Kathy T’s more nervous about her daughter’s performance in the National Vocabulary Championship than her daughter is. I totally understand this, when I watch my kids do anything in front of an audience, I wring my hands in fear that they will be embarrassed.

My kids have had all sorts of performances and other public exhibitions and they’ve always come through. No, it’s me that’s the embarrassment- like those moms you see in the backs of beauty pageants mouthing words and putting big, fake smiles on their faces, I always want to try to help. The kids just don’t look at me, lest they die of embarrassment right there on the stage.

I’ve really got to work on that before I get myself banned from the kids’ performances.