Elizabeth Mitchell, In Concert

I'm not a huge fan of most children's music - I often avoid playing it, because I'd rather listen to music that I enjoy. That is, unless we're talking about Elizabeth Mitchell. She has such a beautiful voice, but that's just part of why I love her music. She is insightful, inspiring, and hopeful. She sings about the joy and wonder found every day life and nature. She sings in Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, and English, among others I'm sure to be missing. I can't recommend her music, and the life lessons it quietly teaches, enough.

So, when I saw that she was coming to town, I bought tickets and we went to see her perform. We downloaded our bird masks, decorated them, and headed off to listen to music. The kids wore their masks and chirped during most of the car ride - both unexpected and hilarious. During the show, Eric pointed out songs that we knew, "Mom! We know this one!" I grinned and said, "I know! Isn't it great?!" We sang along as best we could, did all the moves, and, like true fans, Sarah and Eric eventually left their seats and stood by the stage. Grandma came with us, and I was glad for that - it felt right to have her with us experiencing the show.

Sidenote - I really appreciated her husband's sense of humor and references to grunge and punk rock. I wouldn't have guessed that The Misfits would've been mentioned, but they were.

And! As you can tell from the last picture, we were super-lucky and got to say hello and thank you after the show. The kids were shy, but Elizabeth and her daughter, Storey, were so gracious and kind. They were exactly who I imagined them to be, and I was so grateful.