Monday, December 15, 2008

Reagan's Big Finish

You may have already heard that Reagan had "walking" pneumonia this week. Apparently there's a contagious strain going around (one of Reagan's classmates had it). But after a couple of "sick" days at home and a snow day as well, Reagan had recuperated...or so we thought.

Saturday night was the be the culmination of all Reagan's rehearsals at church. She would be singing her duet in "Fear Not Factor." Both sets of grandparents were coming (one set drove over 3 hours to be there). We had pre-purchased a copy of the professional DVD. We were all eager to see Reagan do what she loves: perform!

But just minutes before she was to leave for church, she complained about her chest hurting. Scott and I kept telling her it was probably from all the coughing over the last week. Or it might have been the slice and a half of pizza she had just eaten. I gave her a Tums and sent her on her way with Daddy.

At church, Scott said she was still complaining. I found her and gave her another Tums and a cup of water. I told one of the youth to keep an eye on her and mentioned that she wasn't feeling well to one of the directors. Just as the kids were getting on stage, another parent brought her to us and said she wasn't feeling well. Ms. Sandy, our children's pastor, came by and said to let her go up on stage as soon as she felt ready.

We tried. We bribed, we threatened. We actually got her up there for a song...then she came back down. We guilted and coerced. She went up again but barely sang and did about half of her choreography. Then it was time for her song.

She was visibly upset. Scott went to get her off the stage...she was almost in tears. He got close but then stopped because she seemed to be trying to sing her duet. It was pretty bad. She was barely singing and nearly crying (and so was Mama, who felt bad for pushing her up there), but she got all the way through it...sort of.

At the end of the song, Reagan totally upstaged her duet partner by losing her dinner on the stage! Scott moved with lightening speed to get her out of there. I ran out to meet them in the bathroom, where Reagan threw up again and I cried some more, feeling like the worst mother on the planet for forcing her on stage.

The good news is that within minutes Reagan actually did feel better. It stuck with Mama much longer. (I put on a brave face for our friends at church, but I cried even more that night in bed. Really felt awful about the whole thing.)

Like a real trooper, on Sunday morning, Reagan woke up ready to sing again! She sang "Who Would Imagine a King" with Mama and a group of 6 kids in both services, and did a great job! So...she's not giving up her performing career just yet. But we've learned to listen to her when she says she doesn't feel well and can't perform.

And although we didn't take any pictures or tape it Saturday night, we did have these pics from last week's dress rehearsal. Oh, and there is the matter of the professional DVD. We'll have to wait and see if they cut out the throw-up scene. Should be interesting...

No comments: