Meeting Mulan

When we adopted Jasmine, we planned on getting two cats. Since Jasmine had a respiratory infection at the time we met her, it wasn't a good idea to bring home another cat. In the months since, we have fallen in love with Jas, but she has seemed lonely.

Today Marina had several tough appointments. After they were over, she wanted to meet at a cat we had been looking at online. Her name was Mulan, which Marina loved. She was very sweet, playful and, we were told, good with other cats. Marina fell in love with her. So we took her home to meet Jasmine. Jasmine, however, was less than thrilled about Mulan. Hopefully we’ll all be getting along soon.

Wicked

After seeing The World of Wicked and the performances from the cast, Marina has been very excited to see Wicked. We’ve been listening to the soundtrack ever since. Marina even knows some of the songs by heart. So we were both looking forward to seeing the show tonight.

We had some very scary storms a few hours before the show. So we waited for them to pass before leaving. Marina wore her Glinda costume and dressed Grace up as a witch. It was a bit chilly when we left, but the worst of the weather had passed.

We arrived a bit early. I picked up some water to drink and a bag of popcorn called “Good Witch.” Marina loved that! We settled in for the show

For the whole show, Marina was absorbed in the story. She sang along with some of the songs she knew and gushed over Glinda’s clothes and funny antics. I pointed out some of the parallels to The Wizard of Oz as they happened. It was clear she loved the show afterwards. But she was a little tired when it ended.

Grace Movie Premiere

This evening was an event Marina has been looking forward to for some time - the premiere of the newest American Girl movie. Since tonight’s movie was Grace Stirs Up Success, Marina wanted to take Grace and dress in the matching outfit. Her friend Ainsley has taken a liking to Marina’s Saige doll, so she wore Saige’s meet outfit.

Once we were all ready, we went to the mall and met up with her friend Jordan with her mom. We had dinner and the girls all ordered the same thing – macaroni and cheese.  After they ate, they each got the special American Girl dessert which they happily devoured.

When dinner was over, we went over to the American Girl store for all the activities. The girls made cards, decorated journals and went on a scavenger hunt through the store. Once they completed all the activities, we decided to get into the line for seating for the movie. The girls talked, played with their dolls and had a great time with each other as we waited.

We picked out our seats for the movie and got our popcorn and other snacks. Once the movie started, the girls were completely engaged. At one point where the story created suspense, Marina and Ainsley held hands as they waited for the outcome. They were so cute!

When the movie was over, Marina and Ainsley had quite a lot of energy. The walk to the car was particularly hyper. But once inside the car they settled down a bit and spent the ride talking. It was late by then and I think the sugar was wearing off. 

Red Riding Hood Hike

Theater hikes have become a summer tradition for Marina and I. Her recent interest in Red Riding Hood made going to the production of Red Riding Hood and her Feisty Friends a must-see this summer.

All of the performances were held at a National Park this year. We’d never been there before. Marina dressed in her Red Riding Hood costume when we set out this morning.

By the time we arrived at the park, the parking lot was full and the weather was very hot. I was fortunate to find a good place to park anyway. However, Marina decided the costume was too hot to wear, so we left it in the car.

When we arrived at the meeting place, we found a little girl who had worn her Red Riding Hood costume. I wished I had at least brought Marina’s with us! As the hike started, Marina made a point of meeting that girl. They were fast friends.  Marina even enjoyed helping her little sister with some of the more difficult parts of the hike.

The hikes we have gone on before were not as intense as this one. There were six stops, covering two miles and the performance was over two hours. The scenery was magnificent. The show consisted of four folktales – Red Riding Hood, Mighty Mountain Man, The Lad Who Went to the North Wind and The Ogre’s Feather. As we have grown to expect, the stories were silly and fun.

After the show was over, both Marina and her friend had their picture taken with the actress playing Red Riding Hood. Her new friend even let Marina wear her red cape for her picture. Once the pictures were over, we headed back to the car – which was quite a hike in itself!

Big Fat Greek Festival

We had such a fun time at the Greek Festival last year that Marina and I decided we had to go back this year. Marina thought about wearing either her Disney Meg or Esmeralda costume, but ultimately, she decided on a tank top and skirt. I tied a coin scarf around her waist and she jingled everywhere she went. She loved that!

We arrived shortly after the festival started. The weather was very hot but not many people were there. Marina started off by shopping. The vendors had beautiful jewelry and clothing on display. Marina enjoyed looking at all of it.

For lunch, we decided to share a gyro. Marina seemed a bit unsure of it, but after she tried it she found she really liked it. We also tried a cheese and pita snack. She didn’t like the lemon juice used for seasoning on that though. As we ate we listened to Greek music and watched children’s dance groups perform.

