Friday 13 November 2009

A star is born



Pushy mothers know no bounds especially when it comes to the Christmas Nativity play. Up until now The Boy has in effect been a bit player, an extra, but now at the tender age of 6, and in Year Two to boot, stardom beckons. This is HIS year to shine.
There has been great expectation in the playground; one hopes that not too many will be disappointed, however, there is an inevitability about it all. I mean, let’s face it the Christmas Story doesn’t give that many lead characters – well not enough for the whole class anyway.
Ever since half term there has been an air of anticipation, suppressed excitement and in some cases hysteria in the car park. The Yummy Mummies have been ever so attentive to our class teacher; little bequests are brought in; a case of freshly pressed apple juice here, a Cath Kidston car rug now the days are getting colder there. Suddenly Miss M is feted in the playground her opinion now more eagerly sought out than ever before. Some Mummies opt to bring in the big Guns and there is a marked increase in the number of Dashing Dad’s appearing at drop off. It’s a major charm offensive.
Will the class princess land the role of Mary? Will the richest kid on the block, whose parents are rumoured to have pledged thousands for a new music room, secure more than the one line he really deserves? Will the weedy nerdy one be relegated to herding sheep and being upstaged by a ringletted dancing snowflake? And what of The Boy?
Of course he should have a leading part, I mean he’s perfect, he’s beautiful, he’s already a damn fine actor – especially when it comes to making up excuses not to go to bed. But, I’m nothing if not realistic, The Boy has a hard time reading as yet and with his Absence Seizures, dramatic pauses might go on for a tad too long and be in the most inappropriate of places or he might just totally forget what he is doing and just wander off or even ad lib something from Merlin or heaven forbid Power Rangers which might not go down to well in the annunciation to the Virgin Mary.
I wait with the rest of the parents in the playground and look expectantly at the children as they file out trying to read in their expressions whether any of this is as important to them as it seems to be to us.
I do not quiz him there and then – I wait until we are in the car and then subtly I think, casually drop into conversation questions appertaining to what part he has been allocated.
Him, suffused with pride: I’m a King and Mummy I’ve got lines to learn! And Mummy we’ve got to get my costume right and I need a sword and a crown and Mummy don’t you think you ought to buy me a costume and not do it yourself and will you listen to my lines…
He’s taking it very seriously indeed and in fact we’ve even got a back story so that he’ll have the right motivation for his pronouncements – all three of them!

17 comments:

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

Congratulations ! You've suddenly become the Queen Mum , obviously .
I hope he loves it all !

Potty Mummy said...

Fabulous - and let's just hope that his school doesn't do with their 3 kings what Boy #1's school did with theirs last year; turn them into Elvis. (Because, just in case you don't get the tenuous link, he was - of course - The King...)

Dorset Dispatches said...

Oh yay! A star is indeed born.

The only role either of mine have ever had in the nativity play has been the donkey.

rachel said...

Excellent - and presumably all done without pledging a year's housekeeping or sucking up to the teacher? Resist that bought costume - much of the fun of a Nativity play is the sheer inventiveness of the home-made costumes; and as a King, he won't have to wear the obligatory tea towel!

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

Congratulations to the boy - and all without recourse to Cath Kidston etc! Just raw talent. x

Maggie Christie said...

Well congratulations to the boy! I hope he has a great time in his starring role. I love a proper nativity play. Mine are a Babushka doll and a star. I can't wait to see what that actually means!

Friko said...

Well then, what were you worrying for?
The boy done good.

Iota said...

A back story! I'd love to hear it. Could you make it into a blog post.

Iota said...

And bother! I have just given away a king costume to a friend (red cloak with fake ermine collar, and crown). I could have posted it to you.

Word verification is METWOR, which sounds like it could be the name of one of the kings.

Liz (LivingwithKids) said...

And now there's a different kind of pressure on you - to make THE BEST COSTUME. Shop bought simply will not do - it's gotta be homemade and fabulous!

Oh been there, done that, spent hours and hours sewing the costume.

Congrats on his big role though - fabulous xxx

Dawn/LittleGreenFingers said...

Sod the costume. I say go the whole hog and hire a camel for the performance. That'll upstage the entire holy family...

Anonymous said...

Huge congrats! And how exciting....as Queen Mother do you get your own box for the performance?

Vic said...

We have to pull of a santa costume this year - the boy was cheeky enough to ask his nan to do it instead of me! Clearly he knows where his mother's abilities lie.

menopausaloldbag (MOB) said...

Oh how jolly wonderful! i was thrilled reading this post! Ya boo hah to the pretentious parent brigade that think brown nosing can get their children everything in life! Great stuff! Can't wait to hear about the performance.

Tattieweasle said...

SmitoniusAndSonata - Didn't the Queen Mum enjoy her Gin? Ooh I think I AM going to enjoy Christmas!
Potty - just in case should I be practising "The Boy has left the building..."?
Brit in Bosnia - I think I'd very happily settle for Donkey as his highness is really getting in to his part..all the time!
rachel - I am determined to make it myseld esp as he has very particular ideas about his crown:"It's got to be really really BIG mummy."
elizabethm - he takes after his mother...of course!
Preseli Mags - ooh I loved Babushka it was a Kate Bush song wasn't it? Can't wait to find out.
Friko - He done good indeed.
Iota - it's seems to be getting longer and more and more convoluted involving Merlin and King Arthur too! Bother wuold have given my eye teeth fo rthe costume but hey an old yellow velvet curtain and some stick on jewels...
Liz(Living with Kids) - ooh thank you now the pressure is really on but I may have a cunning plan...
Dawn/Little Green Fingers - a woman with BIG ideas, very tempting as no one would bother to look at the costume would they?
Mud - I'm working on it but I think it will be lobbing sceptres at dawn; there are four Queen Mum's at this shindig - three plus Herod's Mum...
Vic - I'd take her up on the offer! Wish my Mum could sew...
MOB - It is brill! I wouldn't say I rubbed their noses in it but I was sorely tempted. There again I think Miss M is pretty clued up! Role on the perfomance!

The wife of bold said...

You had me laughing, my daughers in year two also and has been promoted from star to Angel this year. Not nearly as exciting as "king" though - do tell us what you bribed the teachers with? :)

Tattieweasle said...

Wife of Bold : I couldn't possibly say, honestly. Well if you insist - good old fashioned falttery. It still gets you anywhere! No really it was all down to The Boy...I AM so PROUD!

Go on you know you want to...

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