Town Center Concert Madness

A few days ago, Maggie told me that all the girls in her class were going to see the Bridget Mendler concert at the Town Center and she wanted me to get her a ticket.  She said they were unsure of how they were getting there.  Now, I really do love the Disney show, Good Luck Charlie, and Bridget who is one of the main characters but you can imagine my thought process through this conversation.  I dutifully checked online and couldn’t find out about tickets.  I finally called Barnes and Noble and they said it was a free concert.  My mind starting visualizing the Town Center filled with hordes of screaming little girls.  I much rather buy a ticket with a guaranteed seat of some sort.

We started the day at the Bolles School watching Annie swim in the ice-cold wind.  By the time I got home, I was praying to the Lord that Maggie wouldn’t mention the concert.  She bounded in the door, asking me if we were still going to the concert.  I almost cried but squeaked out an “Of Course!” with a plastered fake smile on my face.  I felt kind of ill when I thought about the concert and promptly climbed into bed and took a power nap.  When I was waking up, I was secretly hoping it was Sunday morning and it was all a bad dream.

I really do try to give Maggie special moments because I fear the “middle child” syndrome of feeling shafted by your siblings.  I drug myself out of bed, got dressed and we headed out in the cold.  I was still chilled to the bone from the swim meet so I put on 3 layers of clothes, boots, scarf, gloves and hat.   I did not want to be cold again. I knew we were in trouble when the traffic was stopped and not moving at all to turn into the Town Center.  I took over 20 minutes to find a parking place.  I was appalled at the lady who zipped around my truck and swiped my parking place.  It was pure insanity. I severely underestimated desperate parents trying to get their kid to the concert.

We started walking up from behind the stage and I thought it would be no big deal to slip through the crowd to get on the front side of the stage.  I WAS WRONG! I should have turned back after the first incident with the lady in the wheel chair.  I was feeling sorry for her until our altercation.  Maggie and I were edging past her and with crazy eyes, she said really loud, “I’m getting ready to light one up!”  I wasn’t totally sure what she was talking about until out comes the cigarette in the middle of a mob.  I swear she burned my jacket.  Some kid bumped into her foot which was apparently broken and the F bombs started flying.  Why the lady felt she needed to position herself in the middle of a concert crowd, I will never know.  I never thought Maggie would learn the F word at a Disney concert.

Then the fun really started.  Maggie and I got crushed against a wall when a desperate lady with a double stroller came plowing through the crowd, unconcerned of our feet.  Maggie yelled out in pain and I was trying to be sympathetic realizing I have probably done the same thing with the multiple double strollers that I have wheeled through crowds in a parenting daze.

What happened next, I would have never thought I would experience at a Disney concert.  A frightening looking woman with a partially shaved heads and piercings, holding a kid started yelling for people to move and to %$#)$% go the other way.  She started flailing her arm and shoving people in front of her and apparently ticked off a man coming the opposite direction.  He started shoving her, yelling at her that she hit his wife and a fist a cuff ensued.  Everyone started screaming, babies were wailing and parents were frantic to get their small children away from the brawl and prolific cussing that was flowing like water.  I started feeling like I was going to pass out and had to ask a strange man to help me take my jacket off before I blacked out in the psycho crush of people, leaving Maggie alone.  I was regretting my 3 layers of clothes and started pulling off my scarf and gloves and stood tall on my tiptoes, trying to get air. I put myself between Maggie and the crazy lady and hoped I could take any blow that came my way and not Maggie.  I was very scared myself and felt terrible for the stricken children who were so traumatized.  It seemed like we were there forever but finally got to an open place in front of a store.  I held Maggie while she cried and told her she was going to be OK.  

Just then, a school friend and parents came up and she instantly recovered and ended up having a fun time. I was never so thankful to run into someone!  I was a little shell shocked and stood there trying to process what just happened.  I have been to many a rock concert in my life and can’t remember ever having an encounter like this one. I think the problem was that half of these people in the crowd were just trying to get away from the concert and had no idea it was going on. Had I been in my right mind, I would have totally videoed and taken pictures for proper blog documentation but I guess saving my child's life took precedents, I am happy to say!

 

Maggie finally said she was ready to go 5 minutes before it ended and we zipped right out. I tried to end the night on a high note, and got her a Peppermint milkshake from Chickfilia!  Chickfila seems to make everything better!  I was prepared for screaming little girls but certainly not adults screaming profanity and being terrible examples for all the many children observing their antics.  Maggie and I sang a little song on the way home, “We are never, ever, ever, going back to a concert!”  Well, unless it was Taylor Swift and we had a seat!!  I know for sure I got many stones in my parenting crown in heaven after today!  My mom was trying to encourage me before I left for the concert, saying that Maggie would always remember this night and boy was she right! 

