Chalk and Cheese Chronicles

70s/80s Redux at San Jose's Retro Dome

I recently spent a lazy Sunday revisiting the past. There was sugary cereal (Frosted Flakes), a squirmy little boy (my son) and a cast of characters teaching us about nouns, adjectives and how a bill becomes a law. It was 70s/80s redux at San Jose's new Retro Dome and I was beginning to feel the pull of nostalgia.

C'mon," I'd said to my son, who was born in 2004, "let's do some time traveling."

Of course, this piqued his interest immediately and I'm sure he was thinking, "To infinity...and beyond!" but I yanked him back, back to the brown carpeting of my childhood living room, back to the darkened hour of early dawn, back to the bowls of Frosted Flakes and back to every Saturday morning of my youth spent in front of the tv. It was time for School House Rock, live and on stage!

A few year's ago, my nephew had been in a school production of School House Rock and it was adorably performed and I'd enjoyed the songs, but this production was professional and truly brought the School House Rock characters to life. My son had never experienced live musical theater (I was obsessed as a kid) and he'd never been exposed to School House Rock (my bad) and he'd never felt the sizzle of Pop Rocks on his tongue (from the Retro Dome's snack shack -- I said no) and he loved it through and through. There was a lot of audience participation. Our favorite? Interjections!

Doing the Happy Dance in Crocs

Enjoy this little video made by 4-year-old Chalk Boy whose chubby hand can be seen in the first few frames. My boys are wearing their beloved Crocs while the other shoes belong to our good friends from preschool Benny and Andrew, who are brothers. I love the video's perspective! Music by They Might Be Giants.

Chasing Mr. David

I hesitated at first, as tends to be my habit, standing towards the back, my old insecurities resurfacing. The music was live and it was brilliant and I'd secretly yearned to unleash the cool moves I'd practiced so many times in front of the mirror at home, starting when I was a teen. (Everyone does that, right? right?!) The stunned crowd stared motionless, electrified by the sounds of the acoustic guitar. I could feel the energy building and suddenly, we exploded into off beat movement, with some of us running in circles and some of us jumping up and down spastically. A few of us cried.

"Mommy, I'm standing on the J!" my then two-year-old son had shouted, bopping to the music.

"And I'm on the L, " his twin brother chimed in, bopping as well.

"Yes, " I'd shouted back, glancing at the circle time rug, "You certainly are!" 

Such was my introduction to the music of Bay Area family musician, Mr. David. He'd come to perform at  our old co-op preschool that day, toting a blue guitar and a bongo drum. For the briefest of moments, I was my long gone twenty-something self, dressed in black and out clubbing in San Francisco, hiding lurking