Circus Time!

Yesterday, Sophia and I made our first trip to Circus Flora, a St. Louis tradition for 28 years. I don't plan on missing another year of this incredible circus.

Even though it was a terribly hot day, the performers worked so hard to transport us to another imaginative dimension. Obviously from this picture, you can see that Sophia was also entranced by the circus. I loved seeing the look of wonder on Sophia's face.

                                              

The Wallendas have been a family of circus performers since the 18th century!! Now there are several branches of the family performing in the United States and around the world. One of them performs in St. Louis every year with Circus Flora. And they were so fun to watch! 

Yesterday afternoon was the first time that Circus Flora had a "sensory-friendly" performance. As we walked in, they gave us an informational sheet to give people in attendance a good idea of what to expect in the way of noise, lights and action. Sophia had always been nervous about going to the circus before because of the noise and intensity. Once I told her this performance would be safe for her, she was excited to give it a try. Next year, we may be able to try the full experience. I don't think it will be much different, but the volume, at the least, will be louder.

The circus included horses, camels, dogs, a clown not dressed as a clown and so many acrobats and physical performers! It was an amazing afternoon for me and Sophia. We both had lots of stories to tell. Can't wait to see what next year's Circus Flora will bring.

Peter Pan Magic

For weeks now, I have been giddy with excitement about going to see Peter Pan at Touhill. I've been more excited, in fact, than Sophia was.

I was right to be so excited. That's for sure. What I didn't know was that the company that put it on, Variety Children's Theatre, specializes in helping children with disabilities have life experiences that are often limited to children without disabilities. Being in a play, for example.

I was surprised, at first, when some of the Lost Boys and Indians were in wheelchairs. Some were disabled in other ways. It was easy to forget, though, that anyone on that stage was anywhere but Never Land. The show not only did not suffer because of their addition, it's not an exaggeration to say that it was made better. I'm glad that the first play I got to see by Variety was Peter Pan. What better way for me to be introduced to this idea than through a play written about kids who are abandoned and lost? Kids who go out of their way to care for one another and who have to learn what it would be like to grow up "normally"? It was beautiful. I cried even more than I typically do when watching Peter Pan, which is saying something.

Aside from the unique aspects of the production, it was really a great show. Sophia always loves attending the theatre. Her passion for performing gets renewed. We'll see where that leads her, but for now it sends her into a world of possibility. And I'm in favor of that.

Christmas Traditions

Among the many fun things that we did this Christmas holiday, going to see the Nutcracker was definitely a favorite for me. I love that ballet. I'm not sure I love all ballet, but definitely this one. Gets me into the Christmas spirit like no other.

Coolest Place I Knew Nothing About

If one grew up in St. Louis, one has undoubtedly learned of Cahokia Mounds. I did not and had not. It's quite an amazing place. It was a civilization of Mississipian Native Americans that thrived for about 700 years, with it's peak in the year 1200. During that time, between 15 and 20,000 people lived there. That was actually a larger population than London had at the same time.

Anyway, we went there with the Kindergartners today. It was a great field trip, but we were all very tired by the time it was over. And I'm a little pooped still.

The most unique and recognizable feature of the Cahokia Mounds site is called Monk's Mound. It is 100 feet high and has 156 steps leading to the top.

At the top, the settlement's chief ruler lived and governed his people. The area around this main structure has 120 other mounds upon which other people of the upper classes would have built their homes. While most of the economy was based on agriculture, some families would have focused on tool building and even decorative or spiritual items and traded for food.

Obviously, I learned almost as much as the kids did. And Sophia wants to take Erick back on Saturday. Since we'll have about 59 fewer kids, I might be willing...

Here, Sophia and Emery are looking at a marker. Can you see the faint outline of St. Louis over Emery's right shoulder?

 Here's a closer look at what we could see from the top. It was a little surreal to have the modern in view while surveying the ancient. A humbling slice of reality about our place in time.

Just because they're cute. And once we got into the museum itself, they got a little more difficult to follow and impossible to capture on film...