Blue Angels Weekend 2012

I have been so crazy busy trying to keep up with the five Wogs and a dog, I am backed up in my blog writing.  I have been dying to write about our fabulous Blue Angels Weekend.  It’s one of my favorite weekends of all time and I don’t want to let the great memories fade away without proper recognition!

The fun began on Thursday.  I was home alone cleaning the house when I thought I heard a jet. I went downstairs, made my lunch and indeed, out my back windows, I saw my beloved Blue Angels in the diamond formation, flying over Neptune Beach Elementary.  I ate my lunch in pure wonder!  I picked up the kids and once again, we heard one shriek by.  

Bubba suggested we hop on our bikes and go down to the bridge at the end of our street.  What a sight that was.  We could see the planes north and south down the marsh when they would bank.  One came screeching up Forest Avenue and Eddie’s comments was, “That was awesome!”  We all agreed!  I found out that night at Annie’s swimming from a Navy guy that one of the planes had an engine problem and that was why we had two practice times.

The next day BCS had Blue Angels Day and it was a total blast.  The classes all did fun activities and all the kids were dressed in patriotic clothes!  We watched planes fly all afternoon and enjoyed being together with all our BCS families!  After school, we dashed to the beach and watched the Blue Angels air show in all its glory!

Saturday, I woke up with several messages from friends that my family was in the paper in the Blue Angels insert.  I was a tad disappointed that they chose that certain pic.  I am pretty sure I was prego with Ed.  I have much cuter, patriotic pix if they would have only asked! 

Bubba had a football game at Wingate Park and I got yet another awesome perspective of the air show.  They were circling the park and it worked out that they arrived right at half time. We joked that the Jaguars really splurged with the half time show!  Bubba was a little perturbed at the number of pictures I took of the planes instead of his football game. I honestly did try hard to get some football players in the pictures or at least the goal post!

On Sunday, we went to church and then headed out to the Air Show.  Dan wanted us to ride our bikes and I was totally freaked out.  I knew the number of people that were going to be out and about and to throw 6 Wogs bikes in the mix was wigging me out.  I told him all my concerns and he disregarded them and we set out! We chained the bikes to a fence by the Casa Marina and I have to say it was so nice not having to find somewhere to park.  I had a moment realizing this is the first time since the air show has come to the beach that I have not hauled a stroller.  It felt like I graduated as I watched all my kids walking themselves.  It was a great moment. 

 

We stood in a short line and checked out a jet and walked around to all the vendors.  All the kids got free classes and looked super cool!  I was poised and ready to buy up some souvenirs and was a little shocked and disappointed that no one asked for one! Dan wanted to see the F-22 so we went down on the beach. Dan was a riot.  He was so pumped and kept saying how phenomenal and awesome the maneuvers were.  Eddie got irritated and yelled at Dan and said, “This is NOT awesome, it’s too loud!”  After the jet, we got back on our bikes and headed north.  We went down on the beach again to watch the final show of the Blue Angels.  I befriended a bus driver and a teacher from New York who were here with a Boys Choir who were singing at St. Paul’s.  They were getting ready to leave before the Blue Angels, not understanding that they were the main attraction, having just rolled into to town. They were SOOOO happy that they stayed and must have taken a 100 pictures! The boys choir even walked down from St. Paul's for the show.

 

After it was over, all the Wogs got on the bikes and started back home totally satisfied with the wonderful weekend full of America’s Blue Angels!  I crossed 3^rd Street and heard a big crash.  I was so scared that it was one of my kids who were behind me. I peeked behind and saw a lady in the middle of the rode.  Apparently she cut Bonnie off and hit Dan’s bike who had Ed on the front.  I was so relieved that my peeps were OK but felt sorry for the lady. 

I am sad that we will have to wait two years for the Air Show to come back to the beach.  I hope that they will add back the Amphibious assault on the beach when they do return!  I always think about how it would be to be one of the countries we invade with our mega power military.  It must be a truly awesome display of strength and makes me proud to be American! Go USA!

