A Zebra Was Born

Kids Central Preschool had their 'Winter Term End Show' yesterday. The theme they've been covering these past few months has been "Forests" They had lessons on conservation, nature walks, forest trails, and wildlife studies, to name a few.

Sheridan stepped up to the plate. She hit. She ran. She scored! Yesterday, Sheridan truly amazed us all... she overcame her stage fright... though not without a little drama. On the way to drop her off for the show she did try to convince me that she had a stomach ache and she should probably go home. No chance sister. The cameras were charged and we're recording!

Just like the show last September, the school put on a performance that encompassed everything they've been learning throughout the term. Sheridan's class, the Flighty Frogs, put on a skit about Leo the Lion being the king of the jungle, and how the animals in the forest can help him when he loses his voice.

As expected, the costumes were pretty darn fantastic. There were zebras, giraffes, snakes, tigers, cats, monkeys, frogs, elephants, bears, owls, parrots... all in costumes made by a local tailor. Sheridan's group of zebras even had their shirts and shorts embellished with black/white striped fabric so they'd all looked uniform.

The show opened with the school song, followed by each child introducing themselves and answering the question, "What does a tree mean to me?" We were quite nervous and weren't sure what to expect when the microphone came to her, but Sheridan surprised us all and answered the question with... "My name is Sheridan and a tree to me is a book."

When it came time for her class to perform their skit we also held our breath for a few seconds. Would she or wouldn't she dance... would she freeze up when it came to her line? Nope - she boogied, she swayed, she pressed those lips hard to the microphone and belted out her line... "I'm sure, it will help Leo's throat get better, so the king can roar again." When you watch the video of it, notice the teacher giving me the thumbs up sign when she spoke her line. We were all extremely pleased.

What a difference a few months make, eh? If you want a good laugh, go back and watch her during the September show...

A few photos. Sheridan is the 5th / last zebra on the right.

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We capped off the night by attending the American International School "Annual Winter Holiday Gathering". It was a fancy evening recognizing the teachers, volunteers, Consulate members who help work together to make the school a better place. I didn't have any formal attire (considering I'm 4 months prego and no longer fit into anything I own) but with a lot of make-up, some colorful jewelry, and a no-care attitude, I stuffed myself into a skirt, shirt, and pashmina, and had a great time. Matt and Tony worked the security for the event, but managed to come and join us at the table here and there throughout the night. We had a blast of an evening mingling, eating, and singing along to the music.