start polishing the crown; I'm back in the running

In my quest for Mother of the Year, I took Mac to see Star Wars in Concert. In our house (when everybody is present and accounted for), 2/3 of us are Star Wars freaks. I am the other 1/3. I have watched the movies and really have no obsession, or even mild interest, in the Millenium Falcon, the Death Star, or Darth Vader's return to the light.

BUT I do like the idea of being crowned Mother of the Year, so I took Mac to this Star Wars production. I bought the cheapest tickets they had because the man at the box office said we'd be able to see fine from up high. What he didn't tell me was that I should bring my own oxygen tank because by the time we climbed up to the top of the Coliseum, I would need some breathing assistance. We were WAY up high, but Mac only asked once why we couldn't sit in those seats on the floor right in front of the stage.

If Star Wars in Concert hasn't come to a coliseum near you, let me tell you what you've missed. The whole thing is very nicely narrated by the guy who played C3PO. He doesn't tell the story chronologically, but rather he discusses different themes and relationships. There's a 100-foot wide, 3-story tall high-definition screen at the back of the stage. At the front of the stage is the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra backed by a 100-member chorus. When the C3PO guy finishes narrating a segment, the orchestra plays that big John Williams music and the chorus sings while clips from the movie supporting the narration are played on this enormous screen. Throw in cool lasers that are beaming all over the coliseum with the beat of the music and some pyrotechnics and you've got yourself a pretty great show.

So I was pleasantly surprised that I actually enjoyed the show as much as I did.

I was also surprised - and not pleasantly - by the number of adults who were in attendance without children. Who would attend this type of thing if you didn't have to bring your kid? I was REALLY surprised, though, by the number of people we saw in full costume. I'm not talking children who wore their Halloween costume from last week, although there were plenty of them. I'm talking adults, without children, who had on full regalia. It's kind of like a Star Trek convention: wildly freaky for those who don't get "it".

The outing wouldn't have been complete without a mandatory stop at the gift shop. Mac really wanted the program guide. I thought that would be a nice souvenir. He could practice his reading, it was educational, etc. UNTIL I FOUND OUT THE BOOK COST $30. That is highway robbery, my friends. So I talked him down to the $10 flashlight thing. See photo below.

Well the flashlight died BEFORE the show ended. So I marched us right back to the gift shop to demand another flashlight, where we promptly got sucked into buying a $35 t-shirt. I don't pay $35 for t-shirts for myself, but this was a run for Mother of the Year, right? The family next to us had FOUR children and they were each getting t-shirts. How could I not buy one for my one child?

As for me, I'm just waiting for somebody to call to get my head measurements for the tiara. I don't want it to be too tight since I'll have to wear it for a whole year.