Concert on the Green

Another one of our favorite things around Charlotte in the summer is the Symphony's "Pops in the Park" series which is a huge event.  So much fun is had at the huge outdoor ampitheatre where you go early in the morning to stake your claim to a spot, lay out your tarp/blanket and come back later that night with a picnic dinner and drinks packed and sit around with friends in the scorching heat :)  I'm sure there have been pictures from Pops on the blog in summers before.  A few weekends ago, we headed to Davidson with Beth's family and some of their friends for Davidson's concert series which is very similar.  Emerson got to stay up past her bedtime and had fun being the life of the party while also taking some breaks for sticker decorating, toe nail painting, dancing, and trying on other women's jewelry. 

She was quite proud of her accessories, and accessories isn't something that she has had much of a chance to get into at our house.  I wear the same necklace every single day, watch and my wedding ring and somedays I might try to make it exciting with one of my 3 pairs of earrings.  So this was a great treat to her.  It is so funny how she has intrinsically taken to maternal and girly things like this.  She loves a race car for sure as well, but mostly she loves playing tea, playing with her dolls, doing the laundry and unloading the dishwasher with me. 

Em and Beth danced to some good beach music (while Beth whispered sweet nothings into her ear!) by Band of Oz and then she enjoyed her view from above perched on Terry's shoulders watching everyone else dance.  The most exciting part of the night for her was probably the firetrucks that zoomed by on the street right in front of where we were sitting.  Please note Terry's face in the picture below is staged to look like Emerson's expression, and while a little more zoned, it again amazes me how they can look so alike.

You will also see though that they can both quickly go from being zoned to their same wild and crazy selves.  While she enjoys girly things, Emerson is far from prissy and loves being thrown around.  Not gently tossed, but thrown!  Crashing onto the bed, pillow fights, being thrown high up in the air, etc.  This is the same throwing game that you saw in the last post from Midwood Mania - Emerson loves this trick, and judging by his expression, I'd say Terry thinks it is a pretty great time also.

We had a great time enjoying the music and food, and mostly the company on this fun night in Davidson before the heat of summer came on full force.  Emerson was sleepy by the time we left and changed into her pajamas before hopping in the car and was snoozing hard by the time we got home.  Thanks Williams family for a fun night out with you all, we love you!

(This dress is one that my grandmother made that I wore as a little girl also - it is so sweet on her!!!)