Security! Stop that woman!

Today started similarly to yesterday. Adults woke. Fifteen year olds and under slept. The first kids up? My nieces. By 10:30 everyone but Issa was awake.

I prepared breakfast while everyone situated themselves with wii play and DS play. I particularly enjoyed when Marissa and Anissum began beating each other up.
Well wii-beating each other up.

Actually, everyone is still really getting along well together. Sometimes I think they are getting along a little too well. They are all teenagers after all.

Breakfast was served at 11:45. Issa was finally woken up at noon only after I went back up stairs and got her myself.

Dorena, Aiden, and Tiger made a brief appearance during breakfast but I didn't snap any pictures. Below is a picture of Dorena and Aiden that was taken about a week ago. Just pretend that rather than being surrounded by pool Aiden was surrounded by our crew of eleven each vying for Aiden's attention while all he wants is the attention of Canyon and Bailey (our family dogs). After breakfast we split up into our two vehicles (my hybrid and my grandpa's van that my dad had borrowed this morning) and went in opposite directions. My carload went to the broken down van that is patiently waiting to be fixed on Monday to collect the things that were left in there from the previous evening. You know, back when we assumed we would be able to make the van move and all.

The other car went to pick up Edith our party of twelve member for the day's activities. Edith is one one my parents' Tai Chi instructors and she was able to join us for the Music Circus's performance of The Sound of Music.

After collecting Anissum's backpack and Edith's body, we met up again in the East end of the Music Circus Tent row K seats 8 through 19. The performance was stellar... which is more or less what I have grown to accept as the standard at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Unlike many other musical theater actors, Cristin Mortenson (who played Maria), was really quiet impressive with her emoting. I wouldn't necessarily call myself a fan of her singing voice, but her facial expressions and body language when not speaking or singing won me over.

I was totally respectful during the show but during the applause I snapped a couple of harmless shots of the cast bowing. As we exited security pulled me aside and made me delete all of the ones taken. I guess no pictures are allowed at ANY TIME. I felt pretty bad to be breaking the rules here and extra embarrassed at having been caught in front of all of my students. I anticipate this is a story that will be haunting me for quite a while now, May as well out myself now.

Everyone seemed to really enjoy the show. I sat closest to Patrick and I can attest to his laughing, smiling, singing along and even at one point the utterance of "so cool!" He seemed particularly impressed at the sets that flew up from the stage. Nicole also could be heard laughing over the audience. And Anissum... well Anissum may have given the biggest compliment of all. Waiting for everyone to come back together outside of the theater my mom asked him if he enjoyed the show. He admitted that he did and then added, "let me put it this way... it was better than the movie!" Knowing that the kids all really enjoyed the Oscar winning movie immensely, I knew this was some serious praise.

After the show we walked a good six or seven blocks to the Old Spaghetti Factory for an early dinner. When we entered we were informed that there would be a thirty minute wait for a party our size. We settled into the lobby and waited for our table to be called.While in the lobby I saw the cast had also chose to eat there. The actresses playing Gretel and Marta came in together as a table for 25 was being called. Over the next ten minutes or so the other actors in that party shuffled in with their respective families. I didn't do more than raise an eyebrow as they came in and when I later pointed them out, my mom admitted her desire to take pictures over at their table. Restraint is a good thing.

Dinner, as always, was good. Fast and plenty filling. The Italian creme sodas in keepsake glasses were a crowd favorite as one would suspect. After the the walk back to the car we drove home to regroup and then some of us went out shopping at Target and Dimple. There were some fun purchases at Target but mostly they were useful. There was one not so great purchase (a tracphone with no minutes that won't be useful once we return to AK) that was then returned before we left the store.

Dimple seemed to be quite a hit with everyone. What's not to like about a store where you can buy movies for less than five bucks and games for less than fifteen bucks? Anissum here made the biggest purchase yet with the obtaining of Rock Band Special Edition for his PS2 at home. It sounds like a pretty fun game and I can imagine it being quite popular once it gets used. Sadly, I don't have a PS2 for him to try it out on.

It's 2:03am now, as I post this. Will I still awake before the teens tomorrow?