Oh yes we did. And I gott say…. it was awesome! It all came about because this year Wolfie, Greg and I started watching American Idol together. I’m not sure how this happened. Greg pretty much hates all reality shows (except Top Chef). And while I loved the Adam Lambert season, I haven’t been on the Idol train in ages. I guess I was curious to see how the J-Lo / Steven Tyler thang worked out. ANYWAY, we started watching and Wolfie was transfixed. He loved watching the live performances and was very into the whole competition aspect. It became his first “prime time” show. Since it typically ran past his bed time, he would get to watch the first half at night and the rest the next day. The whole show is a bit cheesy but I can’t lie, it was pretty fun having a family show to watch. Wolfie was especially taken with James Durbin, the rock-n-roll guy from Santa Cruz. He thought he was super cool.

For those who don’t follow American Idol, it came down to the two country kids, Scotty and Lauren. Wolfie was disappointed that James was eliminated, but he still enjoyed watching. He was soooo excited to see all his favorites…asking me if the judges would be there…but he was also adorably shy about the whole thing. I tried to ask him who he was most excited to see (aka JAMES) and he got all embarrassed: “You KNOW mama….I don’t want to say!!” He sat there before the show began, extremely serious and waiting. At one point they said you could enter a contest via text to go back stage and he about had a panic attack, “I do not want to go back stage!!”

Once the show started, he sat back, relaxed and thankfully had a blast. For the most part, the show was pretty fun. The kids are all high energy and sing their hearts out. I mean, I’m not sure what I would have thought if Wolfie hadn’t been there …but seeing it through his eyes was really awesome. The crowd was curious…lots of families with kids…lots of couples. Call me crazy but American Idol is a little weird for a date night.

Greg and I kept cracking up at the Vegas style numbers they did…..the whole cast sang the clean version of Cee-lo’s “F*CK You” and on the chorus they would flash “FORGET YOU” in ginormous letters….as if to make sure we knew, “Hey, this is the clean version people!”

Aw yeah! We brought the binoculars….Wolfie and I are in it to win!!!!!!

Finally….FINALLY! James appeared. He entered dramatically from the back of the arena singing “Welcome to the Jungle” (heh) and Wolfie was beside himself. Big grins all around!

When he didn’t think I was watching, Wolfie was doing air drums and singing along and totally rocking out. It was amazing. At one point  I saw him doing something with his fingers and suddenly realized he was flipping back and forth between a Hawaiian “shaka” and the classic “rock hands” (we were just in Hawaii this spring where he learned “shaka”).

He finally leaned over and whispered loudly, “Mama! Which one is the rock hands again??” I tell ya people, it was the cutest thing in the whole wide world.

{I risked the camera flash to snap this, which is why his eyes are closed!}

The show went on reeeeeeally long and poor little Wolfie got very tired. I will say you do get your money’s worth, the darn thing is nearly 3 hours long (!!). We ended up leaving before the big finale.

Have you ever been with your kiddo to a concert? Wolfie has seen lots of live music (Greg is a musician) and when he was around one years old he saw They Might Be Giants (“Here Come the ABCs!”) perform at a small book signing show. But we’ve NEVER been to a big ol venue like Idol. Thankfully Wolfie is still really young, so I doubt we’ll be hittin’ the concert trail again any time soon.

Still coasting off our American Idol high, Greg and I  (sans the Wolf man) went to see the irrepressible Dolly Parton. Oh yes indeed we did. Kitschy, campy and truly mega talented—she was all that and more!

In honor of Dolly (and a bit of an homage to poor Amy Winehouse…) I did muh hair big.

We met up with my friends Annemarie (gingham!) and Chrissy (cowboy hat!) and their friend Heather.

Chrissy changed to her sassy cowboy boots.

Before the show started we got some grown up bevvies (OK fine. I admit it. I had a shot of tequila and a frozen lemonade. I’m a classy gal…the tequila came in a plastic cup and I sipped it elegantly!) and my friend Annemarie bought some cotton candy. It came in these weird little mounds….which, er made me act like a 9 year old.

Ahem. Well, so back to Dolly….she was spectacular! Glittery, high-heeled and spangled, all big hair and big boobs….just like you imagine. She is the ultimate show woman and the Queen of Banter —crackin’ jokes and telling awesome stories. She is a truly fabulous live performer. She is also an amazing musician, and played the guitar, the banjo, the autoharp, the sax, the piano AND the harmonica. Is there nothing she can’t do??

She did a lot of her classics (Jolene!), some old blue grass standards (Rocky Top!). She confused us by doing Stairway to Heaven (what the what? Zeppelin??) and thrilled us when she dipped into the 80s repertoire like Islands in the Stream (yacht rock!). She even dabbled in hip hop as an homage to Queen Latifah who she is doing a film with (“You know what you get when you mix Country with Rap? CRAP!” then proceeded to say over a beat, “Well I can’t hip and I don’t hop but I’ll poke yer eyes out with my big top!” Oh Dolly!) And then she brought it home with some stellar acapella and an encore of I Will Always Love You.

I wanted to give you some choice quotes from the lady, but it’s gettin’ late over here. I better call it a night before I have to tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen…pour myself a cup of ambition…yawnin’ stretchin’ try to come alive. *wink*