Hippo Stage Fright..

The "big" night finally arrived...the Montessori School Play, Food Chain. The kids and adults all worked very hard for over two months preparing everyone for the big night. I was able to attend the Dress Rehearsal the night before and see all the performances and get a video of Connor's Hippo Song. He led the group out proudly, but then froze up during the entire performance. When I picked him up from Dress Rehearsal, he said he didn't see me and was not going to perform (for lack of an audience). Aunt Julie agrees...no sense in performing in vain! He said he would perform for all his grandparents the night of the "real" thing.

So, we continued to remind Connor that he would all be watching him and looking forward to seeing his performance. He even made a deal with Daddy that if he performed, would daddy videotape another one of the performances, the Panthers (which was the other 1/2 of his class). His song came on...I think I saw him peak around the curtain and then that was it. He didn't come out...he hid behind the curtain with another classmate while the rest of the group performed the hippo song. I felt so sad for him...did we play it up to much, did the audience scare him, was he staying behind to support his friend?

Brady quickly noticed...where's my Connor? After the show, Connor said he got scared of all the clapping and laughing. We didn't say much to him about it...and we didn't have to. Brady took care of it...asking him (all the way home) where he was, why he was hiding, why he didn't sing, wanting to know if he was scared of the Alligator.

Connor had a lot of fun preparing for the big night...but performing in front of over 500 people was just TOO much for our 4 year-old. It was an enjoyable night nonetheless.