Maya joined cousin Maverick to see the Wiggles today!

Maya got a special treat today thanks to Aunt Michelle. Michelle (Victoria's cousin) had purchased four tickets for the Sunday, November 2 Wiggles show in Albany at the Times-Union Center. Her older son Phoenix, who is six years old, decided that the Wiggles were too immature for him, so he said he did not want to go, but his younger brother Maverick was still gung-ho. Michelle then invited Victoria and one of our kids to go in Phoenix and Dana's (Michele's husband) place. Victoria was not feeling up to it in the morning, and Brianna was sharing the same sentiment as Phoenix, so I went with Maya. Maya loved the excitement of seeing such big buildings in Albany. For a moment it reminded her of one of the other cities she's been to for medical procedures and she said, "Noooo" when I went to take her out of the van. I reassured her this was no doctor visit, and when she saw that her cousin Maverick was there too, she calmed quite a bit. Maverick is just a bit older than Maya and he is almost fanatical about the Wiggles. Maya had no real experience with the Wiggles, and I doubt she's ever seen them on TV, but she enjoyed her first show experience very much and did a bit of dancing and also moving up to the short wall separating the floor seats from the upper levels and getting into the "mosh pit" of kids dancing up there.



So after meeting Michelle and Maverick at the Colonie Center Mall near Albany and eating at Friendly's there, we piled into Michelle's van and made our way to the Times-Union Center and very cheap ($5) parking only 2 blocks away.

From the parking lot we got a great view of "The Egg," a performance center made famous in They Might Be Giants' "The Egg" from their album "Venue Songs."



We were there a bit before the show and found our seats were only 3 rows up and to the right of the stage. The view was still very good. They put Wiggles stickers on each seat for everyone, nice touch. I went to the concessions and bought 2 fruit cups for the kids. Of course when I presented them I said, "Fruit salad, yummy yummy" (insider Wiggles humor).

The first thing I noticed when the Wiggles entered in their "Big Red Car" was that Greg, the "Yellow Wiggle" had been replaced. Apparently he has quit the Wiggles due to a medical condition.



Another thing I learned is that the Wiggles, for all of their worldliness, seem to have as much geography knowledge about the USA that most USA kids have about Australia. Anthony, the blue Wiggle, as part of his banter with the other Wiggles, said that he just learned that Albany is the capital of New York.

The show was fun for Maya and Maverick. Maya especially loved the song "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star," as she sings and does the motions for that at preschool. Maya, towards the end, was getting very tired and needed a nap, so was a bit grouchy. Maverick was just plain silly, doing slides on the floor as well as dancing.

It was a good time. Thanks to the Heleba family http://www.helebafamily.blogspot.com/ for the invitation and the tickets!