The show lasted about 45 minutes. For the first 15 min he was pretty good. Getting into the hand motions (they also used some sign language) and dancing a bit. Then it happened...they got out the prop of all times...a BIG blue bouncing ball (the kind used in adult exercise or pilates classes). For Hayden this was the ultimate. He wanted that big ball SO badly. But, it was WAY up there on stage and that made him long for the ball even more. He cried out..."BALL! BLUE BALL!" in the middle of the recital hall and reached his tiny arms out ahead of him as far as they could go. In some terribly sad and depressing scene, Hayden reached out in agony as the rest of the kids that filled the auditorium sang gayly and danced happily around him, oblivious to his plight. OK, it wasn't that dramatic, but at the time it DID seem terrible! Christy's daughter was doing pretty good, but instead of watching the concert, she was fiddling with the concert tickets and having a gay old time just ignoring the concert all together. At which time, Christy turns to me and says, "We are here for the kids, right?!"..."Uh, yeah", I said.

Then, they put the infamous blue ball away (really it was only out in use for about 2 minutes max) and that is when he really lost it. He tried everything to save that ball and play with it...why should it just be pushed back under the piano and forgotten...neglected....IT SHOULDN'T! I was on the verge of leaving to avoid annoying others (he started to scream (just a little) and cry at this point), but then looking down the line at ALL of the people we would disturb and displace to do so, I tried distracting him, feeding him, and forcing him to dance and have fun and do the hand motions instead...and then before I knew it, it was over.

If I had paid more than $6 per ticket for this experience I would have wondered why it ended so soon. However, at the time, I was more than happy to shuffle on out of there and head back to the car without hesitation.

What I've learned...wait until your child can sit still for more than one nanosecond before attempting a concert at the symphony (even if it is supposed to be FUN for the kids). Ugh... -- mam