Disney Live!

For the past few holidays and birthdays, Jeremy and I have been trying to give "experiences" instead of a lot of gifts. If you could see the current state of the playroom, you'd know why. The LAST thing Jones and Freddie need is more of ANYTHING. That's why Jeremy's primary Christmas gift was a weekend in Chapel Hill and why Mom and Daddy gave Freddie four tickets to Disney Live for his second birthday.

Yesterday was the big day.

We went to church and then drove to Greenville immediately after. The boys were telling us which characters they were going to see as we drove (among those on Freddie's list were "Scooby" and "Pete," neither of whom were there, of course). After their naps, we headed out ...

... but not before Pop played a little "Give me five / on the side / on the pinky / you're a stinky" with the boys.

As soon as Jones saw the Bi-Lo Center, he called it the "the Clubhouse." Thankfully, he wasn't at all disappointed - in fact, he didn't even seem to notice - when it was nothing AT ALL like "the Clubhouse." I'm also thankful that neither boy showed any interest whatsoever in the $12 half bags of popcorn or the $30 light up swords. We weren't planning to buy either, but the fact that they didn't ask meant that there was no reason to explain why their $2 Dollar Store foam swords would do just as well as that light-up one that won't work in a week, anyway.

All in all, the boys did really, REALLY well. Jones stayed in his seat, watching intently the entire time. Freddie popped out of his seat mid-way through the first act, but he just paced the concrete aisle in front of our four seats and wasn't disruptive at all. At one point, he slid out of his seat and into Jones's. "I sit JoJo seat," he told me once he'd parked his tiny hiney beside his brother's. It was PRECIOUS. Their cohabitation didn't last long, of course, before Freddie was back up, but it sure was sweet while it lasted.

Oh, and I brought the boys' mouse ears, just in case they wanted to wear them. Freddie put his on at Mom's before the show, but Jones didn't want his. Then, just after the show started, Jones said to me, "I need my Mickey hat!" Thank goodness I'd brought it into the arena! I love his sense of "needing" his Mickey hat.

After the show, we ate  at Atlanta Bread Company. The boys shared a "cheese sammy" and broccoli and cheese soup. As usual, one ate most all of one (Jones ate the sammy, Freddie the soup), while the other ate most all of the other. At one point, though, Freddie pointed to Jeremy's Cuban sandwich, so Jeremy gave him a bite. He then ended up eating half of that, too.

It was a wonderful family outing - and definitely confirmed our decision to pursue "experiences" as gifts rather than things (when we can).

love my three boys,
sitting here before the show

Lighting (and angles) made it really
hard to get a good shot,
but I love this one, anyway!

If you try, you can see Freddie
laughing and clapping here.

This is one of my favorite
pictures ever!

None of these of me and the boys are great of any of us.
Still, I'm so grateful Jeremy took them,
so Jones and Freddie will always know that I was there, too!

Those sideways ears kill me. I love them!