Proud Mama (and Dad...and Grandparents...and brother.)

Last Thursday Noah was in a special program at school: "Night in the Library". It was for grades K-4. Basically, it was a literary type of program. The children dress up as a book character, etc. and read or recite a sample of that book or nursery rhyme. The kindergarten did nursery rhymes. And Noah had chosen "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". Josh told me that he remembered from last year that the kids would stand in the hallway and people would walk by them and push a "button" on the wall and then the kids would read/recite in character. Cute. Except that's not what they decided to do this year for the kindergarten. Everyone (parents and kids K-4) were in the multipurpose room and the principal tells us that the kindergarten would be performing (on the stage)  their nursery rhyme in front of everyone now because they got tired standing in the hall for so long last year. Ummm....what? Josh and I just looked at each other. I knew what he was thinking. Because I was thinking the same thing. How in the world was Noah (who has a hard time talking in front of a smallish group of people who he does know) going to be able to get up in front of this VERY large group of people who he doesn't know?? And not only that, but recite a nursery rhyme. From memory. WITH PROPS.
I (we) were so nervous.  I had know idea what was going to happen. I was hoping for the best. At least we didn't have long to wait..because he was going second. Oh mercy. And....he did so good!!! He got up there and recited the entire nursery rhyme. He even remembered to use his props (spider, cloud/rain, sun) when he was supposed to! Bless him. Of course we were beside ourselves. How far he has come. If you had told me last year that Noah James would be getting up on a stage in front of a large audience and would perform a nursery rhyme from memory I would not have believed you. Because he was (and still is) so shy in groups. Especially with people he doesn't know. It just gives us so much hope. That he is growing and maturing. He is able to cope and handle his fears. And he will do amazing things.