Marina in Wonderland

We wanted to make sure we saw the rose garden at the botanic gardens while it was in full bloom. So we headed there today. We hadn't thought about the fact that a new art installation had just opened this week. So the gardens were much busier than usual. But we decided to go anyway.

The Chihuly exhibit is 15 glass sculptures scattered throughout the gardens. The first one was at the entrance and it caught Marina's attention. She really seemed to enjoy the sculptures we saw on our way to the rose garden. Many of them were incorporated into the flowers, creating a fantastic effect. She said to me, "I feel like Alice in Wonderland!"

The rose garden was in full bloom when we arrived there. We spent quite a while looking at all the colors and varieties and smelling them.

After seeing the roses, Marina complained her feet hurt. So we headed for the children's garden so she could cool them off in the wading spring. Once she had her feet in the water she said they felt much better. She spent quite a while playing in the water. Once her feet felt better, she was ready to return to reality.

It's All Greek

When I was a child, my parents used to take me to the Greek Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church. I haven't been there in many years. So when I suggested it to Marina, she was interested in checking it out. She still has a bit of a cough and the weather looked threatening, but she still insisted she wanted to go.

We arrived a few hours after it opened and we were very lucky to find a good parking place right away. As we entered, we saw several rides for kids. Marina was immediately excited. I suggested we look around the festival first. She grumbled until I said, "Look at all the shopping." She saw a jewelry shop and was definitely interested in looking around. So we looked through a few stores before checking out the rest of the festival. We found a few more rides, by now, Marina couldn't wait anymore, so she took her turn on some of them. She especially liked the spinning ride, she rode it several times.

We decided to stop for a snack. I got baklava, but couldn't get Marina to even try it. Marina got ice cream instead. She was disappointed that they didn't have chocolate, but they made it up to her by giving her vanilla with chocolate syrup and sprinkles.

We took our food to the main stage and ate while we watched two children's groups perform traditional dances from Greece and Crete. The MC was Miss Colorado - Marina really liked her crown. After the dancing, Marina took a few more rides and then we headed home. I wanted to go on a tour of the cathedral, but Marina was too tired and the weather had taken a bad turn. But we'd had a fun afternoon. Opa!

Alice in Wonderland Hike

When the theater hike group we like announced they would be performing Alice In Wonderland this summer, I knew it was a show we'd have to see. We were especially excited when we learned our friend Carolyn would be in the show. The tickets sold fast and I felt fortunate that we were able to get tickets to today's performance.

At first, Marina said she wanted to wear her Alice costume, but she changed her mind this morning. She did bring her Alice plush doll with her though.

We'd never been to this location before. It is a huge ranch with a castle-like mansion as its centerpiece. We were pretty impressed by it. (We made a note to definitely return just to see the castle!) The area we hiked was much larger than the ones we had been to in the past. We walked on barely defined paths, careful to avoid cactus plants and looking out for snakes.

The show was told in five acts, each in a different location along the path. It was beautiful scenery as we walked. Marina enjoyed the show, especially the scenes Carolyn was in. It was fun and silly. But Marina didn't enjoy all the burrs that stuck to her clothes and shoes.

Once the show was over, Marina immediately wanted to talk to Carolyn. She ran and gave her a big hug. We were sad to learn that this would be Carolyn's last show before moving out of state to go to graduate school. It's been so much fun to see her shows, I hope we'll get to see more in the future!

Before we left, Marina wanted to meet Alice. She was a lovely young woman who spent time encouraging her interest in theater. After that, Marina was ready to leave. It was hot and she was tired from the hike, so we headed home.

Summer Swim

After a long week, we went to a new pool for swimming today. Last week, Marina made a friend at the pool we went to. I casually mentioned to the girls' mother that we'd be trying out a new pool this week. She'd thought about the same thing.

When we arrived today, Marina immediately looked around for her friend. It didn't take long for them to find each other again and they played together all afternoon. They each have a noodle and they spent time floating with them. They even switched at one point. Her friend also had rings and sticks to dive for. So they spent some time with those as well.

During one of the swim breaks, the lifeguards went around handing out lollipops to the kids. Marina and her friend were happy to take advantage of that perk. They took breaks on their own as well, sometimes together, sometimes apart. But they always ended up in the water together.

When it was time for her friend to head home, Marina decided she was ready to go as well. But not before we tentatively decided what pool to meet at next week!

Scaring School

Marina has been a bit sick lately and she didn't feel up to doing much today. However, she did want to attend an activity at the Disney Store today. So, we took it easy this morning and then went for the Monsters University Scaring Lesson.

