Way back in the beginning of June my friend Nanette and I bought tickets for our families to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live. Nanette had taken her daughter Em last year and she said her daughter was enthralled. I have spent the better part of the last six months preparing Annie for the live show.  When we’d watch YGG on TV I’d say, “Do you want to see the REAL Muno? What about Foofa? Do you want to see them in PERSON?” She would always say yes, but she really had no idea what I meant.

I am just going to say it – I was more excited than anyone. I wanted it to be the most fun thing Annie had ever experienced. I wanted to blow her mind. I wanted her to shriek with happiness. I could seriously cry just thinking about it. I know. I know.

The big concert was the day after Thanksgiving. I was nervous…we flew back to Los Angeles that afternoon and went straight to the theatre. Annie didn’t nap at ALL. I expressed my concern to Mike, who wasn’t worried. He thought the adrenaline of being around Em and seeing the YGG characters would help her pull through any tiredness.

We walked up to the theatre, and it looked like Mike was right. Annie caught a glimpse of the signs outside the theatre and she was off:

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

She saw the scrolling marquee and kept yelling, “It’s Gabba! It’s Gabba!”

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

We went inside and spent a mortgage payment on some YGG gear. I was just picking it up for SANTA, MIKE.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

The girls were adorable. Annie kept looking at Em for approval…she loves big girls. They danced in their seats to the pre-show music.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

I was so excited. The show was about to start and Annie was SO HAPPY! I just knew it was going to be a great experience for her.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

And me, of course.

The lights dimmed and the music started…and OK fine, I totally started crying because I expected Annie to start shrieking with glee….and she didn’t. She looked like this:

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

Total stone face. Mike picked her up to make sure she could see…

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

Total. Stone. Face. Not afraid. Not happy, not sad. Just…blank. I told Mike I thought she was tired, and maybe it was just too much for her to process. He said that she was just VERY into the music and was studying the characters onstage. Um, OK.

I spent the next 20 minutes acting like a fool trying to get Annie to dance and smile and sing. She didn’t budge. She kept that super-serious-stone-face steady on the stage, never looking away. Until, finally, I shouted, “Look at Em!” Em was dancing in the aisle. It was like something clicked in Annie’s head. She suddenly realized it was OK to dance.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live!

Annie stood on my lap for the second half of the concert and danced, clapped, and even sang along to the songs. She was so happy! I might have cried again.

After the show, as Mike carried her through the crowd, Annie said, “Bye Gabba. Bye Dancing.”

I wish we were going again tomorrow.