This year when I decided I could not miss The Tall Tales of Pecos Bill, I decided not to make the same mistake again. I asked my sister-in-law last Sunday if I could take him on Friday night. She said it was fine with her, but expressed some concern that he might not be a great theatre-going buddy. I know the G-unit doesn't often like going to the movies, but he really, really liked Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat when I did it last year, so I crossed my fingers.
Even so, I didn't mention anything to the G-unit, just in case I chickened out. To be honest, I was a little scared of having this energetic, clever, handsome, sometimes shy, six-year old to myself. We haven't had a lot of one-on-one time together lately and I'm not always sure what to talk about with him. What if I really am the lame aunt?
But I still wanted to see the play, and I still harbored hopes that he would like it (especially when I heard it was in the same vein as Busytown), so I plunged ahead and left a message with Lindsey on Thursday morning asking if it was still okay to take the G-unit with me the next day.
That afternoon, my nephew left the following message on my phone:
"Hi Megan. I was just letting you know that, um, I want to come tomorrow and I'll be at Grammy's house and pick me up at six! 'Kay, bye."Cue some very subdued waterworks.
Now, you have to understand that the G-unit has never called me before. And you also have to understand that in my mind he's still a very little boy, inspite of his lengthening limbs and widening vocabulary. So to hear his voice on the line, so excited to come and sounding so grown-up... well, it made my whole day! I was SO GLAD that I didn't chicken out! I immediately bought tickets online and then walked around the rest of the day with a huge, silly grin on my face like the boy of my dreams had just told me he loves me.
My mom was baby-sitting the girls Friday night, and Adam and Lindsey were meeting there for a date night, so I picked up G-unit from there, assured Lindsey that the tickets were on me, buckled his booster seat into my car, and off we went! We chatted about school and plays and G-unit's summer plans during the car ride and found a parking spot right in front of the theatre, which almost never happens for me. We also didn't hit many red lights. I've decided my nephew is a good-luck charm in cars.
We were there for opening night, which I didn't take into account, so they started a bit late. I knew a lot of people there and felt guilty whenever I talked with them, although at least G-unit knows and has opinions about Disneyland (he's very jealous that I went last month)... he seemed pretty bored while we were waiting. I finally pulled out my iPod and started teaching him Solitaire. Maybe not the most kid-friendly game in the world, but it's all I had! I did ask at one point if I could take a photo with him in front of the set. The G-unit doesn't care to have his picture taken (I have a lot of him jumping out of the way or hiding behind things) so he said, "Maybe later." Of course, I forgot about it "later". Clever boy.
Once the play started, though, there was no time to be bored. It was awesome! I laughed so hard, and my nephew laughed and smiled through the whole thing. He really could not get over how Pecos Bill caught a bullet in his teeth (he's come up with a few theories since that night). I offered to buy him a treat during intermission, and had to giggle when he picked a container of mini-M&Ms. The lid makes a popping sound whenever you open it, and I happen to know the actors hate it... sure enough, he popped that thing many times during the second act, but nobody seemed to notice. We were too entertained by the crazy antics going on. The flashy costumes, the actors teasing one another, the inventive props, the hilarious ad-libs, the wonderful music played and sung by actors who could apparently play every instrument... it was wonderful. They encouraged the audience to sing along during the chorus of "Home on the Range" and I was a little surprised that none of the kids seemed to know it, though all the adults did. The G-unit, however, is very good at following along, so he sang with gusto! It was seriously adorable.
Afterward, my nephew was kind of in a hurry to get going, so I didn't get to stop and say Hi to everybody as I would have done otherwise. The G-unit was so anxious to have more time to play at Grammy's that he didn't even want to stop for ice cream on the way home! So, we headed to my mom's house where my nephew spent the rest of the night playing Wii games with Grammy and me, and I played with my rambunctious, impossibly enchanting nieces. They both amazed me with their sign-language skills... there were several things they signed that I had no idea what they were. Kinda nice to know when they want a cracker, and to see them say "Thank you" when they get one!
When Adam and Lindsey arrived, they were surprised to learn that the G-unit had wanted to stay for the entire play. Apparently he usually requests to leave during intermission. I am really glad that I hadn't known that ahead of time, because I would have been even more nervous than I already was! He recounted some of the cooler stage business and his parents thanked me for taking him with me. It was my pleasure. I was so proud to introduce him around and enjoy the experience with him. It was a great night!
So, if you and the kids in your life are looking for something to do on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon for the next couple of weeks, I highly recommend the Tall Tales of Pecos Bill. It was a lot of fun and made for a great auntie/nephew date night!
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