Star Search TAke One...

I am so proud of Andrew. I am also so crazed by him right now that I just want to shake him.

Last week Andrew asked me if he could try out for the talent show. Okay, so a few things randomly went through my head. I thought it was strange that he asked me. Andrew is one who would most likely tell me. Besides, he doesn't need my permission. I will do anything I can to make my schedule work around things the boys do. I also remembered that this ain't your Whitehall Elementary School talent show of the past. No, Whitehall does a district-wide show of talent. Eeks! I had heard {before this conversation ever came up} that they choose about 20 acts. Mainly high school with a few sprinkled in from each of the three other schools. I didn't think he was prepared. I asked Andrew for details. He only knew the tryout date. Tuesday. After school. He knew the song he wanted to sing. Oh yeah, he wanted to sing for his try out. LOVE IT! HATE IT! I love listening to my children sing. They sing from their toes. It makes for a fun Christmas program at church and even turns an ordinary hymn into something a little snappy. people comment all the time. Caleb looks like Alfalfa when he sings his high notes. They are both just the coolest. However, school talent try outs are a world away from church. I am proud of him for wanting this. Even more proud for him following through. {which he did} I just worry about other kids and their brutal honesty. Like my oldest son's, for instance. I'll get to that in a minute.

I gave Andrew a small list of things to find out. As in one particular thing. He needed to do this last Friday. He forgot. He didn't go to school Monday because of Great Wolf. Yesterday it was totally out of my mind. About 10 minutes before Andrew left for the bus he asked me who was picking him up after his try out. What? Our problem was that even though he had a song, he only has a CD with other voices singing. Back when I was in school, the judges picked a lot of "talent" but because of the district wide thing, I wasn't sure the window of opportunity was big enough for Andrew and Smash Mouth. His assignment was to ask Mr. Hill if he would prefer Andrew to sing with a CD or a cappella. Remember, he forgot. Yesterday I was beside myself because he was so not prepared. I told him to stand in front of me, right then and there, and sing to me. A cappella. A ca...what? That is what I got. Anyway, that is just what he did. He was right on. he kept his rhythm. He made eye contact, but he was nervous. He played with the snap on his pants pocket. Over. And. Over. Until I stopped him mid song. He put his hands in his pocket and swayed his way through the rest. he even added a little British accent I think. I wonder if he was mixing up his Smash Mouth rendition with his Monkeys rendition. {I'm a Believer} Caleb's brutal, I wouldn't say honesty, was more than I could take so I told him he had to leave. Snot. Later, on the way to pick Andrew up, he made a comment about the kids in his class saying Andrew didn't have a chance. I had to remind him that he is the big brother and he needs to stick up for Andrew and teach kids not to be so chatty.

I told Andrew in order to try out, two things HAD to happen. First, he needed to change his clothes. No snap pockets. Second, and most important, he needed to get with Mr. hill right away and let him know that he could either sing with the CD or by himself. It is whatever Mr. Hill prefers. I made him repeat all of this back to me. I told him to make sure it was Mr. Hill's decision, unless he left it up to Andrew and, last but certainly not least, I told him to make sure Mr. Hill knows that if Andrew is chosen, he would have the music only version for the talent show. Okay. we all agreed.

I got a call just after 4:00. Andrew took Keith's phone to school in case the office was closed and his try out was last. After picking him up, I asked how it all went. He told me the judges said "good job" and "we'll call you." So American Idol. Andrew has thought that it would all play out the same way. He figured he'd get the yellow slip right away and he thought the "people" would get him his music and he referred to American Idol more than once. This ain't Hollywood, baby!

I asked what Mr. Hill chose for him. He said that Mr. Hill wasn't there so he didn't say anything. Good God! There were like 30 acts at Ealy alone. Singing with a CD doesn't help you stand out. The judges are from NHS...high school students. I wanted to call the supervisor and tell him what he needed to know. Andrew thinks he's fine because someone said he did a good job and they'd call him. I told him that they say "nice job" to everyone and the call could be either a yes or a no.

I talked to him last night and told him if the answer is no, next year we'd be on it with music ahead of time. he seemed okay with it all. I hope his little heart doesn't get broken. I want him to make it because I believe he'd do a really good job. I just want to be a "mom" right now {used as an adjective, not a noun} and fix it all for him. I want to talk to the judges. But I have to remember that he is almost 10 and he knew what he needed to do and didn't. I cannot fix all his problems forever. But I really want to.

This job is just too tough sometimes.