Forget Santa. The most anticipated holiday event was Kellan's school Christmas program. At least for Erik and me it was the most anticipated. For Kellan it was probably the most dreaded. But kids in costumes singing holiday songs are right up there with baby pandas and smiling dolphins on the adorable scale. My mom flew into town just so she could watch his big performance.

My son is a lot of things - energetic, adventurous, sensitive to others' feelings -but a performer he is not. This fall, when his class sang a few songs for parents during a special lunch, most of his classmates had a great time, but Kellan was miserable. He didn't sing a note. As a parent, you want your kid to do well, but my heart went out to him because he looked - well, terrified. Erik and I talked about the Christmas program for weeks, trying to build up excitement. Kellan was reluctant to even discuss it, but I hoped it would be less terrifying that the first time.

Thankfully, he made it without shedding a tear and actually stayed on stage the whole time. He didn't end up sing a note and at one point stood up while his classmates sat on the risers just so he could look for us in the crowd. It wasn't perfect, but it was way less stressful than his stage debut. Afterward, I was the first person he looked for and the first one to get the biggest bear hug ever. Ah, that's what makes parenting so worth it. Happy Holidays everyone!