Comic Relief for Parents
My job means I get the opportunity to see many of the shows that pass through St. Louis. I'd like to take a moment to rave about the most recent one called "Parenting 101: A Musical Guide To Raising Parents". The show is at the Westport Playhouse and it is one of the funniest productions I've ever seen, probably because it's not far off the beaten path of being a parent!
I went with a friend and we laughed the entire two hours. The show features four actors and together they make almost 90 costume changes. Each "scene" has a familiar song, with the words changed to fit the particular topic. It starts out with "birth". You know, the moment in the delivery room when the mom-to-be is in agony and dad's got the camera rolling!
It goes on to put all the parenting "milestones" that follow, in a hilarious light. The show tackles subjects like the battle to find a reliable babysitter, mom's status as a referee between fighting kids, how everything is better at grandma's house and why being "supermom" is so much better when you're wearing the "S" on your chest! One of the last songs is about sending a child off to college, a sad day, which in this case, ends up with mom and dad dancing and celebrating. "Parenting 101" even makes puberty funny!
Each song was better than the next. It was so much fun to laugh at things that normally stress parents out! I think my husband would have liked the show as much as I did but this is also the perfect "girls night out". You are right there at Westport Plaza so you have many options for dinner before or after the show. I'm no critic, but I give this show two thumbs up!
Goodbye Guinea Pig
It's been a sad couple of days at my house. Our guinea pig, Harry, died last Saturday. We had him for almost eight years, a year beyond the average life span of guinea pig. We'll miss the little fur ball who loved to eat carrots and be scratched on the head.
Harry was my oldest daughter's pet. I think she got him has a reward for a good report card. She'd been begging for a dog, but my husband and decided our on-the-go lifestyle wouldn't be good for a dog. The kids always tell us they'll do all the work that comes with owning a dog, but I've always known better!
A guinea pig turned out to be a good option for us. Harry didn't mind being held, or pushed around in a doll carriage. He didn't make any noise, he didn't need to be walked and he didn't eat a lot. We could leave on vacation and have a neighbor check on him every few days. Not to say he was completely easy to care for. His cage did get stinky and needed to be changed at least once a week, but that was a good lesson in responsibility for my girls. He did need fresh water and more food every few days.
We'll miss our family pet Harry. His cage is empty for now, but chances are a new guinea pig will move in some day.
