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.

Godspell

This evening we visited a dinen theater we haven't been to before. We  arranged with Adriana and Sabrina to see Godspell this evening. We were all looking forward to seeing the show.

The theater is about an hour drive from home. Marina mostly played on her phone for most of the drive. When we arrived, Adriana and Marina played Pokeman Go outside until we were seated.

Once we sat down, we placed our orders for dinner. Once the show started, Marina was completely engaged. Godspell is not a traditional musical – it a collection of skits, stories and songs based on the parables of Jesus. I wasn’t sure how Marina would like it. As it turned out, she loved the show! The humor and high energy of the show kept her attention the entire time.

At intermission, she and Adriana played Pokemon Go for a while. I finally had to ask them to put it away so Marina would eat her dessert.

After the show was over, we asked a group of actors for a photo. They responded by gathering the entire cast for a picture with Marina and Sabrina. They were thrilled.

On the way home, Marina played Pokemon Go some more. By the time we got home it was late and we were pretty tired.

Night with the Nuggets

This evening was the school district's night at the Denver Nuggets game. Marina has only been to one Nuggets game before and she was excited to go. One of my coworkers and her girlfriend decided to join us.

At the last game we went to, Marina was part of the “High-Five Squad,” where she got the chance to high five the players as they entered the court before the game. She told me she’d like to do that again. As luck would have it, I got an email with the chance for her to do that again and she was picked!

We have to arrive early so Marina could join the group. When we arrived, she got a yellow t-shirt and hung around with the other kids as we waited. One little boy seemed a bit scared and, of course, Marina was there to encourage him.

When it was time, Marina happily joined the group to line up for the high-fives. I got close for pictures and despite trying to get her attention, she never looked at me. The players went through quickly. Marina was thrilled that she got a high-five from Kenneth Faried – her favorite player.

We met our friends at the door and went to our seats. I was amazed at how into the game she was. In fact, the watched the whole thing. She and the girl seated next to her because fast friends. During breaks they danced to the music and cheered loudly throughout. Marina almost won Bruno Mars tickets for screaming loudly.

The game went into overtime, but unfortunately the Nuggets lost to the Raptors 113-111. Marina said her throat hurt from all the yelling, but she had a fun time!

Day of the Dead

We were recently at the botanic gardens for their Halloween event and I saw their Day of the Dead celebration scheduled for today. We thought it sounded like fun, so we decided to check it out. Marina chose an outfit which was similar to traditional Mexican clothes. She also carried a fancy fan.

On the way there, we talked about the Mexican traditions around the day. Marina found it interesting.

The first thing Marina wanted to do was have her face painted. We were happy to find the line was not long. Marina was given an activity sheet while we waited. When it was her turn, she requested a design to go with her outfit. She was very happy with the results.

After her look was complete, we checked out the crafts set up throughout the gardens. First Marina decorated a sugar skull and made a festive banner decoration. She created a special picture frame for "someone who is my moon and stars" and colored in a mask.

Along the way, we ran into Popsicle, the mascot for the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, which supplies funding to many of our favorite places. Marina has wanted to meet Popsicle for a while now so we were both excited to see him there. Fortunately we were able to get a picture with him.

Once we went through all the special activities we went home. But in keeping with the theme of the day, we had Mexican food for lunch!