Patron of the Arts

Thursday night was Johan's nursery school Spring Program. All four (4) of my parents were in the back of the auditorium (eh...sanctuary...the school is housed in a church) because they had other engagements after Johan's performance. As it happened, Johan was not happy that he was expected to walk down the aisle and sing songs after seeing his beloved grandparents. The only way to get him down the aisle was if my step mom carried him.

So there they were.

A group of toddlers dressed in yellow shirts with black tape on them looking like the most delicious little bumble bees on the stage...together with Johan's Grandma. It was very sweet. And makes me think that my boy may not be like his momma in her love for performance and being on stage (now manifested as the courtroom with juries and judges my audience.)

That's OK. He's a lot better at tee-ball than I am. We all have our strengths and weaknesses.

Then, last night we went to the Apple Valley Middle School Spring play, "Annie." My niece had a small role but threw her all into it and she loves being on stage. Before the show started my sister in law asked if I brought books or toys for Johan to play with during the show. I hadn't really thought of that. I mean, we're here to see a show!

I was right that I wouldn't need toys to engage Johan. He was absolutely enthralled from beginning to end. Clapping at the right times; laughing when the audience would laugh; point out each time Samantha would come on stage and asking where she went when her part was over. I had thought we would leave at intermission but this upset Johan who shouted "More show!" and so I let him have a later bedtime in order to see the show to its conclusion. It makes me happy that, even if Johan is not destined to be a stage performer, he nevertheless loves music, dancing, and theater. It makes me excited for all the shows we can go to together in the next several years.

One more thing about Apple Valley- when Daddy Warbucks was making digs at Democrats (remember how FDR is part of Annie?), the laughter was a bit too genuine for for my comfort zone. This was no SW Minneapolis crowd. In my head, I was all "Dudes! FDR is the reason you have Medicare and Social Security! Not to mention that Democrats are the ones that support arts curricula in schools for your kids so they can put on performances of Annie and then go to Perkins for a cast party of pancakes and Sprite afterward to celebrate the joy of being middle schoolers!"

But that's beside the point. So I didn't say that. And when Johan and I got home, he asked me to sing him a song so I started one of our old favorites, and he said "no, not that one!" until I started singing "Tomorrow."