I Saw Elmo!!!

I had another lovely night with my twin granddaughters, Tori and Brianna, last night.  When I picked them up they were both all dressed up fancy and ready to go, and quick to inform me that NOW THEY ARE SIX!  How did that happen?  It doesn't seem that long ago that they were just two little peas in a pod:

13 days old here

And now they are SIX!!!

Still putting their arms around each other too.

So we headed up the road to Williamsport, Pennsylvania to the Community Arts Center for the showing of "Sesame Street Live:  1-2-3 Imagine, with Elmo and Friends."

The girls had recently enjoyed the musical "Beauty and the Beast" there, and when we found our seats they told me that "the curtain looks different."

The show was a song and dance extravaganza, including all our favorite Sesame Street characters, from Big Bird, who made the first appearance accompanied by much screaming and hysteria, to Elmo, who is just so darn lovable you wanna hug him to pieces.

Even intermission was fun for the girls.  I had brought along two gift-wrapped packages for them to open at the intermission.  You see, my plan was to avoid the souvenir stand down there in the lobby.  Last time I nearly choked when I saw the prices they charge, and they simply have you over the barrel once you're there.  The girls opened their gift bags and each found a small cuddly stuffed Sesame Street figure.  They were content, and I avoided the hijacking of the souvenir stand.  Then they played nicely with the little girl who was seated behind us until the second act began.

I am a big kiddo at heart, and I was most anxious to see Elmo, my favorite of all of the Sesame Street characters.  I was not disappointed - he is just so innocent, funny, and lovable. 

There's Elmo!

 I was thinking back to a recent program my son Caleb attended at Bucknell University that featured Kevin Clash, the puppeteer of Elmo.  Caleb told me that he was surprised to learn that the man behind Elmo is a very large 52 year old Afro-American with a very deep voice.  He made and performed puppet shows from a very young age for the children his mother babysat.  A bit of research tells me he is currently the Sesame Street Muppet Captain and also the show's co-executive producer.  I am going to locate and watch the recommended 2011 documentary film "Being Elmo:  A Puppeteer's Journey."

Attending this performance, I felt like I was witnessing a Kiddie Rock Concert:

   There was screaming!

   There was swooning!

   There was arm waving!

   There was clapping!

   There was not much sitting but lots of jumping up and down!

   There was laughing!

   There was foot stomping! 

   And there were smiles!  Lots of smiles.

So hopefully the girls and I made some more good memories....

I know I had fun.

They had a blast.

And THAT'S ALL THAT COUNTS!