A Pop Icon in the Flesh: Miley Cyrus in Concert

I never thought I'd pull it off. Never thought I'd be able to keep the secret so long.

When I first heard that Miley Cyrus was coming to Columbus, Steve and I were sitting in a parking lot, recovering from touring a dozen homes, strategizing on how to break the news of our move the kids. I had my head in my hands, overcome with what we were about to do to our family, when I heard the DJ announce that Miley Cyrus, Bella's idol, would be performing in Columbus just four days after her birthday.

I purchased the tickets that night, sitting on the bed in our hotel room, tearing up already when I imagined Bella and Jack's thrill at their first concert. And then it hit me, a way to make the night even more special: I would keep it a surprise.

And so I did. I kept my face neutral when Bella's friend talked about how excited she was that her mom had bought her tickets. I even managed to say, "Gosh, I wish I'd thought of that."

And a few days before the big day, I casually mentioned to Bella that I had scheduled her check up for Wednesday night.

She started to worry about the flu shot, deciding which arm to get it in, wondering what special treat I would get her after the doctor's visit.

I kept the secret right up until we got into the car. But at that point, the joke was on me: they didn't believe me.

"Mom! Stop joking! You're not funny. Where are we really going????"

I showed them the print out. I told them over and over again that I was not joking, eventually laughing at their disbelief, but they didn't buy it. My laughter was proof that this was yet another one of my "dumb" jokes.

It wasn't until we parked the car and merged into the line with the hundreds of other little girls jumping up and down with excitement that they finally fully believed we were going to see Miley Cyrus.

And then the fun truly began.

(as soon as I get Blogger to upload my video, I'll share with you some of the fun! Stay tuned.)