Of course, Marina tried out all the rides and games. We were feeling very hot, so we went inside the cathedral. I had told Marina that the Greek Orthodox Church was famous for their icons. But we were both amazed by inside of the cathedral. When we listened to the priest discuss the church Marina was a bit bored. Once he stopped speaking, we took a look around and I could see she was impressed.

We did a little more shopping after the tour. Naturally, she found many things she loved. We did pick up a golden crown of laurel leaves. She said, “I feel like a Greek goddess!” She did look like one. But even goddesses get hot and tired, so we went home.

Friends and Flowers

It's been a while since Marina and I have visited the botanic gardens, so we decided it was time to go back. A new art exhibit opened last month, "The Art of the Horse" which we wanted to see as well. We invited Ainsley to join us today.

When we first arrived we went straight to the children's garden. The girls enjoyed looking at the flowers (especially the many colors of columbines - the state flower). Ainsley identified many of the animal tracks left in the sidewalks. They have fun running across the bridge and wearing bird wings. The wading stream was really crowded, so hey only spent a short time there. Once we explored the whole children's garden, we stopped to have lunch.

After lunch, we checked out the tropical greenhouse. At that point, both girls got their cell phones out and took pictures of their favorite plants. We met a little girl in the greenhouse who loved hanging around with them as well.

Next we viewed some of the horse sculptures. We went through the Japanese, Chinese, rose and sculpture gardens. And the girls browsed the gift store before we headed out. By then they were pretty tired.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Last summer, we saw a local children's theater production of The Snow Queen. The same group was presenting The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe this month. So we decided to see it.

I started to explain the story to Marina and she said, "That sounds like Narnia!" So apparently she already knew a little something going into the show. Marina brought a lion along with her - her stuffed baby Simba toy.

The performance started a bit late. Marina talked with the boys behind her until it began. Once it started, Marina was completely engaged. The show was as long as a movie without an intermission, but she remained focused the whole time.

Once the play was over, the cast greeted us in the lobby. Marina was particularly excited to meet the young lady dressed as a unicorn. We also spoke with the actress playing Lucy, who was also in last year's production of  The Snow Queen. We also admired the costume and performance of the actress who portrayed the White Witch.

When we came home, Marina decided to read the book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I read the book as a child too. I hope she loves it as much as I did.

Inside Out

Marina has been looking forward to the release of the new Disney Pixar movie Inside Out. So she was very excited when I got us tickets to an advance screening of the movie this evening.

In preparation, we went to the Disney Store. They are having Summer Play Days again this year. The schedule said Showtime today and we we happy to learn that the activity revolved around Inside Out. In the activity the cast member introduced the main characters in the film. After the activity, she got her lanyard for this year and not only the button for this week but the previous weeks as well.

We looked around the store and Marina paid special attention to the Inside Out toys. She fell in love with the Joy plush doll so we got that to take with us to the movie tonight.

After dinner, we headed to the theater. It was pretty crowded as we expected. It took us a while to get our popcorn and find seats. They were closer than what we ideally would have like, but Marina enjoyed the kids seated near us until the movie started.

We both enjoyed the movie. It was funny and sad. The main character, Riley, was eleven, just like Marina. Even after it was over we had a discussion about feelings.

Jurassic World

Marina has been excited to see the new movie Jurassic World for a while. It opened today and since we didn’t have any other plans, we deiced to go. It was a rainy morning – the perfect day to see a movie.

We went to our favorite movie theater restaurant for the 3D version. I was concerned it might be too intense for Marina. We had watched Jurassic Park earlier this week in preparation. She didn’t seem concerned at all. But she brought her Princess Aurora plush doll just in case.

We ordered our usual food and settled in. Marina was happy to be sitting next to a younger girl. They entertained each other until the movie started.

The movie was intense but Marina enjoyed it. She appreciated all the references to the original Jurassic Park. She also seemed to like the big and scary dinosaurs.

After it was over, she enthusiastically told me what she liked about it. And when we got home, she changed her clothes into an outfit that was reminiscent of the heroine from the movie. For Marina, that’s the ultimate sign she liked the movie!

The World of Wicked

Marina and I have tickets to see Wicked in two weeks. She has never seen it before, but she is looking forward to it. We learned recently that a display of props and costumes from Wicked are on display at a nearby mall. But before we could make plans to see the exhibit, the theater company announced that members of the cast would be at the mall to perform and sign autographs. Suddenly I knew when we'd be visiting!

Marina wanted to wear her Glinda costume from Oz the Great and Powerful. She also brought her American Girl doll Grace along. Grace wore her witch costume.

