Dear God, I sometimes wonder if dh is just completely deluded

[silverfrog]

Have just had dh on the phone.

he has won a prize in his works raffle.

4 tickets to a concert at the Albert Hall tomorrow night.

It's all ok, as children are welcome, apparently

dd1 is 6, and extremely noise sensitive (although does love her music)

dd2 is 3 - I wouldn't consider taking her to something that other people might actually want to listen to (as opposed to stuff like Disney on Ice or panto etc) for a good few years yet. It's an evening hting too - will go on far past their bedtime... (actually, that's a thought - I am off Christmas shopping child-free on Saturday, I bet dh is just trying to ensure he gets a lie in )

did I mention that it's tomorrow? (not sure who has the bigger problem with last minute changes of plans - dd1 or me ) I mean, really - how am I supposed ot drip feed that one to dd1?!

It si a charity christmas concert, adn there do appear to be some variety bits going on as well, not just music.

I know it won't be as bad as I am imagining (I bloody well hope it won't be ) - we have tickets in a box, and I doubt it is a box for 4 - so there will be other people there, wh have paid to see the show. I hope they like small children

oh blimey, my uncle is supposed to be staying with us this weekend too - better put his arrival off until a decent hour on Saturday (htink he was due to arive tomorrow)

Sounds like DH needs to take your uncle and the kids to the concert

Have just had a look on the AH website - there will be a childrens' choir on stage, so that might make it more child-friendly perhaps? The concert is for the benefit of a childrens' charity, so hopefully the other patrons should like children!
There is a well-known act performing, would they have heard her music?

I have to admit that it sounds like something DS would dislike (and make that fully known to everyone around him) so I can understand your reluctance.

It might be worth calling them to check their accessibility policy to see if there's anything they can help with.

That's why i like the term 'event planner'. Whatever happens - good or bad - it's been an event!
Oh to be in the heads of our DH (and i only include those who are not the totally hands on ones, as i know there are some fortunate ones of you with those).
I get all the major bread winner, house over our heads ££££££ side of things - and yes he's good, but i don't think it excludes having any understanding of what it takes to 'go out'.

All I can say is 'good luck' you BRAVE person
I thought I was being brave today booking tickets for the panto....

Thanks, everyone.

Am back from hideous school run, and am still having palpitations over this

Thanks for the info re: hallway/cold, Starlight - very useful.

sugarcandy - I did have a quick look before I went out. dds will have no clue who Alexandra Burke is (I probably couldn't pick her out of a line up either!). They will have heard her music played on the radio in the car - dd1 iirc, tends to say "oh, that's loud" when she gets into full swing . it should be vaguly ok and child-friendly, I guess, but I still wouldn't really contemplate taking a child under 6/7ish, and that's wihtout SN!

Anyway, I spoke to dh earlier, in the interests of not bottling up my problems, and he has been on the case.

Despite a strict AH no food and drink policy, he has managed ot get them to ok bringing dd1's juice (thank god!), and will get some snacks in on same basis (they are highly unlikely to have any gf/cf stuff anyway)

he has also managed ot wangle an extra ticket for my uncle, so that is one major issue solved (well, he has got an extra admission on the basis that dd2 will sit on someone's lap - I'd like to see him get her to do that , but it's ok, because dd1 will be on someone's lap by preference, so that'll all come out in the wash)

on the whole, it should be ok, but I am still panicking over taking the girls to something a bit more grown-up. they have managed panto ok, and been to Disney on Ice twice (at the O2, so dd1 does ok-ish with crowds/noise/lights etc), but they are much easier for littlies to follow.

Hopefully, it being a Christmas concert, there will be loads of child friendly carols that dd1 can join in with.

well, this weekend is our long arranged child-free Christmas shopping weekend.

so on Saturday i get to skip off with my best friend, gloriously child-free, for the day, to poke around Christmas markets without constantly muttering "touch that again and i'll chop your fingers off" and other similarly delightful phrases

then he gets to do the same on Sunday, by which time the girls will be absolutely shattered (they will be bound to go out on Saturday, since my uncle is here - local shopping centre, lunch out, maybe see Santa etc) and up for a day of cbeebies, so double win for me

ooh, I know what he can do to make it up - I simply had to break into the Christmas chocs due to the stress of this, so more choc needed

prepared well?! prepared well ?

I'm in denial, tbh.

I owuld normally plan somethign like this at the least a few weeks in advance.

But still, food and drink sorted, extra space wangled fo rmy uncle - the rest is just come-what-may I suppose

have told the girls - dd2 is very excited, dd1 said "no later go to the show"

oh well, sitting in the corridor for me and her it is then...

(she'll be ok once sh gets there - we'll tempt her in with the promise of snacks )

Silverfrong - you're a trooper. I mean that in a good way. I hope you get some 'me' time after - or is that hoping too much

hope all goes well!

yes, it's tonight - am still in denial.

I have no snacks, no bananas. I do have bread and juice though. Will have to swing by the supermarket on the way out to forage.

dd1 has coped well at big shows before - I think it is the grandeur of the AH that has me wibbling

Must practise my "fuck it, we have a right to be here too" frame of mind...

Starlight - I think a mass visit to the ALbert Hall is an excellent idea.

I also must sing the praises of Ocado here too - my regular reserved delivery comes on a Friday night, and so I had to ring customer services this morning and tell them "I'm sorry, there won't be anyone in - we got last minute tickets for the Albert Hall"

they have been fab, and have rescheduled for tomorrow morning without any hassle at all.

Right, now need to find clean clothes for dd1 (which by necessity means dd2 as well - she'll be angling for best party frock no doubt )

Will update if we survive over the weekend

Good luck tonight at the Royal Albert Hall.

Would suggest you use the toilet facilities before the performance starts. There can be a long line for the ladies.

Certainly do your "F it, we have a right to be here as well" expression!.

thanks for the hint about the toilets, but surely there will be disabled toilets?

Oh God, don't do it! I fear for your sanity silverfrog.

I'd stay home in the warmth.......let DH go and then hand over the kids for your shopping trip tomorrow.

You know it makes sense!

well... we're back

it went ok.

dd1 was a bit confused by it all - think she'd rather have gone to bed, tbh. but she did really well, and sat nicely on my lap for most of it. got a bit upset when Alexandra Burke came on, as there was so much screaming form the audience (it was very loud - far too loud for me, tbh) and dh took her out for a bit at that point.

dd2 loved it - she was enthralled.

from the girls' perspective, the evening was a success.

I have a thread in AIBU about the rest of it, but good to know that dd1 can/will sit through stuff not specifically geared for her.

she is a real star

fabulous

have seen your other thread yanbu! How was the shopping day?