2018 Broadway Review

I'm making a tradition of these little yearly Broadway recaps. I think Broadway is easily my favorite thing about living in New York City and I hope we are always able to take advantage of these amazing performances in our backyard.

2016 Broadway Review
2017 Broadway Review

This year, I saw six shows (Dan saw three) which is pretty astounding considering our extremely limited schedule. Four of the shows were new to me and two I'd seen before. For the most part we bought full-price tickets, we had one show gifted to us, and the repeat shows I bought tickets through TodayTix which very close to the box office price but you can purchase them online and pick-up the tickets from an agent right before the show. I really like this as a last minute option since you don't have to pay as many fees as you do if you went through a ticket site and you also get an actual ticket as opposed to a printed ticket. I like to keep the tickets so that's important to me.

Don't forget: See my Broadway, on the Cheap post for tips on how to afford Broadway (I should probably update this)

This year it was really hard to pick an overall favorite because a couple of the shows we saw were so unique and not like anything I've seen so it was hard to compare them to something more typical. Ultimately, I picked the show with the music that is still my favorite to listen to. If I can obsess over at least one song in the show and listen to it over and over and over, upwards of hundred times, then yeah, that's a knock-out number. The whole entire music ensemble? Now that's an all time favorite.
 
#1 Overall Favorite Show: Dear Evan Hansen

When this show first came out I was annoyed by the hype honestly because I kind of don't like the sob-story with a feel-good ending that I expected. But I totally judged this show by the cover and really had no idea what it was about. In 2016 I decided to listen to the music on YouTube and I fell in love with the songs so Dan bought tickets for Mandy and I as Christmas gifts last year and we saw it in March last year. We LOVED IT 1000%.  

Song obsession: For Forever

#2 Come from Away

Terri Mom and Allen Dad got Dan and I tickets for this show for my birthday. We loved it. It was totally unique in the staging and the fact that the cast members each played multiple roles seamlessly. It was fantastic music and the story was not only true but really uplifting despite the subject being 9/11. I don't expect this show to last forever so if you have a chance to see it you should. I think people shy away from it because they expect it to be sad but it's really not. Go!

#3 Once on This Island (no longer on Broadway)

This show was amazing. It was not on a typical stage but rather the theater was in a circle with everything in the center. And the setting was an island. It was really creative and unique and the talent was outstanding. So well done. We really enjoyed it and we were really glad to see it while it was playing.

#4 Mean Girls

This show was SO MUCH FUN! It was funny and ticked off all my boxes for Broadway entertainment (ok, except no child actors) but we loved it. Dan took Mandy and I to see it for our Birthday show and it was perfect.

Song Obsession: Apex Predator 

#5 Wicked

Always a classic and will always be one of my favorites. This was the third time I'd seen this show and the second time seeing it on Broadway (I saw it on tour one time). My Broadway fan friend was in town in January so I got us last minute tickets. We both loved it and I liked noticing even more of the subtle details throughout the show that you miss unless you are seeing it a repeat time. Tickets for this show are actually not that expensive now and I think it's a guarantee hit if you have trouble choosing what to see.
 
#6 School of Rock (no longer on Broadway) 

I knew this show would be closing in January 2019 so I got tickets for Mandy and I to see it together over the summer. She loves child actors as much as I do and I knew she would enjoy the show. I'd seen it before with Dan with the original cast from the front row and that was a really epic experience. I'd say the second time wasn't as good but man, it's always impressive to see 9/10 year olds with such amazing talent. I'm sad this show closed but Beetlejuice is opening in it's place! 

For far for 2019, we've already seen Kinky Boots but we don't have any other planned. There are a lot of shows that are changing over and I'm not 100% sure what we'll see. I'd love to see Moulin Rouge and maybe Beetlejuice (just to see how that works) and of the older shows I'd like to see Book of Mormon.  

Weekending it

We have a busy week ahead. Dan has a trial so Kip will be with a babysitter most of tomorrow (first time not being with Dan, Mandy, or me for several hours while awake! Eeek) and I have to take a day off to cover Dan's Thursday as well. Plus hosting Table, winter doldrums, and navigating a one-nap-a-day transition for Kip. I'm ready for the weekend already. Woof!

This past weekend we hung out in the morning and played trains with daddy.

Then we had friends over Saturday afternoon for a play date. It was loud. It was messy. It was chaos. But fun too!

Sunday I served on brunch team so Kip was with Dan most of the day.

