in, and a dinner to eat after class. Emily walks over from the office, and we start the drive over to the Watts house. Its a ten minute drive, but of course, it isn't just that simple. First we have to drop the twins off at grandma's house for the afternoon (every ever week) and mom has to get a pop. When we make it to the Watts house, we chat as we get ready for Latin class. The Starkeys are late, so we get to cut out of our break time to be certain we have homework.

We make it through though, despite expectations, and have an absolutely thrilling break playing Eric and Josh in basketball. (hear the sarcasm in my voice-I mean words) We had fours girls against two boys. We were still whipped. I'm not certain it wasn't because every time we turned around their was a new rule that we had broken . . . The bright spot was we got ice cream for a snack. Of course, we were in SUCH a hurry to get out the door, that I kind of forgot about lunch, and only had half an apple. Aunt Joyce took pity on me, and kindly gave me a bowl of soup during geography class. That was the best thing I have eaten for awhile. After Geography Mom left with the twins. We got ready for Irish Dance, and Aunt Joyce took us up to class. Nathan stayed at the Watts house to play with Ethan.

First off is softshoe. Miss Patti anounces " Today we are going to spend the first 45 minutes on our routine, and then we will spend the last 15 minutes on the slip jig." We cheer, because we haven't gotten to begin learning the slip jig yet, and we have really wanted to forever. A minute later Miss Patti says "Wait a minute, actually, we are going to spend the last 15 minutes going over our reels and light jigs, for those who are going to the feis.We will start the slip jig next week. " We sigh. We knew it was to good to be true. Miss Patti has been saying we will start the slip jig "next week" for weeks now. Their are two kids in our 16 girl class. We all have to drill for this. Who said life was fair?

After classes, we go upstairs. Dad is playing racquetball, and we all eat our dinners. We dance around, talk and eventually go outside. Katie and Elaina make us turn around, while they make up mini performances for us. After half an hour, we go inside, and meet Keira and Hannah, to girls from the advanced classes. We talk until it is time to go. It was super fun, and very funny.

Finally we have to go. We stop at the gas station on the way home, so dad can get a pop, and he gets us a snack to. Then we drop Elaina and Elizabeth of at the Watts house, and panic about Katie's missing history book. We get home, find out she left it in her school pile after all, and fall into bed.