Marcus's music program

I had the pleasure (?) of taking all the kids to Marcus's music program on Thursday night. We almost did't get to go. Here's why.  At dinner, before the program, I told Marcus that he needed to change out of his play clothes in about 10 minutes.  Ok.  Time to change.  The teacher had said that the kids could just wear colorful clothes and pants or slacks.  Marcus has no jeans.  He never wears them, so I didn't buy any new ones when he outgrew his old ones.  And, he DID NOT want to wear his khakis.  "They don't fit me right.", is what he told me.  I told him that this is not a problem that could be fixed at this time and you wear them every Sunday, so I'm not sure how all of a sudden they don't fit right.  Start of major freak out/temper tantrum/melt-down.  Crying.  Yelling.  Stomping.  Slamming.  Pouting.  Threatening.  20 minutes.  Finally, Marcus came downstairs in his khakis (hey, they fit) and a blue tshirt (because the one I recommended he didn 't like.  Let's forget that he's never worn it.).  The tshirt saga was good too:  Marcus is trying to put it on and is yelling how it doesn't fit, it's too tight.  I said that maybe the reason he was having a hard time was because he was having a fit and needed to calm down.  Imagine that-the shirt did fit!

You would think a 20 minute melt-down would tire anyone out.  Not Marcus.  He gets into the car and start panicing about singing in front of everyone.  I asked him how he could play a basketball game in front of a crowd or participate in karate with all the parents right there, watching.  I swear he started to hyperventilate and thought he might make himself pass out.  I talked him down from that ledge with some math problems-trying to figure out how many students are in the 3rd grade.  Ok.

We get to the school 10 minutes before the program starts and 5 mins after he is supposed to be in his class.  I pull up to drop him off and he says, "I can't do this."  His sympathetic mother says, "You need to get out of this car and go inside.  I don't care if you go to your class or just stand in the hallway, but you are not getting back into this vehicle (a shining parenting star for me, I know)."  Marcus went inside.  We parked the car.  As we were walking in, I saw Marcus lining up with his class.  He looked calm and composed.  He proceded to participate in the program.  No tears.  No hysterics.  He actually looked like he was enjoying it.

There's Marcus in the blue.  Look's like everything's okay.

a little bit of choreograhpy for you

one of my videographers.  We tried to record some of the program for Andy.  Should be interesting to watch.

Thanks goodness for my phone and games. It kept the kids, especially Liam, occupied.

I'm so glad that experience is over.