True Story #3: Kindermusic and Me

I went to Greensboro this past Monday and Tuesday to hang with my sister (Ashley), brother-in-law (Bill) and twin niece (Gray) and nephew (Liam). We always have a great time when we are together, taking part in the simple things life has to offer. Conversation, morning coffee, three to five well balanced meals a day, laughter, 7 cold Cokes before lunch and sometimes 7 after, smoking hand rolled Cuban cigars from Mexico (don't ask because I don't get it either, all I know is that they were a gift from my mom from her trip to Mexico and were the best cigars Bill and I had ever smoked, in other words, they didn't singe your esophagus. Good score mom!!), and playing with two kids who give a new meaning the the word energy. As a matter of fact, I looked up the word energy in the latest edition of Webster's Dictionary and it had a picture of the both of them base jumping the Grand Canyon and they are only two years old, wild! Anyway, they are each taking a summer class and I had the privilege to attend both. Gray is taking Tumblebees, where she is quickly gaining confidence in the art of trampoline jumping and climbing, while slowly preparing for the Junior Olympics, and Liam is taking Kindermusic, where he is singing songs about bees, butterflies, frogs and such, while dancing the jig around other kids and their mom's. This brings me to the meat and potatoes of my story. Monday evening I rode with Bill and Liam and to participate in this thing called Kindermusic. I will admit, I was excited to see what Liam was learning and feel the whole Kindermusic vibe. We walked in to see all of the kids and their mom's sitting in a circle, we were the last to arrive. Bill quickly introduced me as Uncle Seth to avoid any confusion and we promptly sat down. I was going to sit in the corner and watch, but the teacher was like "come on over and sit down, it doesn't matter whether you can sing or not, it only matters that the kids see you participating" I replied jokingly, "I will take the harmonies". She didn't laugh. No one did actually. Yeah, I am pretty sure I was the only one. So I sit down realizing I am without kid. "That's cool" I thought, "I am comfortable enough with myself to do this". We started singing and dancing and clapping and holding hands with strangers to form a beehive, so the kids could escape and freak out on paper flowers taped to the wall just like real bees, you know the normal Kindermusic stuff. Well about three songs in, Bill and Liam got up to use the restroom and didn't return as quickly as I had thought, which left me in the Kindercircle with teacher, moms and kids, clapping my hands and knees, stomping my feet, and singing a nature song, all the while without kid. "A once in a lifetime experience", I thought, "that if I had to guess has never been experience by anyone ever". Lucky me!! :) The forever trend setter. Kindermusic for childless adults. I can see it now. It was cool though, Bill and Liam came back and we had a blast. Liam was so excited to be in the class and I like to think he was even more excited that his Uncle Seth was there with him and daddy the whole time. Maybe next summer I can enroll in a class of my own. I already know the songs. :)