Broadway Baby!

If you know me at all, you know I am a musical theatre nut. Love them. Even the bad ones I love, albeit a little bit less than others.

I didnt first experience my first taste of theatre until I was 12 years old, but from that first moment, I was hooked. From the first musical I saw, (Meet Me in St.Louis) to the first musical I was in  (42nd Street), to my first real leading role (South Pacific), I only grew deeper and deeper in love. I immediately "got" the magic of live theatre. It enraptured me and I deeply FELT for the leading ladies and forlorn men. Unlike most theatre-lovers, I dont love being IN them any more than I love going TO them. Being in the audience is just as gratifying for me!

My taste is bizarre - I love the classic shows, like West Side Story and Evita, but I also appreciate the modern (Rent / Spring Awakening) and the fluffy shows (Legally Blonde, Jersey Boys). Basically, as long as I can sing it, I like it. (Sorry, Oklahoma. I havent found a redeeming quality in you yet).

So, it should come as no shock that when I found out I was having a boy, I was slightly unsure of how to reconcile my love for theatre with a boy's "typical" hobbies. I wondered if a boy who loved sports and wrestling could also appreciate costumes, stage makeup and jazz hands.

I needn't have worried.

From the time he could barely speak, he fell in LOVE with The Wiggles. Telling a story through singing and dancing just CAPTURED him, and I knew he had what I had - the theatre bug.

His first musical was "The Wiz" at the Toledo Rep when he was barely 3 yrs old and he was in a TRANCE during the whole thing. His eyes never left the stage and during intermission, he even got annoyed at how long it was taking people to pee and grab a drink. Back to the SHOW, people!

Since that time, he has seen Seussical (he liked!), Mary Poppins ("This one is for girls, Mommy.") and most recently, "In the Heights." My husband and I saw In the Heights in NYC and brought home the soundtrack. Within 2 weeks, he knew every word of every song (and some are in Spanish!) and was BEGGING us to take him to see it. When we found out it was coming to Detroit, we knew we HAD to let him see it, despite it costing us nearly a month's salary to do so.

Last weekend, we saw the show and it was every bit as fabulous as the first time we had seen it. Quinn loved it so much, he barely spoke. When his favorite song came on, he looked at me and actually said, "Isnt this the BEST?!" and I wanted to cry. Yes, dear son, it is the best.

I hope he always carries this appreciation for the arts. He is stereotypically a boy in every way (pees everywhere but the toilet, wrestles anyone who is willing and yelling obnoxious sports terms at the television every NFL game), but he also carries a soft spot for the beauty of a story, told through gorgeous melodies. I hope this is making him into a well-rounded man someday, but at the very least, it's making his mom love him more. :)

Heading in to theatre!

Quinn spotted the sign and squealed. :)

Swaggggggg

Daddy and Quinn wait for the show to start!

One excited family!

Snow Daze

Well, today is day one of the "Blizzard of 2011" as it is being billed. We got about 3 inches last night, enough to cancel school today, and are expected to get an additional 8-10 tonight overnight, amounting to another snow day - most likely. I am, of course, elated because I love snow. My husband - not so much. (coughsnowgrumpzillacough) :)

When I was little, I loved snow days. My sister and I would immediately begin jumping up and down at the merest mention of a delay and not stop bouncing until every flake had fallen. Because my parents worked, and we were such responsible children, we stayed home alone on snow days. This meant endless episodes of Full House, cooking our favorite lunch ("noodles with green things" we called it - It was really Lipton Butter Noodles) and (of course) sledding. Our backyard had a natural hill that we thought was epic (and now looks like a bump in grass). We would hurl ourselves down that "mountain" over and over until our fingers were burning from the cold and then race in the house to shed our 50 layers of clothing and drink hot cocoa or play games together.

As a parent, I worry that Quinn will be jipped of these experiences both because I am a teacher and he has no sibling. I mean, sure, we can do all of those things together still - but part of the fun was being 'on our own.'  He wont ever get a break from me on a snow day. If he is home, I am home! This morning, he wanted to do a puzzle, play Old Maid, watch Spongebob and have Macaroni and Cheese for lunch - all of which I obliged. But let's face it, this lady tires out.

I am also sorry he doesnt have a sibling to play with and I am his only choice....but not sorry enough to give him a sibling. :) I mean, currently he is dressed as Harry Potter (full out in the robe, glasses, tie and carrying a magic wand and broomstick) and there is no chance I'm playing THAT with him. He's on his own there...

I would like to believe that being an only child will make him more creative, more independent, more... well, more something. But I also know about all the things I learned from having a sibling - how to get out of a headlock, how to eavesdrop on a telephone without being heard, how to cover a stain on my mother's carpet strategically and then blame my sister...

You know...come to think of it - I think he's going to do just fine growing up alone. At the end of the day, a child surrounded by love is a successful child - whether he has siblings or not. Right?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to be "Hermoine."

                                                             God, I love him.

TODAY I AM THANKFUL FOR GORGEOUS, PEACEFUL, SPARKLY SNOW!