Of Owl Moon, and Friends

On Saturday afternoon, Julie and Joe met Sara, Graham, and Connor at the children's theater one town over in Hopkins for the matinee performance of Owl Moon.  Long time Fans may recall that about a year ago, Julie took Joe to the same theater to see Llama, Llama Red Pajama.  Then, they got all dolled up to go, and apparently, Joe remembered that because as Julie came down the stairs--in jeans (fancy jeans, but jeans nevertheless)--she ran into Ted coming out of the bambini's room with khakis, an undershirt, and a button down for Joe.  Fans, you have to love this little dude.

This production of Owl Moon was a ballet which you might be doesn't sound like a promising outing for three boys ranging in age from almost three and five and their mothers, but you'd be wrong, Fans!  For starters, this is a rather successful children's theater which, among other things, means they've got the marriage between recommended ages and run times down flat.  This was a 45 minute show with no intermission, and ballet. . .Well, you can see, can't you, how to the pre-school and pre-K set it looks a lot like really cool running and jumping?

Julie and Sara had snagged some boosters, but all the boys ended up in their respective mothers' laps.  You'd think this sounds like an uncomfortable way to spend 45 minutes, but you'd be wrong again, Fans.  Joe took Julie's arms and wrapped them around him just so.  Toward the end, he reached up, looped his arm around her neck, and pulled her face down so that her cheek rested against his.  Julie will at least admit that it was an awkward angle, but she will also say that she'd have stayed like that happily for a long, long time.  It was really just a sign that he was feeling sleepy.  He eventually curled himself up and leaned back against Julie and tried to pull her coat, and then his, around him like a blanket.  He kept one eye on the stage though.  At the very, very, very end, Joe asked Julie if they could go, and when she said no, he asked when the end was going to be.  Fortunately, the owl had been spotted so the end was less than five minutes away at that point, which meant treats at Dairy Queen were also not far off.

Sara and Julie walked with the boys (who ran) six blocks or so to a Dairy Queen and then, because it seemed the only fitting thing to do after going to Dairy Queen in March, in Minnesota, when there's still a lot of snow on he ground, they took the boys to the park.  The three of them tore around while Julie and Sara sat on a bench and talked and watched them.

You'd think it would have been cold.  But it wasn't.  It was so warm.