One Full Day of School - for me

Sophia's school is very proud, and rightly so, of the high level of parental involvement that they expect and receive. Especially in Kindergarten, they encourage parents to be there - a lot. I was at Sophia's school three times today, not including pickup and dropoff.

First event was the Storybook Picnic. It was the second outdoor excursion that has had to be brought inside for this Kindergarten class. The kids did amazingly well with the adjustment. I had a great time picnicking and reading with Sophia in her classroom. She is really working hard on reading. Every day she's a little bit closer to taking off entirely.

Second trip, was the usual Friday Sing Along. So much fun. This week fewer parents were there, so I had the pleasure of the company of three little girls instead of one.

Finally, every year, Captain parent teacher organization puts on an International Night. It was so much fun. The cafeteria is filled with tables that are occupied with Captain families who are first, some second, generation to the United States. They each provide a tasty treat that is common to their culture and any other facet they choose to share. For supper tonight, I had Borscht from Ukraine, sushi from South Korea, dumplings from China and many other delightful surprises.

Afterwards, we were entertained with Turkish music and global styles of dancing put on by some of the older kids.

I was so grateful to become more familiar, not only about global cultures, but about my literal neighbors and our friends.


Quite a day at Captain. Now I'm off to bed. Grateful for a weekend at home!

The Muny

I uploaded the pictures from my phone this morning, and came across a few from the weekend after my birthday. Erick, Sophia and I made another trip to The Muny to see The King and I. She hadn't been too sure about going to see this show, as it's not specifically written for kids. I had to show her a couple of youtube clips of some of the songs in order to let her know that it was entertaining. Per usual, she got dressed appropriately for the theater.

This time, we brought along some binoculars. We always sit in the $10 seats, so the faces are anything but clear. The binoculars did help a little. In this picture, however, the show had not yet started. She was just doing a bang-up job of people watching.

She loved the show, although she was not convinced that she should be watching a show so violent in nature. At the end, when the king had died, among other characters, she said, "So what's with all the death in The King and I." I had to concede that point. But she did really enjoy the dancing and such. She may not trust my judgment for a while, though. Her souvenir for the night was a little notepad and pen. She loves taking notes. While we were at the zoo the next day, she would stop, sit and write for a while before we could move on to the next exhibit.

I LOVE NEW ORLEANS

I really couldn't tell you how many times I declared my love for the Big Easy while we were walking its streets. Thursday afternoon, my mom and dad took Sophia home with them. Our plan was to come back to St. Louis and get about five hours of sleep before leaving at midnight. It's a ten hour drive from St. Louis. But, seeing as we were like children waiting to go to Disneyland (children who can drive), we ended up just staying awake instead. We watched The Avengers at a local theatre, and got onto I-55. We arrived in New Orleans just in time to eat an early lunch. I'll try not to go into detail about every meal, but it may be difficult. Anyway, first meal was The Gumbo Shop, a favorite of ours. It was great, and everything would just get better from there. After lunch, we did what we would do for the majority of our weekend - walked and walked. We walked every street of the French Quarter. We strolled down blocks we haven't been on before and we explored all of the busiest blocks as well. I don't know when they did this, but the city has now blocked off several blocks of Royal Street for pedestrians during the day, allowing vehicles down Bourbon instead. Then switching those two at night. This change brought out some fantastic entertainment on Royal. We saw jazz bands, jazz solos, contemporary musicians, street performers, an opera singer and many more. Until the rain washed everyone out for an hour or two. Then another group would start all over again. At night, it was much quieter, especially off Bourbon. A new walk for us was into a neighborhood called the Marigny, east of the French Quarter. It's a little edgier and local than that neighborhood. The Marigny is home to the jazz club, Snug Harbor, which often hosts Ellis Marsalis. He's been a jazz musician and teacher, primarily in New Orleans, for more than five decades. He's also father to four currently successful jazz musicians. After doing some research on jazz clubs, we bought tickets to his Friday night show. Marsalis led a fantastic jazz quartet. Watching them communicate and perform together was mesmerizing. Saturday was walking, shopping, eating, drinking, walking. So wonderful. The evening was spent on a tour of the French Quarter with a haunted history group. It wasn't the jump out at you and grab you type of tour. It was a walk and chat about various tragic events in the area that have led to some mysterious occurrences. It was quite fun. There are some stories and histories that I look forward to reading more about. After our tour, we found another place for great jazz, Fritzel's European Jazz Club. Completely different, but absolutely fun. This group was dedicated to keeping people happy and bouncing. They play a short set so the hostess can rotate a new group in for drinks and tips. They were highly entertaining! And hard to get a picture of... All of these things don't explain why I love New Orleans. I don't fully understand, so explaining it is pretty hopeless. It's the one city I know that simply fills me up. I'm satisfied in my belly, my ears, my mind, my soul and my heart. One reason I can name is the people - its residents and tourists both. Mind you, there are some in both categories that aren't easy to love, but, for the most part, everyone is fun to be around. The residents are happy you're there, especially since Katrina. They are interested in your story. They want to share part of theirs, and they're willing to go way above and beyond normal interaction - even if you're not eating at their table or buying their art or coming into their bar. They just make it fun to walk around. The tourists there are a different sort, too. Eye contact is easy to come by and is usually followed up with conversation. We met people from all over the place. We know that because we actually chatted. In lines, in restaurants, just standing around. It's almost like people want to confirm that others are having this same incredible experience. People, in general, are easier to be around in New Orleans. (And it's not the alcohol.) Another reason that I love New Orleans is our own history here. We started our life together there ten years ago. Highs and lows and lots of life later, it still meets us where we are. I love this city. Because I think it loves me back.

