Right in the middle of me cleaning my kitchen, I got a message from my daughter. Could I come sit on that baby for just a few minutes while mommy and daddy go to the main recycling center to rid themselves of a mountain of cardboard, too much for curbside pickup? Naturally, I said yes, if they could give me time to catch my breath first. Even with me resting long enough to watch a YouTube video or two, I still made it over there before they were even dressed. Heck. I had to wait for each of them to shower.
The added wait just meant Valerie and I had some extra bonding time. Our main focus was watching musicals from my past and her present. I cannot believe how much that kid loves Cats, and I don't mean the freaky CGI movie from a few years back. I mean London or Broadway stage, with the spandex, fake fur, and heavy facepaint. The moment I put on her favorite, Skimbleshanks the Railway Cat, she settled against the couch and watched it unblinking. The end-video suggestion for the next to view was a highlight reel of the closing night in London's West End, so I clicked on it. Val didn't recognize it, and this child literally dropped to her knees, put her face to the floor, and cried gently, because the Cats video she liked wasn't playing. It was much more soul-rending for me than if she had flipped back and screamed in a regular tantrum. I kept saying hey! Hey! Look! This is Cats too! She eventually sat up and watched, when it got past a slow introduction, and there was a little Jellicle Cat action going.
Eventually the Cats ran out, and when I saw a thumbnail for Tim Minchin in Jesus Christ Superstar, I absolutely had to watch it. Val wasn't sure, but she didn't fight me on it, especially when I started singing along. I tried to tell her this was my favorite when I was a little girl, when I was six. Then I did the math. I was three times as old as she is right now. I stopped trying to make comparisons, and instead focused on her showing me the new tea party set she got. We "poured" and "drank" tea until mommy and daddy got home.
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