March 3, 2013: Whaa??? March, already?

Heaveno!

I'm in shock.  Where does the time go?  I can NOT believe it is March 1.  I SWEAR it was New Year's Day yesterday.  Where DOES the time GO?

This past week,  Ali had her School Talent Show!  She and two of her first grade friends dressed up in their best "Monster High" costumes and danced away to the theme from Monster High.  For those who don't know what that is,  Monster High is a "brand" of toys that also have online TV episodes, a movie,  and I believe even a game for the wii.  Ali's been collecting Monster High dolls for two Christmases now, and we have quite a freaky collection.  The premise is the if all the famous Hollywood monsters had teenage kids, they'd all go to the same school... anyway, that's more than enough about that!  What's important is that for the second year in a row, Ali has gotten up and "done her dance thing" in front of all the older kids and parents.



She is fearless on stage.  It's great to watch!  What was really great was the tender conversations we had in the weeks and days leading up to the event.  She shared with me that she was nervous about performing, and I asked her what specifically she was nervous about.  Each time, she opened up about whatever was troubling her, and it was so great to keep reminding her how normal and natural it was.  The best was when I told her that the first time I was on stage was when I was 4.

"That was 36 years ago, honey, and I still get nervous now and again."

"Reallllly?  WOW!"  She 1) couldn't believe how much time that was and 2) was completely relieved that there was anything "wrong" with feeling nervous.  Hey, let's all admit it... none of us really 'likes' feeling nervous about an impending public performance of anything, but I want her to really deeply understand that it's okay to feel those feelings and stay in action anyway.  Hope it sticks.  I think it will since we're walking through these feelings together at such a young age.  I'm just tickled I can support her in this way.

Next Sunday is Ali's church talent show, and she wants to play piano.  She has had a hiatus from piano since November when her teacher when on leave to have a baby.  Then Ali got busy with talent show, and before you know it, we have 8 days to get a piece under her fingers.  I tried to get her to adapt her dance routine, but that was so last week!  LOL.  So, we're learning the melody from Beethoven's "Ode To Joy," which is recognizable, and super easy to play in the right hand.  Ali got it in no time.  It is also the same piece I taught my beginning guitar student to help him get into his art school, so I learned how to teach it with him.  It's already gone great!

Parenting is so great, because today, tomorrow, and the day after that, I get to try a new and better way to connect with my kids.  It really doesn't matter what I did yesterday (I mean, for the most part), because I get chance after chance to either do it "right" or do it "better."  It's like eating; I ate like crap over the last week to mitigate some sadness I am dealing with, and you know what?  Tomorrow, I get a whole slew of chances to eat right and nurture my body.  This mindset really has me looking forward to each new day with Ali and Julian, no matter what stage of life they are experiencing.  It is genuinely...

... ALL GOOD.

God night.