Our Stake recently held a Talent Show, with a special afternoon show just for kids. Of course Spencer wanted to be involved! Spencer auditioned with his Phantom of the Opera song, and they loved it. But they wanted to try to set the different piano numbers apart, so they asked him if he would be willing to dress up as the Phantom. Well, you didn't need to ask him twice! He was also very excited about being able to wear a head-mic for the show, but that enthusiasm was soon replaced with humiliation as the head mic had some major malfunctions during the beginning of his performance (after his big caped and masked entrance as the Phantom!). So there was a lot of "testing testing 1-2-3" going on for a few minutes, and then he had to start over. BUT, aside from that, it was a great performance with lots and lots of applause. Way to go Spence! Tyler also decided to try out for the Talent Show, with his recital song of Spring. Again, trying to make the piano pieces stand out, they asked if perhaps his sister Ella could be coerced into dancing to his song. Of course I knew that the only way shy little Ella is going to get up on that stage is if she has some friends up there with her. So I asked two of her friends from dance class if they would be interested in dancing with her in the Talent Show, and they said yes! So that just meant that I somehow had to whip up some choreography (thanks to Mary!!), teach it to the girls, and have rehearsals with the girls, ...all in my spare time! But, we did it. Now, Tyler was very concerned that the girls were not going to get the dance right, and thus make him embarrassed. And Tyler is also a real care-taker - always worrying more about other people than himself. So, despite my warnings, he became TOO concerned about the girls dance! As he started playing, he was hardly even looking at the piano! And I have no idea what song he was playing either. So, after several missed notes, he stopped and politely asked, "Can I start over???" The little girls on stage were as cute as can be, giggling together, and thankfully were not too scarred or embarrassed to continue. Tyler started over, still had a hard time keeping his eyes off the stage, but did a fine job - and so did the girls. They were adorable. And Tyler wasn't mortified either, because in all fairness, he WAS playing completely in the dark. The lights were out so the spotlight could be on the girls. So he was very happy to have the "dark" excuse! After the Talent Show, we took the kids out for a special dinner at Texas Roadhouse, and we had a great night together. I'm so proud of the kids for being willing to share their talents and to overcome their fears by performing. They all did a wonderful job!
