I can tell you how to get to Sesame Street sort of...

You buy tickets and go and see one of their Live shows. I had the pleasure of taking Zach to see his first musical production this past weekend and the best part was that it involved his best bud Elmo. I thought for sure Zach was just going to love the whole show and sit transfixed by the colorful costumes and the lively music. Needless to say I was wrong...again!

We arrived at the theater and Z and Jack were both pretty excited to see all the people. They were even more excited when Grandma spoiled them with countless gifts, and they both clung to their prized Sesame Street loot as we made our way to the seats. Zach was super excited to sit next to his cousin Jack, and even sat in his own seat. Then the lights dimmed, the show began and I looked over at Z to see his reaction. He was totally mesmerized as Bert and Ernie were joined on stage by the entire company. I mean his eyes were wide with wonder, and he was transfixed by the colors and music just as I predicted. For a moment all there was in that big theater was a little boy and his TV friends. (I'd love to share a picture of Z's face at this point, but I didn't bring my camera. I know I know, a shocker, but I had called ahead and was told no cameras. Yeah right, I saw a million flashes go off in the first 30 seconds of the show, but by then it was too late to head for home!)

After the first number was over, Sesame Street Live did something that they never do on TV. They said goodbye, actually one of the characters was leaving the stage, but Zach thought the whole thing was over. He started crying, and try as I might I couldn't get him to stop. Even though it was loud in there, I wasn't about to leave a distraught kid as a distraction, so I took him out into the deserted hallway. Here he cried, and cried, and I told him it was OK. Then he noticed the stairs, and well folks, that is what we did for the entire 1st half of the show, we walked the theater. Every once in a while when we made our way to the top of the house, I would catch a glimpse of the show, or I could get Z to watch a few minutes of the characters on stage, and then he would say, "Mama, I want to go home" and we would walk. I tell you if I had had my car, I would have left that minute, but we had come with my Mom and sister and Jack and we weren't about to ruin the show for them. At intermission, we returned to our seats, and the show began. Zach started to get antsy, but I distracted him with one of the many toys he now had, by this point he also had an Elmo balloon, actually his 2nd since two escaped during intermission.

He started to settle down and snuggle in on my lap, and I knew he was tired, but he watched the entire 2nd half. He was pretty into it by the end, and I was glad that we had stayed. I could have done without the paper confetti that popped out at the end, since Zach reacted like a veteran flash backing to a battle. Tears poured again, but this time he wasn't alone, a bunch of kids were exhausted and sad that the show was over.

Wayne asked me when we got home if I was sorry that I had brought Z to the show, and truthfully I am not. I know it didn't go perfectly, but what in life does? So we didn't watch the whole show, but we explored the theater, we came home with a bit more life experience and a whole lot of Sesame Street to enjoy on our own time.

And Mom, it might make you a bit happy that so far Z has played with this balloon everyday since. He loves running around the house and watching it fly above his head, which is how he walked into the table the other day...he's fine, and still running with that balloon.