We did see some good movies after Kip was down for the night. We recommend the new Ted Bundy documentary series on Netflix and another documentary called FYRE. Both compelling to watch.

Happy Monday!

Peeks from the Week

Just sharing some pictures from this week. Cold days stuck inside. It's been frigid!

Big news this week, Kippy figured out how to turn the big fan on in our room. Proud and skillful. And he has started to smile for the camera on occasion. He seems to be teething again, poor guy.

Day in the Life

I always love reading "Day in the Life" posts. They're my favorite. But I never felt like doing one myself because honestly, my life is real boring.

But, lately I've been trying to remember how I spent my Kippy days around this time last year when he was a) immobile and far less exhausting and b) immobile and far more exhausting. Yeah, that doesn't make sense but I wish I had a post to look back on and remember those foggy days with a five month old.

So, here is an average Monday with Kip and me. At 17 months old, in the middle of January when it was too cold to go outside.

5:20 AM. Kip starts rousing. Dan and I do not get him out of bed until at least 6 AM, so he squawks in his crib for a bit.

6:30 AM. I jump in the shower while Dan gives Kip a diaper change and gets him a cup of milk.

20ish minutes later I come into our bedroom to get dressed and ready. Kippy and Dan are enjoying what we call "Family Bed." This is just snuggles in bed while Kip drinks his milk and watches an episode of Baby Einstein or Little Baby Bum. It's a slow and quiet way to wake-up when you aren't a morning person but your child is.

Around 7 am we all get up. Dan makes coffee (for me) and I get breakfast ready (for all of us). Today it was yogurt and granola. We try to all sit down and eat breakfast together since it's the only meal of the day where we are all together.

After breakfast, Dan gets showered and ready while I clean-up breakfast and Kip starts destroying the apartment with his toys. Daddy plays with Kippy in his tunnel for a bit.

And then around 8 am, we hug and kiss Daddy bye-bye.

As of last week, Kip was still napping twice a day. As of this week, that has changed. So I'm glad I got this day documented because our routine has already shifted. Last Monday, he slept from around 8:15 to 9:15 AM. While he napped I did some work stuff and emails and wrote our Weekending blog post.

When Kippy wakes up we FaceTime with Marmee (my mom). Today, Kip had a graham cracker snack while we chatted.

Then it's playtime and getting dressed for the day.

We did trains.

Read about a quarter of about eight books.

And danced to some Elvis tunes.

We played until around 11 am when I started making lunch. Kip wreaked havoc all over the kitchen while I whipped-up some tuna salad sandwiches.

This was Kip's first time trying tuna salad, and he loved it!

After lunch he played some more while I cleaned-up lunch.

12:15 PM Second nap! Kip chatted in the crib for about 30 minutes which, to me, suggests he wasn't tired but then again he didn't protest laying down so I think he didn't mind the quiet time.

While Kip napped I did all the things. Checked work emails, updated the software on my computer, tided-up the living room. Dusted the bedroom. I texted with Mandy, finished reading a book, joined a writers society, and checked more work emails. 

When Kip woke-up around 2 pm we did a diaper change and then watched a show while he had his afternoon cup of milk and some Bamba snacks.

Then we played the rest of the day. Kippy played trains, I made a zoo for him with legos, he destroyed said zoo, emptied his hamper, wore a pants scarf around for a bit, read some books, and back to cars.

5:00 PM Dinner! Tonight was pot pie and mandarin oranges.

He devoured all of it and had a cheese stick as well.

Bath time after dinner!! Kip stacked the toilet paper while I got the bath water ready.

Squeaky clean, teeth brushed, and taking selfies.

6:00 PM Night night!!

Once Kip is down for the night, I tidy the apartment and put all the toys away for about the 12th time of the day and then I drafted this post until Dan texted that he was on the way home from the gym.

I try to make a bigger meal on Sunday so we can have leftovers on Monday night and therefore more time to relax in the evening.

Dinner with Dan and then it's choice night. On Mondays we trade off week-to-week and Dan got to pick our activity. We played a new game I got him called Nefarious. Pretty fun because I won!

Then we watched a bit of a show, tidied again, Dan takes the trash and recycling out, and we get ready for bed. Life before Kip we would go to bed around 11/11:30. Now, we start getting ready around 9:30 and watch a show in bed. Times have changed for sure. 

Hope you enjoyed our every day ordinary life!