Worst. Feis. Ever.

Ok, we don't go to too many, but in the past calendar year we've been to Anh Samhra, Graham, St. Louis Irish Arts, Branson, Little Rock, and Memphis. It's been an up and down year--I don't think Sophia really knew what she was doing at Graham (she was only dancing three dances back then, back in September--it's amazing how far she's come actually), but Branson and Little Rock were good times. And the title of worst feis ever isn't about how Sophia did, but just the day overall.

Now, on top of everything, Sophia walked away with nothing but a 2nd place medal for her 3-hand dance with two other girls from our school. All I can say about that is I'm so glad I pushed to have her join one (pushed with our school's director, that is). Because otherwise the day would have been simply an exercise in frustration.

Although Gail, whose kids were there too, mentioned after it was all over and we were waiting for last results, that failure teaches us so much more than success. And in this case, I don't think she was meaning Sophia not placing. It was the whole day. My failure and everyone else's.

Some highlights (my mind is not completely clear about this day yet if you couldn't tell):

*We got there at 9:30, having driven from my inlaws down from Cairo. I'm so glad we didn't spring for a hotel room. The drive down was easy and we arrived in plenty of time for the 3-hand, which happens during "figure dances". The woman at the desk estimated 11:00. Sophia and I did her hair and relaxed downstairs. There was no "camping" upstairs in the hotel ballroom hallways, and downstairs was cooler anyway. I felt pretty successful, frankly, having scoped out a good spot where our school's dancers wound up spending much of the morning and early afternoon. I'd brought everything we needed. I'd packed a good lunch.

*At 10:30, it looked like figures would start any minute. One of the girls had just arrived and the three went through the dance. Kind of poorly. I thought: ah well, there are 3 teams. It won't be that hard. We went upstairs, and NOTHING was going on. Memphis runs their feis upside-down. Every other feis I've been to, you have figures first thing, followed by solo dancers (meaning younger and/or less experienced girls). After lunch-ish, then you have champions. Memphis does champions first. They'd breezed through some that morning and we hurried upstairs to see that everyone was standing around.

*We also noted that there was hardly any room in the stage area for seating. Three stages in one shallow room with 6 rows of chairs. We'd have to be quick to grab seats, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to without a second adult.

*At 12:30, they were still working on champions. It wasn't until after 1--well after 1--that our three-hand team went on the stage. They earned 2nd place. It wasn't mystifying. I love team dances--I love watching other schools' versions far more than I like watching other schools' solo dances. Anyway. After figures, they took a lunch break. I redid Sophia's hair after watching how Gail did her daughter's. Much better result than how I'd been taught before. So there was something else good.

*Solo dances started fast and furious. Sophia was suddenly on dance #3 when I noticed a smudge on one of her socks. If I could see it from row 4, the judges could see it too. Costume change before single jig. All of Sophia's dances were jam packed with girls--her largest group had 19 and smallest had 10. By the time treble jigs started, she was pretty discouraged.

*So many dancers meant so many people. She had a hard time making it over to the desk to check in sometimes. It was fire-hazard style crowds. So frustrating.

*In the middle of the treble jigs, one of the judges got up and left. GOT UP AND LEFT. Of course, it was after 4:30 by that time...and she had to catch a flight. The crowd had thinned some--the first feis little kids and the beginner families had cleared out.

*I sat and talked with another experienced mom who critiqued Sophia's dancing for me. It was good to get another perspective. "Sophia spends the whole time on the tips of her toes," she said. "Watch the girl next to her--on the balls of her feet." And: "She needs to turn those ankles out and she'll be set."

*Down to two judges and two stages, treble jigs and hornpipes dragged on forever. Sophia checked in for her hornpipe after an almost tearful moment. She didn't want to dance her traditional set. She was "dancing up" in novice, when she's really an advanced beginner in that dance. They didn't have an adv. beginner section in traditional set. Remember, she placed 1st in her traditional set in Little Rock. It was worth the time, but on the other hand, it was going late into the day and I told her that whatever she wanted to do, I'd do. I told her we could leave right then, or stay, or whatever. The other mom next to me told her she'd been watching and she looked good--she'd be fine.

*Sophia danced her hornpipe against 13 other girls. I sewed Sunbonnet Sues. And when it was over, she didn't head right over to me. She checked in for her traditional set. It's a small thing, but I had never been more proud of her at a feis.

*I talked with an older girl from the Memphis school who admitted, "If it wasn't my school's feis, I wouldn't come back."

*By the time that was over, her mood had turned around. Not placing in anything didn't seem to bother her...there was another girl, from our school, who was obviously disappointed with her 3rd place finish in something and refused to pick up her medal. It wasn't a big tantrum like I've seen some little girls throw, but she was at least 11 or 12 years old. But then again, everyone was so tired.

*We walked out of the hotel and she asked about dinner. I had been given directions to a Starbucks across the interstate. I headed that way, and it shared a parking lot with an Olive Garden. So we went ahead and sat down for dinner and she inhaled everything. I got a coffee on our way out of town and drove the 2 1/2 hours back to Cairo while she watched Batman cartoons on the DVD player and then snoozed.

*Overall, there were several families from our school and we were able to sit and chat and "enjoy" the moment. Sophia is incredibly resilient and compliant, and since I'd left the other two kiddos at my in-laws, I was, for the most part, fine with the day. But it was way too long, way too hot, and I think Sophia was disappointed in the end. We came back to Cairo and she's spent today playing and helping in the kitchen. She hasn't shown anyone her 3-hand medal. She has moved on. And our next feis isn't until late July; I don't think we'll do any others this year except the other local one downtown. And I might get her to Kansas City...her godparents live there and we could take the train. But waiting and seeing.

*On the other hand, she mentioned on the way home that she still wants to join a ceili team...and is looking forward to camp. So who knows? Actually, I do know. It was a bad feis. But it didn't ruin her enjoyment of dancing. She's such a good kid. I worry that Maeve will not enjoy it the way she does. I need to find her some other physical outlets...maybe a martial art. Otherwise she will sit on the couch her whole childhood.

*And, unrelated to the feis, my father-in-law's tractor was expertly stolen from his lot at the edge of town last night. So it's been a great Wissinger weekend all around.