Parent of the Year

That was me. Today. And only for about 20 minutes.

Here's who I was up against.




















Today was "parent viewing day" in Audrey's tap class. So there I was. Focused. No PDA. No lap top. Nothing but an eggnog latte in my hand.







Yet I couldn't take my eyes off this guy across the dance room floor.













In front of him were ten 3 to 6 year olds showing off their tap "skills". It is one noisy albeit darling scene. And he did not look.up.once. Believe me, I was watching him.













He didn't even look up when they all lined up against the wall alongside him.













I was so blown away I snapped pictures like the paparazzi. I did try to disguise his face with the blue dot like the accuser in the William Kennedy Smith trials from 1991 but I am not computer savvy and Microsoft Picture Manager doesn't offer me much. So I will trust that he does not read Smilelines.













Here's why I was blown away. He looked guilt free. And he certainly didn't appear stressed. As for frazzled--not a bit. He was definitely not multi-tasking either. He was only focused on the work in front of him.













So here's the deal...I could relate--not to the apparent lack of guilt, stress or anxiety--but to having my nose in my business and my eyes off the kids. I am notorious for doing work when I am supposed to be wearing my mama hat. I have itemized credit card statements on the kiddie table at the library, edited press releases at gymnastics meets (in all fairness to me...they are two hours long and my kid only competes for minutes at a time). Yet I do take far too many phone calls right after I've picked the kids up from school and it's supposed to be "their" time and I have stowed away in my office numerous afternoons to finish a project while the computer or TV plays nanny to the girls. But today I did none of that. I went in and behaved exactly like I always want to and yet rarely do. I was a focused, unplugged parent. And the rewards were many. Audrey blew me three kisses, planted 2 actual ones on me (combined with the requisite butterfly kisses) and told me one secret (which was "I Love You".) And so in the competition of "Parent of the Year" between him and me--the honor went to ME. Along with being the judge (and the only one who knew we were competing) I also clearly created the criteria because no one would win a parenting award for having a child leave her dance circle three times to kiss her mama. Not to mention following class I "misplaced" her whereabouts twice. When I found her the final time she was outside on the edge of the street. Like I said, I held the title for only 20 minutes.