The Lion King

The Lion King Broadway show came to San Diego this month. My mom really wanted to go and

couldn't get my dad on board, so invited the rest of us. Actually, dad did go too.

I was worried that the boys wouldn't like it, so I prepped them the whole week before. We watched the movie and talked about how excited we were to go. They like doing anything with grandma and grandpa anyway. And they have seen a few little youth theater performances, so they're relatively "cultured" (say that with a red neck kinda twang in it).

Again, my pictures are in backwards order, I hate that. So the last is the first and the first is the last.

We all crammed into the mini van to save on gas and

parking. I couldn't resist a pic of everyone crammed in like sardines. Anything to save a buck.

We found a parking lot that cost $10 flat rate, but that was the same price as the venue, so we thought if we were going to pay $10, we might as well not have to walk. So the attendant could tell we were cheap, and directed us to a lot across the street that was only $5. Score!

We walked to the Civic Theater and headed inside to rent binoculars and wait for them

to open the door. My mom was able to get a Saturday matinee.... but only the balcony seats were available. So up FOUR flights of stairs we marched. Then, once they opened the doors and we were able to get seated... we had to climb even higher! We were in the 2nd row from the top. Ben and I have spent many a show in the very top row, so these were "good seats" to us :)

The show was great. Ben and I had seen it in LA many many years ago. I almost want to say the show was brand new. The stage in LA was bigger, which only matters really in the opening, with all the big animals gathering around pride rock.

I love the way the costumes are made to move like the animals, the cheetah is my favorite. And I think I counted at

least 4 differnt hyena costumes. It was very cool. Rafiki was a native of Africa, so she did some improving talking with clicks, it was crazy. The boys said the monkey was loud.

The boys enjoyed the show, but they especially liked getting treats from the snack bar during intermission! They were so cute looking through their binoculars. And Isaac talked the whole time, shocking, I know. My favorite was when the hyenas and the lionesses were around Mufasa's body after he had died, and I hear Isaac... from 4 seats away : "Why aren't they

eating him?" Nice.

So we got out of the theater without any souveniers, it was a close call. But we also didn't get any pictures in front of the posters for the Lion King. Josh started saying that we should just photo shop us in front of the pictures from the paly bill. Then someone remembered the giant trailer parked in our parking lot. So that is where we took our picture. Never mind the reflective stickers :P

Thanks mom and dad for a fun day. We love doing things with the family.... just wish the other half would come back to CA to join in on the fun.

** I'm just noticing that Isaac's carseat isn't buckled... don't worry, we were in the driveway, and he was buckled before we hit the road. Thanks for any concerns :) **