A Horse, Of Course!

Welcome to the show! 

***STARRING***

!!!

Backstage, the cast includes...

The Horse (of course), and some goats.
Otherwise known as Tanner, Sadira, and Sophie (or maybe it's Kate.  I can't remember.  Actually, the program says it is Ava.  Who knew.)

...and a pig, and The Little Red Hen!

 SHOWTIME!

Everyone set and ready to perform!

You know the tale, right?  No one wants to help Little Red Hen.  She has to plant and nurture and harvest and mill the wheat all her own.  Then she makes and bakes yummy bread, all on her own.  Who can help?  No one can.  But the bread smells woooooonnnndderfuuulll, and everyone wants a bite (even the horse, of course!)  But Little Red Hen...she doesn't think she should have to share.  I mean, she shouldn't, right?  She did it all herself, so why offer it up to her lazy friends?  Fortunately, Little Red Hen is better than most of us and decides she will share...and everyone agrees they will help her next time (oh ya, right, never heard that before.  Thankfully Little Red Hen hasn't been jaded by the world and is less cynical than I am).

That's the gist, at least.  

Only it is sooooo much cuter when performed by Kindergarteners (duh!)

Some dancing around...everyone is too busy to help!

"I can't help, I have to go race."  Or something like that.  Good thing Tanner remembers her lines better than I do!

To be honest, John and I didn't help her with her lines that much, because 1) we're totally lousy parents and 2) every time we did go over them, she knew them like a champ.  All I kept thinking during the show was "thank goodness she wasn't the narrator!"  We woulda had to put in a ton of effort, and I'm just too lazy for that. (smirk ;) 

 Anyway, she did a really good job remembering her (three or four) lines...I just wish I would have stressed YELLING them.  She was so quiet!  (which is so weird from her baseline at home, I forget that I have to remind her to be outgoing in public!)

Looking SO SWEET (and a little shy!) getting those lines out!

The cast sings some cute songs...

Always making sure Momma's watching :)
Love this horse! (of course! :)

Final bows

The goat and the horse giggle like little school girls during the credits.  Suspicious little animals.  ;)

Thumbs up for the Horse, of course!

...And the crowd goes wild!
(kindof).

It's funny, really, how proud I was of Tanner for her little role as a horse - how excited I was to see her perform after all her weeks of practicing.  I was beaming, like she had just completed her Broadway debut.  There are times that parenting overwhelms and astounds me (in a good way, as opposed to the everyday that I am overwhelmed by the ridiculousness of raising three kids!), and I find myself being so proud of my kids because they are the little beings that they are.  Tanner was so proud of herself for her role, and it was something so innocent and pure to witness.  Seeing her self-confidence shine is, frankly, ADORABLE.  

Here's to finding more ways to inspire that beautiful self-confidence in my girls.  May they always be Little Red Uncynical Hens :)

my little star!