Rogue One

We didn’t have much going on today before church, so we decided to see the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One. Marina dressed in her Princess Leia costume.

We went to the Movie Tavern for the show. Marina got quite a lot of compliments for her outfit. We got into our seats and ordered our usual platter for lunch. Marina also got a chocolate shake.

The movie was action packed and exciting. Marina whispered to me halfway through that she really liked it. She was especially thrilled when Princess Leia appeared at the end.

The Nutcracker

We can’t let Christmas go by without seeing The Nutcracker. This year we invited Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy to join us.

We had tickets to a special matinee today. We arrived at the Performing Arts Complex early and went to the coffee shop for a snack. Marina got a soda and a big slice of cheesecake. She was pretty happy with that!

When the time for the performance came, we went over to the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and went to our seats. We had a very nice view of the stage and an even better one of the chandelier. Marina sat next to a little girl and was content to talk to here before the ballet started and at intermission.

As always, we loved The Nutcracker. We noticed some new costumes and choreography. The time seemed to fly by. After the show we heard a brass band playing Christmas music on the street. We stopped to listen for a while before getting in the car to go home.

Santa in the Water Room

Breakfast with Santa has been a tradition for us every December. Mr. Chuck and Miss Judy also enjoy going with us. We made plans to go this morning with them and we invited Michelle to join us.

We arrived right on time but it appeared that the table they planned to seat us at wasn’t ready, so we were led to the Water Room – a small space set apart from the dining room with perfect views of the tanks. We were thrilled to be sitting there!

We went to the buffet line and loaded up our plates, then we sat down to enjoy our spectacular view. As we ate the mermaids swam in the tanks. We could see them in the tanks in the dining room. Soon they swam into the tanks in front of us, it was like a private show!

Santa stopped by our tables last. We took photos before he headed into the tanks for his swim. Once again, we got a personal viewing of the water show.

After breakfast, we encountered some animal meet and greets. We saw a coral snake and two rats. Marina was happy to pet them all. We bought tickets for the aquarium and went inside. Michelle used to go to the aquarium often when she was little, but it had been years since her last trip. She enjoyed seeing it all again.

We passed by the Archer Fish who were being fed. Michelle and Marina each took a turn. They held a live cricket over the tank and the fish squirted water at it to get them to drop the cricket into the water. It was funny to watch!

After we made went through the Aquarium we went to the 4D theater to see The Polar Express. It was a festive way to end our day.

Frosty and Frozen

We had tickets for the Frosty and Frozen concert this evening at the symphony. Marina wore her Anna trekking costume. We were early, so we went to a nearby coffee shop for dinner. 

We went to the concert hall and found activities set up before the show. Marina made a snowman popper, fished for a candy cane and had snowflakes painted on her cheek.

A few minutes before the concert began we went to our seats. A nice couple was sitting next to us and we chatted with them before the show began. The concert was a combination of Christmas songs, classical music and the soundtrack from movies. A vocalist performed songs from Frozen and led a sing along at the end. Both of us enjoyed the performances.

 

Princess Christmas Concert

Since Marina is on Winter Break we decided to spend this week having some fun. This morning we had reservations to a Princess Concert. Marina decided to wear her Belle Christmas dress to the party.

We had a bit of car trouble this morning, but we managed to borrow another car to use to get to the venue. We ended up being about half an hour late, but we made it!

When we arrived, the concert had already started. We got hot chocolate and some snacks before settling in to watch. We heard several Christmas songs as well as the signature songs of Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Anna and Elsa. We also go to see Elena of Avalor in her debut.

After the concert was over, Santa came out for photos. A huge line formed to see him, so Marina and I decided to wait. The fairy at the front door told us that the princesses would be arriving at the other end of the hall for photos, so Marina was first in line for that. Many of them remembered her from pervious events.

Marina had a few more snacks as we waited for the crowds to thin out. After a little while, we found the princesses in the room alone, so we got pictures with each one and talked with them for a while. After that, we caught Santa just before he left so Marina could tell him what she wanted for Christmas.

Frozen Party

This afternoon, we attended the Frozen Party at the wildlife museum. Marina chose to wear her Anna coronation dress. I put her hair into a bun and she added Anna’s summer jewelry.

We arrived just as the party was getting started. We saw Anna and Elsa posing for photos, so we got her picture taken with them right away. Inside the ball room, we got hot chocolate and Marina checked out the crafts. She made a marshmallow snowman and then ate him. She tried out the corn hole and Sven ring toss. But her favorite activity was the balloons. She enjoyed tossing them into the air and bouncing them across her body.