Thanksgiving Adventures

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Erick's mom came to spend the holiday with us, and enjoyed the perfect balance of relaxation and excitement.

This is our second year in St. Louis for Thanksgiving, but our first trip to the downtown Thanksgiving Parade. It was a chilly and windy morning, and we did wait for quite a while for the parade to begin.

 

But it was quickly worth the wait. Sophia waved at everyone as they passed.

 

And she got up close with several of the parade participants. All in all, it was a great parade morning.

 

Our second and most exciting adventure was last night when we went to see Mamma Mia at the Fabulous Fox Theatre. We had bought tickets for Mary's birthday in October, so we've been looking forward to this for a while.

 

Sophia just loves getting dressed up for a big evening out. She was sweet and excited and so much fun to see the show with.

 

We all followed Sophia's cue and got fancy for our night at the theatre.

 

At the end of the show, everyone was on their feet, and Sophia was dancing in the aisle - once she caught her breath from the excitement.

 

It has been a wonderful start to our holiday. I spent the day today not feeling too great, but we still managed to get our decorations up before I took a nap. I can't wait to see what the rest of the season has in store for us!

Autumnal Fun

I guess I'm determined to get my money's worth out of this year's costume because Sophia donned it once again for another trip to the zoo. Grandmary came to visit this weekend, so we all headed back to the zoo for Spooky Saturday. More crafts and treats and such. The animals were supposedly out, but we didn't see them. We did however, ride the train and Sophia and Mary took a trip on the carousel.

 

We are accustomed to being out-fancied by Sophia, so we weren't surprised when she strutted out of her room this morning ready to go to breakfast - like this.

 

After breakfast, we went to the St. Louis Art Museum because Monet's three huge Waterlillies paintings are there in a special exhibit together. They are here until January 22nd, and I highly recommend making the trip if it fits into your schedule. Admission is $10 for adults. But if you can make it on a Friday, admission is free for everyone! I imagine we might make another visit on a Friday before they leave.

The chill of fall is rolling in this afternoon, and we enjoyed the view in Forest Park, where the trees are still beautiful shades of red and gold.

 

A lovely fall weekend in St. Louis.

The Little Mermaid

Friday night, we had our last big outing of vacation. Not that vacation is required to attend a show, but it still counted this time.

