Sounds like Fun!

One of my favorite annual activities is attending the Houston Symphony's free summer concerts, called "Sounds like Fun!" We try to get their early so that the kids can participate in the musical instrument "petting zoo." Tyler enjoyed showing off his trombone skills- playing Darth Vader's march and getting a round of applause from everyone in line. This year, we went to a beautiful Presbyterian church for the concert, instead one of the local high schools. The acoustics were incredible! Since there was a smaller crowd, our kids were able to interact with the conductor more. I loved being three rows away from the musicians. There is no better listening experience than sitting in an intimate atmosphere- engaging your eyes, your ears, even your heart which seemed to keep time with the music. This year, they played one of my favorite pieces of music- Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. On the way home, we tried listening to it in the car. All of the kids agreed that it didn't sound anything like what they had experienced live.

On another note, I have to say that my little "field-trip" was so enjoyable for another reason. I think this is the first year that I was able to take all four of my kids out in public without suffering from any form of anxiety. Not only were they perfectly behaved in the concert, but I also knew that all four of them- Randy included- would stay with me and not wander away at the smallest distraction. Tyler and Emily are old enough to be a huge help to me. And- bonus- I didn't have to haul a diaper bag or worry about any potty accidents! In previous years, we would have to do trips like this on weekends or when Dad had time off. Now, I can picture myself taking all the kids to our favorite museums, movies, maybe even- gasp- the beach on my own. Actually, Daddy was sad he didn't go to the concert with us, so maybe we'll wait for him anyway.