Christmas concert at Apple Tree...

Apple Tree had a Christmas presentation that the kids worked on for probably at least two months. We listened eagerly as Gavin would practice his songs and his sign language at home, and Mrs. Tonelli assured us that we would be completely teary-eyed the night of the show because some kids knew the words, and some kids knew the motions, but Gavin knew every word and every sign for every song. And she was right! He had even succeeded in teaching Gage the words and the signs, feeling the need to correct him when he was not getting it quite right. He was so excited and so ready for his show, and I could tell that he was even a little nervous when he took the stage. He flashed Daddy a picture smile at first, and then he took his spot on the bleachers. The kids were all so handsome and beautiful in their Christmas attire, and it was so fun to see what they had been working so hard on.

The hay from the stable must have been pretty distracting to him, because he kept brushing it off of his face and looking bothered and surprised by it. When he started to get bored (when they had to sit and listen to the older kids perform), he'd flash me these looks to see if I was paying attention to him. When our eyes would meet, he'd sit up taller and give me a funny smile. He managed to stay on task most of the time, and we were all very proud of him that night.