Riverdance

(background: last year S and I attended "Riverdance" and loved it! We purchased the DVD and have watched it with the kids over the year. Little A loves it. She wants to be a flamenco dancer when she grows up. I just want the dress)

For Christmas this year we gave A tickets to see the farewell performance/tour of Riverdance. She and I were to attend, and so C didn't feel left out, he got a "Boys Night Out" with dad. I think he might have been more excited than A. They were playing in Eugene, about an hour away. We went last night.

What a night it was.

First, we've never been to Eugene. (We went in the rainy dark, guided by tiny mapquest maps.) Second, we had to run errands: get a Costco membership and redeem the Toys R Us gift cards the kids earned by keeping their rooms clean when we were selling the house (courtesy of our agent, thanks Nancy!)
Third, this was an evening performance, after school...we had a tired girl on our hands.

The craziness cut short: we made it to Costco, forgot the list, bought lots of stuff anyway, remembered what we forgot after we made it home.

We made it to Toys R Us. I had a hard time just letting the kids pick out whatever they wanted (still within our limits) I think this may have been the highlight of the trip. Forget giving gifts next year. Give one thing, get a giftcard to redeem a month or two later, when a new toy would be more appreciated. Anyway.

We barely made it to eat. (amazing how hard fast food is to find when you really need it.) And then it was a creepy Subway downtown, where we changed into our "evening" clothes in the tiny bathroom. (picture sitting on the throne to put on 'hose and shoes, and then I zipped the zipper off of A's dress. She was stuck in it.) I ended up hiding a footlong sandwich in my diminuitive evening bag to eat during intermission, since we ran out of time before.

We jumped out of the car at the corner and ran up the street in the rain...me holding A's hand and a pillow for her to sit on, and trying not to let her land in any puddles to get her new suede-like shoes wet. We were halfway up the steps when she yelled that her shoe was gone. Sure enough, cinderella had left it behind. Where's a prince when you need one?!? Luckily mom's can step in once in a while (like when the princess is under-age).

Of course, our row was already full, except for us. And the big guy next to me took up all my armrest and then some of my seat space. Grr. I tried to remember to act like a lady (an evolved lady even, Kristi! =) After I piled the coats and pillow in the seat, A could almost sit as tall as myself. She liked that, alot.

I loved watching her face as she watched the performance. She was so serious, concentrating on the dancers. She loved the pretty ladies. After the numbers, she would break into a smile and clap her hands enthusiastically. When the guitar music started for the firedance, she sat up taller, knowing what was coming. She loved it. Her comments were so cute....like how (during the dance-off) the guy was dancing like he had to go potty. Or the man who "has a deep voice. It's very handsome." And the russian ballet dancer, who "spun a lady around and around under his legs." She did get tired toward the end, but she wanted to see the big party dance, which she did. She even stood on her seat for the ovation and clapped the entire time. On beat too. (good training, Miss Holly.)

She wore her Christmas dress. The shiny blue-green-brownish shimmery taffeta with embroidered vines and sequins and a hot pink ruffle slip underneath. A few people commented on how cute she looked (I'd tried curling her hair, but the rain killed it.) I had so much fun making that dress. I enjoyed seeing her wear it somewhere "fancy" like out to the theatre.

I wish I was able to take more pictures but with the time crunch and rain, that part was dropped. I've got a few I'm working on getting. Perhaps tomorrow.

Overall, it was a great evening with A (the boys had a great time too--C rode quarter rides at the mall, visited the pet store, played with the trains at Barnes and Noble, and he hugged his train all the way home.)

I hope last night becomes a good memory for her--one that she'll remember with happiness in the years to come. I know it will bring a smile for me.