Sunny Days

My old pal Oscar.

When I was a little girl, my Uncle Herb took my cousins and me downtown to see Sesame Street Live. I was probably in kindergarten at the time, I'm guessing, and it was a highlight of my young life. I barely remember the show, but it was a special occasion that I've always treasured, even more so now that my Uncle Herb has passed away. My Oscar the Grouch pennant, purchased at the show, was a prized possession for years.

Fast forward a couple decades...I was so excited when I became a mom and realized that Sesame Street Live was still (or maybe, once again?) making the rounds. So began an almost annual tradition of taking our kids to see the Sesame Street gang on stage. We've skipped a year here and there, but I thought it would be fun to take Mattie this year, before she goes and outgrows Sesame Street. At almost 4, she is basically at the cusp of thinking herself too cool for Big Bird and Cookie Monster.

Sesame Street Live, Fox Theatre, Detroit

In exchange for a couple blog posts, I was fortunate enough to be the grateful recipient of Sesame Street Live tickets for this year's show at the Fox Theatre. I think Mattie may have gone when she was a baby, but I couldn't wait to see how she would react as a feisty preschooler. I got tickets for the Friday night performance and then started figuring out the logistics.

Logistics? Yes, logistics. Nothing is simple around here. Bethany had a basketball game and Connor had Boy Scouts, plus neither of them were really interested in attending (duh). So Chris and I had to divide and conquer. I arranged for Bethany to get a ride to the game, Chris picked up Connor from Boy Scouts, and the two of them headed to the game. Meanwhile, Lucy's friend was dropped off at our house (she was going to the show with us and sleeping over afterward), and the little girls and I got ready for the show and waited for my mom, my cousin, and my godson to join us so we could all drive downtown together. I thought we left ourselves plenty of time, but once I stopped for gas and we waited in line to get in the parking structure, and then in another line to get in the theatre, we just barely made it to our seats in time. Note to self: 1 hour is not long enough to get downtown, park and get seated. An hour and a half would have been much more comfortable.

My happy girl, with hat (of course).

We hustled into our seats, after the usher kicked some squatters out, and settled down to enjoy Big Bird and the gang singing about making music. The big kids were a little reluctant, at first, to admit that they were enjoying themselves. Mattie was enthralled but didn't really let loose until after the intermission. At that point, all the kids were a little more comfortable and forgot they were too cool (the big kids) or too scared (Mattie) to have a good time. At that point, Mattie went nuts and danced and jumped around like a maniac for the entire second half of the show. I don't know how she was still standing when it was over. I caught all three of the other kids jumping around, dancing, and smiling too - but none were quite as enthusiastic as Mattie.

I had seen this particular edition of Sesame Street Live more than once in years past, but it seems to me like they changed it up a little. Of course, I don't have the best memory, but it did seem a little bit different. The kids had fun, the adults had fun watching the kids have fun, and it was a successful outing. My godson even later admitted that he enjoyed himself so much that he'd like to see Sesame Street Live again. I'm so grateful that I had this opportunity to take my kids to do something fun on their mid-winter break, and that I was even able to invite a few others to join us. As it turned out, it was the calm before the storm. Connor woke up puking later that night and then all four kids came down with some sort of a sniffly cold, so we didn't get much chance to do anything else the rest of the long weekend. Right now, Mattie can't wait to see Sesame Street Live again. I hope she still feels the same way next year.

We're not having fun...no, not us!

Sesame Street Live, Fox Theatre, Detroit

Disclaimer: I was provided with complimentary tickets in exchange for blogging about this event.