Elmo Mania!

Finally, the long awaited day arrived yesterday! Chocolate Covered Peanut, Hot Chocolate, and I went to see the Sesame Street Live production of When Elmo Grows Up. CCP was very excited in the days leading up to the big day, but I don't think she had any idea what she was truly going to see. It was an awesome show! Well worth the ridiculous amount of money we spent between tickets, service fees, parking, and concession stands. When the show started and all of CCP's favorite tv friends appeared on stage, she couldn't stop pointing and exclaiming, "Elmo, Elmo!" And the moment he left the stage (every time he left the stage), she demanded that he return. Oddly enough, she was almost equally enamored of Oscar the Grouch. She loved finding Oscar and his trash can as they moved about the stage for each number. And she thoroughly enjoyed his song "I Love Trash."

The show was the perfect length and included an intermission. The most amusing part for me was the fact that vendors sold huge Elmo helium balloons at intermission (with no weights on the ends of the strings). I don't know how expensive they were, but I'm sure it was outrageous. I couldn't wait to watch and see how many of those balloons ended up hundreds of feet above our heads! Shockingly, I only saw one by the end of the show. Thank goodness CCP is still too young to demand one of her own!

I think the best part of the whole afternoon for me was watching CCP's face during the show. I'd been looking forward to that ever since I bought the tickets (yes, the DAY they went on sale), and I wasn't disappointed. Being able to make her so happy nearly had me in tears. The only thing that held them back was the fact that Hot Chocolate would be very perplexed as to why Sesame Street Live was moving me to tears. I'm not sure if CCP will remember that day as she gets older, but the joy on her face will stay with me forever. I know a lot of people spend their kids' baby and toddler years wishing that they were older and in school. I don't think I've done that once (unless it was regarding sleep). I have savored every cuddly, difficult, tearful, and joyful moment of CCP's two years, and I hope I'll do the same for her brother. These years go too fast, so I'm doing my best to keep my eyes wide open and live in the moment.