We arrived a little before the performance was set to start. So we took time to look at the display of costumes. We managed to find seats up closer but off to one side. Still, we had a great view and had a group of young ladies to chat with as we waited.

The performances were fantastic. The actresses who are playing Glinda and Elphaba performed "The Wizard and I" and "For Good." Marina was very impressed.

We got in line to meet the performers. While we waited, Marina befriended a young lady in line. The two girls hit it off right away. When it was our turn, Marina showed the actresses her costume as well as Grace's. Clearly they appreciated her style!

We completed a scavenger hunt through the mall which took us to a toy store, chocolate shop and tea sampling. Then we headed home. On the way, we listened to songs from Wicked. I think Marina is even more excited to see the show now.

Cousin Shower

Uncle Brian and Aunt Emily are expecting a baby girl in July. Marina is very excited to have a new cousin.

Today was the baby shower. Marina helped me pick out the gifts a few days ago. We rode to the shower with several family members. Marina also brought her American Girl Julie with her.

When we arrived, Marina had big hugs for Aunt Emily and Uncle Brian. One of the activities was drawing a picture based on a letter of the alphabet for an ABC book. Marina had a great time creating pages. She created a collage of drawings for “P” (penguin, Pink Panther, princess and pancakes). She also drew ice cream for “I.”

When it was time for Brian and Emily to open the gifts. Marina was very helpful by bringing each gift to them.

On the way home, we stopped at Krispy Kreme for donuts. We both enjoyed watching the donuts being made almost as much as the donuts! It was a long drive home, but Marina was content playing on her phone the whole time.

School Dance

After another year of dance, it all led to tonight – the recital. Marina has had a good time in her classes with Miss Jamie.

The theme of this year’s recital was “You Got Schooled,” so all the dances had a school theme. Marina’s jazz class danced to “Weird Science” and the poms routine was called "Summer Vacation." The two routines were only two songs apart, so Marina had to do a quick change between them. Miss Erin, her teacher from last year, helped to make sure Marina got the assistance she needed to get it done.

I met Grandma outside the school and we sat with some of our friends. I must admit, I was nervous for Marina’s quick change.

“Weird Science” came about halfway through the first act of the show. It went very well, Marina seemed to be having a good time with it. Two dances later, I was happy to see Marina was with her class and her costume was perfect! She did a great job in that dance as well.

 

After the show was over, I couldn’t find Marina at first. Her costume for “Weird Science” was missing and she was upset about it. We were also sad to learn that Miss Jamie is moving to Chicago soon.

Fortunately, our friends invited us out for dessert, which cheered her up considerably. She had a huge piece of chocolate pie. She and her friend enjoyed being together as well.

By the time we made it home it was nearly midnight. But it had been an evening worth losing sleep over.

Baseball Dolls

School ended for Marina and her classmates yesterday. We celebrated the beginning of summer by going to a baseball game. The Rockies were playing the Dodgers in an afternoon game and we thought it would be a fun day. We invited Ainsley along with us.

The girls both wore purple and black and brought along American Girl dolls dressed in Rockies shirts. We arrived shortly after the game started.

Today was the hottest day of the year so far. Even our seats were scorching. The girls were not happy about that. So we went to get drinks and then the girls had their picture taken with Dinger, the mascot. Once we had those important errands complete, we ventured back to our seats.

Neither girl was particularly interested in the game, so they busied themselves with eating peanuts and stomping the shells into powder. As the day got even hotter, they enjoyed playing with our misting fan. They took turns spraying each other and the fans around us (who really appreciated it!)

The girls entertained themselves nicely and only got restless near the end of the game. So when they cheered the Rockies scored the final out they were more excited that the game was over and we could head home!

Goodbye Elementary School

Today was Marina’s last day of elementary school. It’s hard to believe that after 6 years, she is ready to move on.

When I picked her up today there was a feeling of celebration in the air. As she walked with her friends they all discussed their dresses for the Continuation Ceremony this evening.

After dinner, Marina dressed up in a new pink dress. She even let me curl her hair. We arrived a bit early, so she and her friends ran around on the grass outside the school – just like they have always done.

The Continuation Ceremony was somewhat formal with speeches from teachers and the principal. But there was also fun moments, like when all their teachers sang a song.

As each fifth grader got their certificate, their teacher introduced them with the career their hope to achieve. Marina was “future veterinarian.” She flashed a huge smile at the audience as she accepted the certificate.

To close the ceremony, the students sang a song called, “When You Have A Dream.”

Once the ceremony was over, everyone gathered in the lobby for a reception. We took some pictures with one of her friends, but it didn’t feel like we were saying goodbye to her. We have plenty of plans in place to spend time with her this summer.