Our Life...: The Greatest Snowman

Saturday, January 27, 2018

The Greatest Snowman

She was overstimulated and was switching between being angry and being overbearing so I grabbed her tight in my arms and carried her to her room and we laid down on the her bed where Ranger quickly joined us.

Baby grabbed my face and looked at me with a smile as her eyes twinkled from the light shining from the hall.

Rewind a few minutes earlier and she was smacking her siblings in the face, teasing Sister by taking things from her and threatening Brother with her lunges toward him.

Both Sister and Brother were crying.

Baby got in trouble for causing the crying so she joined in the chorus.

That's when I scooped her into my arms to help her escape her stimulation overload.

As I laid there with Baby in my arms listening to her breathe and watching her tickle Ranger's ears, I started thinking about earlier this morning when she began dancing to some of my favorite music I had playing on my phone before school.

My kids can make or break me all within moments of each other. I really never know what to expect, but I have learned to savor, remember and engrave the good things to my memory and my heart.

With these happy thoughts in my head and Baby in my arms I decided to take a big risk and sing to her.

Singing to Baby is always a risk, because she usually hits me in the face, covers my mouth with her hand or screams at me to stop.

I thought I'd start quietly with a simple Primary song and to my surprise I actually got through one sentence without her smacking me so I was ready to happily continue singing.

Then she routinely placed her hand over my mouth and firmly said, "No. ... Snow man." She said while still squeezing my face with her little hands. She loves Frosty the Snowman, I mean LOVES him. She sings the song and watches the movie on YouTube quite often. I was happy to oblige her, but couldn't think of the Frosty song at that moment.

So I started to sing, "Once there was a snowman, snowman, snowman..."

Hand over my mouth again.

"No. Great Snowman,"

So I thought I'd add actions to my "snowman" song.

"No. Dancing... Greatest... Snowman."

Clearly she was trying to tell me to do Frosty, but it still wasn't coming to me. She doesn't do well with the "waiting" process so I knew I didn't have time to think and only to react, I mean, we were having a "moment" here, I couldn't ruin it by upsetting her with waiting while I tried t remember the magical, dancing 'Frosty the Snowman' song. So I sang the Snowman song with more vibrance and added in some hand dancing.

"No. Mom. Say Great."

I stopped my hand dancing and complied "Great." I repeated.

"No. Mom. Gray..."

"Gray, " I repeated.

"Gray-test."

"Greatest," I said with some hesitance.

"Snowman."

This time I paused... "Oh, Greatest SHOWman?"

She was proud of me for figuring it out.

She had had such a great time dancing to my music this morning and that is the soundtrack I was listening to.

I brought up my phone and we played music from The Greatest Showman soundtrack.

It brought new meaning to sing these songs to her while she listened intently and then would pick another song.

Singing "Never Enough" made me think of all the barriers that will want to hold her back and the strength she'll have to not let them keep her down.

We listened to "This is Me" and she jumped from the bed to do her interpretive dance.

Then she laid back down and picked more songs.

One by one, each song played, some for a few seconds, some for a few sentences and some for most of the song.

"A Million Dreams" rang out and I marveled at all the dreams she has for herself and others and that wonderful day when she'll be able to express all of that to me.

This is why I love the movie "The Greatest Showman." It is set on encouraging people who are different to be their best selves and to show the talents that they have and to stay true to yourself and others.

If you listen to the words of "This is Me" you will know why it tears at my heart strings. "Hide away, they say... we don't want your broken parts." I'm not scared to be seen... This is Me!" "I won't let them break me down to dust... We are glorious!"

I know, I know, "The Greatest Showman" is, by no means, a documentary. PT Barnum was not perfect and by no means do I condone everything he did, but I think this movie was not meant to be about mistakes or bad decisions he made. Instead I think this movie, and Hugh Jackman's motivation for it, was to be about the lives he changed, the opinions he tweaked and the talents he helped shine all while being brave enough to be different. There are only some truths mixed in with PT Barnum's most inspirational quotes and the fantastic story line of the movie.

Guess, what!

I don't care!

The entire time I watched this movie I thought of Brother and the opportunity he has to be a "performer" on his cheer team. I am so thankful for people who are willing to embrace my children and let them shine regardless of it being an unconventional way to go about it.

My life truly is a three-ring circus.

I can't lie.

We often have elephants in the room no one wants to address, trapeze artists seeking higher risks to take, a lot of clowning around, critics on the outside, a peanut gallery, and two ringmasters who try to keep it all under the big top.

I was in heaven singing to Baby while she smiled at me and put her hand on my face. Trust me, this is a first with her. I will treasure this memory for life.

"The noblest art is that of making others happy." --P.T. Barnum

May we all aspire to be and do that of the noblest art.

Our three kids are noble so often and I am so proud of them.

Brother for your love of cheering people up and cheering them on.

Sister for making every single person feel like their story is important.

Baby for sharing your art with those around you everyday.

I am grateful.

I am not without trial, despair, heartache or pain.

But, I am blessed.

Circus and all.

I am so glad to be part of the greatest "show" on earth, known as Our Life!