How Dancing Saved My Day

March 14, 2009

by Susan Choi

The other day my older daughter wasn't feeling well so I picked up both of my daughters from school early. It is one thing when I am mentally prepared to deal with three children all day, but another when I am caught off guard. But such is a mother's plight, right?

I thought I could have all of my kids take a nap at the same time, and luckily, they did! They passed out in the car, and I thought I would treat myself to a little In-N-Out cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake. (Yes, I know, overindulgent but I deserved it!) Unfortunately, my ordering at the drive-through woke up my son, who woke up my daughters. Drats! So much for the one-hour reprieve.

So after a long day of three kids, no naps, and making dinner, I was ready to blow off some steam. I turned on the iPod with my eighties music and I began to "dance it out" (à la Grey's Anatomy). At first, the kids looked at me like I had lost it. After all, generally, I run through the day, harried, always feeling behind -- dishes, dinner, driving, always demanded yet never completely done.

But today, I felt I deserved another indulgence. Nothing that a little "Cure" couldn't cure. My kids, including my 15-month old, quickly joined in on the fun. Our arms were waving madly, our feet were shuffling in every direction, and best of all, our laughter was frequent and genuine. The girls started to do silly leaps and asked me to copy them. My little boy wanted so desperately to jump, too.  Though I wanted to do my Running Man and Roger Rabbit moves, such skill would have been wasted on my kids.

As we closed down Club Choi to get dinner on the table, I began to think that perhaps it should become a regular routine. After all, by the end of the day, we are all exhausted, teetering on potential tantrums (and I'm not just talking about the kids here). What better way to release the pent up tension? Thanks "A-Ha" for the a-ha! Dance Hall Days -- Fridays, 6 PM, kitchen floor, be there or be square!

Susan is the West Los Angeles City Editor for The Savvy Source. You can read more of her work every day at Being Savvy West LA.

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