Rising Star

Guys.  This Daylight Savings baloney has been killing me softly -- scratch that -- HARSHLY, all week long.  Every single night this week has had one or more children waking us up in the middle of the night and needing our attention.  Isaac has been freaking out around the 1 AM mark almost every night, while Alex and Jane have been tag teaming it to ensure that neither Scott nor I have had a decent night's sleep all week.  Okay, let's get real -- in ages.  I'd like to be hopeful that this weekend will help to get everybody back on track, but I'm not overly optimistic.

(Sophie's "head shot" for the Talent Show bulletin board.)

In going back to LAST weekend, however, {the calm before the storm, if you will} we can focus on happier times, and finally recap one of the biggest milestone's of Sophie's life -- performing in the school Talent Show!  For someone who has grand aspirations of being a famous pop star, stage fright has been an unfortunately crippling nemesis for as long as we can remember.  A couple of years ago, she attempted to sing in an Activity Days talent show at church, but after proceeding to look greener and greener in the gills, the leader let her mercifully exit stage left before it was even her turn.

When she proclaimed that she wanted to sing in the school talent show THIS year, I was a little skeptical and a lot worried for how everything would go down.  But, this girl worked it!  She practiced a ton,  mustered some courage {earning her the family "pressing forward award" for the week}, and got up on that stage and sang her heart out with "Oh What a Beautiful Morning."  It was a definite help that she was singing in a trio (there's strength in numbers, you know) and it was also a definite help that she had a brand new special outfit to wear for her big debut.  Never underestimate the joy-sparking power of a brand new pair of wedge-heeled sandals for a budding fashionista and a rising star.  ;)

 Ethan, Grace, and Jane were in attendance with me.  Alex wasn't interested and Isaac needed to go to bed, so Scott skipped out and stayed home with the little ones.

I don't know who was more nervous when she was up there waiting for her part -- she or me.  She seriously looked like she was going to puke, but she held it together and sang BEAUTIFULLY.  With not even a quiver in her voice or a wobble!  I was definitely impressed and super proud of her for overcoming this mountain of a hurdle in her little life.

{Check out those wedge-heeled sandals.}

 BONUS!  We won one of the raffle baskets after the Talent Show was over!  Jane in particular was SUPER stoked about our prize.

{Unrelated to the Talent Show, but Sophie wanted to show off her project from GEMS.  It's a library! :)  }

Now that Sophie has gotten a little of the stage fright out of her, I hope she'll continue to challenge herself, and maybe even make it a solo next year.  I love that she's learning young that she can do hard things.