Encore 2016

I should have known things were too good to be true when Jack wanted to sign up for a singing camp.  

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

What a rough week we have had, and I am certainly glad it's over.

Each summer, the choir director from the high school and the middle school team up to put on a mini musical camp.  Jack asked me to sign him up, so I did.  Cautiously.  Jack is really shy.  I mean really shy.  And he does not like to sing, and he certainly does not like to dance, and he doesn't like to do ANYTHING in front of a crowd of people.  As a matter of fact, Bo always says "Jack's sing is broken..." meaning Jack can't sing.  Because he doesn't.  EVER.  

So I signed him up.  Right.  That was my first mistake.  I should have just said no.

This was Jack's face the first day, when I was dropping him off.  He looks happy.  Yes, then reality smacked him hard in the forehead.

When I picked him up the first day he said he wasn't going back.

Ahhhh, and that's where we run into problems.  We have a standing rule in this house, and it's that if you sign up, you finish.  You do not quit.  Ever.  He knows the rules.  

He went kicking and screaming on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Wednesday morning he had a MAJOR meltdown on the way there.  

Here was the problem.  He WANTED to be able to do it, but he couldn't.  He was just too shy and nervous and it was killing him.  Plus, Jack is a little slow as far as processing speed is concerned so the dancing was KILLING HIM.  He was a step behind everybody else with the dancing.  

So, he is trying, but just not getting it.  And that's ok.  He wasn't the only one trying and not getting it.  Try, that's all we ask.  

On Wednesday during his epic meltdown he ran out of the gym crying twice asking me to take him home.  

No.  Not going to take him home.  I knew that if this kicked his butt he would be petrified FOREVER of being in front of people.  It couldn't end like that.  

So, we called The Coach.  The Coach apparently gave him an epic pep talk because he wiped his little snotty face and went back inside, and didn't come back out.

At the end of each day of camp, three awards were handed out.   That Wednesday, after such a rough start to the day, Jack was awarded the Top Performer award!  

YAY!  Go Jack!  What a turn around!  WHEW!

And on Thursday, they performed.  The theme was "We Love the 90's".

And although Jack was out of step quite often, and very nervous, he did it.  He stayed up there the whole time and got through the entire performance dancing and signing.

And picking his nose.  We will have to work on that.  LOL.

I am SO GLAD he made it through the week.  It was rough, no doubt about it.  He did say he was glad he made it though, and he also said it helped him not be so shy.  He also said he had fun, so it will be interesting to see if he wants to go back next summer.

Next stop, Cub Scout camp!