Way to go, my little starfish - Ansel's first concert

Watching your kid perform on stage is always an emotional affair. It is a huge milestone for them too because it truly takes a lot of courage to overcome stage fright, especially if it is their first time, to calm their jitters and to be able to put on a show for the eager audience.

When Ansel told me that he was nervous and didnt want to join in his school concert last year, I wasn't surprised. This boy was only three years old at that time, still breastfeeding and clinging to me all day, and it was natural that he felt scared and anxious.

However, as the rehearsals continued, he started to develop a sense of confidence with each passing day and would even show me the dance moves he had learnt. We were expecting to see him perform one song on the big day so can you imagine my surprise when we knew that he was going to sing and dance to not one or two, but four songs in total? Wow. Yup, that's one good thing about going to a preschool which has very small sized classes, he gets to do more, learn more, and in this case, showcase more.

Here's a look at the highlights from his first ever concert and how proud we were to see how this 小宝贝 has grown.

First up, he came onto the stage in a super adorable starfish costume! We were surprised to see that he took centerstage and actually did that for a few songs — that means he must be pretty and confident in his choreography to be selected, right?

To see him walking up to receive his certificate, give a handshake and take a bow, it is a sure sign that this toddler is growing up fast. Well, the thing about being the youngest is that no matter how big they grow, they will always, always be our babies.

So he danced to a couple of songs, namely "Underwater Discovery" and "Baby Shark" with friends who were dressed as fellow sea stars, sharks and mermaids too. Cute!

After that, he went for a costume change and re-emerged in this white and green beach wear theme, with a pair of yellow glasses to complete the look.

His third and fourth performances were to the songs "Over the Deep Blue Sea" and "Tiki Tiki" and they were fascinating to watch. He was also chosen to present a garland to the school director and the funny thing was when the teacher told him about his task, his first reaction was "But he is so tall, I cannot reach!" Haha.

Big thanks to his dedicated teachers who put in lots of effort behind the scene to do the props, decorations, teach the kids the dance choreography and edit videos of the kids to share with the parents too.

There were also photo booths available so after the concert, of course I had to grab this cutie to snap some shots for keepsake.

While he was happy to stay in the playground area and play with his friends, the parents were treated to a reception. I was thankful that the hubby took time off to attend this concert and it's always nice to let the kid know that both Papa and Mama are there to support and cheer for him/her.

You did such an awesome job at your first concert, dear Ansel! Can't wait to see you blossom more as the years pass but please take your time to grow and be our 小可爱 always!

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Here are the video highlights from his performances. I am so glad we caught these precious moments on film to show his siblings and grandparents who can't be more proud of him. Enjoy watching!