Awww You're Making Me Cry

So, for her birthday - J wanted to see her favorite singer - Carrie Underwood. We bought tickets back in July and planned our trip to Austin - Halloween night. What was I thinking?!? So between the trip to Philly and other things, by the time it was time to hit the road I was exhausted and didn't really want to drive 2 hours to Austin. I wanted to curl up in bed instead of skip the whole thing and let Dad take the girls to their concert. After some pushing and prodding, I slathered up with my icy hot and took some medicine and decided I would suck it up and go.

The drive there was pretty uneventful. We were talking about things that moms and daughters do - boys, music, etc. Traffic was terrible but once we got out on the open road it wasn't so bad and I started to see the excitement building with J and was starting to perk up a little myself. By the time we reached the Erwin center - J was about busting at the seams. I've never seen her get so excited about something. For a brief moment, I saw my very uptight and proper daughter let down her guard and stop being so serious. For a brief moment - she was 13....and she was very happy. In that moment, I forgot how much my joints hurt and I forgot how much I really didn't want to drive 4 hours round trip to go to this concert and I just enjoyed being a mom who was making her child happy and creating a memory that she will never forget.

When I bought the kids ipods a few years ago, I had them engraved - I put on there to dance like no one's watching and to sing like no one's listening and to love like you've never been hurt. She took my advice to heart and she and R did just that. It was great to see them laughing and getting along unlike what I normally see - the sibling bickering thing. They sang at the top of their lungs and J - with all her white girl rhythm danced and believe me - everyone was watching. I wasn't embarrassed, I was totally happy because for the first time she experienced being a kid and following her dream. I did pretty good keeping all my emotions bottled up - but then it hit me - when Carrie started singing " Don't forget to remember me" and I looked at my girls standing there, embracing and singing to each other, I lost it. I let go and let my "mommy moment" rush over me and I shed a few tears as I realized this would be a moment none of us would ever forget. I was happy I sucked it all up and went and I wouldn't trade that moment for anything.

We left the concert laughing about partying with dead people - since we saw both Elvis and Marilyn Monroe - singing Guns and Roses - even though it was a country concert and enjoying a nice fireworks show on our way back to the car. We laughed and played all the way home - got a little freaked out when the lumberjack and the boogie nights guy came to the window at the restaurant and were being goofy but got over it quickly when we realized they were harmless college aged drunks who had left a Halloween party and had the munchies. We arrived home around 2:30 in the morning and as quickly as the doors closed they were back to being siblings and picking at each other but for that one night - for that one mommy moment - I am forever greatful.