I am so grateful that the current heat wave waited until yesterday to hit hard so we could enjoy The Little Mermaid in relative comfort! The Muny is such a great place to see a show, but it is a much bigger gamble, as are all outdoor activities in Missouri summer.

Sophia loves to get fancied up for an outing like this. A little bit of lipstick and we were on our way!

 

It was a great night. The show was superb, the actors were right on. The company, as always, was my absolute favorite! I adore having adventures with these two.

 

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope all of the moms I know had a wonderful day today. I've had a lovely Mother's Day with the girl who makes me a mom and the guy who keeps it doable.

I had a feeling I was going to have a fantastic Mother's Day since it all started with a Muffins for Mom event at Sophia's preschool on Friday morning. She has been talking about it for weeks, keeping it secret what they were working on. When she told me about it, she said, "It will be the best day ever!" And, if I'm honest, it came pretty close.

There is just no substitute for being told you're the best mom ever, especially when parenting a 4 1/2 year old who makes the job interesting. When we walked into her preschool, each mom found a picture of their child in a frame made by that child, along with a list of things that each kid knows and/or loves about his or her mom. Here are Sophia and her friend Tommy with their work.



Most of the kids were satisfied with the admiration of their own mothers. Sophia, on the other hand, felt that each and every mother deserved a chance to admire her particular picture frame. Before I really realized what was happening, Sophia started approaching each mom and bringing her over to look at and admire her picture frame. There are about fifteen kids in Sophia's class, so she realized there was a more efficient way to get the job done. She picked up her frame, tucked it behind her back and walked up to another mom. Mind you, she has never met most of these moms. She would ask, "Do you want to see the picture frame I made?" Before a response was often offered, she'd hold it out and wait for the coming accolades. No exaggeration when I say that every single mom in that room saw Sophia's picture. It was a pretty entertaining scene. Sophia's teacher said that she was the first kid to do that. Somehow, I think she'll probably be the last. Here she is showing one mom her frame.



It's a gift and a memory I'll cherish.

My day today has been everything I could hope for. Sunshine and heat. Plenty of time outside and enough activity to remember the day! We started the day with a trip to Laumeier Sculpture Park. We haven't been there since Sophia was born, but it's a place that I really enjoy. This weekend is their Art Fair, so we got to enjoy the music, booths and food as well as the normal sculptures. I had forgotten how much fun I have at that particular park. It's such a great combination of nature and art.



We got pretty hot there, so it seemed like a good idea to head to City Garden to cool down at the splash park. We met Sophia's friend Tommy's family there and had a really great time - until he fell and hit his head. He'll be fine, but neither Sophia or Tommy recovered.

Since getting home, our afternoon at home has been relaxing and refreshing. I am just so grateful to be Sophia's mother and to share parenthood with Erick. It's never simple, but it's always interesting. And more often than not, it's a genuinely good time.

24 Hours of Fun!

Really it was closer to 28, but it seems to make sense to round it to an even day.

Erick and I had a fantastic time in St. Louis. Pre-concert dinner with JP and Niki at Cicero's on Delmar Loop.

 

After a cold but invigorating walk down Delmar Loop, we reached The Pageant. We have had a lot of fun in this area of St. Louis/University City. This was definitely the best experience yet. Here we are prepared for a great concert experience.

 

The Swell Season was really incredible. Right on. New music, old music, cover songs. Just a really terrific live show. I thought it was even a little better than the first concert we saw from them. Seemed like they have gotten comfortable with their new found fame and have decided to run with it.

 

After the concert, we went back to Cicero's without JP and Niki, with our friends and neighbors the Grays and the newlywed Orrs. However, it was after midnight (and Dr. Aaron Gray's birthday) and I took no pictures... Back at the hotel, we slept in at our pricelined hotel in the giant king bed under a luxurious down comforter. That was fantastic. I highly recommend the Maryville Marriott.

Then things just got better. We headed home to a very happy Sophia. She and my parents had been having a great morning and were waiting patiently for us to arrive and open our Christmas gifts. Let's just say that so far, Christmas is treating us well. Sophia was really pleased with her gifts, including her very fancy clothes and dog Frenchy.

