And then he waved

Right after school today I sent Mr. T with a friend to go to his wrestling class (a whole other post, and a huge regret of mine), and then we whipped over to get to Little E's gymnastics class.  I am one of the few crazy mother's who stay for the entire time, and also the only one who didn't do the "smart" (but also expensive) thing and sign up all my kids for a class at the same time; meaning I have other kids with me for a whole hour and a half to "watch."  I was prepared.  I brought snacks, a small collection of interesting and long-forgotten toys, sharpened pencils to do homework, and baby wipes - a new obsession of The Toddler's.  I was also a teeny bit over-zealous and brought a new book I had picked up at the library this morning for myself.

First we tackled homework with the third grader while The Toddler snacked and swung on the off-limit bars.  Then about 8 trips to the bathroom (with 7 false alarms), 6 trips to the drinking fountain, and a bonk on the head with a goose egg later, I told The Toddler I was done.  We weren't going to get up from our seat any more and we were just going to either watch brother or the clock - his choice.  My little smartie pants, who uses potty time as a way to get my attention, then told me he was going to go poop in his underwear.  We hurried to the bathroom yet again only to have him say, "No poop is coming this time."  I carried him like a football back to our seats, grimacing.  Then I sat him down, read a sentence (the same sentence I'd been reading all day) then grimly put my book away so I could help him gather all the toys he had so quickly chucked all around the other observers.  While bending over, I happened to glance up through the crowds of parents and gymnasts to see my Little E doing his adorable little wave at me.  So I squatted and watched him.  That's what I was there for.  I gave him a thumbs up when he did a perfect backwards somersault.  He gave me a double thumbs up.  I grinned away at him as he turned after each accomplishment to see my reaction and to wave.  Right there in that crowd of seemingly perfect parents, sitting on the dirty floor, I started to cry.  I clapped the next time he looked.  Then a double thumbs up for my guy.  He winked at me, and so I winked back.  And those few precious moments made that entire rigamarole of an hour and half in a non-but-ideal situation perfectly ideal and precious.  And I never could have prepared myself for that.