An Odd sort of Evening

Tonight was shaping up to be a night just like any other night until something CRAZY happened.

Toby found…wait for it…a cardboard tube.

Formerly known as the inside of a paper towel role, this cardboard tube was IMMEDIATELY transformed into a megaphone and it was announced to all of us that the Henry Family Skating Show was about to begin.

EVERYONE took this seriously. Rob, sitting back in the recliner, volunteered to be the announcer while Mia ran to her room to grab her blankie and Zack pranced around excitedly. I sat back, hoping to get off easy with mere spectator status but was quickly reassured that I had the uber important role of cheer leading and Mia-watching, both of which proved to be arduous and/or critical at various parts of the show.

While Toby regaled us with his various figure skating antics, Mia interpreted the Skating show in her own unique style.

Debriefing the show now, we are still unsure as to what exactly Mia thought was going on. In the end, her shtick included the arduous task of lifting her (fairly heavy and snot laden) blankie onto the living room chair and then standing back and pointing to it while bowing her head repeatedly in gracious acceptance of our puzzled (yet enthusiastic) applause. She followed this act up with a backwards walk into the chair before lowering herself into a seated position. (After which more applause was granted).

Repeat x 10 and you have the gist of what Mia did all evening. Think of it what you may – this was, in Mia’s opinion, a formidable performance, and as she landed each time with a resounding BOUNCE she sported as smile so swollen with pride it almost forgave the crusted snot that encompassed her various facial orifices. Needless to say, we rewarded her peculiar routine with the expected naïve parental laudations of applause and laughter, ensuring for life that she will become a snot-infested narcissist.

Meanwhile, poor Toby was racing by, performing the perilous acts of hardwood floor-sliding and double standing broad jumps, trying desperately to win our approval as the skating show feature performance, while repeatedly being out shone by the random acts of confidence displayed by his sister.

It was a very entertaining evening indeed. But, as it is with all child-centered activities, the Skating Show soon met its eventual and unfortunate ending with an abrupt arrest; Mia touched the forbidden stereo system for the 4^th time (landing herself in timeout) and Toby threw the inevitable hissy fit for not having our undivided attention. As all great things end these days, we had both kids in fervent tears and both parents bemusedly shaking their heads.

And then it was bedtime.

And how was your evening?