Dancing to his own beat

The scene is Perkins, the girls and I are sitting in a booth, waiting for Nathaniel to come back from the bathroom so we can leave. I throw an idea out there for consideration:

“What do you say that we just leave now before Nathaniel comes back and see what happens?”

“No!! He’ll be scared and lonely.” <– from Peyton

“You think so? I mean, he could just live here and he’d have all the food he can eat.”

“No!! I will miss him if we leave him.” <– from Peyton

“But if we sneak out right now you can both have your own rooms.”

“NO! I…” <– from Peyton

“Really?” <– from Rachael

That’s sisterly love for you. She’ll throw you under the bus for 100 sq feet of prime Rachael-land real estate.

I had been asked to go to USF to speak as a parent of a child treated at All Children’s Hospital. Thankfully, they never ask me to speak on things I don’t know, like nuclear physics or the mating rituals of Amazonian waterbugs. But talk about how awesome our hospital is?? This I can do.

There is a large group of USF students that are participating in “Dance Marathon”, which is a college campus fundraiser across the country that benefits Miracle Network Hospitals, which includes ACH. The kids are building teams, they’re fundraising and working to raise awareness and then in March they are having an all night dance party. It’s going to be fun and tiring and I know I’m too old for it, but I’ll be there anyways!

Tonight was a pep rally or motivational meeting set up to give the students involved a chance to get to know a couple of the kids treated at ACH and for the families to share how ACH has impacted their lives. I blathered on for a few about the hospital and gave my best effort…but it was totally overshadowed by my kids and their dancing mania.

Every time music would come on, Nathaniel would just break out in a full get down mode. I wish I had taken the camera so that I could show you video of him just getting funky. The girls danced too, Peyton’s sweet friend Allie Blain from the clinic and her family were there to speak as well and the girls enjoyed some booty shaking fun.

But Nathaniel. What he lacks in coordination and actual rhythm, he makes up for in enthusiasm and willingness to just enjoy the moment. He did the robot, the sprinkler, the lawn mower, some new epileptic chicken dance he made up, he did some hardcore mime work and of course, he tried to breakdance. He was a huge hit with the students and he won a small contest, none else could compare. I can honestly tell you that he gets his love of music and dancing from me….he gets his inability to stay on beat if his life depended on it from Pete. Which may or not actually be true because I’ve never seen my husband dance to anything that might require breaking into a sweat. For all I know my husband could be a Rockette, but he’s never let me see it.

Speaking of the non-dancing love of my life, he is set to return home sometime early Thursday morning. He’s on the road right now and we are excited to have him back. It’s the best Valentine’s Day gift I could ask for.

Please keep all the brave and courageous kids in your prayers tonight, but especially Mathew, Justin, Presley, Sierra, Zack, Justen, Kaylie, and too many more to mention, but never too many for God to watch over.

f.r.o.G.
–Anissa