What not to do when your son is in a play

Colin was in the 2nd/3rd grade play, performed this week on Open House night at his school. The play was called "Go Fish" and the story was something about a shark becoming friends with fish. I think.

Most of the kids in the 4 classes were generic fish kids that sang in the chorus during the musical numbers. But in one of the few speaking roles, on the main stage, surrounded by upperclassmen, was my little second grader, Colin.

So my little guy had to get up in front of all the parents and family members that gathered in the good old cafeteria/auditorium room, and perform his role of "Needle Fish".

Here's what I did wrong:

I did not make him a costume. I didn't know what the hell a needle fish was, and I knew most of the other kids weren't going to be in any kind of costume, but surely I could have jazzed him up with SOMETHING. Even just a pair of swim goggles on his head would have lent to an oceany feel.
I told him beforehand that I was going to video the play. He mentioned several times before the play started that he was nervous because he knew I'd be recording it. In the future I will pretend that I forgot the camera.

I gave him a huge hickey on his eye. OK, that sounds really weird, but I was pretending to eat Lucy's eyes to make her giggle, and so Colin asked me to eat his eyes, too, but when I did it was apparent that he has really, really delicate skin, and I had made a huge hickey on his eye. The photo does not do justice to how red the marks were. He really looked like he had been punched in the face.


Despite me, Colin did a great job. He remembered all his lines and cues, and he was just downright adorable.

I promise to do better for his next play.....

Happy Mother's Day!!!