They have a classroom blog at V’s school. The teacher updates it once a week (over the weekend) and basically lets us parents know about upcoming events, etc. It’s really useful and great to read all about (and see pictures) what the children have been learning.

At the beginning of December she posted to say that the Christmas Concert would take place on the 19th of December and that the children were going to sing We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Dancing Christmas Tree and that they would need to wear a Santa’s hat.

I groaned almost immediately. 1. Is this boy of mine going to actually sing? On a stage? In front of people? 2. How am I going to get him to wear a hat?

We were asked to practice the songs at home. V was (surprisingly) very happy to sing at home. We sang many Christmas carols together, actually. It made a really nice change. But he kept saying that he wouldn’t wear the hat. Ever.

I asked his teacher to please tell the children in class that they all had to wear one – and suddenly he didn’t mind wearing it! He wore it at home for days before the 19th!

The morning of the concert arrived and I don’t think he really knew what was going to happen.

As LagosDad and I arrived at school, we saw his class walking through the courtyard to the hall. And he was wearing his hat. Success!

As soon as he got up on stage and spotted us (and a sea of other faces), he took the hat off. And when it was their turn to sing – he wouldn’t.

He just stood there. Without his hat. Then in the second song, he started pretending that he was a dinosaur (a brachiosaurus to be exact). He stood on his tip toes, stretched his neck upwards and started ‘eating’ leaves from the trees. While still on stage.

LagosDad and I knew exactly what he was doing. Other parents must have thought he was a bit… Odd. Very odd.

I was a little disappointed. I already knew in my heart that he wouldn’t sing, but I was still disappointed.

When we collected him off the stage, I gave him a big hug and a kiss and said, ‘Hey Vins! I thought you were going to sing?’ And next to me another mum said to her son (in V’s class), ‘I’m so proud of you!’

Crap.

I’ve still got a lot to learn.