Halloween Madness 2012

I have officially made it into November!  I think it’s my favorite month of the year.  It’s not just because it starts getting cooler and I can legitimately break out the beanies to wear!  I think it’s because the spooky month of October is over.  I am not a fan of scary stuff.  I don’t enjoy the creepy ghost dangling from trees or especially the headless horsemen that I have to pass frequently down the street.  I do embrace the spider webs because it allows me to pretend that the ones around my house were there on purpose! :)

 

I also have to outfit 5 Wogs in costumes.  It’s a daunting task!  Thankfully the older ones are getting creative and don’t need as much help.  Well, really Bubba is some form of a football person every year!  Bonnie gathered up random florescent clothes and dug out my Swatch watch, big obnoxious 80’s earrings and my Madonna bracelets and looked strangely like me at 13 especially with the crimped hair!  It’s a wonder I have any hair left after scorching it by crimper so many times.  Mags went the cowgirl route and I don’t think I have ever seen a cuter one!  Honestly I think she picked it so that she could rock the high heel boots!  Annie wanted to be an Olympic Swimmer, (just a preview of things to come!)  and we dug out a Spiderman costume for Eddie.  I have to say I probably should have bought him a new one.  His was extra tight and possibly a little risqué had he been a few years older. LOL

The funny thing about this year’s Halloween madness is that my kids didn’t really cause me much stress and anxiety.  Dan and I got invited to a costume party and I spent more mental moments dealing with that.  I know it’s a shock, but Dan was not fond of many of my ideas.  He was resistant with the costume idea in general and kept saying he wasn’t wearing one.  I thought allowing him to be Darth Vader would have been a life long dream to be able to choke people from a far.  Not that I would have been dressed like Leia when she was Jaba’s slave.  I would have been donning the white sheet dress and side buns for sure!  Wouldn’t want to scar anyone permanently.  I thought for sure he would jump at the chance to be Jack Sparrow. Nope!  

I was a little stunned that he agreed for us to be Woody and Jessie from Toy Story.  Really?  I didn’t have much time to locate our costumes.  Thankfully, I found a Woody kit that came with vest, hat, bandana and sheriff badge.  Of course they had no such kit available for Jessie.  I ended up having to pay way too much for a Jessie onesie suit.  I learned a valuable lesson.  Never take your mom to shop for an adult costume.  She thinks I am adorable in whatever.  I got home and tried on my new Jessie costume and had a panic attack.  I am not 8 anymore and wasn’t feeling super awesome in my onesie.  Had I not been dealing with this last minute on top of 6 other kid activities I would have been cutting out my own cow print chaps and wearing my own comfortable jeans but sometimes you just gotta go with the onesie!  When I put the costume on for Dan who was near sleep, zoning out in the bed, his reaction was classic.  His eyeballs bulged out of his head and he said, “WOW!”  I think the vision of a life size Jessie doll was just too much and jolted him out of a nice relaxed pre-sleep state.  He started laughing and couldn’t quite get past the fact that I had on a onesie.  He said it looked like I had Jessie jammies on!  I started laughing too and decided just to embrace this hilarity and to provide entertainment for all!  I think many people at the party had the same reaction to my Jessie costume but maybe not as vocal as Dan. 

On Halloween, our church had a festival actually on Halloween.  It was a relief.  Usually I have to deceive my children on the exact day of Halloween.  I loathe the thought of dressing them up more than once.  I typically provide my neighbors with Halloween candy on the Wednesday of Halloween week and I trick or treat the neighborhood before church. This year was great.  No deception at all!  

The only stress I had with kid’s costumes this year was with Annie.  Her costume seemed pretty simple when we thought of it. She could wear her regular swim gear and I could make an Olympic torch!   I was pretty proud of my craft effort.  I used party hats and bought a flickering little candle for inside.  It was pretty legit!  The problem came when we tried to get an American flag and Wohlgemuth on her rubber swim cap.  I learned some valuable glue wisdom.  These are the things that do NOT work on a rubber cap, hot glue, goop, rubber cement, double sided tape or strapping tape.  I had one sleepless night worried about this dang cap issue.  Before Bible study I dashed to the dollar store and the wise manager helped me by reading the labels and we found that Crazy glue could stick to rubber and viola, it worked like a charm!  We did sacrifice the cap but it was worth the authenticity of her costume!  She wanted an Olympic tattoo and I was pretty proud of my freehand effort on the back tat!

 

We had a fabulous time at the festival. The most disturbing party was the way that Eddie was streaking around like baby jacked up on mountain dew in his too tight spandex costume.  I am pretty sure we lost him more than we saw him.  After the festival, the older kids talked me into more trick or treating with their friends.  I was pretty bitter about it.  My legs, back and feet hurt from all the prep work of the day and it was the last thing I wanted to do.  It worked out awesome though.  I put them in the car and parked at the end of the designated street and watched them in comfort and warm from my car.  I think this is a brilliant idea.  I ran into neighborhood friends and they were obviously jealous of me relaxing in the car as they walked miles around the neighborhood.  I told them we could rent a parent bus for the next year and they said they are all in for that! It’s a way to subtly stalk your children!   Now it’s on to cool beanie weather, Thanksgiving holiday with no psychotic gift giving and nicer decorations of turkeys versus devils!  I am one thankful mom!