Katy Perry California Dreams excitement

As soon as my daughter got home yesterday, she knew she needed to tackle homework. And of all nights, she had the biggest bunch to do.

No way she'd get through it all before going to the Katy Perry concert. Her distracted mind would keep her from completing it all. Yet, I didn't mind. It's not like we go to concerts all the time. It's early in the school year. Most importantly, she's a good student so a night off every now and then isn't going to be detrimental.

I think we would have been on our way to the 7:30 p.m. show at 4 p.m. if she had her way. She didn't want to miss a moment.

When Katy Perry finally took the stage at 9:13 p.m., my daughter understood why I wasn't in a rush. She also realized she wouldn't be home until midnight — much later than the kiddie-centric concerts we've gone to in the past. That's the only time I felt a bit of regret bringing her. I don't want a grumpy sleepy girl annoying teachers at school. I'm already asking for leniency on the half-finished homework.

Surprisingly, she's full of energy this morning. She's still on the concert high, and I hope she doesn't crash midday. She sang at the top of her lungs to all the popular songs, as well as lesser know songs. One of our favorites is "Pearl" because the end message is you don't define yourself by how others make you feel. Be strong and be yourself. Guess that's why we also love "Firework."

The concert wasn't as naughty as it could have been, so I really didn't have to explain much. It was sugary fun and a little sexy, but not so shocking that I'd blush since I have sixth grader to my side.

Still, I didn't get why so many moms brought their really little ones. Sure the sexy innuendo and explicit words goes over their head, but it's loud and hard to see when you are that small. Maybe they had ear plugs and moms had strong arms to carry them. My personal feeling is the show is best for 10 and older.

All the songs were so much candy-coated fun. We also loved her Katy-oke part of the show, where she sings other songs, including Rebecca Black's "Friday," Rihanna's "Only Girl," and Willow Smith's "Whip My Hair." She was silly and at the same time showed she can sing. She's not all music marketing. When she went "church," she showed how soulful and strong a voice she has.

We danced in our seats and had a great time. The only downer was at the end when suddenly my daughter wanted a T-shirt to remember the show. Ummm, no. The only

one we liked was $50 and since I don't know when my next paying gig will come up, I figure the pictures and video are good enough.

Looking forward to our next girls night out.

Cheers!