learning patience at a disco

Here is a good test of remaining calm under provocation.

• First read from your son's school newsletter that there is a Friday evening disco but only children from that school can attend.
• Then have your seven year old foster daughter keep saying how much she wants to go too as she loves dancing (this is true) and knows lots of people from Noah's school (also true)
• Eventually ask the teacher representative of the parent teacher committee for permission to bring a child who goes to a different school because she is Noah's foster sister
• Be granted permission on the proviso you stay with both children throughout the disco
• After school on Friday withstand constant questions and chattering about what clothes are suitable to wear to a disco
• Leave your hard earned cup of coffee to get down a box of unused and outgrown clothes and help choose disco outfit
• Allow child to wear gold shoes that look like Hannah Montana's but mean the child can only shuffle along rather than walk
• When about 10 yards from the entrance to the disco hear the child say, "Maybe I'll just sit with you"
• Enter and remain for two hours in a dark noisy school hall with excited screaming children
• Watch your son have a great time and dance with lots of people while your foster daughter sits on a bench at the side of the hall, refuses to even stand up and doesn't even acknowledge others who want her to dance
• Dance yourself to "YMCA" in an effort to get your foster daughter to join in only to have her tell you you're embarrassing her
• After she asks you three times for a dollar to buy some food, give her a dollar
• watch her cross the floor to within 2 yards of the stall selling chippies (crisps) then turn round and come back because she's not sure how much they cost
• Have her ask constantly for more money as she has now dropped the coin on the floor and lost it
• Finally hiss at her, "Noah is tired and if you don't want to dance we're going home"
• Have her look at you like you're the meanest adult around
• Wait until the lights go on and the disco has finished and the child has still not danced, then ask "Did you enjoy the disco?" without sarcasm