Daisy's first Daddy rock show

We just got back from a fabulous trip. Okay, I know you'll be skeptical when you hear it was to Sacramento. But I am being serious here: it was the best trip. The only bad part was getting there, because we had horrible traffic the whole way, and on every freeway (37, 80, and 50). That was frustrating. Mark also made one driving error that cost us 40 minutes, so it took us something like 3.5 hours to get there. But that's where the bad news ends.

We actually went to Eldorado Hills (15 or 20 miles northeast of Sacramento), because that's where Mark's band Godz of Rock had a show. We stayed in a Holiday Inn Express that was very nice, much nicer than I would have expected. Our room was big and clean and comfy and had a balcony, which thrilled Daisy--she is totally into balconies these days, for some reason. It was swelteringly hot, so Daisy and I got to go swimming in the hotel pool while Mark went to do a sound check at the park where his show was taking place. Then he came and picked us up and took us to the park. Mark's band was playing on a stage in front of a MASSIVE park space all set up for this event; there were lots of vendors around selling ice cream and pizza and other things, and a bouncy house for kids. People came in droves with their whole families and set up picnic blankets; there were kids running everywhere, throwing balls and frisbees, and adults sipping beers and talking, and all in all we thought there were probably more than a thousand people there (!!!), maybe something like 1,500.

So Mark's band got to play for a huge, relaxed summer crowd, and kids were totally welcome; it was the perfect setting for Daisy's first viewing of her dad's music. It was a hot day, and it stayed warm the whole time we were there (till 9:30 or ten), so Daisy was able to run around comfortably in just a dress and bare feet, no worries about sweaters or blankets or anything. I had no idea how she'd do staying up so late, especially with a short nap (less than an hour) in the car and already being tired from swimming in the pool. But she stayed in a great mood the whole time, and she had so much fun. During the break she got up on stage and danced, and a few other little kids asked to go up there with her so they all danced together. Then she and a bunch of kids danced in the grass in front of the stage while the band played their second set. It was more fun than I have had in a long time--I wish all rock shows could be this way, instead of in smelly, yucky bars. When the sun went down the stage was lit up with these cool blue lights, and there was a smoke machine--it felt like a big show, and it really was one--as I mentioned, at least a thousand people. And they loved the band, which always helps. They asked for Judas Priest, Journey, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Guns and Roses, and others in the hard rock '70s-'80s vein, and of course, Mark's band can deliver these songs brilliantly. (They have already been asked back for another show in September, as a side note!) Mark inserted G-rated lyrics into some of the songs (Man in the Box, Fight for Your Right to Party) and they did an impromptu, unrehearsed tribute to Michael Jackson--a version of "Beat It" which quickly devolved into "Eat It" because Mark knows the lyrics to that one better. Some of the little girls were asking for songs by the Jonas Brothers at the end; I'm afraid Godz of Rock couldn't deliver on that one.

For the last half hour of the show I had to hold Daisy in the Ergo, as she was absolutely exhausted, but she was fine, just resting her head on my shoulder. Then I was a little worried about how she'd be back at the hotel, but even that part went smoothly. I had her travel bed all set up next to our bed, with her pillow and blanket and her favorite doll, so it was very cozy and appealing, and I read her two books. Then, to my relief, she went right to sleep, and she slept until 7:30 the next morning. I had thought she might wake up and be scared, not knowing where she was, but she was completely fine.

We went swimming again in the morning, and then we met our neighbors Robyn, Rene, and Eli at FUNDERLAND in Sacramento!! I had no idea if Daisy was ready for an amusement park, and I thought she might be frightened, but she had a fantastic time. She went on three pony rides on three different ponies (Caramel, Rocky, and Ladybug), and then she rode the merry-go-round, the train, the log ride (a mini-Flume for kids), AND--drum roll, please--her very first real amusement park ride, an octopus with long legs that went up and down as it spun in a circle. Now, the amazing thing, from my point of view, was how Daisy reacted to all these new experiences. She marched straight up to the ponies without any hesitation and let a stranger put her on them, and she never showed any sign of fear. And the octopus ride: she had to go on that by herself while I waited on the other side of the fence, and she did. She marched straight through that gate, let a stranger put her in the fish car at the end of the octopus's leg and belt her in, and off she went! This ride was fast and scary, trust me, and she has never done anything like it before, but she was all smiles every time she went by.

I am in awe of this little girl. The only bummer is that, as usual, I forgot my camera. However, I am in hopes of getting some pictures. The woman who booked Mark's band at the Eldorado Hills park took some pictures of her, as did the bass player's dad (thank you, Bill Buck's dad); and at Funderland, Robyn and Rene took some pictures. As always, I am indebted to other people for having greater planning skills than mine. I hope I can get some pictures and post them.

There was just something different about this weekend that felt really prophetic of the changes to come. Daisy was so grown up, so much more like a girl than a baby or toddler... attending her dad's show and being so mature, staying up late at night for it and not getting fussy, and then going to sleep so easily in a strange place; and then at the amusement park, I just really was not prepared for how excited she was to go on the rides. This is my own ignorance, that I didn't realize she was ready for these things and was still thinking of her as kind of a baby when clearly she is not one. I just didn't realize how grown up she truly is. I am very proud of her this weekend, and more than that, she is someone really fun to be around (not that she wasn't fun as a baby, but this is a whole different level of fun, where we are all enjoying the same activities together, mutually). I am feeling very happy and satisfied with family life right now.