A Star is Born

Okay, so yesterday was Eric's talent show. I am still speechless and on cloud 9. I guess this is one of the great perks of being a mother: getting to see the accomplishments of your children.

I got to the assembly about 15 minutes early and I seriously was SO nervous! I think I was way more nervous than Eric was. The first 3 rows of the auditorium were reserved for parents, so of course, I chose FRONT and CENTER! I had my video camera at the ready and waited anxiously for the event to begin.

When I saw Eric getting ready to perform (his group was asked to do a few songs while the students were coming in), I thought I was going to throw up. For real! But I held it together....luckily. Or I would have missed one of the greatest highlights of my life. I know this is sounding way dramatic, but it really was that way for me in that moment.

The band started to play and I was on the edge of my seat when Eric courageously put the microphone to his mouth.....and began to sing! I was crying at this point and the camera was shaking, but I was so proud of him. Unfortunately his microphone wasn't very loud compared to the band and you couldn't hear him extremely well, but remember I was on the front row. And I could hear him. And I swear there's never been a prouder mother in the world than I was then. He did so good!

I'm so glad that I got to hear him in the beginning, because his group wasn't until the end of the assembly......and there is NO WAY I would have been able to sit through that whole thing waiting for his turn. I was on pins and needles. But once I heard him initially and I KNEW he could do it....and that he was going to succeed, I relaxed tremendously. And I truly enjoyed the whole assembly. Everybody was so amazing!

The song they did in the beginning was called Kriptonite by Three Doors Down. I had never even heard it before. It's like a rock song.....what? Eric had played it for me prior to the assembly on the internet, but before that I had never even heard of the band OR the song. The song they did for the assembly was called December by Collective Soul. Once again, I have never heard of either the band or the song. I am really behind the times.....I'm not as hip as I once was. (Okay, actually I've never been hip, but still....)

Anyway, I am so proud of Eric. The tape didn't come out great. You really can't hear him very well, but once in a while you get a portion of his song and he's singing on key and everything! He mostly just stood there and looked out into the audience, but HE DID IT! He's never done anything like this before. And he literally sang in front of a whole auditorium, including the balcony. I could never have done what he did.

I was on such a high yesterday (and still haven't come down completely), and I was thinking about how GREAT he was and I was talking to my sister and she said to me, "You're not saying he's good like some of "those" mothers on American Idol say their kids are good, are you?" I had actually thought about that prior to her asking.....and the answer is....."Of course not. He really is good." You can hear all those mothers saying the same things about their kids, can't you.....and I know you're really wondering for sure. But in my eyes (and here's the important part), he exceeded my expectations and I couldn't be prouder of him for his determination and courage! And to me....he was the best singer there!

Now, I didn't sleep for 3 days prior to this event and I can't imagine how I would be able to handle my kids in a musical, for heaven's sake. What am I going to do? I've always been a tear-jerker and a sucker for emotion, so I don't know how I'm going to be able to handle any future events.....whatever they are. But I guess I'll get through it somehow. These experiences and opportunities are so important. I'm so happy I get to be a part of them.

Way to go, Eric! You were awesome!

P.S. Eric came home today and was telling me how he was talking to all of his friends at school and they were saying how they didn't know what they were going to do with themselves now......now that the talent show was over. They were saying they didn't have anything to work towards or have anything to look forward to. I started laughing out loud. This whole thing was less than 2 weeks. Hilarious. But then he told me that one of his friends said.....

"Well, there's still girls!"

UGH!