Sesame Street!

Sesame Street and the USO have had a long-standing relationship where Sesame Street travels overseas to do shows specifically for military kids on overseas military bases.  They touch on topics specific to military kids like deployments, reunions, and moving to help kids with transition.  Wyatt and I were lucky enough to see their show two years ago right after we moved here, and this time I got to take both kids to the show!


Sesame Street is a BIG deal here.  People line up to get tickets at crazy hours of the morning. I was lucky and just waltzed in after I dropped off Wyatt at preschool and they still had a few tickets left!  No standing in line for this momma :)

The show we went to was last Friday, and we actually scored seats in the 2nd row!  I don't really know how that happened, but it was awesome.  I thought Wyatt would be too "old" for Sesame Street (he won't watch it on TV anymore) but he really loved it.  The show was perfect for him right now - it was about a girl named Katie who was leaving her friends and moving far away. It was a combination of songs/dancing and lines by the characters, and I can't tell you how this show hit home for us.  Just two nights earlier, Wyatt had an all-out sobbing breakdown telling me, "I don't WANT to move! I want to stay in JAPAN! I will miss my friends!!"  I know it because he was overly tired and missed his daddy, but it still broke my heart.

We were so close to the stage that Wyatt (maroon striped shirt) got to shake hands/touch several of the characters when they came off stage into the audience!  He was soooo excited about it!  He got to touch Cookie Monster, Rosita, Elmo, and a couple of others.  Then at the end, the kids got to go right up to the front of the stage and dance the last number and touch the characters.

Olivia, on the other hand, was absolutely terrified!  She spent the majority of the show clutching my neck and fearing for her life.  I know this sounds bad, but it was pretty funny to me!  My kids have never been afraid of much, fearless in fact, so this was interesting to see.  She calmed down once the loud music and dancing subsided, but her face says it all!

We are so lucky there are so many great programs and support for military families overseas.  Unfortunately, a lot of these programs have been cut altogether or funding drastically reduced in the last month or two because of the obvious budget situation.  It makes me sad to see some really important programs, like parents' night out programs, deployed spouse child care, and tuition assistance for active duty Marines being cut.  I know the cuts have to happen somewhere but I  hate seeing the impact it has right here on our military.