Sydni's Talent Show

I managed to make it to Sydni's talent show at her school yesterday. And I am so very glad I did!

Sydni has been practicing for WEEKS!! Anyone who has been around her lately has probably been "blessed" with hearing her. She sings ALL THE TIME! She sings so much that I've had to learn how to tune her out. In fact, there have been moments where I may have actually blacked-out...just gone somewhere else...gone to my Happy Place. (Please don't tell Sydni. I promise to be better. Just don't tell on me!)

Then came yesterday. I got there a few minutes early (miracle, I know) and watched as Sydni raced around the music room with her pack of hyenas (other little girls who like to be dramatic, too), frantically trying to make sure everything would be PERFECT. I sat there tapping my foot, wishing that they would speed things up. (That's me. I'm impatient. Can't help it.) I scooted my chair over 4 times, trying to make space between me and all of the germy kids. Thank goodness a friend showed up (THANK YOU, ANDREA!!!!) to sit next to me and save me from the horrid diseases that can leap 20 feet from a kid to an adult.

Sydni was the second kid to take the stage. (I videotaped the whole thing, knowing that I would need to upload it and get it to Jayson.) SHE WAS AMAZING. I was in awe. Thanks to my little black-outs, I felt like I was hearing her for the first time. I had goosebumps and wanted to cry because, all of a sudden, I realized how truly great she was. My not-so-little girl had worked so hard on this. It was at that moment that I understood how IMPORTANT this was to Sydni. And, THAT made it important to me.

After a few more kids showed us their "talents" :-), we took a little intermission. As Andrea and I planned our discreet escape, I checked my phone. DAMN IT!!! I had missed an email from Jayson telling me that he would Skype me while Sydni sang so that he could hear her.  Are you kidding me??!!  What kind of timing is that??  I started to email him back - telling him that he had missed it.  Andrea stopped me...and convinced me to ask if Sydni could sing again.

Then, with the blessing of her teacher and the whole audience, Sydni was introduced again.  But, this time, her teacher said, "We have something very special.  Sydni's dad, who is in Iraq, is on the phone.  This time, she will sing for him."  I followed Sydni to the front of the room, knelt down, and held my phone up.  And she sang (while I pretended to have a cough so that people would think I was choking instead of tearing-up).  She sang just like she had the first time...beautifully and with passion and with more confidence than I will ever have in my life.  And Jayson got to listen.

So, here's to YOU.......Mrs. Zinzer, the Audience, the power of Skype, and, most importantly, Sydni for making it possible for a Dad to hear such an important moment in his Daughter's life.

HAPPY TRAKS!!