I've got the Music in Me

As with so many big life events people can tell you what they were doing when something big happened. You know what I mean. I can tell exactly what I was doing when I went into labor with 2 of my 3 pregnancies (the third was induced and I can remember MUCH of that horrible experience} I can tell you what I was doing both times I got "the call" with 2 of my adoptions and the total chaos of the third. So it only stands to reason that I can tell you what I was doing when all 3 High School Musical movies came out.

The first is bittersweet. It came out the night before Darrell and I left on our trip to Florida the week before his accident. I went to neighborhood bunco while Darrell watched with little 8 year old Julia. Actually, I think he bribed her with money to scratch his head while SHE watched it, but he was there none the less. He was a good daddy.

The second came out while we were living in the lap of luxury at the Homestead Suites Our cable selection was quite limited and we didn't have Disney channel-- oh the horror! (Hey, I was equally punished with no HGTV or Food Network) This proved quite the dilemma which was thankfully solved when Julia's friend threw a HSM 2 party the night it premiered. I wormed Jenna and I and invite too. I had wanted to see it but ended up helping the hostess take care of all the kids. So the first time I really saw HSM2 was in Hanoi, Vietnam laying on a board hard bed watching with my very ill 4 year old daughter Jenna, who I believe had strep throat. (We got antibiotics from a Western clinic) We owned the CD so I knew every song, especially Bet On It. So I would sing along at points; Jenna's throat hurt too much to sing.

When the girls heard that there would be a High School Musical 3 they were beyond excited. But when Julia found out that the movie came out the night before her middle school's play, Peter Pan, she was not a happy girl. Believe it or not, she even considered ditching the dress rehearsal the night before the play to go see the movie. I finally convinced her that for one thing ditching a dress rehearsal was only an option if you were rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery, and even then being excused was pretty iffy. And for another, the lines would be horrendous!!! After my few experiences standing in long lines I try to avoid them when possible. I know, what kind of mother am I? I finally convinced her that waiting until Sunday was a good thing.

Sunday arrived and the girls were even more excited because I coerced the big boys into watching the babies so it could just be the 2 girls and I. It was an easy baby sitting job since I timed their naps to coordinate with the movie, although it didn't stop the whining, from the big boys that is. We got to the movie a little early; its surprising how much faster you can get somewhere when you're not lugging around a 15 month old and a 2 1/2 year old. This meant we got to see the previews. I'm one of those weird people who actually enjoys the previews. The girls were very excited to see that Zac Efron has a new movie coming out this winter. Sigh...

I thought that the movie itself was all right. Some plot lines were totally preposterous, but what Hollywood movie doesn't do that? Besides, its a musical. Who just jumps into a song and dance, and even better, has a whole room full of self conscious teenagers jump into it too with perfect synchronicity?

Uh, me.

Seriously. These movies (count Hair Spray in there too. Hmm, Zac Efron was in that one too...) make me feel like I could just jump up and burst out into a song dance. And I do, although usually in the privacy of my own home. The girls are semi used to this obnoxious behavior on my part, and often enjoy it-- unless Julia's friends are around! But Ryan, this is totally new to him but I was somewhat surprised by his reaction.

The kids were eating breakfast the other day and I just burst out in a song and dance. I can only imagine what the poor boy was thinking What kind of crazy woman is this???

But soon he got used to the idea that Mommy is a crazy woman and started laughing along with his sisters. Now that I think about it maybe they were laughing at me. Oh well, at least they're laughing!