The activity started with each child getting their Monster's University ID card. The cast member wrote each child's name down and they chose a monster picture for the photo. Then they went through the different aspects of scaring. They learned the "scary feet," then the growl and pounce. At the end, they put it all together for the final exam. All the kids passed with flying colors and were awarded a diploma (upon showing their ID).

After the class, we shopped around a bit. Marina surprised me by not begging for anything. I told her she must be sick!

How to Train Your Dragon 2

Marina and I both enjoyed the first How to Train Your Dragon movie, so we were both looking forward to the sequel. Marina has been a bit sick lately, but she didn't want to stay home today, so we caught the movie today. She brought her Elsa plush doll for support.

We arrived early to have lunch, we ordered our usual. As the movie started Marina revealed to me that she had already read a book based on the movie and knew what was going to happen. Throughout she let me know what was about to happen.

There was one scene that was particularly heart wrenching and Marina cried. It took her a while to recover. After it was over she told me that aside from the one scene she really liked it.

Just Keep Swimming

Today's Disney Store activity was Turtle Talk with Krush. We love that attraction at Disney World, so we had to check out the store version. We were a bit early, so we wandered around the store for a while. Marina can always find cool stuff there!

During the Turtle Talk, the kids learned how to talk and swim like Krush. They were each given a Nemo swim mask to wear during the show. At the end, Marina got a Sophia the First button for her lanyard. We're building quite a collection!

We stopped for lunch and since it was a hot day, we headed for the pool. We were a bit early and the pool wasn't pen yet, so Marina played on the nearby playground for a while. Once the pool opened, she was ready. Quickly she made a couple of new friends and they spent all their time in the pool together. Marina also took a few trips down the shark slide.

After a few hours, we headed home. It was a day full of summer fun!

Snow Queen in Summer

A theater near our house was presenting The Snow Queen and I immediately thought Marina would enjoy it. We had read the original story before seeing Frozen last year. However, the movie wasn't much like the story. This version I figured would be closer to the original.

Marina didn't sleep well last night so she was tired and a bit grumpy. I convinced her to take Periwinkle, the winter fairy doll. That seemed to help her cheer up.

We went to a daytime performance which was filled with school groups. We didn't have to wait long for the show to start. The production was much like the original story. Marina enjoyed the quirky characters including the white fox, talking flowers, princess and, of course, the Snow Queen.

Once the show was over, the cast lined up in the lobby. Marina made a beeline for the Snow Queen. She had a nice chat with her. Marina also made a point of speaking with the actors playing the white fox and the princess.

On the way home, Marina told me how glad she was we came to the show. I'm glad we found a way to cheer her up.

New Discoveries

The Nature and Science Museum closed Marina's favorite play are for renovation a few months ago. This month is the grand reopening. This afternoon they had a special members only time, so Marina and I took advantage to check it out. Marina decided to bring Kaya along since she hasn't been to the Museum before.

Our timed entry was late in the afternoon, so we spent some time in the other parts of the museum until then. We started in the Native American exhibit so Marina could show Kaya around. We looked around, but didn't see any artifacts from the Nez Perce tribe that Kaya is from. But Marina still enjoyed the Navajo homestead and seeing dolls from many tribes.

We looked through the many animal dioramas the museum has. we spent most of our time looking at the animals from South America and Africa today. Next we went into the health exhibit, one of Marina's favorites. It wasn't crowded, so she was able to go through many of the activities easily. We still had time before our tickets, so we went into the space exhibit for a little while. Marina got to search for hidden plates in sand, drop asteroids and experiment with heat cameras before it was time for us to head out.

When we arrived in the new kids area we were astonished. It was really amazing. The new area has a huge dinosaur dig site, an elaborate water play system, construction zones and art stations. Marina spent time at each station, having a great time at each. She generously shared each station, especially when there was a much younger child waiting. Then not only did she give up her spot, but she spent time to show them how to use it. And the same as the old play area, I had a hard time getting Marina ready to leave. I'm sure we'll be back soon!

Star Wars Summer

The Disney Store has scheduled a series of summer events this year. I thought we might try to attend some of them. Today’s scheduled event was Mike Wazowski’s Trivia Challenge from Monsters Inc. So we headed over to try it out.

They had a slight change of plans and the event was Star Wars Story Time. Marina hasn’t had much interest in Star Wars, so I wasn’t sure what she’d think of it. The event was well done. The cast member told the story with special video clips added in. Each child got a mini light saber and they went through training on how to use it. Then they had several chances to use their new skills. The story ended with a medal presentation for the kids.

Each week a special character button is given to the kids who attend. Today was supposed to be Sophia the First, but they hadn’t gotten those, so they got a Marvel button instead. Last week, lanyards to put the buttons on were given out, but they had some left, so Marina got one. She also got last week’s button – Mickey and Minnie. Once she had all her goodies, we headed home. Marina said it was “the best day ever!” We seem to be having a lot of those lately!

