Last year she had an end of year celebration at the pre-school she went to. Her class went up on stage and sang their little number. Spark Plug freaked out the entire time while on stage. She stood centre-stage with her arms sticking out straight towards me wailing like I was leaving her there forever. There was so much water streaming down her cheeks that it blurred the bumble bee make up. She was telling me through her panicked breaths that I had clearly put her in an uncomfortable situation and shame on me for making her stand up there.

How the tides have turned.

During today's ceremony, Spark Plug was one step away from performing Zoolander's Blue Steel.
She was on fire, magical, magnificent. I have have never seen a kid work a camera like she did today. She strutted out onto the stage glowing. She beamed at us, clapped her hands, and skipped an extra skip. She sat down in her chair in the front row and enthusiastically smiled her biggest smile to show her pearly whites that she had checked during her first trip to the dentist yesterday. Her little piggy tails wee bouncing as she did the actions for their songs. But before she started getting involved in her performance, her teachers had to capture her attention. Away from the cameras. There she was, sitting in her chair, posing. She was eating it up! I heard the teachers call her name and finally, she took her eyes away from the lens and began the show of her life, singing and actions complete. She received her little certificate. When her name was called, she got up from her chair, walked proudly to her teacher, took the paper, and turned to the camera. In one swift movement, she turned on the smile and looked for the flash. She was complimented by many after the ceremony.

What do I do with this? I am oozing with pride that she is gaining confidence but am scared silly at the same time. Where did this come from? Who told her to turn it up like that? What is it in her that makes her love the stage and flash so much? For a child who is usually quite shy and prickly, it leaves me wondering.

She is growing so quickly. Really. She is even complaining that her legs hurt every now and then. She ate 2 grilled cheese sandwiches, 4 baby carrots, 4 pieces of cucumber, and 2 servings of blueberries for lunch yesterday. Her feet are gigantic. Her legs long. I think she is going to be taller than me, judging by her feet alone, like you would predict the size of a puppy based on its paws.

I am not one to encourage the starlet in them. But as of today this kid seems to have some natural starlet in her. We will just have to make sure that she uses her ability to love the stage and camera for the better. Not in a Miley Cyrus sort of way. Because there is no way that I want the Wee Ladies to go anywhere near that whole 'kid star's are cool' mentality.

I just want them to be them. Even if they are making up their own version of Blue Steel.

All's I'm sayin's all.