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Sunday, March 4, 2012

I think all concerts should be children’s concerts

We cruised to Santa Cruz today to hear TubaDad play a children’s concert and it was awesome! The orchestra has toured around this month, bringing this show to various schools, and the kids really enjoy the classical music played at their speed. The show highlighted each instrument, played short excerpts custom-designed to hold little folks’ attention, and punctuated the strong music with stilt walkers, ballet dancers, and unicycle riders – all kids themselves. Then they had a “petting zoo” after the show where kids could see and touch the instruments up close. Bravo!

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We would have had a blast anyhow, but it sure didn’t hurt that it was an insanely beautiful blue-sky 80-degree day in Santa Cruz. Oh my word. We had icecream, of course. I vividly remember getting vanilla-dipped-in-chocolate-cones when I was a kid. Anyone else? (This is Ro, see the freckles?):IMG_1554LR

Then we played and played on the beach.IMG_1608LRIMG_1613LR

Am I the only one who gets grossed out by beach feathers? Gah. Ro and Ree think they’re precious prizes for the finding, but I always get heebied out by them:IMG_1585LRIMG_1636LRIMG_1641LR

IMG_1655LRDinner and sunset-gazing was at the Crow’s Nest (why have we never eaten at that restaurant before?!). It was delicious, and (bonus) they put Hawaiian-style orchids on each plate. The view from our table was pretty incredible too.

Hopped back in the van and headed over the hill, (mistakenly) thinking that everyone else would have gone home by now and we’d have the drive all to ourselves. Rookies! Everyone else obviously had the same idea, because we had bumper-to-bumper traffic the entire way. This view wasn’t quite as picturesque.

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That’s ok though, I just put my still-somewhat-sandy toes up on the dash and took a little snooze, TubaDad chilled out and drove, and the girls watched a Barbie Rapunzel movie (the appeal of which completely escapes me).

14 comments:

  1. What a fun time! I'm getting Spring Fever. We got close to 60 this weekend but that's not good enough...not after reading this post! : )

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    1. Yeah, I was laughing with TD saying "Was that our winter? Those two days of rain last week? Are we just moving right on to spring?" It's weird!

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  2. What an awesome idea to introduce children to orchestral music that way! Wish they had something like that here! Can TubaDad ask the orchestra if they'd like to drive a 'bit further' and head our way? :o)

    Ah, Santa Cruz! Now, that's the life!!

    What a great day!!

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    1. It was just so cool. Short -- under an hour and no intermission -- full of neat things to watch and listen to. Seriously, they did a great job.

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  3. With the nice weather, people were dragging going home all over the State. And yeah... beach feathers from those Nasty Sea Gulls... Of course we were robbed the last time we went to Stinson; a sea gull stole our entire bag of potatoe chips... family size at that!!!

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    1. I hear you on the chips! I was dying laughing because every time a family would get up to go in the water a tiny flock of really determined and motley-looking gulls would descend on their blanket and start rifling for food.

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  4. Are the girls asking for unicycles? I think it is right up their alley.

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    1. Not yet - I think they know there's no way right now. They still have training wheels on their bikes! Every couple of months we take them off and everyone in the family tries to teach them. But it's been a complete no-go as yet.

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  5. SO much fun! I was bummed when I realized this was the same day of our family party because Jenny would have eaten this up and then some! Of course seeing you guys would have been icing on the cake! Next time for sure. :)

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  6. Wow, that day sounds so perfect and wonderful!!! We are having a school "snow day" here after a weekend of tornadic weather here in KY -- crazy spring -- and our girls are also watching that Barbie Rapunzel movie. Sigh. Maybe I could interest them in some orchestra videos. :-)

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  7. Anonymous3/05/2012

    I hate feathers too. All feathers. Even the ones that come out of my down jacket and the colorful ones used for crafts. I can't stand when Casey picks them up on the beach.

    Sounds like you had a great time! I'll have to try that restaurant.

    Jamie

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  8. Way to go Tubadad. Pretty awesome. I think you guys have quite the life...Hawaii and now this. Great.

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  9. Anonymous3/06/2012

    Love the book about Tubby the Tuba!

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  10. I totally remember getting dipped cones at Dairy Queen on hot Texas summer days! (:

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