Thanksgiving, My Fair Lady

Our family was blessed to spend Thanksgiving visiting my brother in SC. We had really not been out of town since August and it was such a welcome opportunity. Little did we realize until we got there how much we needed to just go somewhere beyond our usual routine of busy with school and life in general. And this was indeed a gift, a luxury if you will, because it was a privilege that so many in the world cannot enjoy for the lack of peace, basic necessities, or health.

The visit was so relaxing. Poppy it seems has a natural attraction to and flair for guitar playing (self-taught) along with vocal accompaniment! Cornflower loves to visit Uncle Rosh and their on-going Wii competition took a progressive turn as they moved to joint efforts to overcome challenges in the games.

A special treat from Uncle Rosh was the non-food highlight of the day as we wrapped up Thanksgiving day by attending a fabulous musical production of My Fair Lady. The show lasted for three hours with a 15 minute intermission and Poppy and Cornflower's Dad was sure that he was going to spend a good deal of the time walking around the outside halls of the theatre with Poppy. Uncle Rosh wanted ALL of us to go but he too was practical and got us seats next to the aisle should either parent need to make hasty exit with Poppy.

The show was spectacular with its set design, dance and musical numbers, and the actors' performance. Cornflower was on the edge of her seat for a good portion of it just drinking it all in. And, Poppy sat through it all!

The first half ended with Eliza headed off in her glittering cream ballgown to the Embassy Ball. At intermission, we asked the girls how they liked it. Cornflower with her eyes all aglow could only grin her approval, chatter excitedly and wait eagerly for the second half. When asked what part she liked best, Poppy said the lady in the sparkly dress, the princess, was her favorite. When her Daddy jokingly inquired if she thought HE could get up on stage and do all that (meaning the singing and dancing, etc.) she laughed at him and said, "No Daddy, you don't have a sparkly gown!"

The second half was every bit as engaging as the first and we were very pleased with our first experience with a professional musical touring show.

Yawning, we headed back to Uncle Rosh's -- all of us complementing Poppy on her outstanding "no fussing, no crying, no running around" behavior. Uncle Rosh even said happily that he was very impressed with the way both girls handled the long show and he would definitely consider attending other such extravaganzas with the girls. Poppy's dad, while pleasantly surprised by her ability to attentively sit through the entire performance said to me, "Of course she didn't understand any of it, but there was so much happening on the stage, it kept her attention."

The next day we headed to Columbia to visit some old friends of my brother's who had become our friends over the years and even more so since their twin boys came along. The boys are a bit older than Poppy and both girls loved playing with the twins.

Later, back at Uncle Rosh's, as we relaxed with reading, a little HGTV and surfing the internet, Poppy begged for help to wrestle Uncle Rosh's guitar in to her lap as she sat in a recliner and then proceeded to strum (randomly) and sing. Poppy's dad was on the computer in the adjacent room and I was in the kitchen as Poppy sang and we both looked up at each other as she sang "I [could've] danced all night! I danced all night." Poppy's dad just shook his head and said "Never mind what I said about her not understanding." I just laughed. I know she understood quite a bit for a 2.5 year old. Poppy had asked me toward the end of the show: "Mommy, is she [Eliza] going to be happy again?"

I think Poppy's experiences watching rehearsals and multiple performances of Cornflower in The Comedy of Errors and The Taming of the Shrew helped her not only to make it "through the show" but also to understand at least some of what was going on and pay attention to the actions, words and music. And perhaps most importantly, she really enjoyed it as well. The morning after our return to our own home, as Poppy climbed down off her step-stool after brushing her teeth, she offers her hand to me and said a couple of times (each time with a different inflection) "How dooo you dooo?" As I laughed and took her hand, she impishly grins at me and then with her head cocked to one side and she instructively informs me, "That's from the play."

Uncle Rosh, thanks again for the altogether wonderful visit and show!