Day 595 -- Talents
Today was the "Talent Show" at daycare.
I read this on the crayon-covered, coffee-stained calendar on the floor of the Saturn on the way to dropping the kids off. So, sadly, we hadn't worked out any choreographed routines, nor did I bring the karaoke tracks or batons with us.
I left it up to the kids to decide what their "talents" were, and just "go for it".
The girls took this challenge gamely, and even seemed excited about the show. Dharia even told me that her special talent could be baking little cakes for everyone at daycare, as she plans on someday becoming a chef.
I told her that was a fine idea. Hey, who am I to crush my daughter's dreams?
Mental note: apologize to daycare staff.
AJ said something I didn't really understand, but I imagined that she was contemplating showing off her Greco-Roman wrestling moves, which she has been working hard at perfecting on Bres and Dharia lately.
Breslin was not excited about the talent show at all. In fact, I believe his exact words were, "Ummmm, I just think I'll take a nap. I'm pretty tired."
I dropped them off, headed off to practice, and didn't give the talent show a second thought.
Not, that is, until I had to pick them up. The afternoon girls were all a-twitter about Dharia and AJ's talent, which was to dance. As we already know, the girls pretty much got it going on when it comes to shakin' their groove thang, so this really came as no surprise. There was no excited chatter about Breslin, so I assumed that he made good on his promise to sleep through the show.
When we got in the car, I asked the girls to take me through their part of the talent show, hoping to hear every detail. Here's what I got: "We danced!" x 15
Breslin turned to me and said, "But mom, you forgot to ask me about my talent!"
Confused, I said, "Well, buddy, did you do something for the talent show? What did you do? What's your talent?"
He looked at me with those big, sweet brown eyes and, without blinking, said, "Multiplication."
I laughed the type of laugh that makes your abs hurt.
It's true that my son can multiply. And I don't mean that he has cutely memorized a few small ones. No. He can scarily multiply numbers using the mathematically correct strategies. And he's been doing this, to our fascinated/proud/horrified astonishment for the past couple of days. We didn't teach him. I made a video of it today to prove it to you, but AJ destroyed the camera, so I can't show it to you. But, he does multiply and he does it correctly.
But, just as the girls dancing is no surprise, Breslin knowing how to multiply at 5 is not really a surprise either. It's just who he is.
And what makes me love him even more, is that he considered it his talent. Bless his little heart. He wanted, more than anything -- more than taking a nap! -- to showcase his ability to multiply to his peers. Can you imagine them sitting around listening to him, wondering what the heck this nut job was talking about?
I cherish the wonder that is Breslin. There is truly no one I've met quite like my son.
Thank God for all my kids' talents!
Lord, thank you for the talent show. Thank you for my son and for all of the wonderful things that make Breslin who he is. Please help me to be a good mom to him so that he can grow up to be the person you desire for him to be and to be able to do all of the amazing things you have in store for him. In your name I pray, Amen.
I read this on the crayon-covered, coffee-stained calendar on the floor of the Saturn on the way to dropping the kids off. So, sadly, we hadn't worked out any choreographed routines, nor did I bring the karaoke tracks or batons with us.
I left it up to the kids to decide what their "talents" were, and just "go for it".
The girls took this challenge gamely, and even seemed excited about the show. Dharia even told me that her special talent could be baking little cakes for everyone at daycare, as she plans on someday becoming a chef.
I told her that was a fine idea. Hey, who am I to crush my daughter's dreams?
Mental note: apologize to daycare staff.
AJ said something I didn't really understand, but I imagined that she was contemplating showing off her Greco-Roman wrestling moves, which she has been working hard at perfecting on Bres and Dharia lately.
Breslin was not excited about the talent show at all. In fact, I believe his exact words were, "Ummmm, I just think I'll take a nap. I'm pretty tired."
I dropped them off, headed off to practice, and didn't give the talent show a second thought.
Not, that is, until I had to pick them up. The afternoon girls were all a-twitter about Dharia and AJ's talent, which was to dance. As we already know, the girls pretty much got it going on when it comes to shakin' their groove thang, so this really came as no surprise. There was no excited chatter about Breslin, so I assumed that he made good on his promise to sleep through the show.
When we got in the car, I asked the girls to take me through their part of the talent show, hoping to hear every detail. Here's what I got: "We danced!" x 15
Breslin turned to me and said, "But mom, you forgot to ask me about my talent!"
Confused, I said, "Well, buddy, did you do something for the talent show? What did you do? What's your talent?"
He looked at me with those big, sweet brown eyes and, without blinking, said, "Multiplication."
I laughed the type of laugh that makes your abs hurt.
It's true that my son can multiply. And I don't mean that he has cutely memorized a few small ones. No. He can scarily multiply numbers using the mathematically correct strategies. And he's been doing this, to our fascinated/proud/horrified astonishment for the past couple of days. We didn't teach him. I made a video of it today to prove it to you, but AJ destroyed the camera, so I can't show it to you. But, he does multiply and he does it correctly.
But, just as the girls dancing is no surprise, Breslin knowing how to multiply at 5 is not really a surprise either. It's just who he is.
And what makes me love him even more, is that he considered it his talent. Bless his little heart. He wanted, more than anything -- more than taking a nap! -- to showcase his ability to multiply to his peers. Can you imagine them sitting around listening to him, wondering what the heck this nut job was talking about?
I cherish the wonder that is Breslin. There is truly no one I've met quite like my son.
Thank God for all my kids' talents!
Lord, thank you for the talent show. Thank you for my son and for all of the wonderful things that make Breslin who he is. Please help me to be a good mom to him so that he can grow up to be the person you desire for him to be and to be able to do all of the amazing things you have in store for him. In your name I pray, Amen.
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