As the time for the movie came, we bought popcorn and went into the theater. Even though she has seen Frozen many times, she was excited to see it again. She sang along with all the songs and even recited some of the dialog.

It was a cold night, so we hurried home after the movie.

Santa Safari

Today we were scheduled to take our annual Hike with Santa. It’s an event we look forward to every year. Unfortunately, we had six inches of snow overnight and the temperatures were below freezing. Because of the weather, the hike was moved inside to the environment exhibit.

We arrived a bit early, so Marina played in the interactive exhibits for a little while. Then we went to wait for the hike to begin. There we had hot chocolate and Marina tried some of the crafts. She created card with the Northern Lights on it while we waited for Santa.

When Santa arrived the kids gathered around to meet him. He remembered us from years past and was happy to get photos of last year’s hike to add to the photo album we made for him. He, like everyone else, noticed how much she has grown in the past year.

When the hike began, Santa talked us through the animals from around the world. It was a small group so each child got plenty of attention from Santa. And since we’ve been on the hike so many times, Marina got special attention from him as well.

At the end of the hike we took pictures and said goodbye to Santa until next year. We went through the exhibit one more time after Santa left and then went home.

Garden of Lights

This evening wasn’t too chilly at dinnertime, so Marina and I decided to go to Blossoms of Light. We left the house early, but it still took us quite a while to get there due to all the traffic. Despite our long trip, the gardens weren’t too crowded yet and we were able to park in the garage.

Before we started along the path, we bought hot chocolate. The line was long but I knew Marina wouldn’t want to go without it. While we waited, Marina bought holographic glasses which made all the lights look like stars.  Once we had our drinks, we walked along the path. The lights were a bit different this year. In the windows of one building we even saw Santa and the elves hard at work!

The lights were different this year. The most exciting new addition was an interactive display. The noises made in a booth made the lights dance. Marina played bells while a family sang “Jingle Bells.” It was fun! One woman asked Marina about her holographic glasses, so she let the woman try them. She was impressed by them and said she wanted a pair of her own. She thanked Marina for sharing as she handed them back.

By the time we reached the end of the trail the weather had turned quite a bit colder. We were definitely ready to go! Fortunately we didn’t have far to walk to get to the car. When we arrived home, it was snowing. We were glad we went before the weather turned!

Worlds of Enchantment

Disney On Ice usually comes to town twice a year. The show Worlds of Enchantment was here this week. With our schedule this month, the only time we could go was tonight, so even though it was a school night, we decided to go anyway.

Marina decided to wear her Anna costume. After we ate dinner I realized the show was half an hour earlier than I thought it was, so we ended up rushing out the door. I was worried about rush hour traffic. Fortunately, it wasn’t bad at all and we got there quicker than I thought we could.

We picked up some snacks and went to our seats. There were quite a lot of little girls seated around us, so we talked with them until the show started. As the lights went down Marina hugged my arm and thanked me for bringing her.

The show was made up of four main stories – Toy Story, The Little Mermaid, Cars and Frozen. Marina, along with the rest of the audience, was happiest during the Frozen portion. She and I sang along loudly to all the songs.

After the show was over, we said goodbye to
 the people near us and went out. It was very cold outside and we hurried to the car. It didn’t take us long to get home and we got ready for bed right away.

Enchanted Beauty

This afternoon we had tickets to see Beauty and the Beast at a nearby theater. Marina wanted to wear an outfit that looked like Belle’s peasant dress, but ultimately decided to wear the yellow costume instead. When we arrived, the employees at the theater loved her outfit.

We found seats in the second row. Before the show started we got a snack. They were also selling light-up roses. Marina asked if she could have one. I finally agreed. As we waited for the show to begin, we looked through our programs. Many of the actors we had seen before, including those playing Belle and the Beast.

Seated behind us was a four year-old seeing her first show. At intermission, Marina happily spent time talking with her and showing her the “Hidden Mickeys” on the set. We both enjoyed the performance. After it ended, Belle and the Beast were in the lobby. She spent a few minutes speaking with the actor who played the Beast. We met him after Dracula in October. He remembered us and talked with us for a while before we took a few pictures. Then we got pictures with Belle as well.

 

 

Before we left, I wanted to speak with a friend of mine who was the assistant stage manager for the show. As I talked to him, Marina saw the actor playing Lumiere, still in his costume. She asked if we could get a picture and he was happy to pose. Marina was pretty happy with how the evening turned out.

Super Christmas Picture

This afternoon we had an appointment at the Broncos Training Facility to have our picture taken with the Broncos three Lombardi trophies. Marina and I couldn’t agree on what we should wear. She wanted to wear Broncos gear and I wanted us to dress up for the holidays. We finally compromised and wore sweaters and dark pants.

