The apple doesn't fall far...

I took Small to see a concert at my school just before Christmas.  I let him bring a couple toys to keep his hands busy but I didn't think it through very well...one of the toys was a metal lid to a pot.  Twice he dropped that lid with a loud crashing sound during the performance and twice the entire gym turned our way to see who the obnoxious person was making all the clatter.  Oops!  Sorry about that!

But it wasn't until I brought Big to his daycare concert that I realized exactly what that meant.

I tried to sneak Big into the room with all his friends before the concert.  He was TOTALLY not into doing the concert and after watching him cry his way through his preschool one, I decided I wouldn't force the issue for this one.  Instead, I decided to encourage/bribe/whatever as much as possible but cave at his first inclination to run.

So when I got him into the daycare room, all his friends were sitting listening to a story.  I tried to quietly sneak him into a space between his two best friends.  I was hoping he'd let me quietly sneak out after he felt comfortable between his friends.

Nope, he didn't want to be there, no chance!  So I decided we should leave while we could.  I turned to go quietly...

and my boot caught a rocking chair...

and I fell forward...

and knocked over 3 bins of toys...

in a GIANT CRASH!!!

Talk about a subtle exit!

But it was in that moment that I realized that poor Small is doomed.  He's got my gift for grace and subtlety.  His ability to destroy all things on contact, though, I can't take full credit for.  That's gotta be partly him!

You'll be happy to know, though, that Big did participate in the daycare concert.  I bribed him with all kinds of candy and treats and promised he could just stand there...and that's all he did!  But I've never been prouder of that kid for sucking it up and doing something he absolutely detested!!

As for Small??  I'm proud of that kid, too!  He almost smiled through his concert...never sang a word...but he seemed happy up there.  And that's exactly what I love about him.  He's happy happy happy!!  Even when he's crumbling his cupcake into a mound of tiny chocolate morsels...he's happy happy happy!  And when he's ripping the pages out of a book because he's frantically trying to find a specific picture that he likes...he's happy happy happy.

Or maybe he's just oblivious??  Either way, he's awesome :)