Cinderella

A few weekends ago, we went to see the Broadway production of Rogers & Hammerstein's Cinderella when it came to the Bushnell in Hartford for a short run.  It was an amazing show and I'm so glad that we decided to forgo an afternoon of sports to see it.  The night before we went, the girls and I took an exclusive, backstage tour of the show.  This was the only such tour allowed for this show, and we got to see some amazing things and learn some amazing facts.  They didn't allow photos of any of the costumes or scenery (I was tempted to sneak a few but they were watching us all very closely), but we did get some photos of the autograph wall and a few other things.  It was a great adventure for us!  We are trying to make 2016 the year of #experiencesnotthings and so far, we are off to a good start!

We had the chance to see many of the beautiful old rooms in the Bushnell, including this one.

Nat King Cole and Natalie Cole.

Kelly McGillis.

Idina Menzel, from when she was touring with Wicked.

Tanya Tucker

Johnny Mathis

View of the Belding Theater, from the stage.

Beautiful chandelier made for the Bushnell by Dale Chihuly.

November Odds and Ends

Some odds and ends from a busy November...

Lee and Mike, a college friend and Beta Brother, at Mike's wedding. 

Wedding selfie.

Emily was super happy and completely surprised by her Middletown Magic jacket!

Trying ice skating for the second time (the first time, she was two and wanted nothing to do with it).

Designing and sewing an outfit.

Gym selfie (with Lee in the background).  This picture was for a joke - we are not "gym selfie" people.

These turkeys refused to get out of the road on Thanksgiving morning.

Heading out to the theater - cultivating styles as different as can be.

This may be our only photos with Santa this year (sigh).

Rudolph at the Bushnell!

Irish Dance viewing day!

Wicked Awesome

Every year, a Broadway show comes to Hartford for a short run.  This year, the show is Wicked.  The girls and I have wanted to see Wicked in New York for a few years, but the ticket prices are really outrageous.  They were more manageable in Hartford and Lee even expressed an interest in going - he's never been to a real show before.  We went last Saturday and it was spectacular, even Lee was impressed.  The two lead characters were amazing.  They were both incredible actors and their voices were just spectacular.  The girls were literally on the edge of their seats the entire show, although some of it went over Emily's head.  At the end of the performance, the entire cast received a standing ovation!  The girls really loved it and I'm so glad that we all went together.

Trying to recreate the image on the front of the program.... 

NYC

A few weeks ago, we headed to New York City for the girls' annual birthday trip.  Last year, it was unbearably hot and this year, it was chilly and rainy, which was fine with us.  We were in the city all day, splitting our day between shopping and the theater.  We went to American Girl and FAO Schwarz, had lunch at Junior's and then saw Aladdin, which was so amazing.  I've seen a lot of shows over the years but this production of Aladdin might just be the best performance of all.  The costumes were spectacular, the ensemble performances were insane and the genie was spectacular.  Given the number of standing ovations during the show, I wasn't the only one that thought it was great.  It was such a great day!

5:40am - ready to go! 

First stop - the hair salon at American Girl.

Emily was desperate for hair extensions for her doll (truth be told, she'd like them in her own hair too but I would never allow that!), so I relented and she was soooo happy!

So pleased with Caroline's hair!

Saige has three different colored hair extensions, much to Emily's satisfaction.

The bags look bigger than they are - I got out of the store for under $100 for the first time ever!

We love Lindt - the obsession (that's right, JD, obsession) in our house has reached a level of insanity, beginning with Lee and trickling down to the girls.  When we stumbled upon a Lindt store on 5th Avenue, it seemed like fate.  I won't even begin to think about how much I spent, but I can say that the final dollar amount rivaled what I spent at American Girl Place.  And for this photo, one that perfectly captures Elizabeth's sense of humor, it was worth it!

Tattoos at FAO!

Snowflakes in August....

A winged heart.  She's going to grow up to be a biker chick, I just know it.

The creepiest new attraction in Times Square - a dancing "baby".  It was bizarre. 

The hi-light of our trip! 

We didn't forget about Lee (happily at home); we brought him cheesecake (which he loves) from Junior's. 

This is the most staged photo ever.  Elizabeth absolutely hated the cheesecake - like her mother, she is a choc-a-holic through and through (who likes cheesecake?  blech. disgusting.  where's the chocolate?).  This big "bite" was on the heels of a smaller bite that she could barely get down.

Up since 5am; in the city for close to 9 hours; it was amazing that she made it as long as she did.