Middle School Talent

Every once in awhile, as a parent, I'd like to think I get it right. Oh I can do the day to day stuff like police homework, pack lunches and monitor bedtime. But randomly I hit on stuff that gets my children to talk to me, openly about whatever is on their minds.

I get that closeness with them that I don't get every day. I don't mean the I love you's or the thank you mom's. I mean those moments where their guard is completely down. Those moments that, as a mom, you want to last forever.

A notice came home from school last week for a Talent Show. I stuck in on the fridge and decided we would go. Neither of my middle school children said anything to me, I just declared it. Not really knowing if it was the right thing or not.

Yesterday was the date. Mid-week. Mid-chaos and finally an evening off for me. Instead of hiding up here on the computer all night long. I came home, cooked a quick dinner, packed a bag of entertainment for the baby and we went.

My kids? Beyond excited. Score one for me.

Not more than two minutes after arriving, my daughter found a friend of hers (and her Mom) for us to sit with. My son? Sat next to me for two seconds before asking if he could go and sit with some friends who yelled out to him as we came in. It took no encouragement at all for him to ditch me.

The baby? Got her own special introduction by the teacher who MC'd the show. When I introduced her and said her age, we got an audience of oooohs and a round of applause. The baby was adorable and my daughter? At that moment? Proud to be her sister.

The show? I have a couple things to say. One, high pitched girls screaming non-stop for every performance, sucks. I think I am now deaf. Two, eighth grade girls need to realize that flutes? Are lame. Three, I give all the performs a yit load of credit because standing up their on stage, even lip syncing takes some serious balls. AND. Four, the boys who did a rendition of Ozzy's Crazy Train was awesome. The singer was terrible pitchwise but he had the best stage presence. The lead guitarist, had it together and was the calmest out of everyone and the drummer? Was cute in an 8th grade sort of way. They rocked. Yet they didn't win.

I had to make a hasty exit after a special education boy sang solo Tears In Heaven. I was sitting right next to his parents and why the baby chose the moment of their son's song to decide that she would be LOUD I have no idea. No amount of bottle (she emptied it before he was done with the first verse), crackers (she dumped them on the slanted floor and stepped on them) or blanket could keep her quiet.

We hung by the "exit" sign after that and she did much better.

The best part, of all this, was the end. I had taken the baby home (along with my son who was bored by then) at intermission and came back to watch the rest of the show. I sat with my girl and wished those last 45 minutes would never end.

We had some great discussion about the acts, about the music that was performed and about the students themselves on the ride home.

I kept it all going, stopping to pick up everyone's favorite ice cream sundaes. We all sat at the kitchen table sharing our thoughts about the show.

The smiles I got at bedtime last night?

Priceless.