The "big night"

O.k. So it was the LONGEST Sunday of my mothering career so far. I have been stressing about it for months, and it was finally here. My children were both getting up in front of hundreds and hundreds of people at church to sing Christmas songs...and my oldest had a solo!!! I remember telling Ken"I just wish this day was over already". I spied on them in the practice session in the morning, and Conner did GREAT!!! He did exactly what he was supposed to do. Stand there and look pretty (I don't think I was expecting much more from a 2 year old who has a hard time speaking...let alone singing), and Kaiden did pretty good, too. You could tell he was nervous, and there was only about 50 people or so in the auditorium at this point, so I was a little worried about later that evening. Not to mention, the little girl that he was singing with was terrified and wouldn't go on stage during the practice session...so that accounted for a little of his stage fright I think. So I fretted about it all afternoon, and FINALLY the big moment arrived. There they were. In their dashing, darling Christmas outfits. Two of the most handsome men in the whole entire universe. I must tell you, however, it was nearly mad chaos up there. The little boy behind Conner would not cooperate, and most of the two-year olds, bless their hearts, were not paying much attention at the time of "Away in the Manger"...and then I saw it. My sweet Conner..."the thumb in the mouth and the finger up the nose" pose. It was beautiful. And then, oh no...where did he go? Yes, yes...he got tired and decided to rest his pudgy, weary legs and have a seat (in the second row, mind you...he totally disappeared from view). But, he made it through.
And then it was Kaiden's turn. He was terrified. He had that "deer in the headlights" look in his eyes as soon as he got up on the risers and turned around and saw, what seemed to him to be about a million people staring back at him. Then he started to sing...softly at first, and then as he got more comfortable...he got a little louder, and louder until it was the most beautiful, lovely sound a mother could hear. (O.k., he only had 4 lines...but he did a great job!!!)...and about his partner...She did a great job, too. I even heard her say after she was done and on her way back down..."Mommy, I get a present...I get a present!!!" Obviously, bribery works wonders yet again!!! Then the four of us celebrated the end of a stressful, but exciting night and went out to get some ice cream!!! The end.