Stage Fright Breakthrough !!

I am proud to report that Camon and Isabelle finished a play last night at church with, get this, NO TEARS!!!! This was truly a breakthrough for them. The play was "Acorns to Oaks" and it was about growing children in the Lord. It was really cute. Camon was in the children's choir (no major parts for him yet!) and Isabelle was an acorn. They were so cute.




The day before, Camon started whining about how he hated to sing and he was too scared to do a program. I asked him to go to dress rehearsal for me. He said, "Okay, but I am not going to sing and I am not going to do the motions." I told him that was fine. All I asked was that he did not cry and that he left his neighbor alone. He said okay! Of course I told him that he could get a "prize" if he did this - for me - of course. Clint thinks that it is terrible that I "make" them do this. But, I just kept thinking that they would grow out of their shyness on stage. I think we are headed in the right direction. He made it through dress rehearsal. And, true to his word he did not sing and did not do the motions, but he stayed up there, so I am proud. I took several pictures though, because I was sure that we would not make it through the real thing. Much to my surprise he did. There were several times that his mouth would be slowly singing the words and then he would realize it and stop. He could not help it, he wanted to sing but wanted to be shy at the same time. Right before the last song, he asked one of the ladies helping them, "Isn't this the last song?" When she said yes, the little toot started singing every word and doing every motion. Either it took him a while to get started, or he was just being stubborn. On the way home, he said "Momma. Programs aren't so bad after all. Especially that one, I liked it."










Isabelle on the other hand, wanted to go to do the play. But, when we got to dress rehearsal she would not go up on the stage with the other acorns for the first song. I thought, here we go. But, then for the next 30 minutes she asked when the acorns would get to go back up there. When they went up for their second song, she was the leader and she sang every song with every motion. When we got there last night for the real thing, she started crying 10 minutes before the start and I just knew it was over. (She had refused to take her afternoon nap.) But, MawMaw saved the day. She came in the choir suite and offered her gum. Nothing gets to that girl like gum. She immediately dried it up and went in the church and put on her best performance. I was so proud of her.



Maybe they will not be afraid the next time that they are "forced" to perform. But, who knows with kids, they are so moody!!! (I guess they get that from me!)