We hadn’t ever been to the practice facility before. We checked in quickly and went down several levels to the field. It was huge. We got in a very short line for our pictures. When it was our turn, Miles the mascot had just walked in. The photographer called him over and her joined us in our photo. Since there was no one behind us, we got a chance to take a good look at the trophies. We also heard from a staff member that a teen club is in the works. We were both excited about that!

On the way out we took a few more photos with Miles and Marina talked to two cheerleaders who were there. They had their Super Bowl rings on, so we took a good look at those as well. Marina also got a cookie as we left. It was a fun adventure.

CU at Zoo Lights

This evening was a special preview at Zoo Lights for alumni of the University of Colorado. As an alum, I was invited to attend. Marina was interested in going and we invited friends to go with us.

We had no trouble finding parking at the zoo. There was quite a line to get in, but it eased up as I picked up our tickets. We had hoped for small crowds, but since everyone has arrived around the same time, it was congested.

Shortly after we arrived we found where Chip the buffalo mascot was posing for pictures. Marina greeted him with a big hug. She also wanted to see Santa. That line was much longer. So, we got hot chocolate, funnel cakes and churros to snack on while we waited.

We got our photos with Santa and then spent the rest of the evening checking out the lights. This year the lights have been completely rearranged so it was fun to see the new set ups.

It took us several hours to get through the zoo and we were tired by the time we got to the front. We were all ready to go home!

Porgy and Bess

After finishing up the tree, Marina and I got ready to go out. We had tickets to see Porgy and Bess at the Aurora Fox Theater. We had invited some of our friends to join us. We had the same seats we sat in for Dracula and it turned out the people in front of us did too! We enjoyed talking to them before the show started.

The story line of Porgy and Bess was a more mature one. It had fights and murder, drug usage and racial tension. I explained some of the issues to Marina before and after the show. Despite all the serious issues in the show, Marina enjoyed the music and dance sequences.

After the show, we stayed around and met up with some of the actors. The actor who played Porgy had been Dracula and he remembered meeting us last month. We also chatted with an actress who starred in Dreamgirls, which we saw nearly two years ago. After meeting the actors we saw the house manager was waiting to close the theater, so we hurried out. It was a fun evening.

Moana

It’s been three years since Disney released a new princess movie. We’ve both been looking forward to seeing Moana, the newest one. Marina didn’t have school today and I took the day of so we could see as soon as it opened. Last month I bought her the Moana costume, so there was no question what she was going to wear today.

Marina had an appointment today. She wore the costume there and was happy to show it off. After her appointment was over, we picked up one of her friends and went directly to the theater.

We went to a theater which we haven’t been to in a long time. It includes a restaurant, so Marina ordered a shrimp platter for lunch. Then we headed into the theater to get ready for the movie.

We were pretty early for the movie, so we ate our lunch while we waited. A little before the previews started two more of our friends joined us and we all settled into our seats for the show.

We all loved the show. Moana was an engaging character and the music was amazing. Marina and I loved it so much that we bought the soundtrack on the way home from the theater.

Sugar Plum Fairy Tea

I've been wanting to visit a local tea room for a couple for years now. So I was happy we were able to attend the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea this afternoon.

Marina wanted to dress like a ballerina, but none of her ballet clothes fit her anymore. She finally decided on a pink dress decorated with crystals and pearls.

We had an easy time getting to the tea room and arrived a bit early. The room was beautiful and was already decorated for Christmas. The music from The Nutcracker was being played. Marina was thrilled to see her place marked with her name.

We started with marzipan tea. It smelled and tasted delicious! The tea room owner welcomed us to the tea party and then the food came out. We started with hot turkey pottage pies. Marina was a bit nervous about trying it, but she liked it so much she ate the whole thing.

Marina was a bit impatient waiting for the next course, so she and the three year old at the next table tried to pass the time together. But the food was worth the wait. She was thrilled that there were cucumber sandwiches. She didn’t want to try the quiche, but she did like the turkey crostini. I showed her how to eat a scone with clotted cream and jam. She enjoyed it but thought it was a bit messy. For dessert, she had a chocolate reindeer cupcake, but after eating the gingerbread she was too full to eat anything but one pretzel antler.

After we ate, the owner told the story of The Nutcracker. Then the Sugar Plum Fairy came in a performed two dances for us. She was very good. After she danced, she visited each table and let each girl select a colorful candy cane. The girls had the chance to create a pretty snowflake with stickers and sparkles. Then they had their picture taken with the Sugar Plum Fairy in front of the Christmas tree.

As we walked to the car it was clear Marina had a wonderful time. She wants to make this a new Christmas tradition for us.