Brown Deer Mom
Brown Deer mom offers helpful “takeaways” while traveling about town with two girls, ages 6 and 3. It’s not rocket science, just a slice of life.
Creating a Summer Bucket List
This evening, after much deliberation, I bought a pair of Naot “Kayla” sandals to kick off the summer season. It's my second pair and perhaps the most comfortable shoes I own. Who cares that it’s 46 degrees and my toes are freezing. I'm breaking out my summer gear anyway because in one week, I’ll flip the calendar to June. Mother Nature will just have to catch up.
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for Kids
I’m relatively new to Milwaukee. I didn’t grow up here so I’m still discovering what
the area has to offer. On Sunday, we hit the jackpot! I took the girls to the Milwaukee
Symphony Orchestra Kinderkonzert. I highly recommend it.
We saw “Emily Saves the Orchestra." The musicians and actors/dancers kept the girls attention for the entire performance and that says a lot because my youngest is three-years-old. In fact, she was the one who chatted the most. “Violin! Viola! Cello!” she squealed as the conductor introduced the string section.
On the other side, my six-year-old leaned in and whispered, “I told you there was going
to be ballet.” I laughed. She was right, there was some dance.
I’m no critic. I’m not even a musician but I know the MSO does this well. Musicians
played familiar pieces starting with Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker March. A leading
character in the performance, a monster, was appropriately scary and shocking and kept
the girls on edge. The flashing lights and eerie music added to the drama.
Before the show, the girls had an opportunity to play with instruments. They blew a
saxophone, beat a drum and plucked tiny violins made just for them. After the show, we
walked to Starbucks across the street. While there was a brief meltdown over a cupcake,
we ended our day on an upbeat note. In the car on the way home, the girls started
humming Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. As I joined in, I was overcome with a feeling of
satisfaction. What a great way to introduce the girls to classical music. We’ll see what
happens next.
If you’re interested, the next Kinderkonzert is June 5 at 2 p.m. at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts Uihlein Hall. Tickets are $10 per person.