This face is the most serious Kelly has been about ballet all year, which is to say, I can’t get her to practice an arabesque, let alone an entire routine.

Kelly: I don’t want to go to ballet.

Mommy: We have to go.  Your recital is in less than a month.

Kelly: You keep using that word.  What does it mean?

[insert Mommy repeating dialogue from “Princess and the Bride”: You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.]

Mommy: A recital is a performance on stage, like when Sara was in her class musical last month.

Kelly: I’m going to be in ARF!  YEAH!

Mommy: No honey, you are in “Beauty and the Beast”, except there is no Beast.

Kelly: Will Belle be there?

Mommy: Yes.

Kelly: The REAL Belle?

Mommy: A Belle.  I’m not in charge of an authenticity check.

Kelly: Will the Beast from the movie be there?

Mommy: There is no Beast.  Not a movie Beast, not any Beast.

Kelly: But there is Belle.  A real Belle.

Mommy: YES, there is BELLE.  I don’t know what a fake Belle would look like, so I’m pretty sure we’re talking about a real Belle.

Kelly: When will I be in ARF!?  I just want to be a dog.

Mommy: You are Snowbird.  In “BEAUTY WITH NO BEAST”.  Sorry kiddo, the ARF! ship has sailed.

Kelly: AH!! Where are my ballet slippers…..?