Great Expectations....Part I

The older I get the more I am coming to realize that my enjoyment of life is highly dependent upon my expectations. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy life as much as the next person, maybe even more, but at the same time I have always known that I have pretty high expectations. I tend not to discriminate as to what I set expectations on – myself, my home, time, fun, anything really, but I am just beginning to understand the impact these very expectations have on my ability to enjoy life. The events of the past weeks have been a perfect of example of that.

April 28th had been noted on our calendar for months now. As soon as I read that Walking With Dinosaurs, the ultra-fabulous theatrical rendition of the BBC program, was coming to Yakima I quickly keyed my debit card number into the Ticketmaster website and scored three tickets to the prehistoric showdown. You see, dinosaurs are big in our house - really, really big. I am not sure exactly how Tyler became interested in them but for the last 9 months or so, which might as well be a lifetime in kid years, dinosaurs have been the favorite toys, books, placemats, puzzles, pajamas, t-shirts…you get the point. We know their names – well at least the ones mommy can pronounce, we take turns pretending to be them, and, of course, we had a dinosaur birthday party. So when we heard the mother of all dinosaur shows was going to be 45 minutes away from our home, even if it was going to set us back almost $80 for three of the cheap seats, we were going to be there.

Of course, there is an intrinsic amount of anticipation anytime you wait months for an event to occur, spend what you consider to be a fair amount of money to attend that event and are constantly reminded of its impending arrival through television commercials and newspapers advertisements, none of which are lost on an ever-alert 4 year old. But as if that anticipation weren’t enough, I tend to pile on the additional anticipatory expectations regarding what a wonderfully amazing time we are going to have or how much Tyler is going to love the show. I begin to envision how we will kick the night off with a super fun dinner out at a very special restaurant, all will be smiles during the show, we will leave with an armload of memorabilia and show souveniers and – if possible – even bigger smiles. Heck, there may even be music playing in the background on this perfect mommy-daddy-Tyler date night and those Hallmark movie producers may be sell-served to just start shooting this one now. Yup, nothing like great expectations.

In reality it went something like: last minute change in child care plans for Bailey, out the door late, Red Robin – too far out of the way, Applebees – 45 minute wait, so, slightly irritated, we conceded and downed burgers at Miner’s. With full stomachs and renewed confidence we arrived plenty early to claim our seats, only 3 rows shy of the ceiling where it must be 85 degrees and the bench seats put us all to close to perfect strangers who also appear, err smell, like they aren’t exactly enjoying the cozy climate either. As the show begins, we try to relax and really enjoy it when 15 minutes later some late-comers are blocking our view, whispering loudly and then approach us to tell us we are in their seats. What’s worse? They were right! So we begin the track back down the 362 stairs to the bottom of the arena and up the 365 stairs on the other side – all the while missing vital parts of the show. Now we, the get there early great expectations folks, get to appear to be the 20 minute late-comers, whispering excuse me as we squeeze between knees, block views and ignore dirty looks. Luckily we eventually find our real seats where we can now actually touch the ceiling in 89 degree comfort. Lovely. In the end it was a great show. Really, a great show. Not a Hallmark movie moment, but a memory that is a lot more like real life. And what makes it all worth it in the end? When your 4 year old, with every bit of sincerity exclaims, “Mommy, thank-you so much for getting us seats where I can see the very top of the brachiosaurus!” You’re welcome, Tyler, it was my pleasure.