Lollipop Concert

My pre-schooler got a little culture this weekend.

Hi, it's Sheila. I took Eric to the Cincinnati POPS' Lollipop Concert Saturday, and we were accompanied by my friend Megan Wells and her daughter Ali (Dan's wife and daughter). First of all, there's nothing funnier than a four year old kid, and Ali and Eric are both four -- double the funny! Being a princess is a lot of hard work for mommies. Ali made sure her mom helped her with a special pink dress and a fashion staple for little girls, black Mary Jane shoes. It made me miss having a little girl to dress up like a doll! Eric was very excited about going to what he called the Popsicle Party. He had no clue he was going to hear classical music!

They were the cutest thing when we got to Music Hall. Eric helped Ali out of the car and took her by the hand. Then he promptly ran off and left her behind until I fetched him back. Let's just says he's a gentleman with a short attention span!

This was the first Lollipop Family Concert since John Morris Russell returned to Cincinnati as conductor of the POPS. You can tell he's a dad because he relates so well to the kids in the audience, and he picked a great subject for the first show -- trains! A big screen behind the orchestra showed the audience maps from the pieces' countries of origin, along with photos and films of trains and inclines. Most of the songs were recognizable, from the theme song for Thomas the Tank Engine (complete with a steaming Thomas on stage!) to a medley from Polar Express. My Eric got excited when he saw Santa on the screen. He and Ali had fun doing choo-choo motions and stomping for one of the songs too. And they were happy to see that you really do get a lollipop at the end of the Lollipop Concert. The next one is scheduled for January 28 at 10:30 a.m. at Music Hall. http://www.cincinnatisymphony.org/content.php?id=86

We ended our outing with a trip to Taste of Belgium on Vine Street for waffles and cookies. (Megan & I induled in Jean-Francois' Belgian Frites -- to die for!) It's no wonder Eric wouldn't take a nap on Saturday after all of the sugar, but as Megan pointed out, it's okay to bend the rules of nutrition when it's a special day out with Mommy. http://authenticwaffle.com/