Music "Performance"

Tonight I was torn between feeling horrified and having the giggles while I watched Mark "perform" in his 5th-grade music performance. When it was his group's turn to sing or play an instrument, he was mostly cooperative and appeared to be singing or playing. However, when the school choir sang, Mark turned into Jim Carrey, Jr. Mark was seated right next to the choir who was standing. I'll admit that the choir's first song was a little funny, but Mark's antics made it funnier. I was seated in the back of the school gym and tried without making a scene to get his attention. I wanted to stop him from gyrating, making silly hand gestures and bizzare facial expressions, and lip-synching in a most obnoxious manner. I was horrified and giggling at the same time. What's a mother to do? After the event, his classmate's mother made a beeline for me and quipped, "I know who's going to be in trouble when he gets home tonight, but at least he provided the comic relief. I love Mark. Mark is Mark." Yes, Mark is Mark, and he REALLY didn't want to attend or perform in tonight's musical. In fact, this morning as I reminded him of the evening's event, he said, "Well, we won't be going because it will cost too much to get in." Mark didn't consider that his 4 older siblings attended the same elementary, and I attended each and every one of their musical performances for the past 18 years which added up to over 40 musical performances if you count choir, band and orchestra events they've performed in. (Of course, I never had to pay an admission cost to a single one!) I am not stupid. Fortunately for both Mark and me, next year will be the last elementary school musical I'll have to attend as a mother of one of the participants.

(If you wonder where Mark's father was tonight, he was home helping 2 of Mark's siblings with their homework. He really missed out.)