 

And it worked out really well that she wanted to wear them (and bring Frenchy) to The Nutcracker tonight.

 

I don't really know where to begin about The Nutcracker. Before we even arrived, Sophia was so excited to get to see the ballet, but to see it with Grandma and Grandpa was just beyond thrilling. This picture is the closest to capturing how thrilled she was.

 

I thought we'd make it to the intermission but probably not too much later. I was wrong. Sophia was riveted through the whole show. At one point, she leaned over to me (from Grandpa's lap of course) and said, "I love this show!" Again this year, I was amazed at the fact that in spite of the inordinate number of small children, Jesse Hall remained nearly silent through the entire two hours! When it was finished, Sophia actually cried and said she wanted them to do it again. Apparently she didn't think they should be tired after their performance. Regardless, we headed home. And yes, I am wearing a hat. It's among my favorite Christmas gifts of the day. Feminine but still modern. Like me?

 

What a fantastic twenty-some hours! A really, really great weekend already. The perfect way to celebrate Christmas.

Who are the creepy old people? Oh, it's us.

Last night we went out to dinner and such with some great friends. We used to go out weekly with these same friends back in the day. A mere three years ago. What's different now? Kids. Lots of 'em.

Anyway, we tried out the new Broadway Brewery downtown where Uprise Bakery was located under America Shoe on Broadway. They use local ingredients and brew several good beers. Erick and I shared the most fantastic pizza I've ever eaten. Erick didn't like it, and this would be the first pizza he has ever been ambivalent about. It was called the green bean pizza. Local green beans, local blue cheese and walnuts - I don't know their origin... So delicious.

It was a lovely evening downtown.



After a lovely dinner, we walked down the street to HotBox Cookie Shop. We sat, ate our fresh cookies and played UNO. Quite a few people from campus came in and out while we were there. The only other group present was a large group of teenagers. At one point, when we were in the midst of our game, I looked up and said, "Hey, guys, do you realize that we have become the creepy old people hanging out downtown?" Yep. That's us.



Playing UNO. Being goons.



After a few games of UNO, of which I won zero, we headed to Addison's because we just didn't want the night to end - even though it was 9:30!! Did I mention we're old?



It was a lovely evening. We've lived a lot of life together, and I still love hanging out with these old friends of mine.

Live Music is the Elixir of Life

I don't attend nearly enough concerts. This is what I say after each and every live music experience, good or bad. Friday night was incredible!

Coldplay at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre in St. Louis with our friends Niki and JP Harris.

I love the music of Coldplay. I have loved it for a long time, but I wouldn't call myself a devotee. Meaning I don't know the lyrics to all the songs or have the setlists memorized before I arrive at a show. That is, up until last night. After experiencing their live show, I may change my status. Devotee, I am.

Here is a video of a song that, I think, embodies why the show was so memorable. The technical aspects of the concert were truly breathtaking. The way they incorporated video into the live show made us on the lawn feel like we were as important as the patrons who paid extra to be on the front row. Honestly, I rather appreciate the whole picture far more than I appreciate being sweat on. I'm just saying.

This song is called "42". I love the video elements of the old-fashioned flickering show, along with the sing-along at the end. This is a great snapshot of the concert.



Speaking of snapshots, I got a few of my own.

We went to the concert with our friends the Harrises. After The Swell Season and Ja Rule, they are our live music consorts.



This is my favorite shot of the night. During the title track Viva La Vida, the drummer rings the bell.



Another favorite, the final encore of the evening was Life in Technicolor ii. This was by far my favorite set. I really enjoyed their use of the ginormous screen to bring to life these pieces of art. Fantastic imaging to go along with great lyrics.



This Coldplay Concert was one for the ages. I'll always remember their cover of MJ's Billie Jean, acoustic and in the audience. The outdoors is also a meaningful addition for me. Nature with awesome lyrics and melodies? Live? Doesn't get any better. Like I said, I'm working harder now to get familiar with the lyrics so next time, I'll be ready to belt it out!