Final Season

The season of Music Man has come to an end.

I say "season" because even though the show ran only 2 weekends, we have been practicing since May. Learning the songs, the script, the dances, the backstage set changes....whew! My whole family got to be a part of the production - so we were all there together - through thick and thin! I bribed the kids about half way through the production with a full jar of gum balls ( they earn gum balls or lose them based on behavior and willingness to be helpful). In their minds - they couldn't see why we were doing this...why were we staying up there to all hours of the night learning stuff and going over it again and again? Why do we have to sing that song again and again? Why do they have to sit quietly on the front row of the church with a book to wait instead of flying paper airplanes off the balcony? Why did we put full make up and costumes on to do the show full out for an empty sanctuary? Why, Why, Why?

I soon realized that if I let that set in for too long, we might never reel them back in! So - I bribed them. Here was the deal. Usually it takes them about 8 weeks of hard work to earn them a full jar of gum balls ( it equates to $20 or a Nintendo DS game). Here they could earn a full jar in just the final 2 weeks of performances! But there was a catch - they could not have a bad attitude - not even once - or they would lose the whole jar. All or nothing.

It took a minute for that to sink in - but they finally got it. They kept repeating "all or nothing", "all or nothing".

I only had to remind one of them 1 time what was at stake (that child happened to be complaining of a stomach ache right in the middle of a performance and we were center stage - with the spotlight on us!) At the point it was time for us to make "fake talk" ...I turned to this child and made the threat through my teeth and bright red lipstick smile. I was pretty sure that he had just eaten too many "hot fries" chips in the dressing room. The same dressing room where his daddy monitored his intake.

So - thats all it took - and we were back in River City - back into character.

Our last performance was last night and today in the car it dawned on them.

"Mom?" Annah Grace asked...."Did we get a full gum ball jar?"

All I needed to do was reach my hand back to them and open it for a high five. After I received 2 little slaps on the hand, I pulled back to the front seat. Two little whispers...."yes! we did it!" came from the back. "Mom?" Annah Grace asked again. "I know why we really did it. We worked so hard to show people that our church is such a great place. To show that we love people with God's love so they will want to be near him in his house. "Yes, girl....you got it."

Sometimes they remember the bribe. Sometimes they just remember why.