Dilemma and Decision....

First, I have mentioned that our family was putting together a "Bennett Family Recycling" booth for the Earth Day Celebration this year. We have high hopes for meeting other people with same likes/dislikes and awareness to our responsibility as stewards of this beautiful Earth. So many ideas floating through the family. From a Lorax skit with the kids to exploring more ways we can reduce, #1 in the three R's. We are so excited about Earth Day, the challenge of bringing our ideas to the table and also communicating to others our family's goals and how they can do the same. It really is quite simple. Getting a flow of conversation going, that's where it starts.

Second on the agenda, the Dancers Fight Cancer, Canyon Rim Dance Classic. This dance competition is one that kids work hard for, at least -my girls do. It is a chance to earn money for the American Cancer Society and also a great learning tool in improving team and individual dance performance. Sometimes a long weekend, but fun for us as a family of dancers.

Normally these two events happen with no scheduling interference...but not this year. And I will tell you, I was in tears when I realised I could not be at both places completely. Completely meaning, how could I reach out to people on Earth Day, share my concerns and how we as a family are doing our part and "You can too"? This event was our avenue to sharing our awareness and also, showing our children what it really means to be involved. Talking to people, asking questions and hopefully influencing others to think twice when they are consuming, turning on the faucet or even something as simple as saying "I don't need a bag, I brought my own". Small things really do make a difference. How could I throw myself completely into this event when I am also huge on being a "dance helper" at the Dance Competition. I am not one to blow off responsibility, and when you are working with a team, what does it teach your kids if you back down when the pressure thickens. To be quitters? Not in my family. The kids have been working for this dance competition for months.

So, a decision had to made. And, although I love to watch the kids dance and see what other dancers are doing, I am sad to report that we have canceled our booth at the Earth Day Celebration. A heart breaker for sure. Again, we are trying to teach our kids to be responsible. Leaving our dance teams high and dry wasn't an option.

I can only hope next year's events will schedule more kindly to our family and we can do both, we have so many fun ideas for Earth Day! And, rest assured, I will be in and out of the Earth Day Celebration. Being there when I can and most definitely dancing it up to the live music (The Clumsy Lovers and Buckskin Bible Revue always a good time!) in the evening.

Now, I am off to sew the rest of the dance costumes for Kaziah's dance class. Finished three yesterday, four to go.

More photos of '06/'07 Dance Classic.