Nerves

We all get them. Whether they're brought on by sheer overwhelming circumstances at work or the vision soaked in while standing in the middle of your laundry/toy/coat/shoe/etc/etc/etc strewn home or the simple anticipation of something exciting lurking right around that little corner over there, all have the ability to spark pesky nervous twinges from deep within. And of course they're not just reserved for adults, even something as full of complete adorableness as a school play can bring on a giant wave of the shakes with little to no notice. Just picture the view of your happily cheering almost 3 year old as he walks across the stage only to somewhat instantaneously give way to a full force launch of a lip quivering tear filled rendition of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It was his first class performance, and though not without a bit of nerves and a few tears, he made it through like a true champ.

It didn't help that we were out of town the evening that his class was scheduled to perform so he had to perform on a different night, with a different class, full of kids he does not interact with on a daily basis and are on average 1-3 years older than him. But like I said, he faced it like a champ. He strutted his way across the room with the other children and began their performance of 15 songs/poems all of the theme "Seasons" and we smiled on from the audience, hearts warmed and butts snug in the child sized chairs provided for some not so child sized parents. And then he saw us, and what must've been our gigantically horrifying grins and waving camera phones trying to catch a snap of HIM we were looking at HIM we were staring at HIM and he was all "OMG WHY IS EVERYONE STARING AT ME WHAT DID I DOOO?" And about 30 seconds later the lip quiver gave way to the eye rubbing gave way to a whimper gave way to a "DADDY SAVE ME!" And thank GOD for Daddy.

The three of us sat in the audience, Ash singing and acting along with the next few songs and poems, tears long gone and eyes turned to a more longing look of "I wonder if I should tell them that I kind of want to go back up there..." And then their teacher started handing out the dreidels and I asked if he'd like to rejoin his friends, and about a half-second before I finished my question he was on his way back up to the front to claim his dreidel and toot his horn to the Happy New Year song. Nerves be gone.

So now we know. Next time work presents us with a seemingly insurmountable challenge or the laundry piles up so high you begin hoping plastic trash bags are the next "in" look or that super exciting yet not quite completely public announcement you've been holding your breath on feels like it's going to rip through your ribcage a la Sigourney Weaver in Alien just do what Ash did. Let yourself break down just a little and call out for Daddy. If you're really lucky it may even score you pizza and meatballs for dinner.