How To Not Cry At The School Concert: 6 Tips

It's that time of the year when we celebrate the milestones of our children with end of year concerts, presentations and all the malarky that comes with Christmas. If you're like me, sometimes your eyes get drippy - it's a little documented fact that once those maternal hormones start churning - your eyes drip. A lot. And I - at your service, have come up with a way to thwart those pesky drips. 

1. Be Anna Wintour: You know how Anna wears sunglasses, like, everywhere. Well why can't you? Go into the classroom with your oversized Von Zippers (oh - maybe they're Chanel?) - no one needs to know your eyeballs are sweating. Do they? Nope. You're sitting front row at the end of year concert and the pollen goes - bOOM - smack bang into your eye? Sunglasses will stop that pollen from even getting close to your cornea. Your little cherub receives an award and your eyes starting that tell-tale tingling? Make like you're a celebrimummy and don a pair of oversized sunnies and not only stop your eyes from melting - but look like a complete kooky snob. Who knew reading the concert program could be so, er, difficult wearing sunglasses?

2. Bite the inside of your mouth - or your tongue: Did you know that if you bite the interior of your mouth - it is associated with distracting your eyes from become pools of water? Try it. I do. Often. This tip will serve you well in school concerts to come. 

3. Go cross-eyed: Try crying and being cross-eyed at the same time. You just can not do that. And then add a mirror into it - yes go on, just slip that compact mirror out and have a wee peek at how silly you look. See. Look who's not crying now. 

4. Look Upwards: What? I'm not crying! The sun's in my eyes. Ok it may not work indoors, but worth a shot outside. Oh ouch - something just flew into my eye. There's another tip I threw in as a freebie. 

5. Laugh: Pump up the volume on those endorphins and laugh. Or smile. Whatever floats your little boat. 

6. Pinch Yourself. Hard: Have you ever tried this? Nope probably not, because I am probably the only one that's afflicted with lactating eyeballs. But if you ever find yourself in that sitch - then pinch yourself. And hard. No. Not that hard. Just enough so that the pain distracts you. 

But of course, my favourite is number one. Mainly because I want to sing this to any mums that turn up wearing sunglasses in the school hall. 

There-ends my tutorial on how not to cry at the school concert. Early next year I'll be hosting a how-to not cry at the school gate as our little babes head off to Kindergarten. That's right. I'm going to be the one sobbing in the car afterwards. But not at the gate!

Dancing VS Parenting VS What's Right VS What's Wrong

Tiny goes to dancing on Saturdays. She started because, as lots of small girls do, she loved to dance and move.

Every Saturday for an hour of power, she dances with a group of 16 other little girls.

She's probably not the most enthusiastic dancer, and some weeks, she doesn't want to go. But when we go, she has a good time.

But not this week. This week we went. It was cold in the big church hall. We arrived early, found our seats, switched her shoes over to jazz shoes, and she clutched her "news" (this week - a piggy bank) and walked up to be first seated in the circle.

Once news was over, they started dancing. They have three dances for their end of year concert. If you've ever seen small girls dancing, it can be a good abdominal work out. Some weeks they have me in stitches. It's well choreographed chaos.

And after about 15 minutes of dancing, I could see Tiny was a little deflated. The teacher could see she was not happy, and called me up to see what was happening with sad little Tiny.

She crumbled as I reached the stage. And wouldn't tell me. After a while I cracked her, and she told me she didn't want to do dancing because she didn't want to be in the concert. She was sad. I felt sad for her. But what do I do?

I'm not someone to make my kids do something they don't want to do (unless it is having a bath, or tidying their room *snort* like that ever happens). But do we persevere with dancing and terrify poor Tiny? Or ditch it and up the fun stakes?

I am erring on the side of the fun stakes.

Thoughts dear reader? Ever been in the same boat?

image of Australia's very own Darcey Bussell as taken by Annie Leibovitz

Ace.

Last night I dreamt I flew to the US for two days. And I met Joanna Goddard. And all I bought was a lousy vase. My sister (who is celebrating her birthday today! Happy Birthday Choc!!) roused on me in my dream because I didn't bring back very much from my wee trip.

Next time I dream travel I will definitely buy more stuff. And more things.

The only reason for this dream must be because I am totes missing the interwebz. My reader is 1000+. If everyone can stop blogging until next week, that would be very good.

The kids are going beserk. I caught Tiny tossing all our photos downstairs. Awesome.

The only remedy? Crazy dancing. And learning all the new words to our new favourite album.

Anyway, the crux of this post is to inform you that Justine Clarke's new album 'Great Big World' is out. And it's awesome. One of our favourite tracks. Woof woof! Tour dates (for WA, SA and QLD) have been announced too. I saw her way back at the Opera House, just after 'Nam. Ok it's not really that long ago, but it feels like it. Way back when she was bursting with 'I Like to Sing'. The Doctor totes rocked out.