Country Dance

Marina has been taking ballet for six years now. It's hard to believe that! She made great strides this year with her teacher Miss Erin. Marina was the oldest girl in the class and she took up a bit of a leadership role.

The theme of this year's recital was "American the Beautiful."  Marina's class had a country theme. They danced to "Turkey in the Straw" in blue gingham dresses. It was a fun combination of ballet and square dancing. The girls knew the routine well and went through it without a hitch.

After the performance, I found Marina backstage. The stage mom had given each girl a bag with an activity book and puzzle from Frozen and some snacks. Miss Erin gave them water bottles filled with candy. I had flowers for Marina as well. We also picked out some for Miss Erin. She had six classes in the recital, so she had a lot of flowers from her students!

Kicking off Summer

Today was the Broncos Bunch annual Summer Kick Off. Marina always looks forward to this event. She wore her Bronco jersey and a hat from Super Bowl XXI.

When we arrived we headed immediately for the field activities. She started by running a football drill with Bronco player Charles Mitchell. She fell down during that one and wasn't happy about it. So we moved on to the inflatables which she always likes. The lines weren't long there, so she played for a while.The large slide was wet to make it more slippery, but Marina didn't like that it soaked her shorts.

When she was tired, we moved inside where we saw the Broncos and the visitors locker rooms. We also took a look at the two Lombardi trophies on display. After that we headed back outside. Marina ran more drills, including one with offensive lineman Ryan Miller.

We went back inside and met cheerleaders, alumni players and Miles, the mascot. We also took some pictures in the media room. We went back outside where she ran a drill with Bronco Stephen Johnson, who seemed to have as much fun posing for pictures as he did running the drills.

Marina spent the rest of the time playing on the inflatables. The slide was no longer wet, so the kids slid very slowly down it. That was funny to watch.

After the event was over, we drove around the stadium to a spot I had read about. After they tore down the old stadium, they marked in the new parking lot where home plate was. We found the spot and took a little batting practice before going to our home.

The Tempest

Over the past few months, Marina has shown an interest in William Shakespeare. I'm not sure where it started. We read a book called A Lion to Guard Us which is based on the story of a group of English colonists who were shipwrecked on Barbados. The afterward said that Shakespeare based his play The Tempest on the same story. Marina thought that was really cool. She also was excited to recognize the Shakespeare toy in The Lego Movie.

So, because of this interest, I looked into the Shakespeare Festival schedule this year. The Tempest was on the schedule. It seemed like the perfect play to introduce Marina to Shakespeare, so I got us tickets to the preview performance. Marina has been looking forward to it.

The Shakespeare Festival is held on the campus of the university I graduated from, but it's not close to home. So we were prepared for a long night. The campus has changed considerably since I went there, so I had trouble finding the right place to park. Finally we got there.

We had seats in the front row, so we got to see the set and the actors up close. Marina had a bit of trouble following the dialogue, especially when the characters discussed the background of the story. But she loved the comedic parts, special effects and the acrobatic choreography of Ariel, the sprite. She also liked the ice cream we got at intermission!

Once the show was over, she said she liked it. A film crew was asking people to give their thoughts of the show. Marina was happy to volunteer. She told them she liked the show but didn't really understand what happened. She also explained why Ariel was her favorite character.

As we walked across campus to the car, Marina told me she'd probably fall asleep on the way home. I told her that was fine. And she was right, she fell asleep a short while into our trip.

Celebrating Summer

To get off to a good start on our summer, I took Marina and her friend Ainsley to the water park today. Marina was so excited this morning that she got up early and was ready to leave before I was. When we picked up Ainsley I heard the same from her family.

When we arrived we found a lot of other people had the same idea. It took us a while just to get into the park. But once we were in, we headed right for the water. We started off on the tallest slide. Ainsley was a bit concerned about the height, but she loved the slide. We relaxed on the lazy river before heading to more slides.

We took a break for lunch which we all needed. Then we went into the wave pool. The girls spent the rest of the time playing in the waves. Once they were done there, we headed home. We got ice cream on the way to finish our celebration. Marina said, "Today was the best day ever!"

Maleficent Movie

Today was Marina's last day of fourth grade. To celebrate, we had lunch with her best friend's family. Of course, Marina was happy to do that!

After lunch, Marina and I decided to go see the new Disney movie, Maleficent. She considered wearing her Sleeping Beauty costume to the movie, but decided the costume wasn't comfortable. So she brought McKenna along and dressed her up instead.

We decided to see the 3D version. It was much more intense than the animated version and at times Marina seemed to have difficulty focusing. But overall we both enjoyed the movie. It was a good way to kick off the summer!