Independence Day 2008

For the Fourth of July, Eladia went to The Theater in the Park to see Beauty and the Beast with a fireworks show at intermission. Also at the show were Aunt Annette and Cousin Jeramy from Ohio (whom she met for the first time), Uncle Ken, Aunt Michelle, Matthew, Mia, and the Maxeys.

The night started a little rough. Dad waited in line a good three hours with Aunt Michelle and Mrs. Maxey in order to save space on the lawn, while Mom and Eladia met up with Uncle Ken, Aunt Annette, Jeramy, Mia, and Matthew for dinner. On their way back to the theater, Uncle Ken knew to say he was there for the theater which got him sent to close parking, but Mom got sent to the back parking area with the "fireworks only" crowd. This was a potential problem because Mom had Eladia, the food, the second chair, the diaper bag, the toys, and the other things they overpacked.... but she did not have her cell phone. Thankfully, the umbrella stroller was also in the car, and cousin Mia had graciously agreed to ride with Mom and Eladia to the theater (by "graciously agreed," I mean planned/schemed/begged). So Mom and Mia were carried and pushed everything up to the gate themselves, while Dad made a futile run through the parking lot looking for the car.

Otherwise, the evening went off without a hitch. Eladia was perfectly content during the musical. Of course, she had everything she could want: toys, pens, markers, water bottles, other things she could manipulate (i.e., put in her mouth), Capri Suns, a man sitting behind her whom she flirted with most of the night (psst, he's married), and her most favorite thing in the world.... an audience of new people to impress. And to show that the attention the little ham garners is causing her head to swell, Eladia raised her head, smiled, and looked around proudly every the crowd applauded as if they were clapping for her.

After a break for intermission, the lights went down, and the fireworks went up. It was certainly a sight for Eladia's eyes. She spent the entire show lying silently in Mommy's arms while staring at the glowing sky.... completely mezmerized.

Eladia spent the second half of the show just like the first: playing, flirting, and acting like all of the applause was for her. She stayed awake right till the end, which is a lot more than can be said of her older cousins. In fact, the first moment Eladia nodded off was the last minute of the ride home (approx. 11:40 PM.... they got out fast thanks to the far, far away parking spot). And she still fussed about being put down in her crib for the night.