Here's how it Goes

So you know how kids think they know everything? It doesn't matter that we've been through the things they are going through now. Mom just does not understand. Those were the sobs I heard a few weeks ago when Natalie came home from drama after receiving the part of a tree, a rock, and a plant. "Mom, you just don't understand!" I tried to tell her that she needed to work her hardest and be the best darn rock, tree and plant anyone had ever seen. She rolled her eyes at me. I tried to tell her to just have fun with it. She rolled her eyes at me. I tried to tell her to be happy for her friends. She rolled her eyes at me. I tried to tell her how when I was in school I never got the lead in any plays I was in, but the chorus was just fine because I was having fun with my friends. She rolled her eyes at me.

Then today, she had the opportunity to leave school early. I was there for her DARE Graduation and could have taken her home after. Of course I had to pick up Kaitlyn and have a conference with her teacher and Natalie had drama. "But Mom, Alejandro is leaving and he's in drama." And I being the mean mom told her she had to stay. I brightened her day by allowing Grandpa to be the one to come back and pick her up and then take her out to dinner though.

So later in the evening when she finally was home for the night I got the news. She was no longer a rock, a tree, and a plant in the play the Jungle Book. Nope, the very boy that she was pointing out to me earlier that was leaving early and not going to drama was the very part she was given today. He had missed a few practices and was goofing around, but Natalie's good attendance and hard work and good behavior paid off. She is now Bagheera the Panther in the Jungle Book. She now has a solo singing part. She now has lines. She now has a smile on her face about drama. She will most likely be sharing the part with the other boy. As in he will do the day time performance and Natalie will do the evening performance. And you know what? She wasn't even their first pick to share the part with this boy. Originally they tried it with a different girl, but she got shy during the solo singing part so they let Natalie give it a go. And Natalie did it! I'm proud of her. I'm hoping maybe this experience has taught her that sometimes I just might know what I'm talking about. She's been feeling a bit defeated this year. She works hard which has meant extra trust from her teacher. But that also means she has ended up with having assignments due on Monday because she can be trusted to hand it in on time without a lot of reminders. I think she was beginning to wonder what's the point? I put in all of this hard work and for what? Now it has truly paid off and gotten her something she really wanted. Either way though, a panther, or a rock, a tree, and a plant I would have been proud of her. And I would have been there cheering her on. And I would have been the loud obnoxious mom standing up and screaming her name at the end of the show just like I did today at her DARE graduation. But now at least she's happy with what she's doing and she might not feel like she's missing out on something every time she goes to Drama.