THE Lion King

[caption id="attachment_2542" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Val and Ben snuggle up."][/caption]

Last night, we went to the Lion King.  We won tickets through a drawing at the hospital.  I learned long ago to enter drawings at the hospital because it seems as if most families who are in the hospital are so concerned about their ailing child, they have no use for drawings.  BUT if you are professionals like we are, you can take care of said child and win some lovely free things.  (Like a weekend at Great Wolf Lodge a couple of years ago).   Karly and 5-year-old Valentine joined us for the evening.  I love watching Karly with Valentine because she so thoroughly enjoys being with her daughter.  She allows Valentine to be five rather than trying to "fix" her into being more grown-up. 

Ellie decided her perfect evening would be hanging out with our great friend, Brittany (the one who visits every day when we are in the hospital).   Earlier in the day, I'd asked Ben if he wanted to get dressed or just keep his pjs on because we did not have big plans for the day.  He informed me that he wanted to wait to get dressed to be "handsome" for his friend Valentine.  (Since most of his information on 'mating' is from dinosaur videos, I was not exactly sure how this would all pan out...)  When Valentine heard this news, she was quite delighted and decided that she would dress beautifully as a princess for the evening.  Ben decided wearing his lion costume would be the absolute perfect thing to wear to the Lion King.  And when people in the theatre commented on his costume, he sort of looked at them strangely, as if he were wondering why they too were not wearing lion costumes.  I mean it IS the Lion King afterall. 

[caption id="attachment_2543" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Ben in his Lion costume. And yes, he would adore a similar dinosaur costume."][/caption]

 Beforehand we were invited to a reception for all the families who had won tickets.  It was fancy and yummy (two of my favorite things!)  Had to have myself a chicken finger for the baby (otherwise I would not be eating chicken fingers).  The opening number was breathtaking, Circle of Life.  The costumes were just so incredibly creative.  It felt more like an event than a show.  At one point, one of the actors spoke in another language which included a lot of clicking sounds, which Ben happily joined in.  It fels sort of 'in stereo' when he accompanied the speaker.  After the intermission, Ben and Valentine were sitting in the same chair together snuggling.  Valentine said to Ben, "Hey, let's play boyfriend girlfriend!" To which Ben responded, "Let's pretend you're an alien!"  Karly and I laughed thinking of how many adult relationships go that way--the woman thinks they are playing boyfriend/girlfriend while the man is thinking the woman is an alien.  Thom thought it was a good take on the Men are from Mars/Women are from Venus theme.  Every time Val would see me, she would run to give me a huge embrace around my big baby belly.  Which I both adored and had to brace myself for, as I do for Ben.  After the show, Valentine and Ben played hide and seek and tag in a huge lounge area until an usher came to inform us that they were locking up.  As Val was exiting our car, she gave Ben a huge hug with a big kiss on the smacker which Ben loved because not many 5-year-olds want to hug and kiss as much as he does.  The whole thing was a magical, marvelous night!   And it wasn't just the night itself, it was being excited beforehand and talking about it after that makes it just live on and on...

[caption id="attachment_2544" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="The Lion ROARS!"][/caption]

And for all of you left wondering.  I was not totally clear that we have in fact gone home from the hospital.  We arrived home on Tuesday at around 5pm.  We thought we would be home much earlier, but then Ellie started having some weird symptoms like headache, vomiting, and the right side of her face was no longer working.  Whenever a doctor would come in to exam her, though, she would be able to work both sides of her face.  Like I'm just making all this up.  We finally decided to go home (and quick like before any one changed their minds) and come back if things seemed to get worse.   She is doing great today.