part 1

Why was I so blind that I didn't even think about the possibility that a dance company which focuses on Chinese dance might bring up issues in my son?

Yesterday, when I showed him their webpage and asked him if he wanted to go, he told me "no." I just assumed he was being obstinate at the time and told him that I thought he would enjoy it.

This morning when we got to the student matinee, he was excited at first, but as the first dance number turned into the second I noticed him blinking back tears. How could music with melodies sounding hauntingly familiar not remind him of what once was home? I asked him if he was OK and he said that he was. It was clear that he didn't want any attention drawn to him. He did, however, willingly go sit on Taylor's lap.

Toward the end of the performance when they asked for volunteers, he was one of the first to jump up exuberantly with his hand shooting skyward, and even though we were about 30 rows back from the stage, he was chosen. "The boy with the blue striped shirt", the woman on the stage said, and he almost ran up the aisle.

He was able to join in a ribbon dance with 20 other students and the dance company and really seemed to enjoy himself. He kept peering out under the stage lights looking for us and our approval and when I would give him a big thumbs up, he would grin. Oh how I wish I had been able to have a camera with me as it was a sight to always remember.

When he returned to the audience, he wanted to sit on my lap. Nevermind that we were surrounded by thousands of other school children who might wonder why such an older boy wanted to sit on his mother's lap. If he didn't care, I didn't care, so he finished watching the group sitting on my lap with his fingers laced in mine.

When we left and started walking for the car, he became quite grumpy and acted like he was clearly looking to pick a fight with anyone. He jumped in the front seat even though he knew it was Ben's turn, and then threw a fit when I asked him to move to the back. He took Micheline's Leap Pad and got angry and whined when I asked him to give it back. He whined that he was hungry and even though I told him we were getting lunch, he continued to whine "Mama, hungry!" at least once every minute or two until he actually got food in hand. Regression to a much younger age? Absolutely.

continued...