A Very Twilight Birthday

This year, my daughter's birthday happened to fall on the same day as the opening of the movie "Twilight" which is her favorite book series at the moment - along with millions of other tweens, teens and moms across America, etc. For those of you who have no idea what this new "Twilight" craze is, it's over a series of books about a girl who falls in love with a vampire who doesn't drink human blood. Many of the tweens who were hooked on Harry Potter are now hooked on "Twilight," like B. B is a Twihard: meaning, she's not just into "Twilight" like Twilighters, or a few books like the Fanpires, but she's into all four of the books, the movie, and all things "Twilight" related.

Wanting to be a good mom, I thought it was important to know what my daughter was into, so I read the whole series, too. Since I liked them, I guess that makes me a Twimom. Well, I suppose that in and of itself wouldn't make me a full Twimom, but the rest of the activities I participated in with my daughter last week certainly qualify me for the status. (I've been informed by B that I'm not an official "Twilight Mom" until I register at their website. That's OK, I'm happy with my 'unofficial' Twimom status.)

See, a Twihard and a Twimom!

We started out with the Twilight pre-movie party at our local bookstore. There B and a bunch of her friends (accompanied by their moms) met to play Twilight-related games. I got into it at one point when they were playing a quote game and I realized I knew the answers to who said all the quotes. The girls running the party seemed impressed that I would jump in with a group of 20 or more Twihards - some of them in full costume to look like their favorite character. And I had a great time helping the girls dress B's friend D up in a toilet-paper version of "Bella's" prom dress, too. She liked it so much, she didn't want to take it off! Alas, we came in second.

On the 18th, we had a great opportunity for me to rack up some 'rock' points with my daughter. The Hot Topic stores are selling Twilight merchandise, and in true corporate synergy fashion, they had a cross-promotional tour going with the band Paramore (which has two songs on the movie soundtrack) and some of the teen stars from the movie. If you schlepped down to the Hot Topic store on Hollywood and Highland to buy a $30 tour shirt, you got a wristband entitling you to meet either the band or the movie stars at a poster signing following a mini-concert and a Q&A with the stars. One of B's friend's moms volunteered to go buy the shirts, and I volunteered to take the girls to the actual concert.

Now, this is the same tour that's been going to malls all around the country - begining with the fiasco in San Francisco where over 3,000 tweens and their moms mobbed the Hot Topic, requiring riot police to step in, etc. However, I didn't realize this until after we'd plopped down our money and I was committed to escorting my daughter and her two friends to the concert.

Paramore rocking the Kodak Theater Complex at Hollywood & Highland!

Thankfully, the Hot Topic team had learned a lot during their cross-country tour, so, as this was the final concert, they had the whole thing dialed in. We couldn't have asked for a better experience! One of B's friends has a physical disability, so when we arrived - all of us in our matching tour shirts - asking about their handicapped accommodations, the Hot Topic Team swooped in and gave us a spectacular place from which to watch the concert: they placed us at the head of the line for the poster signing, which happened to be just off the side of the stage.

The 3 Twihards, in our spot just off stage!

Not only did we wind up having a great view of the concert, but the team chatted us up and made sure the girls felt like V.I.P.s themselves. They took the girls to get glimpses of the female lead, Kristen Stewart, who played Bella, as well as taking them over to see the other stars who were being interviewed for Fox and T.V. Guide. (For those of you who are interested, that included the actors who played Jacob, Alice, Jasper, Rosalie & Emmett.) When the Hot Topic team realized the kids wouldn't be able to see the Q&A because of the screens that were erected for the stars to stand in front of, one of the guys volunteered to take the kids down to a place where they could see them but still get back to head up the line.

So can you imagine how happy these three girls were??? And B had never been to a rock concert before, much less had the opportunity to star gaze at her teen idols. I was really glad that I didn't lose my hearing, what with all the screeching that was going on!

Just a little happy??

We were so thankful for the extra opportunities the Hot Topic team gave the girls. As it was, the poster signing went by so quickly, the girls hardly had the chance to get out a 'hi' before we were being rushed out the door. Instead, they'd already had ample time to oogle the stars before we even headed to the signing. Being at the head of the line, the girls were having their picture taken by the local newspaper and they were even interviewed by the Fox morning news as they came out of the signing. They were so gobsmacked, they didn't say much, but one of B's friends made it onto Good Day LA the following morning, gushing about how she 'almost had a heart attack' when Taylor Lautner said hi to her.

Ready for the poster signing!

Of course, our Twilight birthday had to include the movie itself. B didn't want a traditional party. Instead she asked to be allowed to see the midnight showing of the movie - thus spending her first two hours of her birthday in the movie theater. I couldn't very well ask any of her friends parents to allow their kid go with us and miss a day of school, so I asked my niece instead. Although it meant spending hours sitting in line on a concrete walkway, we had a really good night together. As an added bonus since we were spending the next day at Disneyland, we stayed at the Disneyland Hotel since it was only 50 yards or so from the movie theater in Downtown Disney. What convenience!

Cousins killing time in line for the midnight showing of Twilight!

All I can hope is that I earned enough 'cool mom' points to last for a while! In any case, it was a lot of fun, and it was a great experience to share with B. Of course, B's already excited they've announced they're making "New Moon" - the next book in the series. So we get to do it all over again!! Woo hoo!!