Stage Mom

I sat down at the computer because I had this great idea while washing tonight's dishes that we would create a Christmas Card Video on YouTube and send a link to everyone we love. We didn't send out Christmas Cards this year and I thought that as long as I keep the video short enough people would get a kick out of it.

Things were going well. I started in January and took note of the file name for the images that would be good for the video. But things took a turn and now the project has been dumped for something more important.

While searching through our photos I found lots of video of Evan. There are five of him on one night humming "Habanera". He liked the song because Mr. Fredrickson rides down his stairs in the beginning of the film UP! to the tune of "Habanera". These five videos told a far less cute story than that of a three year old who has opera stuck in his head. The louder message was that of a pushy mom. I can tell by his face and the fact that he is freshly bathed and in his jammies, that he was too tired to make a video. I asked him to say "Good afternoon my name is Russell" too often. I say "duh duh du du" trying to goad him into singing the rest (like he had been doing around the house earlier that day).

But wait there is more.

A few file folders later I found a video of Evan in his jammies with a Rockabilly hair-do, once again right after bath time. In this one I am asking him repeatedly to sing Natasha Bedingfield's "Pocket Full of Sunshine" song. Evan is wearing sunglasses and has been given Tupperware and plastic spoons for a pretend drum set. I am coaching him while my husband is holding the camera. Evan starts to sing his own song that he had stuck in his head. It was a song from They Might Be Giant's "Ready or Not Here Comes Science". But like an idiot I keep saying "Hey Evan, I got a pocket, got a pocket". If I would have just listened I would have heard my son sing "the sun is a mass of incandescent gas". My husband, who isn't an idiot, picked it up right away and started singing along with him without missing a beat. And then, because I never learn, I actually said "hey Evan, I got a pocket, got a pocket..."

Grumble. I am feeling angry with myself for being such a jackass. Must remember this Christmas not to ruin the family videos by speaking. Must remember to let my kid be a kid. Must remember that a goading parent will kill the cute in the impromptu stage of childhood. Must stop blogging and go to sleep before I confess to any other parenting flaws.

Happy Holidays, we love you, and my kids are cute, but if you don't get a card or e-mail, hope that it means I spent more time exhibiting sound character than trying to force anyone to be in character. I definitely doesn't mean we don't appreciate you.