This is the Moment

So, usually I use my blog to share the adventures Marina and I have together. However, I thought I'd describe one of my own!

My friend Kimberly invited me out to see the touring production of Jekyll & Hyde. I saw the original tour years ago. I loved many of the songs, but there were definitely issues with the script. I had read the show had been completely reworked, so I was excited to see this new creation!

I consider myself a bit of a theater snob, I love it, but my expectations are high. That being said, I was impressed with this production. I liked the sets and staging and all my favorite songs were still there. And the cast was amazing!

Kimberly went to high school with Aaron Ramey, one of the members of the cast, so after the show, we met up with him and he took us backstage. There we were introduced to "Connie," better known as Constantine Maroulis - Jekyll and Hyde himself! He was very gracious chatting with us for a few minutes and posing for pictures.

After that, we spent some time hanging out with Aaron. We talked about the show and his life as an actor. It was so much fun to se the inside of the show.

After a few weeks in Denver, the show moves on, finally stopping on Broadway. I'll be rooting for them!

Wild, Wild West

When I was in second grade, I went on a field trip to the Stock Show. I hadn't been back since. Recently, Marina and I had a conversation about the Stock Show and we decided to go this year. Naturally, Marina wanted to wear her Jessie costume from Toy Story. We left after lunch today. It was a beautiful day, so a lot of people made the same decision and we had to park pretty far away. Fortunately, we were able to take a shuttle and get to the grounds quickly.

When we arrived, Marina found a tractor to climb on. We also watched an artist demonstration - a man using a chainsaw to create carvings out of logs. We were just in time to see a show of trained pigs. It was funny. During the show, Marina spotted Ainsley, on of her classmates. They were excited to find each other and asked if we could all hang around together. So, we headed into the exhibit hall together.

Inside we saw the holding area for cows and sheep. The sheep were much more interest in us than the cows. Some even allowed themselves to be petted. We also looked around the vendor hall. The girls were drawn to all the glittery cowgirl stands. Ainsley and her family always like to look at fancy horse trailers, so we joined them in that.

We had tickets to the Wild West Show, so we left our friends and went to get a snack before the show. We got a funnel cake - one of our favorite snacks. Then we headed over to the show. The Wild West Show was a recreation of Buffalo Bill's traveling show of the 1880's. We saw shooting demonstrations, historical reenactments, bucking broncos, horse races and fancy lassoing. Marina loved it.

After the show was over, we had the opportunity to go backstage to meet the actors. Marina chatted with Annie Oakley and the Rodeo Queen. She also go to pet some of the horses from the show. On the way out, we met up with Ainsley and her family again. We also met the County Fair Queen.

We were tired, so we said goodbye to Ainsley and headed for our shuttle. Marina asked if we can come back next year. The stock show was a hit! 

Last Days of Pompeii

We saw the Pompeii exhibit at the museum in September shortly after it opened. Marina and I both wanted to see it again before it moved on later this month. Apparently a lot of people had the same idea because it was very crowded.

When we arrived we had a little time before our schedule entry. So we looked at the Egypt exhibit. Marina has gotten so good about reading the signs herself and discussing what she reads with me. We did quite a bit of that today. We looked at the mummies, especially the difference between rich people and poor in the way they were preserved.

 Next we headed for the Pompeii exhibit. Marina and I looked longest at the artwork and jewelry. She was anxious to go to the tavern, where a woman was explaining food, the marketplace and games of the Ancient Romans.Marina was a bit shy at first, but ultimately she was up front and asking questions. She played a dice game with another little girl and was thrilled to win! She wanted to see what god or goddess she is most like, so we took the survey. Sure enough, she was Apollo again. We watched the time lapse video and looked at the body casts before heading out.

Marina wanted to see the health exhibit next. We visited her favorite parts and did a DNA extraction experiment Before stopping for lunch. After lunch, we went right back to the health exhibit. When I told Marina the Super Food Heroes show was scheduled in 15 minutes, she headed right for the stage and wanted to wait for it to start. She even convinced some other families to stay and watch. The show didn't disappoint. She was selected as Spinachiever again. She was thrilled! Fifteen minutes after that was the Pirate bacteria show. So we stayed for that as well.

Marina wanted to play in the Discovery Zone for a while. She had fun with the wind tunnel and huge building blocks. We stayed there until it closed. By then, we were tired and we were ready to head home. Marina looked at a butterfly display on the way out. Near our car was a flock of geese. She tried to chase them off, but they were pretty unflappable. So she gave up and got into the car.

Dolls and Disney

After a full day yesterday, Marina and I were looking forward to a quieter New Years Day. We decided to go to the American Girl Store to meet the 2013 Doll of the Year, Saige. Marina brought her new American Girl Doll, McKenna, the 2012 Doll of the Year. They even dressed alike!

We had no idea how popular this would be. When we arrived at the store, there was a huge line just waiting to get in. Since it was chilly this morning, we decided we didn't want to stand in the cold. So, we went inside to the Disney Store for a while.

In the Disney Store, we found many other girls holding with American Girl dolls. Some had braved the busy store, some had not. We browsed around for a long while, but ultimately I was able to coax Marina out of the store for lunch.

We passed the American Girl Store again. By this time the line was significantly shorter and the sun was shining so it felt much warmer. Marina was willing to wait in this line. It didn't take too long and Marina made some new friends while we waited our turn.

Once inside, Marina was able to complete two crafts relating to Saige and got a t-shirt for her dolls. We decided to have McKenna's ears pierced while we shopped. Marina was interested in many things, but ultimately decided to get another pet for her dolls.

When we finally left the store, we were starving. So we stopped and had sandwiches for lunch. Then we went to the movie theater to see Monsters Inc. in 3D. Marina had never seen it in the theater, so this gave us a chance to do that. Naturally, McKenna came with us. It was a good way to start a new year.